This highly informative and at times hilarious exposé makes a provocative case for having a baby anywhere but in a U.S. hospital. The statistics are sobering: In 1900, 95-percent of births in the United States took place at home, but by 1955, that figure went down to 1 percent. The U.S. spends twice as much on maternity care as any other country, but has the second-highest infant mortality rate in the developed world. Looking for answers after her own disappointing birth experience, actress Ricki Lake recruited filmmaker Abby Epstein to explore the American way of having babies. The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political, and scientific insights, and shocking statistics about our contemporary maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers that she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal. The film posits the question: Should birth be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?