I searched and searched for an online book club that focuses exclusively on chilbirth books and haven't found one. It's truly incredible. So I decided to start one! The BOLD Book Club!
The BOLD Book Club will be a place where people can be a part of a community of birth, where we'll read books together that are important, tell the truth about birth and help mothers have a mother powerful, connected birth experience. Tomorrow we'll announce the first book we're reading - The Birth House, by Ami McKay. What a beautiful book and an important contribution to the world of birth. This book convinced me to start the BOLD Book Club now. I just couldn't wait. Go to our website and read more about Ami McKay's book (under BOLD Book Club) and sign up to be a part of our book club. I've underlined at least half the book and can't wait to start talking about it with others (and Ami McKay)online!
So many wonderful childbirth books exist. And this fall several important books on birth will be published. It's a rockin' time for birth...new information, some new authors...let's all enjoy it together.
Just this month I read Marsden Wagner's new book, "Creating Your Birth Plan." A simple title, but anyone who knows Marsden Wagner knows this book is going to be chock-full of important information women need to know. Dr. Wagner doesn't mess around with words or getting to the point. I just love a birth book when the second chapter is all about "Principles of Women-Centered Care." Yes! Pregnant women need to read this book!
At the BOLD Book Club we'll read the new birth books, some old ones and the classics. Our criteria is that the books scream mother-friendly!
I hope you'll join us!
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Birth - a radio documentary?
I'm excited to share with you an interview with Ahri Golden, an inspiring mother living in Northern California who has woven her passion for mothers and birth, her professional background as a public radio producer, and her vision for creating a community of birth into two exciting projects:The Birth Tour and a radio documentary called Birth. BOLD is encouraging all of you to PLEASE call your local NPR stations and tell them you want this radio documentary to be broadcast by your local station during March 2007, Women's History Month (go to "BOLD Action" on our website for details on how to contact your local station.) Ahri and her partner, Tania, at Thin Air Media are doing such important work.
Check out this wonderful interview with Arhi and learn more at:
http://amimckay.blogspot.com/2006/08/conversation-with-ahri-golden.html
Check out this wonderful interview with Arhi and learn more at:
http://amimckay.blogspot.com/2006/08/conversation-with-ahri-golden.html
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
A Global Birth Community
I just heard from BOLD organizers in India and Malta and wanted to share with you how their productions are going. Janet Chawla from New Delhi writes:
Dear Karen,
Well, it's all coming together like magic. I had my doubts because the roof
fell in at the first venue we booked, but now we have even more than 7
willing actors, a venue and we're all up for it. We are sticking exactly to the script which is as applicable here as it is there. We are not holding a talk-back session at the time of the performance. . I feel the issue is one of protection--we just don't have the same discursive/discussion space culturally. But we are making forms for women's birth experience feedback and invitations to participate in later group sessions.
Marianne Theuma, BOLD organizer and the ONLY childbirth educator in Malta, writes:
Dear Karen,
Rehearsal No.1 happened on Saturday morning. What an experience! We loved every minute. It was so enjoyable. It was so good to have all mothers coming with their own experiences and personally associating with the individuals they were representing through the play. It gave each one of us the opportunity to express feelings about our own experiences.
All I can say is that I love it, and am certainly looking forward to having it produced as a full production - no scripts - on stage hopefully next year. I had four actors suggesting that we should really present it to the public in our mother language, that is, Maltese. They claim that it will have more impact. What do you think?
I told Marianne I thought this was a great idea! Birth in Maltese...I hope to fly over for that! I remember the first email Marianne sent to BOLD telling us about birth in Malta.
It is already a big struggle trying to introduce the concept of natural birth in the only public hospital on the island of Malta. After thirty years I am afraid there is very little progress, with the Cesarean rate at almost 50 % and a sky high induction rate. Local Midwives seek to acknowledge the problem but I find that they are not assertive enough to do something about it. A successful system of Midwifery Team has been stopped by the obstetricians, who unfortunately have a lot of power not only on the hospital system, but also politically in general. Will the play have an effect on such a dismal and pathetic situation? I hope so.
I hope so too. This is what BOLD is all about - having an impact on childbirth...using my play Birth as an entry point to discussing local birthing climates and making change that's mother-friendly.
It's incredible just how similar birth is all over the world. Sure, every country has different statistics. In Brazil the c-section rate is over 90% for women who use private clinics. Over ninety percent! But still, the importance of making maternity care mother-friendly is the real issue. This is what I think Janet Chawla in New Delhi means when she says the script for Birth is "as applicable here and it is there." We may have different healthcare systems, different politics and different vocabulary, but really all pregnant mothers globally want is a maternity care system that's mother-friendly.
Dear Karen,
Well, it's all coming together like magic. I had my doubts because the roof
fell in at the first venue we booked, but now we have even more than 7
willing actors, a venue and we're all up for it. We are sticking exactly to the script which is as applicable here as it is there. We are not holding a talk-back session at the time of the performance. . I feel the issue is one of protection--we just don't have the same discursive/discussion space culturally. But we are making forms for women's birth experience feedback and invitations to participate in later group sessions.
Marianne Theuma, BOLD organizer and the ONLY childbirth educator in Malta, writes:
Dear Karen,
Rehearsal No.1 happened on Saturday morning. What an experience! We loved every minute. It was so enjoyable. It was so good to have all mothers coming with their own experiences and personally associating with the individuals they were representing through the play. It gave each one of us the opportunity to express feelings about our own experiences.
All I can say is that I love it, and am certainly looking forward to having it produced as a full production - no scripts - on stage hopefully next year. I had four actors suggesting that we should really present it to the public in our mother language, that is, Maltese. They claim that it will have more impact. What do you think?
I told Marianne I thought this was a great idea! Birth in Maltese...I hope to fly over for that! I remember the first email Marianne sent to BOLD telling us about birth in Malta.
It is already a big struggle trying to introduce the concept of natural birth in the only public hospital on the island of Malta. After thirty years I am afraid there is very little progress, with the Cesarean rate at almost 50 % and a sky high induction rate. Local Midwives seek to acknowledge the problem but I find that they are not assertive enough to do something about it. A successful system of Midwifery Team has been stopped by the obstetricians, who unfortunately have a lot of power not only on the hospital system, but also politically in general. Will the play have an effect on such a dismal and pathetic situation? I hope so.
I hope so too. This is what BOLD is all about - having an impact on childbirth...using my play Birth as an entry point to discussing local birthing climates and making change that's mother-friendly.
It's incredible just how similar birth is all over the world. Sure, every country has different statistics. In Brazil the c-section rate is over 90% for women who use private clinics. Over ninety percent! But still, the importance of making maternity care mother-friendly is the real issue. This is what I think Janet Chawla in New Delhi means when she says the script for Birth is "as applicable here and it is there." We may have different healthcare systems, different politics and different vocabulary, but really all pregnant mothers globally want is a maternity care system that's mother-friendly.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Now is the time...
I want to share a quote with you from Barbara Threecrow, a Native American medicine woman who lives in the Hudson Valley region in New York:
When one begins a journey change is inevitable. The fire is lit, the chasm wide and at once inviting as well as repulsive. Fear is the challenger that we must turn to meet head on, stand strong on our our own two feet against, bow to in jest and turn to go forth from and leave behind.
"Now is the time," the elder said. And in my dreams the wise ones whispered the same.
I read this quote again and again last night and couldn't stop thinking about its connection to birth. When you fully commit to your pregnancy, when you commit to the journey, change is inevitable. Your fire is lit. Fear is there, always challenging us on the unknown journey, but we must meet the challenger head on and stand strong. Now is the time.
I feel in many ways the reason I started BOLD was because the wise ones kept whispering in my ears, "Now is the time."
(to learn more about Barbara you can go to www.barbarathreecrow.com)
When one begins a journey change is inevitable. The fire is lit, the chasm wide and at once inviting as well as repulsive. Fear is the challenger that we must turn to meet head on, stand strong on our our own two feet against, bow to in jest and turn to go forth from and leave behind.
"Now is the time," the elder said. And in my dreams the wise ones whispered the same.
I read this quote again and again last night and couldn't stop thinking about its connection to birth. When you fully commit to your pregnancy, when you commit to the journey, change is inevitable. Your fire is lit. Fear is there, always challenging us on the unknown journey, but we must meet the challenger head on and stand strong. Now is the time.
I feel in many ways the reason I started BOLD was because the wise ones kept whispering in my ears, "Now is the time."
(to learn more about Barbara you can go to www.barbarathreecrow.com)
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
BOLD organizers rock!
I had a wonderful conversation this week with Michal Klau-Stevens in Hartford, Connecticut who is organizing a BOLD performance in Hartford. Michal, a busy mom with 3 kids (8, 3 and 1.5) spoke to me as her baby gurgled in the background (I do so love that sound!).
What a BOLD journey she is on! When she heard about BOLD she said it was just what she felt was needed in her community - giving mothers back their voices. She got all excited to present the play on Labor Day weekend at a local Hospital in her area. What better way to help improve birth than to bring Birth into the hospital setting? Well, her bubble was burst when the hospital said no to allowing the play to be performed in their auditorium.
Although she didn't know it at the time this might have been the best thing to happen. Michal became determined to not let this stop her. She called every space she could find and eventually heard from a playhouse theatre in Hartford that she could use their space. Still, she needed a director so who did she call? Her mother, who has many years of experience in community theatre in Connecticut. So now this mother-daughter team is gearing up to produce and direct Birth on Labor Day weekend in Hartford!
As Michal told me, "This play has been such a journey for my mother. I already see how it's getting her to walk through her birth baggage."
The BOLDness in Michal doesn't stop there. She plans to take her BOLD videotape project (the one all BOLD organizers are doing at every location) and give a copy to every hosptial in her area in an effort to educate their staff on how women are giving birth in America. She also decided to start a group called Women Empowering Birth to help improve childbirth in her area for mothers. Michal started a listserv for Women Empowering Birth this week and there are already 5 members in 2 days.
You rock, Michal!
And so do so many other BOLD organizers. Their stories are all wonderful. Some are moms, some are doulas, others are grandmothers. Everyone is working hard to get the word out to communities that now is the time to form a "community of birth," to tell the truth about birth, and to take action.
What a BOLD journey she is on! When she heard about BOLD she said it was just what she felt was needed in her community - giving mothers back their voices. She got all excited to present the play on Labor Day weekend at a local Hospital in her area. What better way to help improve birth than to bring Birth into the hospital setting? Well, her bubble was burst when the hospital said no to allowing the play to be performed in their auditorium.
Although she didn't know it at the time this might have been the best thing to happen. Michal became determined to not let this stop her. She called every space she could find and eventually heard from a playhouse theatre in Hartford that she could use their space. Still, she needed a director so who did she call? Her mother, who has many years of experience in community theatre in Connecticut. So now this mother-daughter team is gearing up to produce and direct Birth on Labor Day weekend in Hartford!
As Michal told me, "This play has been such a journey for my mother. I already see how it's getting her to walk through her birth baggage."
The BOLDness in Michal doesn't stop there. She plans to take her BOLD videotape project (the one all BOLD organizers are doing at every location) and give a copy to every hosptial in her area in an effort to educate their staff on how women are giving birth in America. She also decided to start a group called Women Empowering Birth to help improve childbirth in her area for mothers. Michal started a listserv for Women Empowering Birth this week and there are already 5 members in 2 days.
You rock, Michal!
And so do so many other BOLD organizers. Their stories are all wonderful. Some are moms, some are doulas, others are grandmothers. Everyone is working hard to get the word out to communities that now is the time to form a "community of birth," to tell the truth about birth, and to take action.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
BOLD - coming to a theatre near you!
Every day I am amazed at how many people are catching the BOLD fever. BOLD performances are all busy this month rehearsing for their Labor Day shows. From the feedback I'm getting, all is going well and, something that surprises many of the BOLD organizers, the cast is really having a transformative experience. As one BOLD organizer emailed recently:
This is morphing into something so much bigger than I anticipated. I
don't know when I have ever been this excited about a project!I am working with a cast of actors, as opposed to birth advocates. Having no theatre experience I find it fascinating.
It is hard to sit on my hands and keep my mouth shut and allow the
director to do everything artistic. My role at rehearsals is that
of "technical birth advisor/childbirth educator." There is barely
enough time to answer their questions and NEVER enough time for me
to tell them what I think they need to know.
Last night they talked about the danger as an actor of over-preparing for
the role and thinking they are bigger than the role, thus not
allowing themselves to grow and enjoy the full experience (which is
just like being overprepared with book knowledge and a birth plan
and unable to surrender control to allow yourself to actually let
your body push out a baby.) The parallels are endless.
In the article they read out loud about preparing for a role, you
could substitute the words giving birth in every sentence about
acting. It was amazing and I think it is dawning on some of these
women that they are in for a wild emotional ride that might not be
like preparing for other roles they have done.
Another BOLD organizer, whose show is not being done by professional actors wrote:
Most of the actresses are good friends of mine (we've all been in an
intimate mother's group together for 11 years) and it has been very
interesting for all of us to work through birth baggage as we
prepare for our production. Two women switched roles because it was
too difficult for them to portray their original roles.
BOLD organizers also had an interesting exchange on whether Birth is a good play for pregnant women late in their pregnancies to see. Here are some people's thoughts:
Many of us work with pregnant women and their families and some of us feel that it might not be the kind of event we would be recommending to everyone. For example, some wondered what effect this play might have on a woman planning a hospital birth who is in her 37th week of pregnancy...maybe
she has not explored her choices and is simply going with the status
quo...maybe something like this play could invite fear into the
picture instead of empowerment for some women??
Another BOLD organizers felt a little different:
I wouldn't discourage anyone from seeing the play to `protect' them…I would hope that it would `enlighten'them to the point they make a change or seek counsel. If we try to predict someone's negative fear response and shield them from the play then we could be doing them a huge disfavor by actually holding them back from potential empowerment…we can never know how people
will respond…even those we think we know best. If you want to put a disclaimer on your poster you might say "WARNING: Viewing this play could change your mind about how you chose to birth. Be prepared to talk to your doctor or midwife. It's never too late to be empowered." :)
So, what do I think? When people ask me about pregnant women seeing the play I say I think it's an EXCELLENT play for pregnant women in their first 2 trimesters two see. After that it really depends on the woman. I encourage all performances of Birth to be prepared to support anyone who has a strong reaction to the play. While their is laughter in the play there are also many scenes that can trigger women who have not had a positive birth experience. In general these women embrace me afterwards and write to me telling me how healing it was to be at a play that honored their "day."
My husband is still moved every time he sees the play, cries every time he hears Lisa's story told and cries again at the end when Jillian gives birth surrounded by love and trust that her body "is not a lemon."
Please join us on Labor Day weekend...BOLD is going to be awesome!
Karen
This is morphing into something so much bigger than I anticipated. I
don't know when I have ever been this excited about a project!I am working with a cast of actors, as opposed to birth advocates. Having no theatre experience I find it fascinating.
It is hard to sit on my hands and keep my mouth shut and allow the
director to do everything artistic. My role at rehearsals is that
of "technical birth advisor/childbirth educator." There is barely
enough time to answer their questions and NEVER enough time for me
to tell them what I think they need to know.
Last night they talked about the danger as an actor of over-preparing for
the role and thinking they are bigger than the role, thus not
allowing themselves to grow and enjoy the full experience (which is
just like being overprepared with book knowledge and a birth plan
and unable to surrender control to allow yourself to actually let
your body push out a baby.) The parallels are endless.
In the article they read out loud about preparing for a role, you
could substitute the words giving birth in every sentence about
acting. It was amazing and I think it is dawning on some of these
women that they are in for a wild emotional ride that might not be
like preparing for other roles they have done.
Another BOLD organizer, whose show is not being done by professional actors wrote:
Most of the actresses are good friends of mine (we've all been in an
intimate mother's group together for 11 years) and it has been very
interesting for all of us to work through birth baggage as we
prepare for our production. Two women switched roles because it was
too difficult for them to portray their original roles.
BOLD organizers also had an interesting exchange on whether Birth is a good play for pregnant women late in their pregnancies to see. Here are some people's thoughts:
Many of us work with pregnant women and their families and some of us feel that it might not be the kind of event we would be recommending to everyone. For example, some wondered what effect this play might have on a woman planning a hospital birth who is in her 37th week of pregnancy...maybe
she has not explored her choices and is simply going with the status
quo...maybe something like this play could invite fear into the
picture instead of empowerment for some women??
Another BOLD organizers felt a little different:
I wouldn't discourage anyone from seeing the play to `protect' them…I would hope that it would `enlighten'them to the point they make a change or seek counsel. If we try to predict someone's negative fear response and shield them from the play then we could be doing them a huge disfavor by actually holding them back from potential empowerment…we can never know how people
will respond…even those we think we know best. If you want to put a disclaimer on your poster you might say "WARNING: Viewing this play could change your mind about how you chose to birth. Be prepared to talk to your doctor or midwife. It's never too late to be empowered." :)
So, what do I think? When people ask me about pregnant women seeing the play I say I think it's an EXCELLENT play for pregnant women in their first 2 trimesters two see. After that it really depends on the woman. I encourage all performances of Birth to be prepared to support anyone who has a strong reaction to the play. While their is laughter in the play there are also many scenes that can trigger women who have not had a positive birth experience. In general these women embrace me afterwards and write to me telling me how healing it was to be at a play that honored their "day."
My husband is still moved every time he sees the play, cries every time he hears Lisa's story told and cries again at the end when Jillian gives birth surrounded by love and trust that her body "is not a lemon."
Please join us on Labor Day weekend...BOLD is going to be awesome!
Karen
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