TV Guide: The Business Of Being Born

Listing: The Business of Being Born

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:00:00 -0500

Mon Dec 14 02:00 AM SHOe

Video: Trailer

Trailer Addict — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:29:54 -0500

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?

Video: The Business of Being Born

CinemaNow — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:51:34 -0500

The Business of Being Born explores the history of obstetrics, the history and function of midwives, and how many common medical practices may be doing new mothers more harm than good.

Video: The Business of Being Born

Amazon Video on Demand — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 07:44:23 -0500

While the United States has perhaps the most advanced health care system in the world, it also has the second-highest infant mortality rate of any industrialized nation, and many have begun to question conventional wisdom regarding the way obstetricians deal with childbirth. While midwives preside over the majority of births in Europe and Japan, fewer than ten percent of American mothers employ them, despite their proven record of care and success. How do American doctors make their choices regarding the way their patients give birth, and who is intended to benefit? Director Abby Epstein ("Until the Violence Stops") and Daytime Emmy Award-nominee Ricki Lake (TV's "The Ricki Lake Show," "Hairspray") offer a probing look at childbirth in America in the documentary The Business of Being Born, which explores the history of obstetrics, the history and function of midwives, and how many common medical practices may be doing new mothers more harm than good.