The Business of Being Born
by Abby Epstein
(Click here)
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD details
Actor: Julia Barnett Tracy, Louann Brizendine, Michael Brodman, Patricia Burkhardt, Tina CassidyDirector: Abby Epstein
Brand: Warner Brothers
Producer: Abby Epstein
Cinematographer: Paulo Netto
Producer: Paulo Netto
Editor: Madeleine Gavin
Producer: Amy Slotnick
Producer: Ricki Lake
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); Spanish (Dubbed)
Format: Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 87 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-05-06
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: New Line Home Video
Product features:
- Birth is a miracle, a rite of passage, a natural part of life. But birth is also big business. Compelled to explore the subject after the delivery of her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to question the way American women have babies. Epstein gains access to several pregnant New York City women as they weigh their options. Some of these women are or will become
DVD Reviews of The Business of Being Born
DVD Review: Interesting Documentary
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this for my wife who is a nursing student after she told me she heard good things about it. It was pretty interesting. We both learned a lot about "The Business". It started a great dialogue between my wife and I as we are about ready to start a family and hadn't discussed how it's all going to go down when the time is here. I've always found it peculiar that a process that has been going on naturally since we formed as a species has been labeled a disability and/or a sickness by insurers and employers and that it must be done by trained professionals in sterile environments. We are definitely going to enter into our first pregnancy with some knowledge we didn't have thanks to this film.DVD Review: Recommended for every soon-to-be mom ...
Summary: 5 Stars
What you need to realize when you are about to give birth is that the medical profession views the birth of your child purely from a legal standpoint.
I experienced the very standard "fetal monitor" BS - whereby the technicians hook you up to determine if the baby can "withstand" the stress of birth and, of course, the fetal monitoring itself caused my baby's heart rate to speed up and the decision was made that I required an "emergency" c-section. All very textbook, according to today's medical procedures.
For my second child, I elected to go with a home birth, but, alas, the State of Pennsylvania does not "allow" a home birth following a caesarean. I was lucky - and pushy enough - to get a midwife in the hospital delivery room.
Women, wake up. Birth is a natural process and the birth of every child is a once in a lifetime experience. Don't let our overly litigious society dictate to you how your child will be born. Do yourself a favor - watch this film and investigate alternatives.
DVD Review: must see for parents-to-be
Summary: 5 Stars
Great mythbuster about childbirth. Amazing how different this footage is compared to the dramatic exagerations of popular cinema.DVD Review: Very Informative
Summary: 5 Stars
I am 5 months pregant and have been researching my options for a birth plan. This DVD was very helpful. I understand it is a little biased but I watched it with open eyes. I plan on having a Natural Birth. I planned on it before I saw the DVD, but the video did help solidify my plan. I recommend it for all pregnant women... and their partners.DVD Review: A Must-See Movie For All Expecting Parents!
Summary: 5 Stars
I had been told my entire life (and of course, this is all you will ever see in the movies, too) that women have their babies in the hospital. This is how its done, right?
Wrong.
In every other country (except America) the MAJORITY of women use midwives and deliver their babies at home. America uses hospital births as the standard (over 85% of all births), yet we have the second highest infant mortality and mother mortality rates of any country in the WORLD! Maybe hospitals aren't the best option after all.
Ricki Lake has created a wonderful documentary about the "business of being born." She shows, using numerous interviews and proven facts, that hospital births are just that: a business. She talks about the history of midwives and shows women going through delivery with a midwife versus the women going through delivery at the hospital. She interviews nurses and doctors from the labor and delivery units of several hospitals asking them if they have ever seen anyone deliver a baby naturally (vaginally, no drugs or inducements). None of them had. Ricki Lake shows how the increased use of pitosin and other inducement drugs correlate with the rise in birth defects and child behavioral problems like Autism.
It is an incredibly eye-opening movie that all expecting couples should see before deciding the route of delivery that they want to take. Also great for people who have not yet started having children (it's never too early to think about it). It is definitely worth the small investment of money for the video to hear the whole truth (especially when you think about the fact that a midwife costs about $4000 for all pre and post-natal care and delivery, while just giving birth in a hospital can cost over $10,000). This video will help you make an informed decision.
The Business of Being Born
Description of The Business of Being Born
Birth is a miracle a rite of passage a natural part of life. But birth is also big business.Compelled to explore the subject after the delivery of her first child actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to question the way American women have babies.Epstein gains access to several pregnant New York City women as they weigh their options. Some of these women are or will become clients of Cara Muhlhahn a charismatic midwife who between birth events shares both memories and footage of her own birth experience.Footage of women having babies punctuates THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN. Each experience is unique; all are equally beautiful and equally surprising. Giving birth is clearly the most physically challenging event these women have ever gone through but it is also the most emotionally rewarding.Along the way Epstein conducts interviews with a number of obstetricians experts and advocates about the history culture and economics of childbirth. The film?s fundamental question: should most births be viewed as a natural life process or should every delivery be treated as a potential medical emergency?As Epstein uncovers some surprising answers her own pregnancy adds a very personal dimension to THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN a must-see movie for anyone even thinkingSystem Requirements:Running Time: 85 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:?DOCUMENTARIES/SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Rating:?UNRATED UPC:?794043120787 Manufacturer No:?1000038370Is 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
General DVDs
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Bestsellers in General DVDs
Valentino: The Last EmperorPEACE ARCH HOME ENTERTAINMENT; Release date: 2009-09-08; DVD
Best price: $13.00
Price in other shops:
The Civil War - A Film by Ken BurnsBURNS,KEN; Release date: 2004-09-28; DVD
Best price: $35.95
Price in other shops:
On the Road with Charles Kuralt, Set 1Acorn; Release date: 2009-10-27; DVD
Best price: $27.10
Price in other shops:
![The National Parks: America's Best Idea [Blu-ray] Image](/images/The-National-Parks-America-Best-Idea-Blu-ray-B002GWDK6Q-X.jpg){kind=small}
The National Parks: America's Best Idea [Blu-ray]Release date: 2009-10-06; DVD
Best price: $68.53
Price in other shops:
Monty Python: Almost The TruthUni; Release date: 2009-10-27; DVD
Best price: $18.97
Price in other shops:
The Secret (Extended Edition)The Secret; Release date: 2006-10-01; Published: 2006; DVD
Best price: $7.78
Price in other shops:
The CarterHART SHARP VIDEO; Release date: 2009-11-17; DVD
Best price: $13.85
Price in other shops:
Ken Burns: National Parks - America's Best IdeaRelease date: 2009-10-06; DVD
Best price: $60.95
Price in other shops:
Planet Earth - The Complete BBC SeriesWarner Brothers; Release date: 2007-04-24; DVD
Best price: $26.67
Price in other shops:
Food, Inc.MAGNOLIA PICT HM ENT; Release date: 2009-11-03; DVD
Best price: $12.49
Price in other shops:
Similar DVDs, VHS Video, Audio CDs
Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor's Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choicesby Sarah Buckley
Celestial Arts; Published: 2008-12-02; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.11
Price in other shops:
The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birthby Henci Goer, Rhonda Wheeler
Perigee Trade; Published: 1999-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.25
Price in other shops:
Ina May's Guide to Breastfeedingby Ina May Gaskin
Bantam; Published: 2009-09-29; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.71
Price in other shops:
Birth DayRelease date: 2008-03-17; DVD
Best price: $34.99
Price in other shops:
Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children Firstby Marsden Wagner
University of California Press; Published: 2008-05-21; Paperback; Book
Best price: $12.49
Price in other shops:
Ina May's Guide to Childbirthby Ina May Gaskin
Bantam; Published: 2003-03-04; Paperback; Book
Best price: $10.72
Price in other shops:
Pregnant in AmericaVictor; Release date: 2008-12-16; DVD
Best price: $15.28
Price in other shops:
Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Careby Jennifer Block
Da Capo Press; Published: 2008-04-07; Paperback; Book
Best price: $7.57
Price in other shops:
Orgasmic BirthRelease date: 2009-01-01; DVD
Best price: $31.49
Price in other shops:
Your Best Birth: Know All Your Options, Discover the Natural Choices, and Take Back the Birth Experienceby Ricki Lake, Abby Epstein
Wellness Central; Published: 2009-05-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.03
Price in other shops: