NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 01/05/09 -- In her first book, "Labor of Love: A Midwife's Memoir," (Kaplan Publishing, January, 2009) Cara Muhlhahn, the certified nurse-midwife featured in the documentary, "The Business of Being Born," tells her fascinating personal story while providing an insider's look at natural childbirth in the home setting. From tales of her formative adolescent experiences, to the home birth of her son, to engaging accounts of her 30-year-long practice of midwifery, Muhlhahn details the unconventional decisions she made to honor her vocation.

Muhlhahn will be participating in a panel discussion on home birth on Thursday, January 8, at 7 p.m. at McNally Jackson Books at 52 Prince Street in N.Y.C. She'll sign copies of her new memoir after the discussion. This event is free and open to the public.

Muhlhahn, a single mom, jazz singer, salsa dancer, and world traveler, has extensive training and clinical experience as a nurse-midwife, including a degree from Columbia University's School of Nursing and a role in facilitating the delivery of more than 700 babies. "Labor of Love" threads her uncommon ability from a young age to calmly manage emergencies with her professional path. At 14, when her family home burns down, Muhlhahn moves abroad, embarking on a journey that forever alters her worldview. Later, while traveling solo in Morocco, she witnesses a fatal accident and resolves that next time she'll know what to do to save a life.

In addition to offering a compelling narrative, "Labor of Love" gives readers insight into the home birth movement at a time when it's generating substantial interest. After "The Business of Being Born" triggered a national dialogue about birthing options, the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists declared the hospital "the safest setting for labor." This ignited a battle with home birth advocates, who cite recent research, which concludes home births are as safe as hospital delivery for low-risk women while resulting in fewer medical/surgical interventions.

"Between the reaction of some in the medical field and the glamorization of elective c-sections in Hollywood, it's important that we make mothers-to-be aware of the realities of different birthing options," said Muhlhahn.

Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein, the filmmakers behind "The Business of Being Born," address Muhlhahn's distinctive contribution to the birthing process in the "Labor of Love" foreword: "All her clients choose Cara for her combination of clinical skills and intuition. It takes a unique gift to encompass both the technical and natural worlds so seamlessly."

"Labor of Love: A Midwife's Memoir" will be available in January 2009. (Kaplan Publishing; $25.95; Hardcover; 256 pages) For more information go to: www.laboroflovethebook.com.

Kaplan Publishing is one of the nation's leading publishers offering practical advice, thought-provoking insights, and inspiring stories for the general reader, as well as the many thousands of individuals who've relied on Kaplan products throughout their academic and professional careers. Kaplan Publishing is a unit of Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. www.kaplanpublishing.com