When I was pregnant with my first child, in 1999, I was young and relatively naive about childbirth. I’m not sure what led me towards a midwife – it may have been my mom’s serious hippie tendencies, or the stories of my sister’s midwife-attended births – but I knew right away that the Midwife Model of Care was what I wanted, although I didn’t know that was what it was called. Now, nearly 12 year later and pregnant with my third child I am eternally grateful for the care I received then and for the work that was put in to help me accomplish a vaginal delivery, despite a stubbornly sunny-side up baby.
When pregnant with my middle child three years ago I watched the documentary “The Business of Being Born”, in which Executive Producer Ricki Lake and Filmmaker Abby Epstein sought to bring to light some of the aspects of childbirth that are treated as anything but the miracle it should be. The fact is that medical practices, whether For- or Non-Profit, are businesses, and sometimes decisions that should be made based on the individual needs of a mother and her baby are instead about convenience, consistency, or the bottom line. If you haven’t seen this film, I highly recommend it – no matter what stage of mommy hood you might be in.
Today Ricki and Abby are releasing their long-awaited follow up films in “More Business of Being Born”. The series starts with a trip to The Farm, an amazing birth community where Ina May Gaskin and her team of colleagues help mothers experience amazing births in the quiet of rural Tennessee. Ina May’s success with natural birth (1.4% C-Section rate between 1970 and 2000) and her work to educate mothers and birth professionals have made her almost a celebrity. (I also highly recommend any of Ina May’s books!) She is so well respected that Ina May is the only Midwife to ever have an Obstetrical maneuver named after her.
The films continue with frank and open discussions about birth with celebrity mothers, over an hour and a half discussing the care options women have available to them, including Doulas, Midwives, C-Sections, and Birth Centers, and then some time with the subject of VBAC, and why delivering vaginally after a c-section is such a controversial topic in healthcare today. Here is what the producers have to say about the films:
Down on The Farm: Conversations with Legendary Midwife Ina May Gaskin
Follow Executive Producer Ricki Lake and Director Abby Epstein to The Farm Community in Summertown, Tennessee, where pioneer midwife Ina May Gaskin talks candidly about the latest birth trends and the art of midwifery. Gaskin, who was featured in the original The Business of Being Born, sparked Lake’s initial interest in natural birth and has continued to inspire the filmmaking duo’s advocacy efforts. Also on the journey is pregnant actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley, who has enlisted a midwife to attend the birth of her second child and joins the filmmakers in meeting The Farm’s famous midwives and touring the picturesque birth cabins in the woods. In the poignant final sequence, Gaskin exhibits her Safe Motherhood Quilt and calls for a deeper examination into the rising maternal mortality rate in the US. (Running Time: 55 min)
Special Deliveries: Celebrity Mothers Talk Straight on Birth
Featuring celebrity moms Laila Ali, Gisele Bundchen, Cindy Crawford, Alyson Hannigan, Melissa Joan Hart, Kellie Martin, Alanis Morissette, Christy Turlington-Burns and Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Special Deliveries is a collection of intimate birth stories from a diverse group of mothers. Whether they chose to deliver at a hospital, home or birthing center, these heartfelt and humorous testimonies speak to the lasting power of the birth experience. True inspiration for any mother-to-be, this group of women trusted their bodies and intuitions, taking responsibility for their birth decisions even when things didn’t go according to plan. None of these courageous women has ever spoken on the record in such compelling detail, and, on this DVD, the filmmakers weave together their passionate narratives as a celebration of the journey to motherhood that will leave viewers with a renewed sense of amazement about the power of women. (Running Time: 74 min)
Explore Your Options: Doulas, Birth Centers & C-Sections
The most comprehensive and educational DVD in the series, Explore Your Options offers birth-planning guidance around key topics such as the role of doulas (labor support specialists,) the advantages of birth centers and the alarming escalation of cesarean sections in the United States and Brazil. Epstein and Lake talk to doulas about why their profession is currently booming and uncover why having a good doula can make-or-break the entire birth experience. They look at the ever-growing rates of inductions and c-sections, which have reached 50% in many US hospitals and more than 99% in some private hospitals in Brazil. How “safe” are these cesarean surgeries, and what are the health implications for the mothers and babies? Explore Your Options examines the pros and cons of birth centers, described as a perfect middle ground between home and hospital. Special features include Alanis Morissette and Alyson Hannigan on the advantages of doulas, Christy Turlington Burns on her unexpected complications at a birth center, Molly Ringwald on how she avoided a cesarean birth with her twins and Gisele Bundchen and Michelle Alves on the cesarean epidemic in their native Brazil. (Running Time: 102 min)
The VBAC Dilemma: What Your Options Really Are
The VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) has become a hot-button issue in the modern maternity care system, as one in three new mothers will give birth via cesarean section. Are all of these mothers then forced to undergo a repeat cesarean the next time around? Epstein and Lake posed that question to dozens of experts, determining the surprising truth about VBACs. They also follow several women’s stories – both those who succeed and fail at attempting a VBAC – including that of filmmaker Abby Epstein, whose first c-section delivery was depicted in the dramatic, final moments of The Business of Being Born. (Running Time: 51 min)
Watch the Trailer for More Business of Being Born Here
Since the birth of my son I have trained to become a Doula, and I consider myself an advocate for women during the childbearing years. Notice I didn’t say “for natural childbirth”, or “for homebirth”. I strongly believe that every woman should be able to deliver their baby how they choose – and that women deserve to have all the information they need to make those decisions. I’m grateful for Ricki Lake and her team for bringing this information to families, and I think that any woman would be well served to watch these films and learn everything she can from them.
For more information, visit thebusinessofbeingborn.com. You may purchase hard copies of the DVDs there (in great packages!) or purchase an electronic copy for instant download. You do not want to miss these movies!
After a decade in the corporate world as a working mom, Rachel, a MWC guest blogger, took some time off to stay home with her newborn son and 9 year old daughter. She recently returned to work and is expecting her third child this spring. She also writes for The Examiner as the Baby and Toddler Gear Examiner in the Seattle area. Check out her stories and reviews HERE.