When we speak of a respected or humanized birth, we refer to giving each mother and baby a birth process in which the decisions, well-being and health of both are privileged as protagonists, within a natural and respectful environment. And this is precisely what we see in the interactive documentary, ‘Giving birth in the 21st century’, produced by Barret Cooperativa in collaboration with À Punt Mèdia and RTVE’s Audiovisual Innovation Laboratory.
Through the true story of five women, we will learn exactly what a respected birth is , both before and during the coronavirus crisis. In addition, it offers an interactive and personalized experience so that pregnant women who wish to can develop their own birth plan and clarify their doubts about it.
The respected delivery of five women before and during the pandemic
Paula, Ester, Mireia, Graciela and Àngels are the five protagonists of this incredible interactive documentary directed by Claudia Reig Valera, and which premieres today. As the director explains to RTVE, the documentary aims to “provide a realistic and close image of birth , where women are the center of the action in an intimate, powerful and primitive moment .”
‘Giving birth in the 21st century’ is structured in six chapters (expectations of childbirth, labor, dilation, delivery, postpartum and return home), and makes a journey through the last weeks of pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum of five women who give birth to light in the public hospital of La Plana (in Vila-real, Castellón), a benchmark in humanized care for normal childbirth.
We will see truly exciting birth images that are not always possible to see in a hospital setting, as it is rare that recording equipment can remain in the room during the birth of a baby.
As she explains in the documentary, at first she had to face confusion with the protocols that existed in the first moments of the pandemic, and that led many women to give birth alone in the Valencian Community. Fortunately it was not his case, and even in those difficult moments he was able to have the respected delivery that he wanted.
But the documentary not only shows us the experience of these mothers in their deliveries, but also offers the viewer extensive information on the situation of childbirth in Spain ; from the number of births by Autonomous Community, to information related to cesarean section, induction, episiotomy and rates thereof, as well as professional answers to many of the doubts that usually arise about the moment of delivery.
- To see the full documentary, click here.
Prepare your own birth plan
But the strong and innovative point of the documentary is its interactive aspect, since the website offers the user the possibility of preparing her own birth plan by answering a series of questions related to the dilation, delivery, skin-to-skin and immediate postpartum phase.
In addition, the hospital midwives who participate in the documentary offer brief informative pills on the importance of some of the issues that arise, such as informed consent for any intervention, the right to give birth accompanied or freedom of movement.
It is also offered the possibility of downloading the birth plan in PDF format, and thus being able to read it and decide on the birth preferences. This birth plan has been drawn up from the document of the Ministry of Health and the Department of Universal Health and Public Health of the Generalitat Valenciana, with contributions from Sole Carreguí (coordinator of the delivery service of the Hospital de La Plana), Lourdes Pascual (from the Association El Parto es Nuestro) and Desirée Mena (from the Nursing Research Group of the Jaume I University of Castellón)
Childbirth is one of the most important moments in the lives of mothers and children . What happens in it is deeply engraved in the brains of both, so it is important that you have a positive experience, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). However, not all women can claim that they have had a respected and humanized experience, and some even qualify the moment of the birth of their children as a ‘traumatic experience’.
Photos | screenshot Childbirth in the 21st century
More information | RTVE
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