The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS,
a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA
The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS,
a homebirth midwife in Mountain View, CA
|
Orgasmic Birth -- the documentary! ABC's 20/20 will be airing a segment about Orgasmic Birth on May
16th for their special Mother's Day show.
Interviews with Christiane Northrup, MD, Ina May Gaskin, MA, CPM, Sarah J Buckley, MD, Marsden Wagner, MD Joyous, sensuous and revolutionary, this pioneering film will compel many to reexamine their perceptions about childbirth. Viewers will understand how the use of normal, undisturbed birthing methods can aid the health and well-being of future generations. |
(Note - This page hasn't been updated recently, so many of the good, newer books aren't mentioned here. If anyone would like to volunteer to update or revise this page, please contact me . Thanks.)
Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care by Jennifer Block
Living Well: 'Pushed' cries out for childbirth options - review by BOB
CONDOR - "As a former editor at Ms. magazine, Jennifer Block is accustomed
to writing about women's issues. Often those issues relate to the female
body and health . . . "
Modern Childbirth: Failure to Progress - this is a great review of 3 books by Sarah Blustain
Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care
by Jennifer Block
New York: Da Capo Press, 2007, 400 pp., $26.00, hardcover
Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put
Women and Children First by Marsden Wagner
Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006, 305 pp., $24.95, hardcover
Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born by Tina Cassidy
New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2006, 320 pp., $24.00, hardcover
Linda Page's book, Healthy Healing, is the most valuable holistic health reference book I've seen for non-professionals.
I recommend The
Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence by Lothian and DeVries.
It gives practical, sensible advice and strikes the right tone of being
realistic without being scary.
Psalm
& Zoya - The Unassisted Homebirth of Our Twins - this is a terrific
new video. Wow! www.earthbirthproductions.com
My clients really like Journey
into Motherhood: Inspirational Stories of Natural Birth by Sheri L.
Menelli
Homebirth Rites...A
Homebirth Documentary - The first homebirth film to cite the CPM2000 study
published in the British Medical Journal in June 2005, Produced & Directed
By Tony McVickers & American Midwives
What Babies Want video - "This documentary is about the profoundly important and sacred opportunity we have in bringing children into the world. Research is now showing us that our society is a product of how we welcome and raise our children. With love and connection, babies develop minds that are coherent and flexible, ready in turn to make compassionate and empathic connections with others as they grow. As we learn how early relationships shape the structure and function of the brain, we are also learning to have a new appreciation of the wisdom of ancient cultures who knew to welcome the infant, even during early pregnancy."
This is a fabulous video - every pregnant couple and new family should
see this!
I just showed the What Babies
Want movie in class tonight. The response from my couples was mixed.
Most thought it went too deep into issues they felt skeptical about. They
loved the photography and sound science aspect of it. They felt it ended
on a negative note and were left with an unclear framework. Some
said they needed more instruction and less analysis. I love the film. I
would, however, break the film into parts and work a lecture and discussion
into it. Some parts I'd leave out altogether. The therapy sessions about
recalling birth memories where significant but not as scientifically backed
as other parts of the film. They tried to make them touching and personal
but there was little connection to these characters. There's just not enough
of the person's life story to connect to and so, there's no "Aha!"
moment. It is as if a movie could be made on that topic alone. Shown all
at once was too much for them to take in. Noah and his wife were sweet
and genuine. I loved that! The expert panel was credible and engaging.
The music was beautiful.
Hey! Who's Having This Baby Anyway? by Breck Hawk, RN & Midwife - A Guide and Workbook
This is a great book for helping women to understand some of the dynamics involved in maternity care, i.e. the hospital and hospital staff are likely to be more concerned about liability issues and the smooth functioning of their institution than the are concerned about the quality of the birth experience for mother, baby or the rest of the family.
Although some of the clinical information isn't completely accurate,
this is a generally very useful book. Those interested in homebirth
may find that their local situation is very different from what Breck describes
about the area where she lives.
Books and Videos Available from ALACE
La Leche League International Book Evaluation Committee Books for Group Libraries
APPPAH - Association for Pre- & Perinatal Psychology & Health has put together an extensive list of relevant books and videos.
The NMMA (New Mexico Midwives Association) Guidelines for Practice are finally available in book form. The Guidelines were written by practicing midwives in our association and serve as a comprehensive policy and procedure manual for homebirth and birth center practitioners. Copies can be ordered by sending $35 (which includes shipping) to :
NMMA
P.O. Box 40647
Albuquerque, NM 87196
Pre-pregnancy and Conception
Parenting Begins Before Conception, Carista Luminare-Rosen
Women¹s Bodies, Women¹s Wisdom, Christiane Northrup, MD
The Whole Person Fertility Program, Niravi B. Payne
Taking Charge of Your Fertility, Toni Weschler
Fertility, Cycles and Nutrition, Marilyn Shannon
Pregnancy and Childbirth
Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth, Henci Goer
Good Birth, Safe Birth, Diana Korte and Roberta Scaer
Birthing from Within, Pam England and Rob Horowitz
Active Birth, Janet Balaskas
The Birth Partner, Penny Simkin
Birth Your Way, by Kitzinger
Giving Birth: A Journey into the World of
Mothers and Midwives, by Taylor
Rediscovering Birth, by Kitzinger
Birth Reborn, Michel Odent, MD
The Natural Pregnancy Book, Aviva Jill Romm
Essential Exercises for the Childbearing Year, Elizabeth Noble
Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Newborn, Penny Simkin
The Pregnancy Book, William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN
The Birth Book, William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN
Five Standards for Safe Childbearing, David Stewart, PhD
Special Women: The Role of the Professional Labor Assistant, Paulina Perez
The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth, Sheila Kitzinger
The Pregnant Woman's Comfort Book, Jennifer Louden
Cesarean/VBAC
Birth After Cesarean, Dr. Bruce Flamm
VBAC Companion, Diana Korte
Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities, Henci Goer
Natural Birth After Cesarean: A Practical Guide, Johanne C. Walters , Karis Crawford
Silent Knife, Nancy Wainer Cohen
Open Season: A Survival Guide for Natural
Birth and VBAC in the 90's, Nancy Wainer Cohen
Postpartum/Breastfeeding/Parenting
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, La Leche League
The Breastfeeding Book, William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN
The Nursing Mother¹s Companion, Kathleen Huggins
So That's What They're For: Breastfeeding Basics, Tamaro
The Happiest Baby on the Block, Dr. Harvey Karp
The Baby Book, Dr. William Sears, and Martha Sears, RN
Your Amazing Newborn by Klaus and Klaus
Nighttime Parenting, Dr. William Sears
Touchpoints, Dr. Berry Brazelton
Infants and Mothers, Dr. Berry Brazelton
The Incarnating Child, Joan Salter
Mother's Day is Over, Shirley Rald
Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child, Zand, Walton, and Roundtree
How to Raise a Healthy Child, Lendon Smith, MD
How to Raise a Healthy Child in Spite of Your Doctor, Robert Mendelssohn, MD
Your Baby and Child, Penelope Leach
Super immunity for Kids, Leo Galland, MD
The Family Nutrition Book, William Sears, MD
The Happiest Toddler on the Block, Dr. Harvey Karp
Birthing by Irene Byrne, M.A. - "Choices You Have to Create the Best Birth Experience For You and Your Child". OK, I'm probably not the best person to write a review of this book because I was terribly disappointed in their incredibly brief and sloppy treatment of homebirth. For a book that holds itself out as a guide to creating "The Best Birth Experience", it gives very short shrift to what those who have tried it almost always consider an essential ingredient of "The Best Birth Experience" - birthing at home. The book lacks any critical analysis of ACOG's position that homebirth is dangerous, merely parroting ACOG's citation of studies that compare the safety statistics of UNATTENDED homebirths with hospital births. And in a sterling display of lack of critical thinking, the book fails to explain that giving birth at a birth center is exactly the same as giving birth at home, except that you're going to somebody else's "home".
BABY CATCHER: Chronicles of a
Modern Midwife presents both home births and hospital births in a way
meant to avoid alienating those on
either side of what too often degenerates into a heated argument about
place of birth.
"The Childbirth Manual" by Sandra Roberge
Giving Birth - A Journey into the World of Mothers and Midwives by Catherine Taylor:
- Did you know? Midwife-attended births in the United States have doubled in the past ten years.
- Midwives have a 19% lower rate of infant deaths and a 33% lower rate of neonatal mortality (infant death in the first month) than doctors attending comparable births.
- Midwives who attend hospital births have a cesarean rate that is half the national average.
- The dutch have the lowest percentage of babies and mothers who die or are injured during childbirth. they also have the lowest rate of medical intervention at birth. 70% of their births are with midwives and 1 in 3 births take place at home.
"Birth Without Violence" by Frederick Leboyer (online version). The book that started the gentle birth movement.
"The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth" Sheila Kitzinger
"The Childbirth Manual" by Sandra Roberge
"The Well Pregnancy Book" - i forgot, but it was just recently revised
"Special Delivery" by Rahima Baldwin
"Your Baby, Your Way" by Sheila Kitzinger
"A Good Birth, A Safe Birth" by Roberta Scaer & Diane Korte
""Birth Reborn" by Odent
"Natural Childbirth The Bradley Way" by Susan McCutcheon-Rosegg &
Peter Rosegg
"The Birth Book" and "The Baby Book" by Dr. and Mrs. Sears
"A Wise Birth" by Penny Armstrong
"Active Birth" by Janet Balaskas
"Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn : The Complete Guide" by Penny
Simkin
"Herbs, Helps & Pressure
Points for Pregnancy & Childbirth" by Katherine Tarr (hard to find,
but can be purchased directly from the publisher, Whitman
Books, Inc. or from MImidwife's
Bookshelf)
"Pregnant Feelings" by Rahima Baldwin
"Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention & Vaginal Birth After Cesarean&qu
ot; by Nancy Wainer Cohen & Lois Estner
"Natural Childbirth After Cesarean" by Karis Crawford & Johanne
Walters
"Preparing for Birth with Yoga" by Janet Balaskas
"The Water Birth Handbook" by Roger Lichy & Eileen Herzberg
"Gentle Birth Choices" by Barbara Harper, R.N.
"Siblings Without Rivalry" by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
See also: Resources for Children for recommendations
for books to prepare older siblings
"Ended Beginnings" by Claudia Panuthos
"Holistic Midwifery" by Anne Frye
"Polly's Birth Book - Obstetrics for the Home" by Polly Block
"Easing Labor Pain" by Adrienne Lieberman.
"Complete Aromatherapy Handbook, Essential Oils for Radiant Health"
by Susanne Fischer-Rizzi. Publisher: English Translation 1990 by Sterling
Publishing Company.
"The Encyclopaedia of Essential Oils" by Julia Lawless, Element, 1992
"Aromatherapy An A-Z" by Patricia Davis, C.W. Daniel, 1988
"Homeopathic Medicine for Children and Infants" By Dana Ullman, MPH
"Herbal for the Childbearing Years" by Susan Weed
"Flu: Alternative Treatments and Prevention" By Randall Neustaedter,
OMD
"Beyond Antibiotics: 50 (or so) Ways to Boost Immunity and Avoid Antibiotics
by Michael A. Schmidt, Lendon H. Smith & Keith W. Sehnert
"Super Immunity for Kids" by Leo Galland
"The Vaccine Guide: Risks and Benefits for Children and Adults" By Randall
Neustaedter, OMD
"Healing Childhood Ear Infections: Prevention, Home Care, and Alternative
Treatment" By Michael Schmidt
"Food Allergies Made Simple" by Austin & Thrash
"Home Safe Home; Protecting Yourself and Family form Everyday Toxics
and Harmful Household Products in the Home" By Debra Lynn Dadd
"Screaming to be Heard" by Elizabeth Lee Vliet
"What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Menopause" by John R. Lee
"Reclaiming Our Health" by John Robbins
"Women's Bodies Women's Wisdom" by Christiane Northrup
"Obstetric Myths vs Research Realities: A guide to the medical literature"
by Henci Goer
"A Woman In Residence" by Michelle Harrison, M.D.
"
In Birth Chairs, Midwives, and Medicine Amanda Carson
Banks traces the evolution of birth from natural event to medical crisis.
Using birth artifacts, interviews, early texts, and four centuries of birth
chairs, Dr. Banks argues that the catalyst for the radical redefinition
in the philosophy of birth was the struggle for control over the act itself.
Such changes in attitude, in turn, altered the very practice of and approach
to delivery.
VBAC:
"Birth After Cesarean: The Medical Facts"
Homebirth:
"Homebirth" by Sheila Kitzinger
Preparing for Growing the Family Beyond the First Child
"From One Child to Two" by Judy Dunn
Grieving and Healing
"Rebounding From Childbirth: Toward Emotional Recovery" by Lynn Madsen
Books For Midwifery
"Spiritual Midwifery" by Ina May Gaskin
Books for Doulas and Birth Attendants
"Mothering the Mother" by Marshall Klaus, John Kennell and Phyllis Klaus
Aromatherapy Recommendations
"Aromatherapy for Pregnancy and Childbirth" by Margaret Fawcett, RGN RM,
LLSA. Publisher: in the USA in 1993 by Element, Inc. 42 Broadway, Rockport,
MA
Homeopathy
"Homeopathic Medicines for Pregnancy & Childbirth" by Richard Moskowitz,
M.D.
Herbal Resources
"The Complete Women's Herbal" by Anne McIntyre
Children's Healthcare
"Natural Healthcare For Your Child" By Austin & Thrash
Womens Health Issues
by "Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis" by Dr. Alan R. Gaby
Reviews and Opinions of Selected Literature
I think it's a great book to give to new parents. It is easy to read
and written in short bits with plenty of anecdotes to give you an idea
of how to apply the principles presented. It does deal with toddlers
and older children primarily, not much on infants. The best thing
it has to offer is to help people be conscious and present in their parenting.
So much of actual parenting seems to be reactive in nature and replaying
old scripts from our own childhood experiences. The other really
useful thing is that it gets both parents on the same page. The Sweets
recommend sitting down and forming principles to govern your family by.
This allows you to talk it out between yourselves and determine if your
parenting goals are the same. Then as your children get older they
begin to participate in this process. This allows them to feel a
part of making the family work, instead of just being told what to do.
There is also a huge emphasis on letting children have as much unstructured
play as possible, even and especially as they approach and enter adolescence.
All around I think it is a very good choice to give to new parents. It's
easy to read, broken down in small digestible bits, and very practical.
"Birth Chairs, Midwives and Medicine. University Press of
Mississippi"
Once birth was treated as a natural process rather than a
medical condition. Women gave birth seated on birth chairs or stools, helped
by midwives. Then changes in attitudes toward women and about the practice
of medicine made birth a province of a male-dominated medical profession.
"Nurse-Midwifery"
Helen Varney's "Nurse-Midwifery", our study group went through the same
frustrations all of you did. We kept disagreeing with the book, and being
frustrated by all the "call the doctor" type stuff. However, it is a very
comprehensive book, and I've certainly been referring back to it a lot.
The skills section in the back is really good, I found the suturing section
really helpful. The newborn exam section is good too.
"Nurse-Midwifery"
Polly Block's "Polly's Birth Book - Obstetrics for the Home", (563 pages)
by Polly Block. Polly is a very experienced Utah midwife and the book is
both practical and thorough. Polly can be found via directory assistance,
or write her at Hearthspun Publishers, 475 North Third West, American Fork,
UT 84003. I don't remember what I paid for the book. It is hefty and may
have cost $25 or so, but I remember thinking it an incredible bargain.
I am a dad who delivers our children, catches rather, and I have so far
found this book invaluable. I haven't spoken to Polly for a few years but
I think she is still at the above address.
The WomanSource Catalog & Review
I wanted to pass on a recommendation for a new book called The WomanSource
Catalog & Review which is kind of like a Whole Earth Catalog for women.
It offers reviews of over 2,000 resources including an excellent chapter
on women and spirituality with reviews of books, organizations, catalogs,
audios and all kinds of stuff. All the reviews are original and contributed
from women around the country. If you haven't seen it, it's a great resource.
Highly recommended and available from Ten Speed Press 1-800-841-BOOK
Seasons Of Change: Growing Through Pregnancy And Childbirth
I LOVE Suzanne Arms book "Seasons of Change: Growing through Pregnancy
and Childbirth. It's great for first time mothers because it helps to get
them connected as they read this mothers' diary. The reader also watches
the writer struggle with issues, and make choices. It's a beautiful book
with all of Suzanne's photos. An easy read...not terribly technical...but
connecting.
"The Birth Book" and "The Baby Book"
Dr & Mrs. Sears' books are good - "The Birth Book" and "The Baby Book"
- very LLLeague oriented - plus "attachment parenting" thrown in for good
measure... I LOVE birth stories so another favorite is Penny Armstrong's
"A Midwife's Story." Those Amish women really know how to birth.
For Childbirth Images
A wonderful little known book is: Winter's Child (Der Trier Morch) by Dea
Trier Mørch, originally in Danish, and published in English translation
by University of Nebraska Press in Lincoln, 1988. It has wonderful
author-done woodcuts of women in labor, nursing, at the moment of birth.
A non- romanticized multi-class focus too. I hope this is of use. We used
the woodcuts for multicultural birth pamphlets (with permission).
Unassisted Childbirth
Unassisted Childbirth
by Laura Kaplan Shanley - Most people gasp when they hear the phrase,
"Unassisted Childbirth". I know I sure did. I thought the idea was
totally preposterous. To start with, I didn't think it was possible for
a woman to give birth completely unattended. (Well, I also used to
think a woman couldn't give birth outside the hospital. My, how we
can change!) And it certainly didn't seem like a good idea.
Anyway, I wanted to say that I have started to read this book and am so impressed with it. It's amazing in the way it conveys an absolute trust in birth and the birth process. It's fantastic. It is *so* inspiring and so beautiful. It starts with a discussion of birthing traditions in different cultures which I found really interesting. And it includes some nice personal birth stories from the author. It's also very easy and enjoyable to read.
I'm recommending it to my clients to help develop their trust in the process, even if they do still choose to have a midwife at the birth. :-)
This book may also be the answer for all those people whose relatives are vocally resistant to the idea of homebirth. Leave a copy of "Unassisted Childbirth" around the house, and suddenly the idea of a homebirth attended by a midwife will start to seem mainstream. :-)
One of the reasons I'm posting this is because it looks as if the book may soon be out of print. I'm going to buy a few extra copies while they're still available.
If you want to order this book, the best way is by ordering directly from the author. The $18 price includes shipping. Laura Kaplan Shanley, 760 36th St., Boulder CO 80303
"A Wise Birth" by Penny Armstrong. My alltime favorite, bar none.
Dr. Mayer Eisenstein delivers babies at home in the Chicago area. His group Home First is a big corporation I understand. He spoke at the 1990 NAPSAC conference in St. Louis.
The book is available direct, or at least it used to be. Phone (312)973-2297.
Homefirst
6652 N. Western
Chicago, IL 60645
Used to cost $10.95, including shipping.
It talks about "Seedthoughts", and has a whole chapter of phrases folks use which have a negative impact on their subconscious, which then of course affects their life. It is a wonderful book, with a focus towards self-healing.
I loved "Easing Labor Pain" by Adrienne Lieberman.
Excited, Exhausted, Expecting" by Arlene Modica Matthews @ pregnancy
What Every Pregnant Woman Should Know by Gail Sforza Brewer and Tom Brewer (really excellent nutrition guide--out of print--hunt around)
Obstetric Myths vs Research Realities: A guide to the medical literature by Henci Goer (really great book if you want the facts to answer you doc's ideas)
A wide assortment of excellent childbirth books (including Obstetric Myths vs. Research realities) and parenting books are available from The Birth Source at (213) 667-2366. A free catalog is also available. Mention ICAN and 25% of the profits are donated to ICAN.
See also: Videos
from Cascade, and their section on Videos:
Midwifery & Obstetrics
HomeBirthVideos.com - both VHS and DVD
Birth International - Australia - they have more DVDs listed in their paper catalog than online (as of 3/05) (formerly Ace Graphics?)
Perinatal Education
Assoc. Inc - USA - www.birthsource.com
98 East Franklin St, Ste. B. Centreville, OH 45459
Phone 1-866-88 BIRTH toll free Email infor@birthsource.com
Baby Talk Consulting - South
Africa - www.babytalk.co.za [No longer selling videos?]
PO Box 15047 Lambton 1414 Phone 27 11827 4810
Email babytalk@mweb.co.za
Everyone loves Ricki Lake's new birth movie: The Business of Being Born! California midwives might say that the births are a bit frenetic for their tastes, but they say that women birth the way they live; it's not surprising that Manhattan moms birth differently from northern California moms. :-)
An
Interview with Cara Muhlhahn, Midwife Featured in The Business of Being
Born
What would happen if women were taught to enjoy birth rather than endure it?
In answering that question, Orgasmic Birth poses the ultimate challenge to our cultural myths.
Filmmaker Debra Pascali-Bonaro reveals a revolutionary approach to birth
that is statistically safer and healthier for both mother and child than
the birthing and delivery methods that are standard in many parts of the
world today.
Home Delivery -
The Adventure of Giving Birth at Home
Safely
Into Water - An Appreciation of Waterbirths - This is a great DVD about
waterbirth. I really appreciate that it starts with a discussion of waterbirth
safety and then offers birth videos and interviews with parents.
I especially appreciated that they had lots of time with dads speaking
about their experience!
Amazing
Talents of the Newborn is available from The
Johnson & Johnson Pediatric Institute. It's based on the
book, Your Amazing
Newborn, by Klaus and Klaus. The video is very affordable ($10),
an excellent presentation, and parents are thoroughly enthralled when they
watch it.
Spiritual Midwifery
is available on DVD now - it's invaluable for the history of The Farm Midwives
and the resurgence of homebirth. There are lots of videos of the
actual emergence of the baby so it begins to seem more and more normal.
As someone who attends mostly waterbirths, I find the focus on the semi-reclining
position to be a little old-fashioned, but the natural environment was
pioneering in its time!
Under
her own steam - A delightful homebirth of a first baby in The Netherlands.
The English commentary describes an active birth, with the mother using
upright positions and the bath for comfort. She delivers in a supported
squatting position . . . from ACE
graphics - Australia. [The Dutch on the video cover is "op eigen
kracht - een thuisbevalling", and it references this Dutch
site, although I wasn't able to find the video there.]
A Swedish film about homebirth
I Watched My Brother Being Born! , (© 2005 Anne Vondruska. Running time: 21 min.) - narrated by seven year old Katarina Vondruska.
There is also a book of the same title written by the mother daughter team of Anne and Katarina Vondruska.
"Welcome to the World". The women in this video are both vocal (one is exceptionally so) and seem much more realistic...they don't mention any "method", but give birth in a way most of my students find in line with their belief of what birth should or could be like for them.
Unfortunately, this video is expensive ($190.00) but maybe a group of teachers could buy it together. INJOY lets teachers preview it for $10.00, so it doesn't have to be bought "sight unseen"....
A catalog of 60 great birth and parenting videos is available from
InJoy Videos
3970 Broadway, Ste. B4
Boulder, CO 80304
1-800-326-2082.
I just saw the movie “What Babies Want” myself. It is Fabulous.
Noah Wyle‘s narration will hopefully let this get into some “big” hands.
The filmmaker’s next film is going to be about midwives and how almost
all complications can be dealt with at the bedside next to the parents
which prevents the trauma of separation. It is a really good film
and I will be showing it in my travels. If you are interested in
one you can contact me too.
I went to the premiere of "What Babies Want" tonight and I cannot say
enough about this film. I purchased two copies and considering making
it a requirement that my clients view it during pregnancy. It really
examines the awareness during pregnancy and birth. For example, it
followed twins from 20 weeks on with ultrasound it showed interaction,
then when they were around maybe 2 years old, they put up sheer curtains
in a room and the twins on their own went between a curtain and made the
same movements as they did in utero towards one another. This was
just one small part of the movie. There were alot of biggies at this
premiere including Noah Wyle from ER who contributes alot to this film
personally with his wife and son and narrates it. Jay Gordon was
also their, and Mary Jackson. The theater was full. You can
purchase this video or DVD.
The video is Delivery Self-Attachment, by Righard and Kittie Frantz, 1992. It's 6 minutes long and very affordable.
From the sleeve: "Righard's study.....looked at two groups of newborn babies. In the first group, the infant was placed on the mother's abdomen and within 50 minutes most infants had self-attached to the breast and were suckling correctly. In the second group the newborn babies were removed from the mother's abdomen, bathed, measured and replaced on the abdomen. The infants in this group from an unmedicated birth self-attached but half of them had a faulty suckling pattern. Most of the infants from a medicated birth were too drowsy to be able to suckle at all." Opinion: This is a simple movie, with all visuals, no narration except for some written notes before each scene. Profoundly affecting and delightful to watch.
Midwife' review - I found this video so disturbing I've removed it from
my collection. It's hard to imagine the circumstances under which
it might be valuable; perhaps a mom having a truly necessary induction
might find this an appropriate video. Otherwise, it's full of really unhelpful
mental images of birth: Most of the women have IVs in; many women are lying
on their back, even in very early labor. And the footage seems to
be all hospital births, even though many women planning hospital births
will sensibly labor at home for as long as possible, at least in early
labor. What's the deal here? I get the distinct sense that Penny
has sold out here, essentially pandering to the hospital industry instead
of getting her message across about non-pharmaceutical pain relief.
Truly, I would expect most women laboring under the conditions shown in
this video to need an epidural pretty quickly, given the lack of upright
positions and the notorious discomfort of laboring on your back.
The joke, of course, is that she does describe the basics of an "unsupportive
environment" - stark surroundings, bright lights, loud noises, lack of
familiar objects - but neglects to mention that these could all be very
easily avoided by laboring at home. As you can tell, I thought this
video was horrible. I wouldn't show it to my labor coach clients
except as noted above - if they're facing a medically necessary induction
- and then we presumably wouldn't have time to watch the video. I
suppose I could toss it in my labor support bag and we could watch it while
the mom's lying flat on her back with pitocin and an epidural. I
thought this video should be entitled, "How to Cope with Unnecessary Pain
caused by an Unsupportive Environment and Lying On Your Back". And, no,
I'm not done yet. It is very difficult to watch a video that offers
suggestions for how to cope with the horrible pain of back labor without
mentioning that you should fire your birth attendant if they didn't notice
a posterior presentation early in labor? What are you paying them
for, anyway? To stand by and blame you for the posterior position as you're
being wheeled down the hall for your Cesarean? It's a good thing
she mentions so many ways of coping with back labor, because all those
moms lying on their backs will end up with posterior babies, whether or
not they were posterior to begin with. This video is "obscene" in its pretense
that this video has anything to do with normal birth.
Special Delivery (Rahima Baldwin - 1989 - 43 minutes)
[Follows several couples before, during and after birth. Some
choose a doctor, others a midwife. The labor and birth scenes demonstrate
a variety of positions, breathing and relaxation techniques, and sounds
of normal labor and birth are included.]
WARNING - The soundtrack has some static on it; it may be mildly annoying.
This is a dated video, but the births are great. Some notes about and in
response to the video:
At 2 minutes into the video, the birth attendant announces the baby's
sex. I don't do this unless you ask me to.
4 minutes - About the benefits of hospital birth, i.e. the woman "enjoyed
being in the hospital and being waited on." I can recommend some
good postpartum doulas who will come to your house and wait on you.
6 minutes - "The labor progressed slowly through the day". If
a woman hasn't kicked into active labor by late morning, it's unlikely
to happen until evening.
9 minutes - I'm happy to support dads in catching the baby.
Birth #1 - homebirth - I don't wrestle the head out like that. Notice
how white the baby's body is from the compression in the birth canal compared
to the darker color of the head. It's quite common for a baby's body
to be really white like that immediately at birth. Typically, they
pink up right away. Then there are some really nice descriptions of coping
with the intensity of labor pain and great descriptions of birthing energy.
Birth #2 - hospital birth - This is her first baby, and she's having
a really long early labor; taking prenatal herbs can shorten early labor
dramatically. Laboring on your back is just asking the baby to turn posterior,
which may have been a big problem with this labor. I don't encourage pushing
flat on your back if at all possible. I don't splash betadine all over
the mom's bottom and the baby's head. Notice how much the head is molded
- birth and baby's are amazing. [The molding of the head confirms that
the baby was likely stuck in a posterior position, which is why labor progressed
so slowly and was so painful for this woman. We'll be working hard
to prevent a posterior position.] I don't routinely suction vigorous babies!
Birth #3 - birth center birth - This dad is rubbing the mom's back
in the typical way that a nervous dad does. I'm sure the mom is basking
in his loving attention, but she might appreciate it even more if the rubbing
were a little slower and less frantic. It also seems to help to massage
mostly in a downward direction - something about helping to focus on moving
the energy down and opening the cervix rather than holding things up. Any
baby who's biting the doctor's finger doesn't need suctioning! Notice that
they're holding the baby right side up so the fluids will pool in the back
of the throat so they can suction them out. I prefer to hold the
baby face down for a few seconds to let the fluids drain naturally. The
mom said she would have liked it to be slower. If things seem to
be moving too quickly for you, a hands-and-knees position or even a knee-chest
can slow things down and help you regroup.
Giving Birth: Challenges and Choices (Suzanne Arms - 1998, 35 minutes)
[A model for normal childbirth, addressing popular misconceptions and
hospital routines, focussing on issues of pain, fear, midwifery, doulas,
babies; featuring Dr. Christine Northrup, OB.]
This is very nicely produced and is an excellent film for sharing with
family who are dubious about your homebirth choices. There is a single
homebirth shown.
Birth in the Squatting Position (Suzanne Arms - 1998, 10 minutes)
Notice that the women are RESTING in the squatting position; they're
not using energy holding this position. In our culture, women often need
help getting in and out of this position, but the goal is to be completely
relaxed once you're in the squat. Notice also how well the tissues
stretch around the baby's head and how gently the moms are pushing right
at the end when they birth the head. It's also interesting to me
that in almost all of these births, both the mother and baby seem to need
a short period of isolated integration before they reconnect with each
other. Please let me know if you'd like to set the pace with this,
rather than have me "hand the baby" to you as soon as baby's born.
Birth Day
(Naoli Vinaver Lopez and family- 1998, 10:40 minutes)
This is a short video and very engaging - a wonderful video to watch
together as expectant parents; it shows how much the laboring woman depends
on her partner to be her anchor. This is also a good video for children
to see because it is very gentle and shows the kinds of noises women make
while birthing.
Birth Into Being - The Russian Waterbirth Experience (Global Maternal/Child
Health Association - 1998, 28 minutes)
[Video footage from the Soviet Union - three Moscow home waterbirths,
and a birth in the Black Sea. WARNING - This video has some mild
religious references, linking waterbirth to baptism, which may be offensive
to some.]
This video is beautiful and inspiring. I especially enjoy watching
the midwife catch her own baby, doing expert perineal support from behind
and flexion of the baby's head from in front.
I was particularly interested in seeing that the babies left under
water for a few seconds don't seem to be taking a breath. It's only
after they're brought to the surface that they display a startle reflex,
flinging their arms wide and expanding their lungs to take their first
breath. They do really seem to be waiting until after they're brought
to the surface.
If you're interested in lotus birth, let me know and we can talk about
details and logistics.
Water Baby: Experiences of Water Birth (Karil Daniels - 1986 - 58 minutes)
[A unique documentary that provides in-depth information on the use
of water for labor, birth and early childhood development. Includes:
four water births in home, hospital and birth center settings; demonstrations
of water training exercises for pregnancy, water birth, and for infants,
to enhance their early childhood development.]
Wow! This video is really terrific . . . very inspiring.
It shows the normalcy of birth, yet with a very appropriate reverence for
the process and the newborn's experience.
Some things to note - During Michel Odent's conversation with the Lighthouse
couple from California, they're showing a waterbirth. Note the ridge
of skin that forms along the midline of the baby's skull as the bones overlap
to pass through the tightest spot in the pelvis; once the head reaches
full crowns, this disappears as the head re-expands.
Throughout this tape, the breastfeeding techniques aren't great.
They're kind of jamming the nipple in the baby's mouth without waiting
for the newborn to gape the mouth nice and wide.
I liked the flowers floating in the water - feel free to get these
for your waterbirth.
The baby born in the San Francisco Victorian is taken to the hospital
for a checkup immediately after the birth. This is completely unnecessary,
as I will do a thorough checkup of the baby about an hour after the birth
and will refer you to your pediatrician if anything looks unusual.
Actually, given the rise in hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic-resistant
bacteria at hospitals in this area, taking a healthy newborn to the hospital
is a really dangerous thing to do.
Regarding what to wear for a waterbirth . . . my assistants and I are
comfortable with any level of family nudity, so please feel free to do
whatever you're comfortable with. We see lots of naked people in
our work, both newborns and adults.
Notice that they're holding the baby right side up so the fluids will
pool in the back of the throat so they can suction them out. I prefer
to hold the baby face down for a few seconds to let the fluids drain naturally.
NOTE 1 - There's a long segment at the end of this video about the
work of Igor Charkovsky and the use of water for prenatal preparation,
birth, and infant work. Some people may find the focus on performance mildly
disturbing and this whole segment somewhat extreme.
NOTE 2 - There's an erroneous statement on the video: "Placental separation
could cause lack of oxygen right away." This is completely false.
The placenta and the umbilical cord contain oxygenated blood that can continue
to supply oxygen to the baby for 5-10 minutes after the placenta is separated.
Midwives . . . Lullabies . . . and Mother Earth (Michel Odent, Bullfrog
Films - 1993 - 53 minutes) NOT YET IN COLLECTION!
Dr. Michel Odent, a pioneer of the natural birth movement, believes
life-long health is influenced by the mother during pregnancy and birth.
[from Compleat Mother ad -
- A visionary seeks small solutions to large problems.
- In Holland, two-thirds of the births are attended by midwives.
Women are seen by doctors when medical care or supervision is needed.
The cesarean section rate is around seven percent.
- Nearly all societies develop rituals to separate mother and newborn.
- Most medical procedures in birth are, in fact, absolutely irrational.
- If we transform birth we can transform the world.
- Dr. Odent's 98-year-old mother shares her own enlightened view of
birth.
- Social drug abuse in western countries started one generation after
the widespread use of drugs during labor and birth began.
- When we understand human nature at birth, we will change the way
babies are born.
Water
Babies: The AquaNatal Experience in Ostend (Michel Odent, Bullfrog
Films - 19?? - 37 minutes)
"This video explores the water birth experience at a state hospital
in Belgium where over 20000 women have given birth in water. We see
women attending prenatal water workouts and learning to relax with their
partners in water. A number of births are shown in a clear Plexiglas
tank including an amazing breech birth and the birth of twins. Recommended
to stretch the boundaries of normal birth just a bit further."
This video was ground-breaking in its time, but when I look at it now,
the births just seem like they traded a birthing tub for the birthing table
with stirrups. The mom is still lying in a semi-reclining position,
and the OB is still "delivering" the baby.
They also leave the baby underwater for quite a while - up to a minute
or so? Maybe more? The standard of care in our area is to bring the
baby to the surface almost as one continuous gentle movement, so I prefer
that my clients not get these images in their minds.
I also object to their rant about how waterbirth should "obviously"
be in a clinic. There is no reason they couldn't take all their safety
equipment to the woman's home, but it's a lot more convenient to have the
women come to their clinic. I call this way of thinking "The Mystique
of the Building." It's mystification and nothing more, and I don'
t like to propagate it.
There is also some poppycock about a woman who had a c-section because
her pelvis was "too small".
And, [pet peeve alert], the birth attendants are not wearing gloves.
The real plus of this video is great footage of a breech waterbirth.
Bottom line - there
are much better birth videos available now!
Delivery Self-Attachment (Lennart Righard - 1996 - 6 minutes)
This is a really fun video that I love to watch over and over.
[Dr. Righard's study, published in The Lancet (1990, Vol. 336), 1105-07),
looked at two groups of newborn babies. In the first group, the infant
was placed on the mother's abdomen and within 50 minutes most infants had
self attached to the breast and were suckling correctly. in the second
group the newborn babies were removed from the mother's abdomen, bathed
measured and replaced on the abdomen. The infants in this group from
an unmedicated birth self attached but half of them had a faulty suckling
pattern. Most of the infants from a medicated birth were too drowsy
to be able to suckle at all.]
The Elk and the Epidural - How to Have an Epidural in Awareness - A
Video from Birthing From Within (Pam England and Suzanne Denmark - 2001
- 15 minutes)
This video has the flavor of being an ad for the midwife and large
families. There is some value in that there are very brief shots of about
six homebirths, which can help to give birthing couples a mental image
of what homebirth looks like. There were some things I particularly didn't
like about this video - there were some images of women lying down in labor;
the midwife pulls on the head much more than I'm comfortable with in all
the birth scenes. There's a waterbirth included on here, but the footage
is very brief. There's a moderately religious flavor to the video.
Sweet Bunches - Birth Choices with a Licensed Midwife (Nancy Spencer
- 1998 - 40 minutes)
This video has the flavor of being an ad for the midwife and large
families. There is some value in that there are very brief shots of about
six homebirths, which can help to give birthing couples a mental image
of what homebirth looks like. There were some things I particularly didn't
like about this video - there were some images of women lying down in labor;
the midwife pulls on the head much more than I'm comfortable with in all
the birth scenes. There's a waterbirth included on here, but the footage
is very brief. There's a moderately religious flavor to the video.
Home Sweet Homebirth (Yvonne Lapp Cryns - 1998 - ?? minutes)
The history, philosophy and legalities of homebirth. There are no births
on this tape.
Whose Body, Whose Rights? (1995, 56 minutes) - A great discussion of the history of circumcision as well as medical and ethical issues. Some graphic footage.
Water
Babies: The AquaNatal Experience in Ostend
My Footling Breech
Birth DVD - This is a home delivery of a posterior footling breech.
The parents were informed of the risks of breech birth, and wishing to
avoid a cesarean, chose to deliver at home with trained and experienced
midwives .
Psalm
& Zoya - The Unassisted Homebirth of Our Twins
Okay, I need to get a video or 2 for teaching...what are your favorites? I'm pretty attached to Stages of Labor, as a beginning overview to get everybody on the same page with the basics, but am open to hearing about others that might introduce the stages of labor and what is happening.
I would also like a video that shows some active labor coping....positions,
breathing...as a visual reference and to show the reality, /and/ that it
is doable and how to be active even in a hospital room...etc. Has
anyone seen / had feelings about
Miracle of Birth - 5 Birth Stories
Miracle of Birth 2
Tried and True
or anything else good for teaching and demonstration??
My favorite is "For the most part, I steer away from videos because it is a passive
way of learning that isn't necessarily useful. Also, one of the biggest
problems with videos is that it is impossible to impress upon couples the
variety of ways in which labor/birth can unfold. Not only that but
it is possible to contribute to setting up specific expectations.
Videos also fail to give a realistic sense of time, as well as, not possibly
conveying what the mother/parents experience during the process.
With all that in mind "giving birth and being born" has a rather rambling
montage of several labors/births that take place in an out-of-hospital
birth center. I've had parents tell me that it was at first boring
but as it went on they realized that 'oh, that's what labor can be like'.
After the montage there is a very well done presentation on the physiology
of labor with some excellent graphics. It does NOT break labor down
into Cartesian coordinates like other descriptions might . . . so, in an
attempt to be culturally appropriate, I provide the information they'll
need for understanding the "stages" of labor.
For couples planning hospital births you'll preface the film with 'this
is normal physiology'. 'If you don't relate to the setting start
thinking about how you can create an atmosphere for yourselves that will
enhance your physiology in the hospital. Including creating ways
of using the furniture and equipment in the LDR suite.'
Birth Day
- Mexico
Sacred Birth
- an unassisted outdoor birth in Peru. Available from their
new website (2007). Also available from homebirthvideos.com
homebirthvideos.com has a section on World
Birth
Duka's Dilemma
- An anthropological study of life in Hamar, Southern Ethiopia, including
a brief birth sequence.
We
Know How To Do These Things: Birth in a Newar Village - home birth
in Nepal
Birth Into Being - Russia
Born in Water - Central America
Channel for a New Life - There are no Dopplers used in this last one,
even though the dad is an MD, the famed Leo Sorger.
Water
Babies: The AquaNatal Experience in Ostend - a different birth
culture, although "Western".
The classic, "Birth in the Squatting Position" is about Brazilian women,
I think.
Highly recomended books for preparing the sibling ages 2yrs-6yrs:
Home Birth
Coloring Book - A pdf coloring book free for download...
Welcome
With Love by Jenni Overend, Julie Vivas
[From Publishers Weekly] - Jack and his family welcome a baby
boy in this tranquil description of a seamless home birth, from an Australian
team. "Mum's got pains in her tummy and that means her baby is ready to
be born," announces the boy narrator. Overend makes the baby's arrival
a family affair and carefully describes the events from a child's perspective.
When Mum takes a walk outdoors alone in the whistling wind to "help the
baby along," for instance, Jack thinks, "If I was a baby listening to that
wind, I'd want to stay inside Mum, floating in the warm water." The woman's
walk and subsequent indoor pacing works, however, and she finally gives
birth in a standing position, fully undressed, supported by her husband
as her children and sister look on, and a midwife guides the infant out.
In a placid concluding tableau, the older siblings curl up in sleeping
bags before the fire, alongside their parents and the newborn. Vivas's
(Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge) softly focused pencil illustrations
capture the serenity of the delivery, as well as Jack's aweAand slight
apprehensionAat the arrival of his new brother. Though the natural childbirth
scenario may not be typical of most youngsters' experience, those awaiting
the birth of a new sibling may well take comfort in the book's smooth introduction
of the stages leading up to labor as well as its soothing tone and images.
Ages 4-8.
[From School Library Journal] Kindergarten-Grade 6-A refreshing
book that dares to show and tell it like it is. "Mum's got pains in her
tummy and that means her baby is ready to be born." So Jack, his two older
sisters, Dad, Anna the midwife, and Mum's sister get ready. The baby's
clothes are laid out, the "special microphone" and an oxygen tank are unpacked,
and a giant bed is set up by the fire. Readers are then presented with
the routines and realities of a home birth. This book is bold and sensitive,
tasteful and sweet. There is no shielding from reality. Mum yells and screams
and leans on Dad. Jack, from whose point of view the story is told, is
anxious and unsure of what to expect. When the baby is born, there are
several startling and yet beautiful images: the baby's head emerging from
between Mum's standing legs, the baby boy dangling upside down on the page
with his umbilical cord reaching up, and finally the mother, naked and
on her knees cradling the baby in her arms. There is an inner glow to these
colored-pencil illustrations, a softness and purity that allows for total
acceptance of this unadorned experience. There is a feeling of intimacy,
as if readers are more than bystanders to this most incredible and natural
occurrence. The howling wind is used as a literary element, wild as Mum
progresses through her labor, dying down at night, and calm, as it is inside.
This is a book to be shared, discussed, and simply enjoyed. It is steeped
in love.
Runa's Birth
is a wonderful story book about four year old Lisa's experience with her
sister's homebirth. The story sensitively takes young and old to Lisa's
home and explains her day as her mother's labour progresses. The book describes
birth as it is: A thrilling natural process. You see Lisa's mother using
lots of different strategies to deal with her contractions and explains
how the midwife provides support.
Video - Children At Birth (Jay Hathaway - 19??)
Other Cultures
Resources for Children
Baby On The Way by William and Martha Sears
When You Were A Baby by Katharine Ross
The New Baby by Fred Rogers
I'm A Big Sister/ Brother by Maxie Chambliss
Some OK books
The New Baby by Mercer Mayer
The Night Before The New Baby by Natasha Wing
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
[The joy of birth is shown in four natural, unmedicated births at home,
in a birth center and at the hospital. Children are present at all
the births.]
In general, these are nice births. This video shows some things
that I wouldn't particularly recommend, in particular, having a laboring
woman lying almost flat on her back.
Birth #1 (with Dr. Gregory White) - The noise level at the birth seems
quite high for a sensitive newborn who's hearing unmuffled noises for the
first time. I encourage a much lower noise level. Also, I try
to make a point of not engaging in lots of conversation at and immediately
after the birth, because my chatting distracts the baby and parents from
greeting each other. I try to respect that this is the family's special
time. I encourage family members not living in this household to
allow the immediate family quiet time to get to know their baby according
to their own instincts. They'll let us know when it's time for the
rest of us to meet the baby.
Birth #2 - The OB's technique is much more aggressive than I like to
see. Also, you won't be required to wear caps or masks. [grin]
Birth #3 - Note the crumpling of the scalp just before the head pops
back out at the full crown. Also note that the placenta is still
attached to the baby when it's birthed. You don't often see this
in a video.
Birth #4 - This appears to be an unassisted birth; I liked the way
the mother astutely notices that the baby is gurgling from fluids in the
throat and suggests that the dad hold the baby with the head slightly lower
for a bit. Notice how well this clears the baby's airway. (I generally
encourage this for 5-10 seconds immediately after the birth, typically
on the mom's belly.)
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