…to see Orgasmic Birth at the IMAX in Columbus! 7:00 p.m. tonight at Marcus IMAX theatre at Crosswoods Center (200 Hutchinson Ave.) A panel discussion on “Birth and Sexuality” will follow the film, and door prizes will be given at the end of the evening. It is too late to buy advance tickets if you haven’t already done so, but tickets will be available for $12 at the door.

The film showing at the Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs last weekend was well-received,  with good turn-out and a stimulating panel discussion from local birth professionals following the film. Several people present said they liked Orgasmic Birth even better than The Business of Being Born. If Columbus is too far for you, don’t worr: Ohio Families for Safe Birth plans to host screenings in other parts of the state as well.

If you go to the Columbus screening, or saw the film already in Cincinnati, Yellow Springs, or elsewhere,  feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section. Did you find the title accurate, helpful, intriguing, or off-putting? What did you like or dislike about the movie? Would you reccommend this film to others, and why?

“The first few hours after birth are so precious and irreplaceable. Having a home birth meant that I could have my baby skin-to-skin on my chest with absolutely no separation, even though she needed a little help to get started breathing. My midwife’s careful observation of the baby and even the positive-pressure ventilation with the bag and mask that she needed immediately after she was born, all took place with my baby in my arms and her cord intact.”

The Sunday Photo Album is a regular feature of the Safe Birth Blog. If you would like to submit a picture, please email soracolvin@gmail.com.

I was born in the flatlands of NW Ohio, the third child of a card carrying La Leche League mother breast fed on a diet of natural ways…

Completing a degree in psychology at Bowling Green State University, I fell in love with travel discovering along the way the variety of approaches to life and a healthy respect of the power and  grace of the human body.  In short, there’s more than one way to do things.

Well traveled in Central American countries I also lived a short time near the caffeine-pubs of Seattle (grande, soy, vanilla, latte, please) before returning to Ohio.  Not long after…. I wound up at Ohio State University working in the field of technology……and then marrying the love of my life, Terry (he told me to say that).

Starting out  my pregnancy with a traditional OB/CNM practice (nice-enough, not-so-encouraging, capable people), I soon chose a local homebirth midwife (personal, supportive, capable woman). I chose the care I thought would allow my son and I the best chance at a natural birth.

In the spring of 2007, after 17 hours of homebirthing and 1 hour at OSU hospital, Sam was born. The experience strengthened my belief that women should always have a choice in how, where and with whom they give birth.

“Holding my baby against my chest as soon as she was born - instant gratification for my labor!”

The Sunday Photo Album is a regular feature of the Safe Birth Blog. If you would like to submit a picture, please email soracolvin@gmail.com.

It’s been a fantastic year for birth documentaries. First there was the Business of Being Born (now available on Netflix) making a big splash in the media and causing panic in the AMA. Next came Orgasmic Birth (there will be big screen showings in Yellow Springs and Columbus this month), showing a beautiful alternative to the usual medicalized hospital delivery. And in December, Pregnant in America will be coming out as well.

The Other Side of The Glass takes a perspective that is completely different from any of these films. ACOG’s anti-home statement criticizes women for ostensibly prioritizing their “experience” above safety, but what is rarely considered is that childbirth is experienced by two people. And while mothers giving birth in hospitals often feel vulnerable and powerless, unable to prevent unnecessary procedures and interventions, their baby, fully conscious but unable to articulate his or her experience, is even more vulnerable.

This documentary will advocate for humanizing our treatment of newborn infants in all birth settings, and its target audience is fathers:  appealling to their natural role as protector of mother and infant, and empowering them to take up that cause for the sake of their families. The title is taken from the experience of a father in a hospital, watching helplessly from behind a plate glass window as his screaming newborn is poked and prodded by a stranger.

The ten minute trailer can be seen here.

There will be a screening of Orgasmic Birth on Saturday, September 20th, at 4:00 p.m. at the Little Art Theatre in Yellow Springs, OH. ( click here for a directions)

The showing will be followed  by a panel discussion and silent auction at 6:00 p.m. at the Emporium Cafe (on the same street).

Tickets will be available at the door for a suggested $10 donation. Proceeds from the event will support prenatal, labor, and postpartum support in the Miami Valley. A flyer for the event can be downloaded here.

To help you keep track of upcoming Ohio Families for Safe Birth events: the new online OFSB Calendar.