Ricki Lake, the amiable former talk show host, has produced a new documentary about the child birth business that covers both natural and medical child birth methods. The film premieres this week at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York. I do not yet know how her documentary will be distributed, but it features a video Lake never intended to make public--that of her second child's natural birth in the bathtub of her West Village apartment. Fun!
Lake is becoming a doula (someone who helps pregnant women either stay at home to give birth, or get to the hospital at the right time)--a far cry from talk show hosting. She says she's upset by the medicalization of routine labors in hospitals, and wishes to empower women to explore other ways when possible. Lately, I've been thinking that the natural childbirth movement was pretty much over (my second labor was drug-free), so it is wonderful that Lake, who has the connections to get her film noticed, is energizing the spiritual midwifery movement again--though she insists she wants all women to feel proud of whatever labors they have.
There's no right way, right? Lots of babies are alive today thanks to heroic doctors in hospitals.
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Wow now there are 2 Julies. I'll change to Julie S.
really i am surprised
That good she has a way of informing birth I'm 3 1/2 months and scared to death. I think more people should help in birth because the more help and support women have maybe the better the pregnancy and birth are.
Good for Ricki! Both of my kids were born in a birthing center here in Austin, Texas (the natural birth movement is alive and well down here) and it was a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, I think a lot of women either don't have that option - or aren't aware of the option - so I think it's great that Ricki's made a doc about this (I hope I can get it on Netflix!) And I love that she wants to be a doula. I think being a midwife would be an amazing experience - I'm hoping that's my third career!
By the way, I have to plug an awesome book that provides expecting mom with great info about their birthing options - The Thinking Women's Guide to a Better Birth. I'm a lawyer, so footnotes matter to me, and this book is great about footnotes - every assertion is backed up with evidence! It's a great book to read before you go to a hospital or a birthing center.
Although I think childbirth is scary- it has been happening since the beginning of time. I think all the intervention medically is balanced by all the 'spiritual' intervention. Come on! Having a baby is no rocket sciene. Since when do you need a spiritual advisor and since when are Doctors the bad guys? What? Women can't tell the Doctors 'no drugs'? When I had my first child, we both would have been dead had we not been in a hospital. I think mom's should go old school. Guess what ladies? Giving birth is scary, raising your kids is even scarier....but our parents did it! They did it with out ridiculous birth plans, Doulas, epidurals, lactation consultants, baby prep, classes and without dads present. We all came out just fine. Get over it!! Have a voice....your OWN voice!!!