Maternal Infant Health Media Library

The following are films and radio spots  on pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and maternal-child health which will inform parents and students of maternal-child health of the issues of U.S. and Global Maternal and Infant Health.

Infant/Child Health Films | Childbirth Films | Pregnancy Films

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Infant/Child Health Films

Actress Salma Hayek Breastfeeds Sick Baby on UNICEF Trip – One child around the world dies every three minutes from a completely preventable illness – tetanus. A recent ABC news report followed actress and producer Salma Hayek to Africa on a UNICEF mission to raise awareness for tetanus in partnership with Pampers. Salma stood bedside with a young mother as her seven-day-old daughter, Fatima, took her last breath. Had the woman be given a vaccine that costs just seven cents while pregnant, the newborn’s life would have been spared. At another clinic, Salma was so moved by a sick one-week-old born on the same date as her own daughter, Valentina, 1, that she picked up the hungry child and nursed him.

Childbirth Films and Radio Spots

‘”Dr. Stu’s Podcast #88: Natural MotherBaby-Centered Cesarean Section” (September 2, 2015) in to this podcast with Pioneering OB/GYN Dr. David Ghozland, MD, FACOG and Homebirth OB/GYN Dr. Stuart Fischbein, MD, FACOG, learn about this innovative approach to doing cesarean section which will transform the way we do planned cesarean section Dr. Stu’s Podcast #88.

“Injoy Videos Mother’s Advocate” – Films for Better Birth on labor positions, consequences of medical interventions, continuous labor support in labor, history of childbirth from ancient times to the present, etc. View Videos

“Orgasmic Birth” (2008) – The best kept secret, a film about the true nature of childbirth, by Debra Pascali-Bonaro. This film is passionate and sensual as well as provocative and awe-inspiring.  Includes a beautiful original musical score and interviews with the foremost authorities on natural childbirth including  Dr. Christiane Northrup, MD, Elizabeth Davis, CPM, Marsden Wagner, MD., Ina May Gaskin, CPM, Dr. Sarah Buckley, MD, Penny Simkin, PT, founder of Doulas of North America, and more. Learn more about Orgasmic Birth and watch trailer at: orgasmicbirth.com

“Birth by The Numbers” – http://orgasmicbirth.com/birth-by-the-numbers, with Eugene DeClercq, Ph.D.- Perinatal Epidemiologist, Boston University School of Public Health -http://orgasmicbirth.com. If you’re interested in the epidemiology of perinatal health, this is a must see! We recommend it for a public health students and professionals interested in maternal and infant health.

“Business of Being Born” – Actress Rikki Lake and Abby Epstein’s film about the business of childbirth in America. This film will change your view on where and how to have your baby! Click here  to watchThe Trailer on You Tube Or, if you prefer, click here  to watch the “Business Of Being Born” full movie online.(Requires subscription).

“Pregnant in America” –  Examines the betrayal of humanity’s greatest gift–birth–by the greed of U.S. corporations. Hospitals, insurance companies and other members of the healthcare industry have all pushed aside the best care of our infants and mothers to play the power game of raking in huge profits. Click here to Watch the trailer on You Tube

“The Madeline Brand Show: Homebirth and Midwives” This radio clip from March 7, 2012 on KPCC 89.3 with Eve Troeh, interviewing Rikki Lake about her cult film, The Business of Being Born, and Cordelia Hanna a childbirth educator and birth assistant about the reasons behind the increased numbers of women choosing to give birth at home and maternity care trends towards Mother and Baby Friendly Maternity Care in the U.S. Click here to downlaod the the radio show: 20120307_mbrand_4HomeBirths.

“Too Posh Too Push — Reasons for Increase in U.S.  Cesarean Section”  Southern California Radio show from July 25, 2011 – with  Host Pat Morrison with Dr. Robbie Davis-Floyd, Ph.D., Medical and Cultural Anthroplologist and Senior Research Fellow at The University of Texas Austin, Texas. Changes are developing in the world of obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN)—and it’s not just within pregnant bellies. More and more pregnant women are looking for more convenience and less pain in their deliveries. Instead of having their baby when their baby is ready to come out, women are having their babies when they want the babies out. Studies have found that from 1990 to 2006, the rate of induced labors more than doubled—in large part due to “on-demand” induced labors. To listen click here

“Progressive Parenting on Blog Spot Radio,  interview with  Marsden Wagner, MD, MSPH on Induction of Labor, Cesarean Section and the Safety of Homebirth” (2011) – In this show, Childbirth Educator Gena Kirby and Pediatric Nurse Lisa Gartin, Pediatric Nurse, doula and  childbirth educator,  discuss issues of informed consent with Dr. Marsden Wagner, MD, MSPH.  Following several years of full time clinical practice and some years as a full time faculty member at UCLA,  he spent  15 years as  Director  of Women’s and Children’s Health for the  World Health Organization where he was responsible for Women’s and Children’s Health in 45 industrialized countries. He’s been in many documentaries including, Pregnant In America, The Business of Being Born, and Orgasmic Birth,  He’s also the author of Born in The USA: How A Broken Maternity Care System Must be Fixed to Put Women and Children First.

About Progressive Parenting on Log Spot Radio:  strives to share information to parents to help them form informed decisions for their families. For more information on Progressive Parenting, go to:

“Born In The USA”  (1999) – This is a well-crafted film by seasoned documentary filmmakers, Marcia Jarmel and Ken Schneider. We love this film! Though this film  appeared on PBS’  Independent Lens,  it  did not receive  the media attention received by Rikki Lake’s film,  but we think it’s a treasure! Intelligently and strategically comparing and contrasting the medical and midwifery models of childbirth and the political forces  in the U.S., Born In the USA   examines those forces which drive our  technology-intensive, profit-oriented maternity care system;  one that produces poorer outcomes for mothers and infants  in comparison to other western industrialized nations which utilize a midwifery model of  maternity care.  The film is brilliantly filmed and edited, and the landscape of birth in America is told through three main characters:   an  obstetrician in a large teaching hospital in Philadelphia, a Licensed Midwife in Washington State with a homebirth practice, and a Nurse-Midwife in the South Bronx who runs a freestanding birth center.  Contrasting  conventional hospital birth  to  midwifery care in out-of-hospital settings, this film reveals how  births can be safely conducted at home, and how we can achieve better outcomes for inner city, low-income populations who are  at highest risk for maternal and infant mortality through skilled midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth centers.  Watch trailer at:Patchwork Films Website

“The best film on birth in America.“——Marsden Wagner, MD, MSPH,  Former Director, Maternal and Child Health, W.H.O.

PREGNANCY FILMS

Films on Pregnancy and Pre and Perinatal Psychology

“Anna Verwaal, RN, CLE:  “From Womb to World–The Journey That Shapes Our Life, on TedxABQWomen” – Maternal and Infant Health Nurse, Lactation Educator, Doula and Birth Photographer Anna Verwaal speaks about the patterning that is established in the womb and impacts us throughout our lifetime. Anna states,   “if we want to make this world a more conscious, connected,  and caring place for us all, we have to start with how we treat women in pregnancy. We also have to create the changes in our childbirth practices that will allow for more gentle births to take place.”

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Films on Maternal Mortality and Safe Motherhood

International Women’s Health Program Media Library

International Women’s Health Program Website

A collection of trailers and full films on maternal and newborn health including  women with obstetric fistula in Ethiopia, Prevention of HIV transmission from mother to child in rural Zambia, Disaster relief for mothers and infants in Haiti, Maternal health services in Kenya, and more.

Every Mother Counts – “No Woman, No Cry” – A Film by Christy Turlington Burns

Every Minute a Woman Dies from Preventable Complications During Pregnancy or Birth.

It is a tragic reality that in many parts of the world becoming pregnant can be a death sentence. Even more shocking is the fact that roughly 90% of these deaths are preventable.

Christy  founded her advocacy organization “Every Mother Counts” and directed this film after her near-miss complication following the birth of her first child. The personal is political.

Watch film trailer on Facebook

 Films on Infant Mortality and Premature Birth

 Dr. Micheal Lu, Director, Maternal Child Health Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration- acknowledging the important work of the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) on The Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative (March, 2013) Watch Video at: http://motherfriendly.org.

“Legacy of The Black Midwife” – Shafia Monroe, CM, CCE – International Center for Traditional Childbearing (Black Midwives and Healers Association) – Watch Video on You Tube 

“Reducing Infant Mortality” – Despite all of our medical intervention and technology, infant mortality is a major public health concern. Native-American babies are 3 times more likely and African-American babies are 2-1/2 times more likely than Caucasian babies to be born too soon and too small, and prematurity increases the likelihood that they will die needlessly within the first year of life. Learn more about the causes and consequences of this tragedy by watching the film:

Reducing Infant Mortality from Debby Takikawa on Vimeo.

“The Gardner’s Tale”: Racism’s Impact on Birth Outcomes.

Dr. Camara Jones 3 Types Racism

Dr. Camara Jones, MD, MPH, Ph.D.  from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discusses multiple levels  of racism (institutional, interpersonal and internalized) which she says impact racial and ethnic  health disparities. This video will help health professionals understand how social stressors caused by racism can impact health problems, and a discussion on what we can do about it.

“UCLA obstetrician and gynecologist Dr. Michael Lu believes that for many women of color, racism over a life time, not just during the nine months of pregnancy, increases the risk of preterm delivery. To improve birth outcomes, Lu argues, we must address the conditions that impact women’s health not just when they become pregnant but from childhood, adolescence and into adulthood.

Neonatologists James Collins and Richard David specialize in the care of infants born too soon or too small. Their research on differences in birth outcomes between African American and white American women points to a provocative idea: the cumulative stress of racism is taking a toll on African American families even before they are born.