Childbirth is a miraculous event that spawns life, but like most things in the capitalist world, it is also a business. The Business of Being Born is an in-depth analysis into how the industry operates. Giving birth in hospitals involves a whole host of expensive drugs and doctors, while home births require only a midwife and few if any drugs at all.

The Business of Being Born follows Abby Epstein who becomes pregnant and has to decide on which form of childbirth will be best for her and her baby. In order to make a decision, the film documents actual home births and consults with Ricki Lake who was disappointed with how the hospital handled her first child’s birth. Epstein also shadows a professional midwife as she conducts several home births in New York City and challenges the standard medical practices of hospitals and doctors which treat childbirth like a medical emergency rather than a natural process.