T.V.

In my life, I have always found that things land in your lap for a reason and for some reason, I keep getting approached by various television program producers to document in some way our homebirth experience. Last Friday, I opened an email from Julie Clarke, an educator whose course we took to prepare us for birth and parenting, and she put me on to a producer who was doing a TV documentary about different kinds of births. I rang her up to say that I would be happy to interview and offer any pictures that Neil took during our birth experience so that women could get a glimpse of birth as a natural biological event instead of a T.V. drama, but they actually wanted to come with a camera crew of two and film various points of the pre-labor and then film the "pushing phase" of the birth. I was initially torn as I really want women to know birth as something that can be empowering and inspiring, but then I realized deep down in my gut that there was no way that I was comfortable with the idea of having people come into our space during such a special moment and also, women are like cats when we birth, any disruption, added observers or a lack of privacy, can interfere with the birth process and so, I and your Dad decided against the idea. I don't need to put us in the limelight in that way. Someone else can give women that glimpse into birth.

Then, this morning, I got a call from a woman who works for National Geographic and they are interested in interviewing a couple who is having a homebirth. Basically, it is for a filler documentary, a 3 minute piece that would be featured at a break in the main segment. It seems that they would like a video clip of the birth and so she asked me if we were going to video. I said that our friend Neil was going to photograph and that I did have a video that we hoped to use to capture the birth, but I was not fixed on the video as necessary, but rather as something that I wanted to use if at all possible to view my experience afterwards and to show you when you get older. For some reason, the thought of this segment does not bother me as it would not disturb our birth process and really at the end of the day, I could refuse to share the video with them and change my mind. It does not seem to be as high profile or put any pressure on us as having a film crew in the room where we are birthing...laugh. Can you image? And can you image that I was actually considering the idea...just based on my passion of wanting women to see the beauty birth can have for a family as a natural life event and not a medical emergency.

I will talk to you Dad and Betty about the idea tonight. I also need to chat with Kate, the lady who got in touch with me, and just make sure that in addition to my interview that they were planning on interviewing a doctor that considers homebirth a safe and real possibility for women who are healthy. Otherwise, what is the point of me sharing our story if they are just going to contradict the beauty of birth with a doctor who sees homebirth as "dangerous." So I am willing to see how this plays out. I find it strange that in a two week period two separate T.V. programs have gotten in touch with me from two separate sources to inquire about my interest in sharing our birth story. Is this an accident? I never believe in accidents, but I find it really curious that this has come our way twice in the same week.

Update: Kate, the lady with National Geographic, called back to say that they decided to go with a lady who gave birth to twins at home. I immediately knew that it must be Justine, a women who our midwife supported in the birth of her twins. I asked and indeed it was and I am so pleased as she has had all six of her children at home, is organizing the homebirth conference in Sydney and has headed up the political party, "What Women Want." It is great exposure for her. When I did mention to David that we nearly had an offer from National Geographic and told him the story, he surprised me by such a positive response. He definitely would have wanted to participate in the project. I think the fact that it was National Geographic really WOWED him a bit...smile. Anyway, little sprout, you were almost a T.V. star at birth...laugh. Nice story to tell anyway.