
The Business of Being Born
2008
No Poster Available
2008
TV-14Runtime
104 minutes
Average Rating
No ratings yetSynopsis
Pregnant In America is the true story of Steve and Mandy Buonaugurio, a young, adventurous, expectant couple, who decide to take a daring and potentially dangerous approach to having their first child--outside the modern American medical system. What they learn about hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, midwives, and home birth as they travel across the United States and Europe interviewing experts and confronting birthing situations, exposes them to some shocking and disturbing realities about America¹s maternity care system and what is happening to women and babies. Ultimately, what they learn impacts on and alters the outcome of their own pregnancy.
Overall Score
Good
Category Breakdown
LGBTQ+ Representation
The film centers on a heterosexual couple's reproductive journey. It lacks explicit narratives regarding non-cisnormative identities or same-sex intimacy.
Gender Representation
The documentary critiques gender hierarchies by centering the female experience of pregnancy. It challenges the medical establishment's intrusive management of women's bodies.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
A diverse array of interviewees illustrates that healthcare access is not a monolithic experience. The film highlights how ethnicity and socioeconomic status intersect with medical outcomes.
Religious & Cultural Diversity
The narrative functions as an anti-capitalist critique of Western medical institutions. It frames reproductive autonomy as a conflict between individuals and profit-driven systems.
Disability Representation
The film touches on how medical interventions impact physical outcomes. However, it lacks specific focus on the lived experiences of neurodivergent or physically disabled people.
Strengths
Areas for Improvement
AI Analysis
Pregnant in America is a systemic critique of the American maternity care system. It follows Steve and Mandy Buonaugurio as they investigate medical, insurance, and midwifery practices across the US and Europe. The film excels at deconstructing institutional power and centering female agency against patriarchal medical structures. It successfully uses diverse voices to show that healthcare is not a universal experience but one shaped by privilege. However, the narrative remains largely traditional in its focus on a heterosexual couple. It lacks deep engagement with non-cisnormative identities or the specific lived experiences of the disabled community.

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