Favorite Pregnancy and Birth Media - Page 2

[KayPea]

I also watch Juno and Baby Mama a few times while pregnant! And Knocked Up. I'll definitely check out Away We Go. We watched some good videos in our birthing class, but the one that stuck with me was this really peaceful water birth at home in this blue-tiled tub. Anyone know what it's called? I'd like to watch it again. 

The husband and I also both read Alternadad last time, and found it funny and diverting. 

I watched as many online homebirth videos as I could last time, and I might again, though for now I am enjoying reading the birth stories on the MDC boards from the past couple of months. 

And I will just chime in here to agree, that the Business of Being Born, and Ina May's book are important to watch and read while pregnant, as well as books on breastfeeding. 

[Jaimee]

Alright.. I just watched Pregnant in America (streaming on Netflix) and of course I'm crying.     I have to say that it felt more medical fearful than The Business of Being Born.  They really went into interventions a lot more and highlighted some maternal and infant deaths.  I also think the take home message was much clearer: take back your birth experience, how you birth your child is important.  I enjoyed the expert interviews (which included Ina May) and got some more recommendations for books. 

Magical Child

McDonalization of Society

Born in the USA

In Labor: Women and Power in the Birthplace

Birth as an American Rite of Passage

Gentle Birth Choices

 

What I think is interesting about TBoBB and Pregnant in America is that they both ended up with a hospital experience.  In TBoBB, Ricki's film partner ends up with a c-section and in Pregnant in America, the baby ends up in the NICU.  I understand that these were real experiences that occured during the making of the films and documentries certainly strive to show the truth, but at the same time I can't help but feel that the message is a bit clouded.  Birth is safe!  Birth is natural and normal!  95% of births will occur without complication!  And yet both films show a complication.  It feels like it's 50% of the time.  Half of it turned out fine, but the other half ended up in the hospital.  Sigh.  I'd really like to see this type of film done again, updated, minus the hospital ending.

[EonJourney]

You prompted me to watch Pregnant in America too. I also cried. I can relate to the movie. I was forced into a c sect after 33 hrs of back labor because it was 7am on a Saturday. Now with twins my options for a vbac are slim. My ob told me he highly suggested I schedule my babies birth and that I am too small. Luckily I called my former midwife who told me I am very capable of delivering twins vaginally. Anyway, pretty good movie.

I enjoyed the Into the Womb series by National Geographic.

[Jaimee]

This film looks fantastic: http://www.birth-media.com/  "Laboring Under an Illusion"   Anyone want to split the cost with me??? 

Oh, and KayPea... it shows a clip of the film you mentioned with the blue tile tub.  I've seen that one, too.  I can't remember exactly, but is that the one in Mexico where the woman births unassisted?

[octanebeetle27]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

Alright.. I just watched Pregnant in America (streaming on Netflix) and of course I'm crying.     I have to say that it felt more medical fearful than The Business of Being Born.  They really went into interventions a lot more and highlighted some maternal and infant deaths.  I also think the take home message was much clearer: take back your birth experience, how you birth your child is important.  I enjoyed the expert interviews (which included Ina May) and got some more recommendations for books. 

Magical Child

McDonalization of Society

Born in the USA

In Labor: Women and Power in the Birthplace

Birth as an American Rite of Passage

Gentle Birth Choices

 

What I think is interesting about TBoBB and Pregnant in America is that they both ended up with a hospital experience.  In TBoBB, Ricki's film partner ends up with a c-section and in Pregnant in America, the baby ends up in the NICU.  I understand that these were real experiences that occured during the making of the films and documentries certainly strive to show the truth, but at the same time I can't help but feel that the message is a bit clouded.  Birth is safe!  Birth is natural and normal!  95% of births will occur without complication!  And yet both films show a complication.  It feels like it's 50% of the time.  Half of it turned out fine, but the other half ended up in the hospital.  Sigh.  I'd really like to see this type of film done again, updated, minus the hospital ending.

Ditto. In my circle of friends, I am one of two people who births at home (or attempts to) and 2 out of my 3 attempts have ended with me in the hospital (well, one baby was supposed to be at a free-standing birthing center but still...). So whenever I recommend either of those movies to people (those who also know about my experiences), they feel like the odds are against them birthing at home so why even try? But hey, I'm planning on a homebirth with this baby, I sure haven't given up on homebirth! Yes, love that the producers were true to what happened during the documentaries but I am hoping for a really good docu with an ending that is true to most births that happen at home. 

[KayPea]

I remembered that it was called Birth Day, which is pretty impossible to google, but since you reminded me that it was in Mexico, Jaimee, I was able to narrow the search. 

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/videos/birthday.asp

It's such a beautiful video - and it really stuck with me when she was talking about how she wanted her labour to feel like a celebration - she had so many friends and family around...

[peaches' mom]

Originally Posted by KayPea 

I remembered that it was called Birth Day, which is pretty impossible to google, but since you reminded me that it was in Mexico, Jaimee, I was able to narrow the search. 

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/videos/birthday.asp

It's such a beautiful video - and it really stuck with me when she was talking about how she wanted her labour to feel like a celebration - she had so many friends and family around...

I LOVED the movie "Birth Day". To me it perfectly portrays birth as normal. It shows the labouring mom enjoying the day, doing "regular" - if celebratory - things with her family. It inspired me to do the same for my first 2 births, which I believe led to 2 amazing births. I'll have to watch it again during this pregnancy for fresh inspiration. 

I also love a lot of the books mentioned previously (anything by Ina May is a particular favourite!!!). Another I would add is "the Red Tent" which I found fascinating because of the early midwifery/birthing details. That being said, I recall that this book is not for the faint of heart. It's completely fiction but maybe best read postpartum. :)

[J3ssika]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

This film looks fantastic: http://www.birth-media.com/  "Laboring Under an Illusion"   Anyone want to split the cost with me??? 

Oh, and KayPea... it shows a clip of the film you mentioned with the blue tile tub.  I've seen that one, too.  I can't remember exactly, but is that the one in Mexico where the woman births unassisted?

Our local perinatal resource center held a screening of this, it is FABULOUS!