Ricki Lake Birth Documentary: The Business of Being Born

**~Kate~** · August 16th, 2008, 07:42 PM

Can someone ease my mind on this...? I watched the trailer and I felt pride for the women who have empowered themselves but mainly I felt guilt that I couldn't do the natural woman thing. I feel like a failure for having to have a c/s. Maybe if I was to watch the whole thing it might be easier to take but I just felt that it was putting down c/s births

**Tobily** · August 16th, 2008, 08:11 PM

Can someone ease my mind on this...? I watched the trailer and I felt pride for the women who have empowered themselves but mainly I felt guilt that I couldn't do the natural woman thing. I feel like a failure for having to have a c/s. Maybe if I was to watch the whole thing it might be easier to take but I just felt that it was putting down c/s births

Kate

I agree the trailer is quite confronting. But when you actually watch the film it isn't really about the "process" of giving birth. Sure birth is the subject matter but the film isn't your typical natural/vaginal/caesarean debate fodder.

It's about the birth business - the thrust of it is about intervention and interference, about how healthy women have been forced into hospitals to do something that is essentially a normal life event. The medicalisation of normal birth, and the way that we've become part of a production line. How we've lost trust in the process as a society, even women.

Even though there is some focus on the producers homebirth, even that is in the context of her wish to avoid being part of that system and to have the birth she wanted - not about homebirth being a "better choice" iykwim.

I'd hate for you not to see it because you feel that it's denigrating your birth...I've also had an unplanned caesarean so I know where you're coming from but I didn't find it left me feeling like that all.

**BellyBelly** · August 16th, 2008, 08:15 PM

Kate - you'll have to watch it to see the full message it's putting out there. It doesn't attack mothers at all but blames a whole heap of things that ARE responsible for the massive increase in c/s. I'm not promoting this big time for sales, but because women NEED to see it. Its not just the USA - it's here - and we have a higher c/s rate than the USA. PLEASE watch it. I urge everyone to, nothing will change until you understand how women have been treated, manipulated, lied to... and it's very prevalent.

BellyBelly Pty Ltd - Shopping Cart

**~Raven~** · August 16th, 2008, 08:20 PM

I don't think that the movie "puts down" c/sect births, rather it explains how a lot of them and augmented births end up happening.

Tali even though the birthing scenes are beautiful, the footage of what they used to do to women in labour is quite confronting and would be quite scary for a child. It shows old footage women being tied up and blindfolded

I would recommend that if you want to prepare your son for seeing a birth in the future that you watch it without him first so you can decide if he can handle the images. I wouldn't let mine see it.

**BeautifulMadness** · August 16th, 2008, 08:22 PM

would you say its worth the money?

it sounds interesting but i am not sure what id get out of

**BellyBelly** · August 16th, 2008, 08:23 PM

I've sold 100 in 1 week and not had one complaint, only loads of thank-yous for promoting/selling it. it is VERY worth it. I am getting in another 10 this week, no doubt they will go quick too.

**Snacks** · August 16th, 2008, 08:36 PM

I thought it was well worth the money... But then, I was sympathetic already - it just reinforced something I already believed to be true.
I enjoyed the fact that they included differing PsOV - like from MWs and OBs. There were indeed some confronting scenes, but well worth seeing IMO.
And Kate, so sorry that you felt that way.

I think I can understand, as IMO it does tend to focus more on the clinical aspect of c/s, and therefore it looks more negative emotionally IYKWIM. But it is certainly not criticising women who have c/s, but just as Tobily said, the push of the industry for women to have more medicalised births unnecessarily. IMO they are more about calling the industry to account, not birthing women.

**meow** · August 17th, 2008, 12:15 PM

I think this movie highlights the important place c-sections have in critical situations, while at the same time showing the damaging effect the industry is having on birth in general. It is well worth seeing!!
I personally wouldn't share it with children as a preparation for birth- it's not that sort of documentary. I'd show them some lovely birth montages etc. to set them up for the beautiful experience of birth.

***Elle*** · August 31st, 2008, 05:18 PM

I would also really like to see this and will be buying the dvd when I can afford to get it, I saw Ricki Lake on a progame called the view and she was great, she talked about this doco and it just made me more interested in seeing it.

**The[cookie]Doctor** · February 8th, 2009, 05:15 PM

I watched this yesterday, and goodness me it was fantastic!!
I loved that they were all so peaceful at home. Rikki's birth was gorgeous, and the woman standing up, the look of exhilaration on her face when she caught the baby! What an amazing doco.

It was a bit sad seeing Abby end up with a C/S, but I have to say - I think it also reinforced the idea that midwives are competent, and they do know when a transfer is needed.

The woman OB, sitting at her desk, she was odd. She said something about not trusting homebirths because "what about pit, do they even have access to pitocin?", and then contradicted it later on... of course now i cant remember...

Anyway, it is fantastic!

**allycat06** · June 12th, 2010, 02:15 PM

Watched this last night with DH. We both Loved, loved, LOVED it!!
I could see DH's conspiracy theorist mind going into overdrive at some points LOL
I had an OMG that was ME moment at the part where the lady was birthing in hospital on her back with the OB going "I don't like the look of the heartrate have one more go at pushing and then I'm using the vacuum"
Totally reinforced our reasons for wanting to stay at home next time round. I even got a little teary (she who never cries) at the end watching Abby's tiny little bub having his first BF, gorgeous!

***EJ*** · June 12th, 2010, 02:54 PM

I've placed my order for the DVD and i think it said it would be back ordered. How long does this take?

Really looking forward to seeing this, hope it doesn't take too long

**BellyBelly** · June 12th, 2010, 02:59 PM

I dont have any in stock at the moment, I have decided to stop selling them because after the hype of the documentary, its really died down with sales. But yeah this thread has been bumped up lol. I'll have to investigate getting more in later in the week from the US but they are expensive to import for wholesale due to customs etc (I used to distribute them here). If you can get an Australian region one from Amazon you'll probably be better off doing it that way. If you want to go ahead with that, let me know and i can organise a refund.

***EJ*** · June 12th, 2010, 03:14 PM

Oh no!! I did see that a lot of the comments were quite old but i have seen and heard a bit about it and decided i wanted to see if for myself. Then when i looked it was in the Online store... I've just had a look on Amazon, i've purchased a copy just hope it's one that will play over here. Thanks anyway Kelly.

You can go ahead and refund the amount for the DVD but i'd still love the book i ordered aswell.

Thanks Kirstie