According to "Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America," women and couples planning the birth of a child have decisions to make in a variety of areas: birthplace, birth attendants, medications, preparatory courses, circumcision, breastfeeding, etc. The “childbirth market” has responded to consumer concerns, so it is important that potential consumers fully understand their options. That said, a woman can choose to deliver her baby in a hospital or at home. There are many differences between hospital births and non-hospital births. A commonly known procedure when it comes to hospital births is the epidural. An epidural is the injection of a drug into the “epidural space” that causes both a loss of sensation (anesthesia) and a loss of pain (analgesia), blocking the nerve in the spinal cord. According to “Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America,” the mother is not the only epidural recipient. The epidural travels across the placenta to the baby. This procedure is commonly used for a woman who is usually past the time of labor. The doctor gives the patient the option of getting an epidural to help her get through labor more easily, but according to "Business of Being Born" this is not an option; it's more of a command. According to the “Business of Being Born” video, if the baby is in danger, the doctor must help the patient deliver the baby via vacuum or epidural. Doctors use this amazing manipulative technique on the patient to speed up the process. This forces the patient to accept because it is for “the good of the child”; as he says in the video. Sometimes leaving the patient in a state of despair. This may seem silly to some patients, but... middle of paper... I have a decision to make when I bring a child into the world, which comes with a myriad of responsibilities. These responsibilities won't always be easy, but there should be some comfort in them. Works Cited “Business of Being Born.” Business of being born. Network. July 16, 2011. "CYE Book Review." Network. 22 July 2011. "Outcomes of planned home birth with a registered midwife compared to planned hospital birth with midwife or doctor." Journal of the Canadian Medical Association. Network. July 22, 2011. Yarber, William L., Barbara J. Sayad, and Bryan Strong. Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2010. Print.