The Business of Being Born
a doctumentary film from executive producer Ricki Lake and director Abby Epstein

Pete and I were recently a part of the previewing of this new movie at UNC Charlotte. (You can view the movie trailer above by clicking play.) Doctors, midwives, doulas, and childbirth educators were invited along with the rest of the public. It will be in theaters January 9th and it is a movie everyone should watch to become more aware of the birth practices in the United States. The statistic that is the hardest to ignore is the fact that the United States ranks thirty-first in maternal and infant mortality and morbidity rates.

"Every single European nation has better maternal and infant outcomes than the United States. The majority of the industrialized nations that have good statistics have one thing in common that the United States lacks--- midwives, and lots of them, who see birth has normal and natural and are the gatekeepers for all pregnant women." Gentle Birth Choices; Harper, R.N.

"Birth: it’s a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to examine and question the way American women have babies. The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal. Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?"
quoted from www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com