Birth Video Reviews?

[JamieCatheryn]

Hi, I'm planning to teach a childbirth course and want 2-3 videos to show some differing kinds of birth, prepare students for the range of normal, and give them ideas on planning their own births. Could those of you who've seen some birth videos and have a moment speak up and tell me the names of some good ones and give specifics about the births featured? I'd like especially to know whether they show:

Moms in different levels of calm and 'out of control' or noisy in the range of normal.
Births at home, birth centers, or in the hospital.
Births with moms moving and active showing different positions or in bed with monitors.
What positions are the moms in for second stage and whether people are touching or guiding the mother.
What race are the couples or mothers? I'd like some variety so nobody makes generalization or says well only such and such people do it that way.
Is there commentary or narration, and if so what kind?

I'd love one that showed the breast crawl in a just born baby. This would help me begin to discuss third stage and the normalacy of breastfeeding.

A MDC momma posted her video on youtube not long ago, I found it awesome and honest http://www.youtube.com/isarma42 it showed her chatting with friends and singing between contractions and screaming and yelling about "I don't know how to do this!" during transition ones. It was long and unedited, a UC waterbirth surrounded by friends. It was beautiful and I'll bet that kind of thing could spark some good discussions too. Is there anything similar in a high quality dvd out there?

The only produced birth video I have seen was Birth Day, I saw that in my birth class when I was pregnant. It was good, somewhat inspiring but seemed very "other" given where I live (in the city, the midwest, with virtually no homebirth and zero birth centers).

[wombjuice]

I really like "Birth As We Know It"...I have the regular version, but there is also an educational version for Midwives/Doulas/Childbirth Educators to use in classes.

[GrrlyElizabeth]

I think the most recent issue of Mothering has a whole spread on birth videos! (It's either this issue or the one before.) If you want something inexpensive but still really good, I like "It's My Body, My Baby, My Birth," for an introduction to natural childbirth. The midwife who sells it also has a waterbirth dvd available that is very simple, but terrific.

"It's my body..." doesn't have any actual birth footage, but there's a great variety of people -- including a lesbian couple, which I think is really nice. I think it's $10: http://www.itsmybodymybabymybirth.com/Home.html

Both are short, but great for an educator on a budget!

Also, if you search infant self-attachment on you tube, there's one on that site. It's not my favorite that I've seen, but it is free.

[JamieCatheryn]

This looks promising for a breast crawl video, but it's new there so not much detail yet: Delivery Self Attachment

Anyone seen The Miracle of Birth 2? It looks like this would fit well with the situation my students will be in what with the hospital births and one of the births is a single mom giving birth naturally. I like the variety of choices presented and it looks like it includes footage of a c/s. That one's a pricey investment, but flexible. If you've seen it, what's it like really?