Despite the fact that traffic caused me to miss the first 20 minutes of the film screening, I was still so glad that I made the trip to Baltimore and paid the $10 to see this movie. I also dropped another $40 to buy the DVD (though apparently you can buy it through the website for $35, though I'm not sure if that includes shipping...).
It was, in a word, wonderful. I would have to say that it's probably my favorite all-around birth video to date (sorry, BOBB, I still love you, too). (Matt said it was his, too.) Birth As We Know It might win out for the sheer beauty of multiple waterbirths in the sea, but Orgasmic Birth included so much beautiful birth footage (in water and "on land"), so many wonderful interviews with couples, and also a great deal of factual information (the DVD also has a feature called "Birth by the Numbers" which walks you through the various statistics impacting maternity care in the United States today). All my favorite experts (Ina May Gaskin, Marsden Wagner, Christianne Northrup, Robbie Davis-Floyd, and Elizabeth Davis) were prominently featured and spoke articulately on the topics at hand.
I thought that probably the best and most touching segment was one on birth for survivors of sexual abuse. Featured is a fragile-looking but determined survivor who describes her history of abuse, then describes her birth, saying "I felt myself just leave, and this...this woman came in...who just knew how to birth a baby!" She looks shyly but proudly at the camera, nods slightly and says, "I felt transformed." It's an amazing thing to watch, especially given that the prevailing medical "wisdom" today is that women who are survivors of sexual abuse are best off with a very early, very dense epidural at the least--or, worse, a scheduled primary Cesarean. That doesn't give them a lot of credit, does it?
As I'd anticipated, the actual discussion about orgasms during birth (which do happen, but not that often) is brief and incidental, and the thrust (sorry) of the film has lots more to do with women's sensuality, and the intimacy and privacy and bliss of birth, and creating the same kind of loving and secluded environment for birth as you would for lovemaking than it does with the actual experience of orgasm. Obvious fact that there are lots of naked women in it notwithstanding, the movie is incredibly tastefully (and beautifully) done, dare I even say family-friendly (though I suppose it depends on your family), and I wouldn't be embarassed to watch it with anybody.
I could go on forever about this movie but I'll just say that if it doesn't make you wish you were nine months pregnant and in labor, well, I don't know what will. It did for me. The only possible icing on the cake was that at the end, out walked MARSDEN WAGNER, and I got to shake his hand and chat with him for a little while after the screening. AHHHH! Talk about goosebumps!!
It was, in a word, wonderful. I would have to say that it's probably my favorite all-around birth video to date (sorry, BOBB, I still love you, too). (Matt said it was his, too.) Birth As We Know It might win out for the sheer beauty of multiple waterbirths in the sea, but Orgasmic Birth included so much beautiful birth footage (in water and "on land"), so many wonderful interviews with couples, and also a great deal of factual information (the DVD also has a feature called "Birth by the Numbers" which walks you through the various statistics impacting maternity care in the United States today). All my favorite experts (Ina May Gaskin, Marsden Wagner, Christianne Northrup, Robbie Davis-Floyd, and Elizabeth Davis) were prominently featured and spoke articulately on the topics at hand.
I thought that probably the best and most touching segment was one on birth for survivors of sexual abuse. Featured is a fragile-looking but determined survivor who describes her history of abuse, then describes her birth, saying "I felt myself just leave, and this...this woman came in...who just knew how to birth a baby!" She looks shyly but proudly at the camera, nods slightly and says, "I felt transformed." It's an amazing thing to watch, especially given that the prevailing medical "wisdom" today is that women who are survivors of sexual abuse are best off with a very early, very dense epidural at the least--or, worse, a scheduled primary Cesarean. That doesn't give them a lot of credit, does it?
As I'd anticipated, the actual discussion about orgasms during birth (which do happen, but not that often) is brief and incidental, and the thrust (sorry) of the film has lots more to do with women's sensuality, and the intimacy and privacy and bliss of birth, and creating the same kind of loving and secluded environment for birth as you would for lovemaking than it does with the actual experience of orgasm. Obvious fact that there are lots of naked women in it notwithstanding, the movie is incredibly tastefully (and beautifully) done, dare I even say family-friendly (though I suppose it depends on your family), and I wouldn't be embarassed to watch it with anybody.
I could go on forever about this movie but I'll just say that if it doesn't make you wish you were nine months pregnant and in labor, well, I don't know what will. It did for me. The only possible icing on the cake was that at the end, out walked MARSDEN WAGNER, and I got to shake his hand and chat with him for a little while after the screening. AHHHH! Talk about goosebumps!!
1 comment:
Hi Katie,
Thanks for the fab review of this film. I've wanted to see it for some time. Hopefully it's coming to Asheville soon. I've met Ina May several times (she looks just like the pictures in Spiritual Midwifer except her braids are grayer) and I've actually HUGGED Marsden Wagner :-). I admire him so much, and his dedication to women and birth.
Love from your Frontier buddy....Ellie Lee
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