Reaction to Birth Videos and Monty Python skit

Initially I thought that the births of the giraffes and the dolphins were natural births. Neither birth involved any interventions. The birth was centered around the mothers. There was a midwife (in giraffe birth). There was immediate interaction between the baby and the mother. All of these factors caused me to believe that the two births were natural births. However, as I was reading over my original entry and notes, and thought back to the video, I began to consider other aspects of the births, which made me second-think about the categorization. In some ways, the births of the giraffe and dolphins are also normal births. The births did not exactly take place in their homes and were in a monitored environment, somewhat like the hospital in a human’s case. Also, both births were not really mother-centered. Most viewers were more focused on the baby and were anticipating its birth. In the birth of the giraffe, the people placed sand on the floor, because they were concerned for the baby’s safety. They were not really worried about the mother. Another thing that prevents these two births being a natural birth is the presence of the father or loved ones. In the dolphin video, the mother was not surrounded by any of her loved ones. Instead, she was just surrounded by people who sees this sacred moment for her as a source of entertainment. The father giraffe was there to support the mother, but they were separated by a fence, kind of like how family members are told to stay outside the room while the mother is giving birth.

Both births certainly have characteristics of a normal birth and a natural birth. However, I feel that the normal side of the births in these two cases is a result of humans trying to make the giraffe and dolphin’s births similar to their own, and doing what they believe is “better” for the mother and the baby. And by that, I mean imprisoning them in an isolated area away from their fellow giraffes or dolphins and monitoring the birth as thought it was a show. Comparing the suggested videos from the assignment with another giraffe birth video made me realize that the human contribution is not necessary. Animals in the wild give birth without the help of humans and most of them turn out just fine (assuming they don’t get eaten immediately after birth). For example, a giraffe birth taken place in Memphis Zoo did not pad the floor with sand nor had any midwives, but the mother still gave birth and the baby giraffe was still alive. Unfortunately, it took place in a similar setting. Regardless, it shows that it is pointless to add all those things that make a natural birth into a normal birth.

Watching the two birth videos made natural births seem even more favorable than normal births, at least to me. The births of giraffes and dolphins have certain aspects that would be considered ideal and unrealistic for a human birth. In both of the videos, the mothers appear to be in no pain. Giving birth did not seem to have caused any irregularities with the mother and did not seem to have taken much time. There were also a lot of movement involved, as well as first moment interaction between the mother and child. The mother giraffe (in the Memphis Zoo) did a lot of walking as she was giving birth, and afterwards was encouraging the baby giraffe to walk. The mother dolphin was swimming around the whole time that she was giving birth. And once the baby dolphin was born, the two swam together side by side. The whole birth process for each of the animals was very fluent, which is something most people would hope for. These two videos portrayed birth in a way that much different than what is expected. It appeared that their (natural) way of birth was very easy and painless, as opposed to the normal way of birth, which usually involves the imagery of blood, tubes, knives, doctors, and/or screaming.

When we were first assigned to watch these birth videos, I was very reluctant to do so. I have never seen a birth video before this and was not planning to. I felt that it would be something very disgusting to watch and I would have a hard time watching it, especially the human birth. Part of the reason why I felt this way was because I have a handful of friends who have watched “The Miracle of Life” and told me that it was very bloody and horrible. I already had a mindset about how birth was going to be like. However I forced myself to watch the videos, starting with the Monty Python skit and then the giraffe and dolphin birth. It turns out that watching the births did me no harm at all and have yet to scar me for life. I actually found the dolphin birth to be enjoyable. It was pleasurable to see the mother so lively even while she was giving birth. In a way, watching the videos relieved me because it showed me that births do not have to be a painful experience. I have heard classmates say that, but until now I did not think it was possible. After a couple of days, I decided to watch the human birth video and add this part into my blog). As I mentioned previously, I was particularly afraid of watching the human birth video. But just like the other videos, it was unexpectedly not as frightening as I thought it would be. While watching the video, I did not see any blood and the stress level of the room appeared to be very low. That birth appeared to be a delightful experience for everyone there. In the background, you can hear their older child say with amusement “you can see its head now.” The father was also “far more involved that I would have ever expected.” You can also tell that this natural birth was much more mother-centered than a normal birth. Everyone was comforting the mother as she was giving birth. And one of her friends (or the midwife) showed her a mirror so she watching her child being born. All three birth videos have contradicted the planted image of births being extremely painful, risky, long, stressful, and bloody.

Monty Python was a humorous and extreme portrayal of a normal birth in a hospital, but there is still truth in the skit. But it mainly focused on how normal births are mostly focused on the doctors. In the very beginning of the skit, the head doctor ordered the other doctors and nurses to get the machinery and the most expensive machine, in case the administer came. To the doctors, birth was just a way to impress their higher ups and earn money. Normal births are pretty much about what the doctor wants, like who gets to put the tube on the baby. This skit also demonstrates how the mother, father and child are neglected. The mother was told that she had to do nothing because she was not “qualified.” And after the baby was born she was not even allowed to see it. The father was sent out of the room because “only people who are involved” were allowed to watch the mother give birth. The person who was neglected the most would probably be the baby. The doctors had a machine that goes “bing” to notify them that the baby was still alive. Therefore the doctors did not have to check on the baby or even look at the baby as they were delivering it. This still applies even after the baby is born, because when the baby is finally out of the mother’s womb, they chopped the umbilical cord with a butcher knife, flung it around in a towel, and then “isolate it.” Ignoring the fact that the baby is being horribly treated, you can still see that the baby is being disregarded due to its reference. The doctor calls the baby “it,” demonstrating that the doctor did not even take the time to look at the baby. The Monty Python skit may have been done for laughs, but there are parts that show the flaws and the truth of a normal hospital birth.

As I was watching the Monty Python video, I was aware that it was done for comical purposes. However, I did not laugh at all throughout the video. Two weeks ago I might have found it hilarious, just like anyone else would right now. But after taking awareness about the aspects of births, I took the skit very seriously because the truth is that what they’re showing are valid points put to the extreme (but I guess that’s also what makes it funny). Mothers, fathers and babies are really being ignored during the whole birth process. And the sacred moment of birth is really being tainted by the hospital. My first reaction to this video was not to laugh, but instead it was to see how truthful it really was and if other people were aware of it.