BIRTH, a play by Karen Brody September 12, 2009

Birth, a play by writer and childbirth advocate Karen Brody, captures the truth about our childbirth crisis today: that it is failing most low-risk pregnant women. The play, performed as part of a global activist theater movement known as BOLD, uncovers the secret lives of low-risk women in labor as they confront coercion in hospitals and uncover "my body rocks" strategies for obtaining a powerful birth experience.

Obstetrician-gynecologist and best-selling author Christiane Northrup, MD, a BOLD supporter, says, "Now it's time to free birth canals - and pregnant women everywhere. And that is the power and glory contained in this magnificent, funny and wonderfully wise play. And also for BOLD, the organization that is getting the word out about the joys of normal birth."

In the play you meet women like Sandy, a mother who thinks birth is "just one day" but is forced to confront an awakening to this notion; Amanda, who roars "my body rocks!" throughout her birth; Vanessa and Janet, both drawn to an epidural; Natalie, who wants one type of birth but gets the complete opposite; Beth, who loves her C-section; Lisa, who says her C-section felt like "the death of me and my baby"; and Jillian, whose journey through four different births shows women how to get an orgasmic birth.

"Choices in childbirth have been severely restricted for this large population of pregnant women despite strong evidence-based research supporting a wide variety of birth choices." Brody founded BOLD in 2006 with the intention to use her play to raise awareness and money that promotes childbirth choices that work for mothers. As Brody explains, "Pregnancy today is typically viewed as an illness and emergency. BOLD uses theater to raise people's consciousness that childbirth is normal. Once this is recognized people will start demanding a childbirth model of care that is compassionate, evidence-based and puts the mother at the center of her birth experience." www.boldaction.org

$25.00 donation.

Official Website: http://www.naturalbirthproject.com/2009/08/birth-the-play-september-12th-balboa-park-recital-hall/