Ricki Lake Sits Down With ACCESS HOLLYWOOD'S Maria Menounos To Discuss The Truth Behind Medical Group Backlash

Friend Cindy Crawford Speaks Up In Defense Of Lake

Lake: "I Understand That Doctors Have To Turn Those Beds To Cover Their Malpractice Premiums."

Ricki Lake talks with "Access Hollywood's" Maria Menounos about being a target of the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and friend Cindy Crawford comes to her defense. The interview airs on "Access Hollywood," today, Monday, June 23, 2008. (Log on to AccessHollywood.com to check local time and station).

Lake, best known for her daytime talk show "Ricki Lake," says she was "singled out" recently by the ACOG, who criticized her stance on home birth. She lashed back at her critics by declaring, "I don't think by me showing my home birth in my film (documentary "The Business of Being Born") everyone's going to leave the hospital system and start having babies at home. It's all about opening people's minds up to the choices."

Lake, who is no stranger to media scrutiny, went on to explain the uproar, "Statistically it is proven that home birth is actually as safe, if not safer than hospital birth...with low risk pregnancies."

While the AMA is supporting the ACOG Resolution 205, which declares the safest place to deliver a baby to be a hospital or a birthing center within a hospital, Lake is busy supporting legislation to advocate licensure of Certified Professionals Midwives across the country.

"The AMA is about money and protecting their doctors and hospitals, " says Lake. "We need to value normal birth and the process a woman goes through when she gives birth."

Stars such as Demi Moore, Meryl Streep, Nelly Furtado, Pamela Anderson and Cindy Crawford have all given birth at home. Crawford told "Access Hollywood's" Menounos that she feels home birth is empowering for women. "Ricki knew this film was going to be controversial and I applaud her for being brave." Crawford explains, "Most people when they give birth just think, 'I am going to go to the hospital and get my epidural.' They don't even realize there is this other way." Crawford's complete interview airs on "Access Hollywood" the week of June 23rd.