Screening of the movie 'Orgasmic Birth' followed by a panel discussion October 25, 2008

Two local non-profits, Sanctuary for Birth and Wellness and Solace for Mothers, have teamed up to invite the public and supporters to view an amazing new film while helping to raise funds for both organizations. A panel discussion with local experts on birth will follow the film screening.

Orgasmic Birth dismantles untruths about labor and birth that women have been told for generations. This extraordinary documentary film challenges cultural myths by revealing the emotional, spiritual, and physical heights attainable through birth. Viewers witness the passion of birth as 11 women have their babies in unhurried, nonmedicalized settings--including hospital birth centers--where they feel supported and safe. Through interviews with the couples and more than a dozen international experts in birth, we come to understand that labor and birth were intended to be enjoyed, not merely endured.

Women's health advocate and bestselling author Christiane Northrup, MD, observes in the film that people have been "brainwashed" to view birth not as a natural process but as "an emergency waiting to happen." Yet birth is an everyday miracle that the body is well equipped to handle, given the proper setting and caregivers and ample time.

The film demonstrates ways in which modern society, by subjecting healthy women to the medicalization of birth, denies them a prime experience that is their right. Among the dozen birth specialists interviewed in the film are Sarah J Buckley, MD, author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering; Elizabeth Davis, director of the National Midwifery Institute; Marsden Wagner, MD, former director of Women's and Children's Health for the World Health Organization; and other physicians, midwives, and experts in the field.

Please note: The San Mateo Public Library facilities are being rented for this event. The viewpoints and materials presented at this event are not necessarily endorsed by the City of San Mateo or the San Mateo Public Library.

Suggested $20 per ticket at the door; $15 in advance.

Official Website: http://www.birthsanctuary.org