Child birth no doubt can be seen as one of the most traumatic and pain filled experiences a woman could ever experience. It is tied to an immense amount of emotion, fear, anxiety and unpredictability. It has many women apprehensive, worried and even horrified to say the least.

Our society has latched onto this situation and neatly conformed it into a “medical case”. The birth process has been placed into a hospital, a place where we go to address our illnesses and diseases. Hence, it should come as no surprise that drugs and surgery are often a normal part of the birth process.

But was child birth meant to be like this?

In a ground breaking documentary released in 2008 and entitled “Orgasmic Birth“, natural health seekers, women’s health experts and child birth educators prove otherwise.

For centuries giving birth was a natural and beautiful part of life. It was really only up until the middle of the last century, that birth took place in the comfort of the women’s environment, usually with only those closest to her present. While we cannot deny that thanks to current medical advances we have saved many women’s and baby’s lives, we also cannot deny the fact that we have for the most part taken out the whole “natural” aspect of giving birth.

So, thanks to a volunteer opportunity this past week, I had the chance to see the movie “Orgasmic Birth” and want to share with you here my experiences about this film and natural child birthing in general.

Past Conditioning and Personal Thoughts On Child Birth

I have not yet myself given birth to any babies, and I have no doubt that one of the reasons why I was never in a rush to have them was thanks to the shows, movies and multitude of stories I have heard from others around me about this process. I have to tell you I think I have enough stories to last me a lifetime to completely turn one off from this whole experience. How sad…

I have heard about the excruciating pain and that is the least of my worries. As far as the whole epidural goes, personally I have more problems with the needle in the spine and the drugs in my system, than going through the pain itself. The most disturbing to me for the past few years though, has been the way the woman is treated at the hospital by the medical staff, the lack of dignity, the what seemed at the time “unnatural things” that happen to her body and without going into any details just the plain “unpleasantness” of the whole situation.

I am not sure why, but it seems to me, that too many women play up this situation way too much for the good of the other women who have not yet had a baby, not to mention men in general. I mean if some of us are going to have any chance at going through this experience, then I think a lot of the details need to be spared and definitely not over-exaggerated.

Now some people may say “oh but you need to know what to expect.” Well I used to believe that and so I even actively asked any and every new mom or woman who had a baby what their experience was like. Maybe 5% of the stories I heard, were relatively hopeful and pleasant. The rest were anything but.

And then a few years ago I said, “enough!” These are not MY experiences, these are other people’s experiences, and I know too much about the power of our minds to live out someone else’s experience. I know how powerful the media is, I know how drama and negativity driven our society is and I know that we each shape our own reality. I knew that based on what I know about the body and the medical side of things, if I kept getting absorbed in how child birth was portrayed by others, I was not going to have a baby.

Hence, slowly I decided to detach myself from all that I heard and learned. I decided to pursue and make my own experience of what child birth was, should be and how I wanted to approach this whole subject from a holistic and natural perspective.

Then a couple months ago, a friend sent me the trailer for the movie “Orgasmic Birth.” I have not heard of it prior to that, but I knew that I was ready for a natural and balanced perspective to the whole child birthing experience.

Well as life would have it, through a wonderful series of events I had the chance this past week to view this movie and even though I am not at a stage in my life where I am thinking of having a baby, I wanted to greatly see this movie to see the side of child birth that many people do not even consider realistic, and share with you all too this other side that IS not only natural, but also very much possible.

The Movie Orgasmic Birth

Orgasmic Birth is a documentary that follows 11 couples on their child birth journey. From giving birth on a deck in your own backyard to experiencing some of the most sensual experiences between husband and wife during the labour process, Orgasmic Birth is a breath of fresh air where the whole birth process is concerned.

The premise of Orgasmic Birth is that child birth at its root has a sensual and even sexual component and is a very natural process. So natural and sensual in fact, that given the right preparation and environment, a woman can experience feelings of ecstasy and even orgasms during the labour and delivery process.

The couples’ stories are beautiful, captivating, sensual, natural and even humorous at times. I am sure that many will agree that it portrays birth in the most beautiful way one can ever imagine. While I personally, would find myself very squeamish at the slightest scene in typical movie where a woman is giving birth, here I was mesmerized by how calm, beautiful and elegant the process CAN be. It really does come down to a personal choice of how one wants to experience this moment. The problem is of course that too many women today do not realize that THERE IS a choice and this is where I know this movie is a fountain of wealth to discover that choice and just how amazing it is.

The movie features numerous experts that speak out on the topic of child birth, the medical system, the epidurals, caesarean sections and much more. No topic is left uncovered. The experts come from a wide array of fields such as family doctors, gynecologists, obstetricians, midwives, pediatricians, nurses and researchers in the areas of child birth. For the full list of experts and their biographies click here.

I was especially thrilled to see internationally renowned, women’s health expert, Dr. Christiane Northrup in this film as I find her knowledge and wisdom timeless and crucial, especially for those who live based on an expanding consciousness and holistic model of life and health.

The movie eloquently covers all topics that relate to birth with solid research from science and nature backing it. It is extremely empowering to women as it inspires women to take back their own free will, respect and power, when it comes to their own bodies and experiences, especially ones as sensitive as child birth.

As one of the experts says “Women of Earth, Take Back Your Birth!”

The whole movie is put together extremely well and I feel is a must see for both women and men who are young or ever thinking of having a child, as early as possible to start breaking free of the old conditioning that has been so heavily ingrained in us or before the horrifying stories can tarnish us. You do not need to be a couple who is expecting a baby, as I have even found personally, that it is not a one night process to let go of all the old and in many ways false paradigms that I have been exposed to up until this point in my life.

If nothing else, this movie’s power rests in the fact that it shows couples, but especially women that there is another way and that they do have choices as to how they want to approach their child birthing experience. And it is not a choice of whether one should or should not get an epidural or c-section, but a choice of whether one wants to have the best or worst experience of their life!

Present and Future Child Birthing Practice

Thanks to this movie, I have to tell you I learned SO much! I always knew that I was against epidurals (unless it was I guess a life and death situation), that I had wanted a midwife and I even started playing around with the idea of a home birth, when and if I would ever have a baby.

Well I have to tell you, being a natural and holistic health care proponent, today I am sure that a home birth is how I would want to go. If not that, perhaps a birthing clinic – but definitely not a hospital, and definitely not through a c-section (again unless in some way it is a matter of life and death).

More than even that, this movie has opened me up to the idea that child birth can and should be a beautiful and natural process, that is as equally as important for the woman as it is for the man.

Our medical system today in my opinion and in the opinion of the experts has interfered too much in what should and could be a natural and safe process. Research shows that about 90% of pregnancies and births are healthy and normal and only about 10% carry some kind of risk factors with them. And yet, through the present medical day interventions, we cater to each woman as if she were part of the 10% instead of the 90%.

Why is that? Well many reasons I am sure cross your mind, and as noble as it would be to say that the medical system is watching out for us, one cannot dispute the fact that there is also a huge economic potential from all the drugs and procedures that are promoted, pushed and too many times employed.

If we do nothing else, but just look at other species during their birthing process, there is an immaculate calmness and tranquility involved. Nature follows its natural paths and our intelligently programmed bodies know what to do.

However, I am not surprised by how the child birth experience has been shaped in the past few decades, as with most other things today, too many of us give up our own free wills and are bred into a heavily dependent and fear-based society where we live out our lives, based on the decisions that others are making for us.

Just look around and see how many of our problems today stem from the fact that we have forgotten how to eat naturally, how to live naturally, how to give birth naturally and even how to care for our babies naturally.

We need to step away from this madness and step back in line and in harmony with ourselves and our true nature. Only when we come back to the true and balanced circle of life, will we find that in fact we do know what to do, that we do have all the answers we need within each of us, and that we do know how to live in the most beautiful, natural and calm life states ever.

Check out out the trailer below to get a better idea of what to expect from “Orgasmic Birth.”

DVD copies can be purchased directly from the Orgasmic Birth site.

NATURAL BIRTH RESOURCES

1. Childbirth Connections

2. Association of Perinatal Naturopathic Doctors

3. Kangaroo Mother Care

4. Kids Health

5. Breast Crawl

6. Doula Care

*Photograph provided by davhor

About the author:
Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is a certified holistic nutritionist, biologist, educator, writer, researcher and speaker in the areas of health, science and holistic wellness. She is a nutritional science expert and her teaching and writing focus on natural, wholesome, plant-based and organic nutrition to achieve optimal health and longevity. Learn more about Evita Ochel or Follow Evita Ochel on Twitter.