The new documentary Born Free: Birth in America launched on Apple TV this weekend, and it's a must-watch for every woman of childbearing age in this country. The film addresses the frightening fact that maternal death rates during birth are higher in the United States than in any other developed country. It may be terrifying, but it's a reality that every pregnant woman or woman planning to be pregnant in America should be aware of.
The documentary addresses women's fears about giving birth in the US, including interviews with mothers and fathers who have experienced birth trauma. The stories these families tell are heartbreaking but incredibly important.
"Knowledge is power and I created Born Free to give everyone an overview of where we stand today, moms, partners, families, friends and employers all need to understand what’s happening in the maternal health crisis," director Paula James-Martinez explains to CafeMom via email. "As advocate Charles Johnson says, 'Either you are a mama or you have one.'"
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Giving birth is always a serious matter, but particularly so in a country with a health care system that fails women again and again.
Any woman who has had a baby or is preparing to will likely confirm there is an element of fear of the unknown while preparing for birth and in the delivery room. This fear is exacerbated when a woman is rushed into an operating room for an unexpected or emergency C-section. C-sections are the country's most commonly performed surgical procedure, and some women say they were forced into the operating room unwillingly.
Born Free asserts a fact that many moms are well aware of: 1 in 3 women describes their birth as "traumatic." Given the C-section stories we've heard, we're not surprised.
The film brings up questions about the medical profession.
"How did our specialty get to a place where the experts in childbirth cannot deliver a baby?" one man asks in the trailer for the documentary. That thought could certainly give women pause as they are trying to decide whether or not to have a baby.
Sadly, women die in childbirth every day in the US.
Mortality rates for mothers giving birth continue to rise in the US. The film quotes Newsweek as stating, "America has no idea how many women die from pregnancy." It also reports that this country ranks 47th in the developed world for maternal mortality rates. Some believe race plays a factor in mistreatment in the delivery room and, ultimately, maternal deaths.
In the US, Black women are three times more likely to die during childbirth and shortly afterward compared to white women, a fact the film touches on as well.
'Born Free' tells some truly scary stories.
The director shared that when she was pregnant, she felt her obstetrician was making a business decision, not offering appropriate maternal care.
"During my pregnancy, my OB suggested inducing me 10 days early so that she could go out of town on my due date," James-Martinez tells us. "I'd made it clear in our albeit rushed appointments that I wanted to try for an unmedicated birth. Being a Brit, I smiled said 'Oh, OK,' and as we left the appointment, I told my husband that this was the beginning of medical intervention and I wasn't ever going back.
"Growing up in the UK midwife birth is routine — their maternal mortality rate is also half that of the United States — and I think I was a little naive to how things would play out in the American system," she continues. "So even though I was 33 weeks pregnant I decided to leave the hospital system. Instead, I had a fantastic midwife-assisted birth at a birth center in Los Angeles."
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The film's goal is for women to walk away empowered.
We often hear the phrase "Knowledge is power." James-Martinez hopes to be a part of giving all mothers that power. Indeed, Born Free encourages mothers to advocate for themselves and their babies.
"We need to know what we are dealing with as moms and birthing people. I don't care if you have a scheduled c or do it in the woods surrounded by deer, but your birth should leave you feeling, heard, safe and empowered," she says, adding, "80 percent of maternal deaths in this country are preventable, but we have to push for systemic change."
