Birth Documentary Film Festival in Utah

Were you aware:

• The Caesarean rate in the US varies from between 25-45 percent depending on what state you’re in, yet our infant mortality rate continues to skyrocket. Doing more Caesareans hasn’t led to more live babies.
• Depending on the year the US ranks between 24 and 34 among industrialized nations for infant mortality (i.e., babies dying before age one).
• In some states our maternal mortality rate is equivalent to some third-world countries.
• We have the best technology in the world for use in pregnancy and childbirth, but the overuse of it–using it on ALL women instead of those considered truly high–risk, is turning a normal physiological process into a medical procedure.

I feel very torn between all of the birthing styles and choices out there. Unfortunately I didn’t really know any of these existed when I was having my first baby. I love my girls more than I can even begin to describe but if I am being terribly honest their births were not…natural, magical, a pleasant experience. Giving birth both times actually terrified me more than anything in my life. I did not know giving birth could be an amazing experience; I was not aware of my rights or options. I just “went with the flow” and almost felt as if I were a bother to all the nursers, doctors, etc. Almost like I was set upon this huge conveyor belt with no one really stopping to pay attention or treat me as an individual.

I believe a large part of this was my own darn fault. I should have been much more educated but all I had was advice from my mother, who had her last baby 15 years ago, quick snippets in parenting magazines and browsing around babycenter.com. Now this isn’t to say I support or don’t support home births, using medication or going all natural. I actually have not made up my mind on any of those issues BUT I do want to be more informed. I want to know my rights, all of the options out there and how to learn to make childbirth a beautiful experience.

This is why I am thrilled about Doula Melissa’s Birth Documentary Film Festival coming up. I want every mother, soon to be mother or even woman THINKING about becoming a mother, to attend!

Birth Documentary Film Festival

Date: June 13, 2009
Location: Towne Cinema Theaters in American Fork, UT
Cost: $25
What: Screening of Orgasmic Birth, Pregnant in America, The Business of Being Born, Special Guest Speaker, Debra Pascali-Bonaro

Email: moviescreening@rawmelissa.com if you have questions.

To register: Paypal $25 to (moviescreening@rawmelissa.com) or send check to

Birth Movie Screening
P.O. Box 721
Springville, UT 84663

or call (801) 759-5124 to pay with Credit Card

Email us if you would like postcards to hand out to friends and family.

Melissa is a Certified Birth Doula and Birth Doula Trainer with DONA International. She has attended many births and taught hundreds of expectant couples in childbirth classes. She has also trained many, many beautiful woman to be birth doulas. This is why Melissa wants to do this Birth Documentary Film Festival in her own words:

Truthfully, the reason I’m doing this is because I want women to know they have a choice. They can choose care providers and places of giving birth (yes hospitals included) where they are treated as individuals and respected as a women going through a normal physiological process, and not a sick person needing lots medical procedures. I want women to be supported in what they choose, but they also need to be aware and educated about what choices they are making. Like you said, you didn’t feel like you even knew what was going on or that you had a choice. This is what I hope to accomplish in showing these movies. I hope to shed some light on why women are treated the way they are, and what they can do to make it better. Birth is a beautiful miracle and it should be treated as such. Women are also beautiful and unique and should be cared for in a respectful, non-conveyer belt style.

The beautiful thing about Melissa is she helps women in any choice they make, if they want to be medicated and give birth in a hospital, if they want to go natural at the hospital or if they want to give birth at home. She is not pushy and honestly wants women to band together to make sure we are aware of the rights we and our babies have.

I hope to see you there!

Tags: childbirth, utah babies, utah event

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