The Business of Being Born

The Business of Being Born

Greg and I (and Genevieve) attended a private screening last night to view this AMAZING documentary about birth and how women's view of birth has changed over the decades. We were floored by many of the statistics, both nationwide and local, concerning infant mortality rate (in hospitals) and the C-section rate in the U.S. We learned, that in Bexar County alone, the C-section rate is 50% for those on Medicaid!

The Synopsis of the Film:

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?

My disclaimer to the film is that it is NOT a Christian film by any means. There are about five bad words in the film and a lot of birth related nudity, so the film is certainly not for everyone. If you're interested in viewing the film, there is another screening here in San Antonio Jan. 29th. For more details, zip an email to this address: info@texasbirth.org . This film is also available on Netflix, and will be available on DVD in March.

And on this birth note, I've been working on our birth story and should have it posted soon!