birth video recommendations please

[fyrflymommy]

my 2yo and i watched the birth vid that's linked on the other forum. she really liked it so i let her watch "a baby story" episode i'd taped that was a hospital waterbirth. but i had to fastforward it because the mother was very loud and obviously in pain....my daughter was concerned and a little scared.

so could someone recommend a homebirth video that's not too....noisy: for my dd to watch?

thanks

[pamamidwife]

I think the noise might be a good thing, provided it's not fearful screaming.

What I usually suggest to clients is that they turn the video on, without sound. They do this several times a day without making a big deal about it.

Then, after a week or so, they add the sound.

Typically, kids aren't so scared about seeing it and with actual videos you can rewind the baby back in and play it again! Kids love it!

The videos I like are A Clear Road to Birth (an unassisted birth video), Birth Into Being (waterbirths, but you can see really well), and a couple I've gotten from Australia.

Does your mw have any that you could watch? Most midwives have a video lending library.

[georgia]

the andaluz waterbirth video is really calm and beautiful! my ds loved to watch all the birth videos last time---he would beg, please, can we watch more babies being born??? best wishes!

[Mummoth]

My Ds is 2, too. We've watched a Baby Story a few times. Last time he said "Noisy" and I just explained to him that "Yelling helps the mommy push the baby. Yelling makes the mommy feel better." Then we imitated some of the sounds the woman on TV was making, and turned it into a funny game. Then he was saying "Better now" I don't know if he was telling me that he, or the woman on TV felt better now, but either way, I think the message got through....

My mom is going to be there for DS during the birth, and she's going to do the same thing (although I didn't yell so much as groan last time)

[guestmama9924]

Baby Story plays 'crisis music' in the background and uses jolty camera moves to give you a sense of "drama" . I really do not recommend that one for kids ( or mamas)

Contact your local Childbirth Educator/Midwife/Doula and see about a siblings class. I teach them and use a video called "Inside My Mom" and "Lizzie and the Baby". Books are a really nice teaching tool too . "How I Was Born", "Your BellyButton" and "The Miracle of Birth"

And yes, noise needs to be part of the teaching because if she is going to be there, you might be making noise!

'Birth Joy and Raspberry Leaves' is a gentle homebirth video and is very cheap.

[Mummoth]

We have "Welcome With Love" which DS loves reading with me. That has been the main thing we've done to prepare him so far. I know Baby Story isn't the best for a learning tool... hospital births are so different from what we'll be experiencing, anyway.

[candiland]

"Giving Birth: Challenges and Choices" by Suzanne Arms.

[fyrflymommy]

thanks for the suggestions

and FTR, i'm not pregnant so dd won't be going to a siblings class. we have several friends that are preg or have newborns. and one of them i might be babysitting so this could have something to do w/ her interest in babies. and of course she loved that birth vid of the photo stills from that other thread

[Mom2baldie]

Fyrflymommy,

My midwife loaned me a video called "Birth Day" with Naoli Vinaver Lopez and family... that would be good for children. Its only one birth and the mom is a midwife! Her husband is in the tub with her and her children are nearby...she is very quiet and "internal" during the birth...after baby is born the other children get in the tub also. Its pretty short and my kids liked it, so maybe this one would be worth looking into!