The Business of Being Born DVD – Ricki Lake Birth Documentary

“All women owe it to themselves to see this documentary.” - Bust Magazine

Birth is a miracle, a rite of passage, a natural part of life. But birth is also big business.

In this candid and eye opening documentary, director Abby Epstein and producer Ricki Lake explore and question the way women have babies. Shocking facts (to men and women alike) regarding the historical and current practices of the child birthing industry interweave with stories of couples who decide to give birth on their own terms.

Lake and Epstein follow a New York midwife as she practices her ancient tradition with modern tools and several couples who decide to give birth on their own terms.

The film simultaneously traces the obstetrics profession’s century-long campaign to bring childbirth into the hospital: from blind-folds, restraints and pelvic x-rays to the disastrous histories of drugs like scopolamine, thalidomide and Cytotec and the introduction of the electronic foetal monitor, after which caesareans went from 4% to 25% in a decade. As doctors become increasingly risk-averse, medical decisions are being made for all the wrong reasons and interfering with the crucial initial mother-child bond.

What Our Members Think of The Business of Being Born

In late 2007 we held some movie previews in the Hawthorn Town Hall. This is what our members thought:

SweetPea

“I brought my husband along and he actually really enjoyed it too, he said he understands more now why I feel so strongly about having a drug free birth.

The way they described the effect of the pain relief drugs and the pit on the baby was great, really cemented in the fact that although the mother may not be feeling pain with an epidural the baby is still being subjected to contractions leading to fetal distress and the cascade of intervention.

I’m recommending this film to all my friends who are trying to conceive!”

MelS

“Kelly, thank you for bringing this documentary to us. It was a great night and the I loved catching up with other BB girls. Rhea was fascinating to listen too. Melanie was brilliant, she should do more public speaking as she had such a great way of telling a story.

I found the documentary so interested on many levels. It has really got me thinking about what I will do for my next birth (if there is a next one), something I never thought I would want to change.

I thought Ricki’s birth was beautiful and the curly haired model – both bought tears to my eyes. You cannot describe that feeling of utter love to anyone.

Thanks again Kelly and all involved for such an enjoyable night.”

Preview the trailer for The Business of Being Born HERE

Order the DVD in PAL format HERE

“Entertaining and chillingly informative.”
- Vogue Magazine, November 2007

“A Highly informative expose.”
- Variety

“The Inconvenient Truth of Childbirth.”
- Huffington Post

”...intense, at times hilarious, and often exhilarating.”
- CBS Showbuzz

Preview the trailer for The Business of Being Born HERE.

Order the DVD in PAL format HERE