Review of The Business of Being Born (2008) by Tamara M — 26 Mar 2008

The best thing about this movie is the graphic but (for me, at least) surprisingly moving footage of home births. The filmmakers are clear from the outset that their goal is to challenge the hegemony of medicalized birth, so viewers shouldn't be surprised by a slant to the film.

And sure, nerd that I am, I would have been happy to have more history, more facts, and more perspective. Ultimately, though, I think the film's purpose isn't to suggest that there is just one way of giving birth, but to argue that women should be informed that they have a wide array of options-- knowledge suppressed by the medical establishment, the insurance industry, and the media.

Hopefully this doc has started that discussion.