TV Show "The Doctors" Hosts Discussions on Childbirth With Ricki Lake & Abby Epstein

I happened to be flipping through TV channels one afternoon and noticed a show called The Doctors on one of my local stations. It drew my interest because the description said they would have Ricki Lake on the show. It was already about 20 minutes into the episode, but it immediately caught my attention because they were discussing VBAC's (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) and went on to discuss other childbirth issues as well.

The show features a panel of doctors who weigh in on various health topics. I'd like to share with you the specific childbirth topics that they covered in this particular episode:

Your Best Birth
Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein spoke about their documentary film The Business of Being Born
and their new book Your Best Birth. I've blogged about both of these in previous posts. I've seen the film twice and love it, and I'm anxious to get a copy of the book to read.

and their new book “Becoming a mother is an amazing rite of passage,” Ricki says. “What a gift … it’s also an opportunity for women to be empowered and to be transformed in a positive way. Birth is a natural process, and it doesn’t have to be scary or an emergency situation waiting to happen.”

For information about The Business of Being Born airing on Showtime, click here.

For information about entering to win a copy of the book Your Best Birth, click here.

Are Home Births Safe?
Ricki and Dr. Lisa went head-to-head in a debate about the safety of home birth. It was a really interesting discussion.

You can watch the debate in 2 sections: Part I and Part II

VBAC - Vaginal Birth After Cesarean
"Is it safe to have a vaginal birth after a C-section (VBAC)?
Jillian is 6-months pregnant with her second child. Her first birth was a C-section because her daughter was breach, but she’d like to deliver her second baby vaginally.

Dr. Lisa says the risk Jillian faces is uterine rupture, which is a serious risk. Although the chances of that happening are one percent, most hospitals will not perform a VBAC for fear of uterine rupture. Dr. Lisa narrates an animation of a typical C-section."

Natural Birth
"Pain management during labor:
• Dulas, or birth coaches, can help reduce pain
• Immersion in water can decrease pain
• Pain management techniques
• Pre-natal classes
• Acupuncture
• Breathing techniques"

Click here for a complete synopsis of the episode