After wrapping up its screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, the new film Genpin is now in competition for the prestigious Golden Shell award at the San Sebastián Film Festival. Award-winning Japanese director Naomi Kawase says of her film,

“I only wanted to show that there are other ways of giving birth” and that “giving life is not necessarily a synonym for suffering, it is also a pleasure.”

Kawase also created the film,“Tarachime -birth/mother-”, which examines the ties of one life to another, based on her own experience of childbirth in 2006 .

Genpin, is being hailed as an artful reflection of the beauty of birth and follows the Japanese obstetrician Dr. Tadashi Yoshimura in his life and practice. In is 40-year career, Dr. Yoshimura has attended 20,000 natural births.

The title, “Genpin,” derives from the words of the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, “The valley spirit never dies. It is named the mysterious woman (genpin).”

This film is a celebration the beauty of birth and hopefully the artful package that this story is told in will be powerful enough to create a shift in the current mainstream perception of birth. I have not yet seen this film yet, but hope it makes its way to NYC soon so that I can. If any one has attended a screening during a recent festival, please share your thoughts on the film.

I just came across this tech fab company, Belly Armor. Created to protect children in the womb and newborn children against the risks of everyday radiation, the Belly Armor product line integrates a RadiaShield® lining within its blankets and t-shirts. This technology shields 99.9% of incoming radiation from penetrating the womb and it has been verified by an independent FCC-certified laboratory testing report.

The World Health Organization, the European Commission, FCC, and the Environmental Working Group— have found strong enough evidence of potential risks from radiation exposure to recommend precautionary measures. Research has shown several potential health hazards during pregnancy from radiation, include birth defects and genetic disruptions, miscarriages, autism, childhood leukemia, and cancer. It is highly recommended to take more precaution around such radiation emitters in general, but especially if you are carrying a baby.

“It is essential that exposure limits be implemented in order to protect against the established adverse effects of exposure to ELF electric and magnetic fields.”
World Health Organization’s Environmental Health Criteria 238: Extremely Low Frequency Fields

Aside from being machine washable (air dry only), the Belly Armor products are ideal for both home and the office. They are a must for an expectant mother or new parent. Quite frankly, I think this product can me a staple to help protect and sustain both female and male reproductive areas in general. Non-ionizing radiation, the type Belly Armor shields, is prevalent in our daily lives and is emitted by cell phones, PDAs, laptops / computers, mp3 players / portable media devices, televisions, and power lines.

“Results of epidemiologic studies to date give no consistent or convincing evidence of a causal relation between exposure from radio frequency fields (RFs) and any adverse health effect. On the other hand, these studies have too many deficiencies to rule out an association. Despite the ubiquity of new technologies using radio frequency fields, little is known about population exposure from RF sources, and even less about the relative importance of different sources.”
International Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection literature review

The Belly Armor factories adhere to GMP standards (Good Manufacturing Practices) and their packaging is made with recycled paper. Also included in their CSR structure, a portion of all Belly Armor proceeds goes towards programs for promoting women’s pre-natal health. Prices range from $59-$109 and are a available to purchase online or at participating retailers.

This past Monday, I had the fortunate, thought provoking experience of attending the first annual WIE: Women Inspiration and Enterprise Symposium. The event was spearheaded and hosted by a phenomenal triad of women including Sarah Brown (on behalf of the White Ribbon Alliance(WRA)), Donna Karen and Arianna Huffington. The symposium was held to coincide with a United Nations review summit on the Millennium Development Goals which is also being held this week in New York.

The focus of the symposium was to highlight the work of the White Ribbon Alliance, advocates and leaders around the globe who are making a difference. The White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood is an international coalition of individuals and organizations formed to promote increased public awareness of the need to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for all women and newborns in the developing, as well as, developed countries.

Participants left touched, inspired, empowered and motivated to make a change for girls and women around the globe. Special guest speakers included Melinda Gates, Queen Rania of Jordan and Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Director of the Department of State’s new office on Global Women’s Issues and the list goes on to cover more than 40 impressive women. Click here to read more about the participants/panelist.

Many young innovators and entrepreneurs were honored at the event, but I would like to highlight the WIE winner for Creative Vision particularly. Christy Turlington Burns won this deserving award for her film, No Woman, No Cry. In this piece, she shares powerful stories of at-risk pregnant women in four parts of the world, including a remote Maasai tribe in Tanzania, a slum of Bangladesh, a post-abortion care ward in Guatemala, and a prenatal clinic in the United States. It is her passion to increase awareness and support for maternal health around the globe so that we as humanity can collectively end unnecessary deaths due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth.

After the panels and the awards show, Donna Karen along with other designers such as Diane Von Furstenberg, Chloe and Vera Wang to name a few, presented a fashion show in honor of the White Ribbon Alliance. All garments are available for bidding on Charity Buzz. The proceeds will benefit the WRA. The evening was capped off by an uplifting performance by Estelle.

The media circuits are buzzing this week with “news” of the safety of vaginal deliveries after C-sections (VBAC). While this really is not “news” for some, the new guidelines released by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists marks a needed turning point in this country’s perception of a women’s ability to birth. The news the attention, ability and success of such a birth choice.

Candidates for VBACs are those women who have had a Cesarean birth using a horizontal incision low in the uterus (low transverse incision). It is recommended that such candidates undergo counseling in preparation for their VBAC, to encourage, support the women’s emotional and physical concerns.

Between 60 percent and 80 percent of women who attempt VBAC have a successful vaginal delivery, according to the guidelines.

The guidelines which are published in the August issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology, recommend that the following women may also be candidates for a trial of labor after a Cesarean:

• Women who’ve had two previous C-sections using a low transverse incision.
• Women who’ve had a C-section with a low transverse incision who are currently pregnant with twins.
• Women who’ve had a Cesarean delivery but don’t know if they had a low transverse incision.

The ACOG recommends that women who choose a VBAC birth choice should do so only if they’re in a facility that has “staff immediately available to provide emergency care.”

Women who are not eligible for a VBAC consists of:

• Women who’ve had a vertical incision on their uterus
• Women who’ve had/had Serious pregnancy complications such as placenta previa

Welcome back from your holiday weekend! In case you have not heard the wonderful news, the NY State Assembly has cleared the Midwife Modernization Act on July 1st. New York is now one step closer to granting women the right and access to midwifery care and home-births should they chose. With the passing of this act, it will no longer be a requirement for licensed professional midwives to have a “written practice agreement” with a physician or hospital as a prerequisite to practice. After the closing of St. Vincent’s, the only hospital in NYC to sign this agreement for midwives, women where stripped of their option to have a home-birth as the midwives were no longer legally allowed to practice homebirths.

Thanks to New York State Association of Licensed Midwives (NYSALM),Choices in Childbirth, BirthNet, Rochester Area Birth Network (RABN), Buffalo Birth and the various physicians including many OB/GYN physicians for spear heading the rally cry and for the thousands of people who signed petitions and called their legislators to overturn the WPA requirement and support the MMA.

Now, all that is needed for the bill to go into affect is Governor Patterson’s signature and 90 clearing days!

I will keep you all posted

Here is a nourishing and refreshing smoothy recipe from the ladies over at Mamatini.

Ingredients:

8 ounces Mamatini
1 cup of your favorite frozen fruit – blueberries, strawberries, pineapple
1 scoop whey protein powder
1 tsp/packet of your favorite natural sweetener
Optional Scoop of Green Vibrance Superfood Powder

Place ingredients in a high powered blender. Blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into a tall glass with straw and enjoy!

Mamatini was specially designed to help expectant and new mothers absorb and retain the minerals their body needs to have a more energetic and healthy start to motherhood while providing baby with the nutritional building blocks he or she needs to grow. In addition, Mamatini helps increase milk supply in mothers and aides to relieve baby’s colic symptoms. Click here to meet my write up on the brand from earlier in the year.

Hello Blogosphere,

It has been a while since my last entry. My life has been a flavorful series of ebbs and flows of late. I have been transitioning back into the full-time creative job scene once again. This transition I do welcome for it is bringing me a sense of balance and stability, which in these last 18 months, is very welcomed. Though I have been quiet on the virtual front and have not attended a birth since March, these last few months have been a much-needed restorative period.

A lot of changes have been taking place locally and globally in the realms of childbirth and women’s health & being. I was deeply saddened by the closing of St. Vincent’s here and NYC, accompanied by the desecration of the rights of NY Midwives who attended homebirths in the city. It seems so archaic that the right to birth at home has been stripped away. Archaic is actually the wrong word, because even them that was the only norm.

I had been feeling torn in the sense that one part of me wants to serve the birthing community and the other wants to build my creative career and begin to lay down my own roots. I have been sitting at these perceived crossroads for sometime now. I have been searching for a cosmic solution. I have been listening, reading and exploring. Through observations and conversations, I have been realizing more and more how many women and girls just do not know their options, their bodies, nor their power as creators and nurturers. This Western model of thought has brain washed our society. I need to help raise awareness and empower. Now that I am working full-time now, this is the most possible action for me to conduct (though I know the urge to attend a birth will probably creep up on me by fall ☺). Over the next few months, I will be focusing on supporting causes and education awareness.

I have always felt compelled to make right of the wrong and shed light on the truth with encouragement and embrace. My attempts in the pasts of doing so were not always executed in the most energetically sustainable way, often leaving myself feeling burned out. I now realize more then ever the importance of taking care of one’s self in order to be a better nurturer and provider for others. I have been taking care of and protecting people since I was 3. It is part of my nature and will never cease ( a cancerian moon and rising moon). But I understand to better serve others, I need to sustain and nurture myself in the process.

Please do still continue to visit me every once in a while. There may be some structural changes soon with both The Green Doula and Verte sites. I may not post every day or week, but I do enjoy writing for you and sharing with you. Please do give me any feedback you may have, share your stories here and with your friends and families.

Remember and connect with your inner strength, sacredness and love. It is inside of us all; people, girls, women, mothers, fathers and sons. Enjoy your journey to parenthood.

Best wishes,

Danelle

I am sure you have heard of the term Green Washing. Well, I am starting to believe that a new term is in order, the term Breastmilk Washing. Though there are marketing guideline mandates which prevents companies from calling their product better than breastmilk, many companies are heavily emphasizing their products closeness to breastmilk. In cases where these are formula brands, I do believe there is room to develop the science of getting formula as close to breastmilk as naturally possible and encourage more bonding with infants (though I strongly believe that breastmilk is the best method for infants ideally up to the first 6 months to 1st year of their life). Today though as I was getting acquainted with some new Facebook friends and groups, I came across a group called “No, Baby Yoplait… Your Yoghurt is NO WAY NEAR Close To Breastmilk”. I saw this picture on their site and was dumbfounded.

I headed over to Yoplait’s site and it is in fact true that they are trying to position Baby Yoplait yogurt from the standpoint that it is close to breastmilk. How did the yogurt category even come to dare to enter the conversation of breastmilk? I have never heard of any particular culture fermenting breastmilk and serving it to babies on a spoon. It is quite ballsy for a dairy company to make such a claim and association. What do you think of this marketing tactic?