In early 2008, I attended a screening of Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein’s documentary, The Business of Being Born. Ricki Lake was there to introduce the film, and you could tell that the film was a passion project for her.
While this may not be common knowledge, Ricki Lake, actress and former talk show host, has become a birth advocate. What does that mean, you ask?
After her first son, Milo, was born years before, Ricki started reading everything she could about birth and wanted to make sure that her experience with her second child was a more informed and empowered one. After having her second son, Owen, at home, she considered becoming a midwife. She realized just how powerful an experience birth was in women’s and children’s lives, and she set out to learn and spread the word.
In the documentary, The Business of Being Born, and in their new book Your Best Birth: Know All Your Options, Discover the Natural Choices, and Take Back the Birth Experience, Lake and Epstein examine the history of birth in the United States, practices around the world and the assumptions and fears surrounding birth. Their book also takes a look at the increasingly medicalized nature of birth in America and the need for women to be informed and engaged in the process.
In Your Best Birth, Ricki and Abby (you’ll feel as if you know them once you watch their film!) share their stories of birth as well as the stories of others (did you know that Cindy Crawford had both of her children at home?) in addition to providing information about a pregnant woman’s choices for care. They answer questions like: What’s the difference between a hospital with a birth center and a freestanding birth center? What is the difference between a doctor and a midwife? Who is a good candidate for a home birth? What are the possible interventions in birth, and why might they be necessary?
Basically, Your Best Birth is an excellent primer for women who are preparing for childbirth, or for anyone interested in the subject. Ricki and Abby also launched a social networking site for mothers to share information and stories so that you can go beyond the book.
In addition to her new role as a birth advocate, you can catch Ricki on VH1’s Charm School. Maybe she’ll teach those girls more than manners?
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