by Julie Bell, R.N. Under construction/broken links (3/5/08) Please check back later. Here are my favourites. There were several slideshows of homebirths etc, but I preferred ones that contained actual video, so that you can see just how the women move and use their bodies. 1. Spectacular Homebirth! 9:36 minutes. South Africa. Still photography and video. She is in a birth pool, moving freely, leaning forward positions. A hand held doppler is used. The mother births on hands and knees. She rocks her pelvis. Her partner massages her with oils. Only the mother, father and midwife are present. You can see the profile of the positions the mother chooses and how she uses her body, but there is no view of the perineum. When the baby is born it is lowered onto the mattress and left for the mother to look at and pick up in her own time. The baby begins "chatting" to the mother immediately, and is noticeably soothed when she gently says, "shhhhhh" to him. * happy sigh * 2. Active birth - dancing to tribal rhythms 2:12 minutes This shows a woman dancing and swaying during her contractions, as she utilises active birth techniques to get through labour. A strong, positive image to counteract the "stranded beetle on the bed" image we see so much. It only shows a few minutes of labour - the birth is not shown. 3. Gemma's Birth Music Video 5:58 minutes. USA This shows a hospital birth, to contrast with the homebirths. All goes well, but it is hard to see a healthy strong woman having a great spontaneous labour having to do it on a bed, against gravity. Directed, not instinctive pushing - she is told to "pull her legs back". The cord is cut immediately and the baby is TAKEN AWAY from the mother!!! (not delivered up onto her abdomen). Great music track. 4. Lyle's Waterbirth 4:12 minutes. USA This beautiful waterbirth turns out to be an unassisted birth, because evidently the midwife does not get there in time, but chats with the couple as they birth over the phone. Present are mother, father, grandma and a toddler boy who is not impressed with not being allowed into the pool. Grandma and Dad do a superb job as the birth support team. It it lovely that the loudest cries are the mother's own cries of exhilaration, joy and wonder. No one is telling her what to do or not do. 5. Natural Birth (Normal Doğum) 48 seconds long. There are no words, but great images of a woman actively using her body to birth her baby. She does an extended "proposal position" on one knee to help the baby as it is crowning. 6. Savanna's Birthday 1:59 minutes. This is a "good" hospital birth - it is actually a vaginal birth, with no evident episiotomy. But I found it upsetting to watch, I almost burst into tears and yelled out loud, "WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO GIVE THE BABY TO HER!!??" They did not hand the baby to her. They had her cut the cord immediately, then they TOOK THAT BABY AWAY - by the end of the video, the mother STILL had not touched the baby that just came out of her own vagina!!! I felt so sorry for this birthing woman, lying flat on her back with legs wide open exposed to a male attendant. I try to be open minded about hospital birth, but all I can think it, birth does not have to be that hard, it does not have to be that degrading: this awesome woman would've birthed so easily and powerfully in a more free and respectful environment - such as a woman-friendly birth centre or at home. |
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Cascade Christian Childbirth Association
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