The Business Of Being Born
The Business of Being Born explores the business aspect of birth and the way that American women have babies. The film includes a history of obstetrics, the history and function of midwives, footage of several natural births (including Ricki Lake’s home birth), interviews with people “on the street,” doctors, as well as birth advocates like Michel Odent, Ina May Gaskin, and Robbie Davis-Floyd, and more.1
Called “The Business of Being Born,” the documentary examines the politics, economics and history of how and where most Americans take their first breaths. This includes the births of Epstein’s and Lake’s own babies - Lake delivered at home aided by a midwife, and Epstein had planned to do the same.2
“The Business of Being Born,” a documentary about going through the U.S. health system as a pregnant woman, will be shown at 6 p.m., and a panel discussion among health providers will follow. The event will be held in Room 27 of the Alumni Memorial Building.3
From the blogger and writer Jennifer Block comes the news that the Ricki Lake-produced documentary “The Business of Being Born” is taking off in Australia, in part because it’s being promoted by the What Women Want party, which supports widespread maternity care reform. The movie indicts the U.S. system of giving birth that relies heavily on medical intervention, even when it’s not really necessary.4
“The Business of Being Born” is most definitely not Angelina Jolie traipsing through Kenya with an economist. It’s a magical mystery tour of bodily fluids, sliced uteri, gloppy infants and gaping vaginas.5