Customer Reviews

Orgasmic Birth

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

As an ex-doula who has attended birth as a sole birth attendant, this is not a film I would recommend. The authors of the film took a term and concept well known in radical midwifery circles-- "orgasmic birth: the nine month orgasm"-- and applied it to a film that is about three-percent on the subject of orgasmic birth: A two minute clip of renowned midwife, Ina May Gaskin, giving a statistic from a survey she had taken amongst women who had birthed with midwives. The statistic of women who had experienced orgasm during labor and birth was much higher than she had anticipated-- in the twenty-plus percent range.

There was talk about how birth is sensual, and orgasm is possible during birth. However, the examples of birthing in the film were mostly not examples of an orgasmic birthing experience. There was one orgasmic birth documented, and quite frankly it appeared to me to have possibly been an acting job on the part of the woman. What this film does contain is documentation of a mix of what I would describe as normal, healthy home births with several women. Births which ranged from easy, quick labors to relatively long labors. And two hospital births, one of which was downright traumatizing to watch. Scare tactics on pregnant women are not the way to improve birth. Having women who have had traumatic births tell their stories, without the actual visuals of a traumatic birth, is, in my opinion, far more effective in educating women about what they will be in for in a planned, non-emergency hospital birth.

It concerns me that this film offers the idea of "birth methods" and an orgasmic goal for birth, rather than emphasizing the physiology of natural birth and what is required to make birth safest overall. One midwife in the film, as well as a man from the World Health Organization, do offer comments on the physiology of natural birth and what is required for it to be safest: quiet, low-lights, few to no interruptions, uninhibited movement, as few people as possible, drinking and eating by mother on her own. The film misses emphasizing this, though. It left me feeling it was shallow in its attempt to educate, and confused me as to what it was really trying to achieve. Capitalize on sales with a radical title, or encourage women by documenting how safe home birth truly is?

The film's most redeeming moments are contained in the few-minutes long story of a childhood sexual abuse survivor/adult rape survivor who birthed with a midwife at home. Because she was able to birth uninterrupted at home, her birth became a most empowering moment for her. In this portion of the film, they have a short clip of DONA founder and natural childbirth advocate/researcher Penny Simkin, talking about the special concerns for female sexual abuse survivors at the time of birthing their children. She suggests the hospital environment and their policies to interrupt natural birth to "check" the baby and mother were particularly detrimental to the abuse survivor. Another redeeming moment was a clip of one of the other home birth mothers saying how her birth with her second child at home made her feel very proud.

This film does not, in my opinion, live up to its title. Nor does it, in my opinion, significantly help increase any woman's odds of having a better birth by watching it. There are much better documentaries on home birth available, even the very mainstream "The Business of Being Born" documents births that I feel would be more encouraging to any mother-to-be. The Midwifery Today website, as well as DONA International website, has many of those other documentaries available. Your local public library may have some of them, and certainly a local midwife will have them available for her clients to watch.

Bottom line, if you want to increase the odds of having a pleasurable and safe birth, my highest recommendation to anyone would be to read any and all books by Michel Odent: "The Farmer And The Obstetrician" is my favorite. And Frederick Leboyer's classic "Birth Without Violence." From a woman who has worked with birthing mothers, I can attest to this as a fact: birth can be elegant. It can be perfectly safe for the greatest majority of women, especially at home or in a natural birthing center, without unnecessary interventions by either an obstetrician or midwife.

It's not very often that a book or movie comes out that has the potential to directly change people's lives, but "Orgasmic Birth" is such a movie. Debra Pascali-Bonaro's film is monumental in it's message for women everywhere: birth can be empowering, transformative, and even pleasurable! The film chronicles the pregnancies, labors, and births of about 10 families, and does an awesome job of depicting the diversity of an empowering experience: homebirths, birth center births, hospital births, water births, and families of different races, religions, and customs. Additionally the film includes the story of a mother who was sexually abused as a child and a young adult, and she shares that "My birth became the most powerful thing that's happened to my body...and I was transformed." The women's stories also depict that birth can be spiritually orgasmic, emotionally orgasmic, or even physically orgasmic -- but the point being that regardless of the orgasmic element itself, it can be orgasmic period! What a crucial message for the young women of our society! We've been raised to believe that childbirth is the most painful thing a woman will ever endure -- how much healthier and how much more hopeful is it to instead believe that birth is something to be treasured and ENJOYED?!

I recently hosted a screening of "Orgasmic Birth" at my school, the University of Missouri. It was WILDLY successful, with over 100 people in attendance -- everyone from the local midwives, to professors to feminists, to mothers, to college women, to freshmen boys! Following the film, I hosted a panel of mothers and professional midwives to answer audience questions -- the questions poured in for 45 minutes! I've been hearing rumoring about a new campus organization: Med Students for Home Birth! One woman stood up and announced to the auditorium that this movie had changed her life forever -- "I know what I want now -- I want to have my babies at home with a midwife!" Another woman wrote a paper about the film, and still another created a project about the film for her Psychology of Women class. I just heard that someone else bought the film online after seeing it and is giving it out as Christmas presents!

Do yourself a huge favor -- SEE THIS MOVIE. Especially if you are a woman of childbearing age! KNOW your options before you get pregnant! Find out what's right for YOU! I'm sure many people reading this review have seen "The Business of Being Born," which is also incredible. I would distinguish the two by simply saying this: BOBB shows birth they way it is. Orgasmic Birth shows it the way it COULD BE. My cousin put it this way: "BOBB was eye-opening. Orgasmic Birth was heart-opening."

I am grateful for this video presenting birth as pleasurable, ecstatic - orgasmic. My own births, at home, were that way and it was impossible to talk about them. There was no audience of 'understanding' thirty years ago. My girlfriends were having hospital births with drugs, interventions and cesarean sections. That was western culture's way.

At home and without drugs, natural hormones kicked in which contributed to the ecstasy. I was high for years after the birth of my first child and it only got better and easier with the others. I hope this 'best kept secret' is now out of the bag and that more women will experience the power and joy that I did.

This video is thorough and made with integrity. The births are beautiful. The interviews - Ina May Gaskin, Maureen Corry, Elizabeth Davis, Sarah Buckley, Marsden Wagner, Christiane Northrup among other - are helpful and engaging. See for yourself.

Having given birth 3 times already and been exposed to interventions immediately upon arrival of the hospital and even before, I wanted to view this film to make the best choices for my upcoming 4th birth. This film provides a refreshing perspective that so often is lost and completely disregarded. The meaning of "natural birth" has changed over the years and this film brings it back to its true meaning. The strength and ability of our body to birth naturally has been lost and left out in many delivery rooms. Discussion of intervention, c section, inductions and pain management are routine vs. discussion of individual strength, natural ability and benefits of less or no intervention. I appreciated the statistics and information provided along with all of the wonderful personal experiences shared. Seeing the support of the husbands as well as the active role of midwives and doulas really was beautiful and encouraged me to continue my own research in birthing options. This is a must view for women who are truly wanting to know all of their options when it comes to birthing their baby.

Orgasmic Birth: The Best Kept Secret
I have been a Lamaze educator, doula, and nurse for 25 years+ and this movie presents possibilities to new mothers about their births that haven't been available to them ever before. The message is honest and evidence-based. I've heard some comments about the title but I can't imagine not honoring something as wonderful as orgasm when we continually hear about hemorrhoids and four hour erections.
Thanks for this wonderful teaching tool. I am now using it in my classes and have had no negative comments.

Orgasmic Birth: The Best Kept Secret This excellent film demonstrates what women can do. Women can give birth without excessive medical intervention including the epidural, IV, and episiotomy. You see women in comfortable surroundings supported and cared for by skilled midwives that respect and trust the normal birth process and allow the women to birth in an undisturbed, safe environment. Are they all "orgasmic births"? No, but the message in the film is not about orgasms, but about reframing how we view birth. I applaud the film maker, Debra Pascali-Bonaro, for being so bold in giving the film this title - many women that I have told about the film Orgasmic Birth have stated that "they want one too"! A must see film.

'Orgasmic Birth' opens, through sounds, songs and visual images, a new paradigm for women and men to explore birth. The audio sound track is truly exquisite and I use the music from the CD frequently in my prenatal yoga class. The movie is an excellent tool to expand the ideas of expectant parents so they can harness their own instincts for labor. The extras part with the numbers of maternal/infant health is very well presented too.
Well done! Jill Wodnick, www.MontclairMaternity.com

As a supporter of undisturbed birth, I've waited a long time for a film like this! Orgasmic Birth is much more than a film about how to experience pleasure in birth. It's about viewing birth as a natural bodily function, rather than an inherently dangerous, painful medical event that needs to be managed, controlled and medicated. It's about tapping into our own natural resources, instead of turning ourselves over to the medical establishment to "save" us from ourselves. Any natural bodily function proceeds best when it's done in privacy, and this is what the women in the film advocate. Unfortunately, most members of the medical profession pretend that birth isn't sexual, yet it involves the same hormones, organs and emotions as sex. When we recognize the inherent sexuality of childbirth, overcome our fears and inhibitions, and keep strangers away as much as possible, birth CAN be ecstatic if not orgasmic. It certainly was for me. I highly recommend this film, and know it is destined to change the way society views our most intimate act of creation. We do NOT have to choose between a medicated, medically managed birth and a painful, difficult "natural" one. There is a third choice and Debra Pascali-Bonaro has found it!

I have seen this film 6 or 7 times in various contexts. The very first time I saw it, it was a little different than I expected. The second time I saw it I was BLOWN away with its relevancy, poignancy and power. Each time I have seen it since I have taken something new and valuable away with me. One viewing I was moved by the music, which I learned was all written BEFORE any actual film footage had been shot. Debra Pascali-Bonaro's footage is masterfully edited and woven together, telling the stories of 11 families all while shedding respectful light on what may not be working in the medical model of birth. This is a truly inspiring film. I highly recommend this movie to just about anyone. The title is controversial, but the film is about MUCH more than Orgasmic Birth. It is about the choices. It is about possibilities!

Orgasmic Birth takes a provocative look into the possibilities of what birth can be, not typical medical-model birthing, but normal, natural, even blissful birth. First-time filmmaker Debra Pascali-Bonaro has captured on film intimate and tender moments which offer us insight into the true nature of birth, and the creating of mothers, fathers, and families. As a midwife, doula, childbirth educator and the mother of five children myself, I highly encourage everyone to buy this film - and show it to your daughters! It will truly open your heart to what birth can and should be like - sensual, beautiful, empowering, and ecstatic.