Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Ricki Lake's Home Birth Movies!
The Tribeca Film Festival starts tomorrow, which means glittery celebs attending hipster events and screenings of both obscure documentaries and mainstream action flicks. But mixed in with Spider-Man 3 and student shorts is an intriguing-sounding documentary by director Abby Epstein about home birth, called "The Business of Being Born." She apparently follows several couples who chose to deliver at home, including Ricki Lake—former talk-show host, original Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray—who gave birth to her second son in her West Village apartment. Epstein got full access to Ricki, showing her birth in all of its uncensored glory. According to New York magazine, Epstein and Lake say they made the film to call attention to the shortcomings of hospital births and the too-high rate of C-sections. If you're considering home birth (or are interested in exploring why other women might choose this option) and will be in New York next week, this may be worth checking out. Ticket info, click here.
Friday, April 13, 2007
It's baby season!
This time of year—technically spring, but still feeling like the last dregs of winter—is frustrating in so many ways. I am so OVER my corduroys and sweaters and I keep waiting for an excuse to switch out my closets, but every time we get teased with a hint of warm weather, the temperature drops down to the 40s again. Patience, patience, I know...
But up on the farm and in the maternity wards, spring has sprung with gusto. My family spent spring break at the Hollister Hill Farm in Vermont. There was a foot of snow on the ground (on top of a few inches of mud), and the girls had a blast making snowmen, sledding, and riding on the tractor with Farmer Bob. It was also a real education in the cycle of life for my little city slickers. While we were there, two baby calves were born, there were dozens of chicks and baby pigs, and Ruby, the farmhouse's friendly golden retriever, was busy nursing her week-old pups (all nine of them). This was really a great vacation for my kids. Farmer Lee cooked the most delicious breakfasts, with eggs fresh from the henhouse, and my kids were so busy enjoying the fresh maple syrup and watching the baby animals that they didn't even notice that there was no TV or computer. Ah, rural bliss.
It's baby time here in New York, too. In addition to adorable new Samantha Rose, I am expecting my friends to welcome no fewer than 6 more babies in the next few weeks. And here's a happy addendum to one of the birth stories in my book: Helen (page 241), whose first delivery was so antithetical to what she had hoped for (a long bed rest followed by a painful, complicated labor) that she said she didn't think she would go through it again, gave birth this morning to a healthy baby boy! She soldiered through almost two months of bed rest this time (even more difficult when you have a three-year-old child to take care of), and vaginally delivered an almost-nine-pound baby. I'll get you more details from her about how this birth was different from the last one as soon as she is back from the hospital. All the best to Helen and her family!
But up on the farm and in the maternity wards, spring has sprung with gusto. My family spent spring break at the Hollister Hill Farm in Vermont. There was a foot of snow on the ground (on top of a few inches of mud), and the girls had a blast making snowmen, sledding, and riding on the tractor with Farmer Bob. It was also a real education in the cycle of life for my little city slickers. While we were there, two baby calves were born, there were dozens of chicks and baby pigs, and Ruby, the farmhouse's friendly golden retriever, was busy nursing her week-old pups (all nine of them). This was really a great vacation for my kids. Farmer Lee cooked the most delicious breakfasts, with eggs fresh from the henhouse, and my kids were so busy enjoying the fresh maple syrup and watching the baby animals that they didn't even notice that there was no TV or computer. Ah, rural bliss.
It's baby time here in New York, too. In addition to adorable new Samantha Rose, I am expecting my friends to welcome no fewer than 6 more babies in the next few weeks. And here's a happy addendum to one of the birth stories in my book: Helen (page 241), whose first delivery was so antithetical to what she had hoped for (a long bed rest followed by a painful, complicated labor) that she said she didn't think she would go through it again, gave birth this morning to a healthy baby boy! She soldiered through almost two months of bed rest this time (even more difficult when you have a three-year-old child to take care of), and vaginally delivered an almost-nine-pound baby. I'll get you more details from her about how this birth was different from the last one as soon as she is back from the hospital. All the best to Helen and her family!
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