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| The Business of Being Born | 
| Director: Abby Epstein
Actors: Ricki Lake, Dr. Michel Odent, Abby Epstein, Cara Muhlhahn, Dr. Marsden Wagner
Studio: New Line Home Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $27.98
Buy New: $19.81
You Save: $8.17 (29%)
Buy New/Used from $19.25
Avg. Customer Rating:  (42 reviews)
Sales Rank: 1847
Format: Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD
Running Time: 84 minutes
Number Of Items: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: 794043120787
UPC: 794043120787
EAN: 0794043120787
ASIN: B0013LL2XY
Release Date: May 6, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Genre: Documentary
Rating: UN
Release Date: 6-MAY-2008
Media Type: DVD
Amazon.com
Is it conceivable that in the United States, profit is increasingly driving the business of birthing--sometimes at the expense of the best possible outcome for mothers and babies? Should birth be viewed and treated as a natural process or a potential medical emergency? This documentary, produced by Ricki Lake and directed by Abby Epstein, opines that money and fear are changing the way Americans give birth, and not necessarily for the better. Beginning with shocking statistics that the United States has the second-worst newborn death rate in the developed world and one of the highest maternal mortality rates in industrialized countries, the film presents interviews with medical professionals including Dr. Jacques Moritz, OB/GYN from St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital; Dr. Michel Odent, OB/GYN researcher; and Masden Wagner, MD, former Director for Women's and Children's Health at the World Health Organization. Each expert paints a dismal picture of American birthing and emphasizes the frequent overuse of medical procedures in what are otherwise potentially normal deliveries. Stressing the prevalent use of midwives in birthing in other developed nations (70% of births are attended by midwives in Europe and Japan, versus 8% in the U.S.), the documentary then follows Cara Muhlhahn, a certified nurse midwife in New York City, as she attends a variety of home births. The footage is candid and sometimes very graphic, showing various home-delivery methods, including water birth. Interviews with Cara and her clients emphasize their shared philosophy on birthing as a normal life process that, when attended by a caring and well-trained midwife, can be both empowering and exhilarating. Though a midwife is often characterized as a supportive, but medically untrained birth attendee, the film dispels that stereotype, stressing a good midwife's solid training and knowledge of when it's appropriate to seek outside medical intervention. Key in every birth is a commitment to doing what's best for mother and baby, regardless of pre-planned agendas. The filmmaker's lament is that hospitals and doctors often too quickly advocate medical intervention in the interest of saving time and avoiding potential litigation. While unquestionably advocating midwifery over hospital birthing, this documentary presents solid expert opinions, concrete facts and statistics, and anecdotal experiences of both mothers and midwives that are crucial in making an informed decision about the use of midwifery in birthing as well as enlightening as to the current state of birthing in the United States. --Tami Horiuchi
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| Customer Reviews: Read 37 more reviews...
 So glad someone is speaking up September 1, 2008
When I told everyone I was going to use a midwife for my birth two years ago no one protested to my face how much of a bad idea they thought it was. They all pulled my husband aside to use him to talk sence into me. The first thing they all told him was "how unsafe it was". My husbands counter argument was, "how do you know that, where have you read that?" Since their fear was not founded on anything except some general impresstion or tv and not on anything of substance, they would back down from my husbands statement.
There are so many people out their who think home birth and trained midwifes are unsafe, but the numbers say something different. Women are made to be afraid of something they don't have to be afraid of. It is my most fervent hope that this movie will help to remove the fear that women have been made to feel. I think the movie do a good job at focsing on the most important things people need to know and the footage of the wonderful births on the film are esental. Women need to see real birth, and that's not what women are seeing on the screen. They are seeing fear and intervetion on the screen now.
I am so glad my husband and I made the choice to be out of the hospital. My labor started and stopped, started again and from their took 21 hours before I had my daughter. There were no complications, I was just a putter. If I had been in a hospital they wouldn't have had the patince for me. They would have been trying to get me on the sugery table for sure, even though there was nothing wrong with me or baby. Since I was able to eat, drink and sleep during labor I was able to keep my strength up for the long hall. Yes I did sleep though contractions, it is possible. And no I didn't do any screaming like you see in the movies. (Remember, movies are movies)My birth was much like you will see on this film.
Visit me at my web site www.hoisingtonbooks.com
I will be posting further articals about my birth there.
Amazing Truths! August 27, 2008
After having my baby at home I can totally agree with the importance of being a part of your labor and not giving into the notion that women don't know how to have a baby. I cannot say enough positive things about this eye opening documentary. I hope it falls into the hands of many women empowering them to make their own decision about the type of birth they want to have. I plan on gifting this DVD to every woman I know even slightly interested in the idea of giving birth. Go Ricki! Thanks for bearing it all! Literally :)
Opened my eyes. August 14, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I am not a mother yet, although I have 3 furry cat babies, but I know that doesn't count. I have been trying to get pregnant for months now, and in that time I have been researching different methods of birth. I was in the hospital room when my older sister had my niece and I saw what a beautiful miracle it all was, but I was chagrined about the hospital staff and their methods. My sister was almost fully dilated when we got there, her labor going smoothly no drugs at all, and as soon as she was in the door they wanted to start her on Pitocen, I felt their need to get it all over and done with and my sister also felt that pressure and gave in, my niece was born within the hour.
The Business of Being Born touches on that subject, of women being given drugs to hurry up the process because the staff wants the mother to give birth, so they can either move on to the next or go home. I understand that, it IS a business after all, hospitals have to make money also and a natural childbirth isn't going to bring in the cash, or free up a bed. The Documentary also touches on how the surgical community, hospitals, doctors took childbirth out of the midwives hands and put pregnant women flat on their backs, drugged up and put through things they shouldn't have to be put through. Its illogical how women are treated, it's sad how its now out of their hands, and its scary that most people aren't informed of the choices they have.
Natural childbirth to your average American woman is pictured as painful and just for the Granola Hippie types. They don't see it as taking back their bodies, and minds, and truthfully allowing birth to be what nature intended. Do women actually think that they will die of pain if they don't have the drugs? Do women forget that our bodies are amazing? We have hormones, and chemicals and our physiology is crafted especially for giving birth! We aren't meant to be lying on our backs, with needles in our arms and some doctor telling us that "its time" and than pumping us with drugs that we know NOTHING about their long term effects, and causing our babies undue stress in the womb. Babies will come out when they are ready, not when Dr. "Late to golf" wants them too.
This film is wonderful, informative, I cried, I sobbed, I turned to my husband and said "that's an eye opener!" Thank you Rickie for having the courage to show what you went through, and what childbirth can really be like as nature intended!
Watch this, you wont regret it.
A must see for every mother and father-to-be! August 8, 2008
Please see this film! It will help you to make educated choices concerning (1) who will provide your prenatal care and (2) who will deliver your baby.
Midwifery Appears to be the Way to Go..... July 31, 2008
"The Business of Being Born" is a well done documentary that points out many eye opening facts about how the business of giving birth in the United States has gone awry. The information provided makes a lot of sense and has changed my views on the way giving birth should be performed. Using a midwife and home birth seem to be more beneficial to both the mother and her baby. "The Business of Being Born" gives many reasons why its beneficial for both mother and baby to have a midwife assist during labor. The medical establishment treats child birth like an unnatural medical condition and uses many unnecessary medical interventions to help speed along the birthing process. From watching this documentary, these medical interventions appear to have adverse consequences to both mother and child.
Some of the information shared in this documentary showed that 70% of the births in Europe and Japan are performed by midwives. Conversely, in the United States, approximately 1% of all births are performed by midwives. The United States has the highest infant and maternal mortality rate of all industrialized nations.
Giving birth is big business in the United States.... Doctors want you in and out of the hospital as quickly as possible to make room for the next woman to give birth. Doctors are performing more c-sections today than ever before. In the early 1970s around 4% of women had c-sections. Today something like 1 in 3 women are having c-sections in the United States. Having a c-section is major surgery with its own set of risks and complications. Many of the c-sections performed are unnecessary and some doctors perform/push c-sections in order to prevent malpractice lawsuits according what I saw in this documentary.
Midwives are very educated, highly trained specialists, whom have the interests of both the mother and baby at heart. They work with the mother's body and allow it to take the needed time to delivery the baby. It appears from watching this documentary that the women that used midwives had a better overall experience giving birth then that of those that used the obstetrics/hospital route. This is a highly enlightening documentary.
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