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Midwives...Lullabies...and Mother Earth
Fascinating look at pioneering natural birth doctor, Michel Odent.
52 minutes
Directed by Julian Russell and Tony Gailey
Produced by 220 Productions
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"We know more about what determines the health of spinach than we do of people," says Dr. Michel Odent, a pioneer of the natural birth movement. To Odent, health is the key to changing the values by which we lead our lives.
When Odent first began to practice medicine, a woman giving birth was treated as a critically ill patient rather than as a person experiencing a natural act. By designing intimate birthing rooms and giving mothers and midwives more status, Odent's work allows women to experience more fully the miracle of giving birth.
Odent has also studied the long-term health impact of his techniques. He has come to the conclusion that life-long health is greatly influenced by the mother during pregnancy and birth.
Indeed medicine should shift its focus towards nurturing and the causes of good health, rather than being preoccupied with the causes of disease. Odent believes that the answers are not only medical, but social and philosophical, and he encourages us to abandon our technological vision of medicine for one consistent with the balance of all life.
Grade Level: 10-12, College, Adult
US Release Date: 1993
Copyright Date: 1993
DVD ISBN: 1-59458-390-0
VHS ISBN: 1-56029-530-9
Reviews
"A lovely production...The birth scenes are extraordinary...an interesting eye-opener for many health professionals and a morale booster for midwives...an enjoyable viewing experience for anyone who shares the subject's enthusiasm and affection for babies, mothers, and the miracle of birth." ***** Video Rating Guide for Libraries
"This brave documentary casts childbirth in cultural terms...The ideas are appealing, and the presentation is artful and careful...the concepts will be of high interest to expectant parents and students of sociology and women's studies." Wilson Library Bulletin
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"A lovely production...an interesting eye-opener for many health professionals and a morale booster for midwives." ***** Video Rating Guide for Libraries
Awards and Festivals
Silver Apple, National Educational Film & Video Festival
Subjects
Biography
Childbirth/Parenting
Health
Humanities
Reproductive Rights
Social Psychology
Women's Studies
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... more Reviews
"Nicely edited, this program explores an option to a hospital delivery." Booklist
"This video shows how respected and common practices surrounding birth have a damaging effect and shows ways to alter practices. Viewers will see the importance of a distinction between use and overuse of medical routines and look beyond the technology, into deeper human values." Journal of Human Lactation
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