Born in the U.S.A. (2000; Marcia Jarmel & Ken Scheider) is a fifty-minute PBS documentary that starts out slowly but certainly gripped me by the end. This film opens with clips showing the standard television rendition of childbirth-as-out-of-control-freak-out and then proceeds with a historical overview that’s presented in sort of a boring way–which is unfortunate, [...]
Okay, so I finally watched The Business of Being Born (2007; dir. Abby Epstein, exec. producer Ricki Lake). I know, I know: a little late to the party, birth activist wannabe! And yet, here I am, sharing my thoughts on the film, head held high. I really liked it. I did. This documentary explores the [...]
Welcome to First the Egg, a collection of practical information, links, and cultural criticism. This site is a feminist intervention in our rigidly-gendered culture of childbirth and parenting. It aims to provide a nonsexist space for people who want to learn, reflect, commiserate, or laugh about being pregnant, giving birth, and helping children grow up whole and happy.
Feel free to contact me with ideas or questions at
birth “safety” (& two homebirth articles)
[originally published at my old blog on 1 September 2008] Madeline Holler’s personal essay “My Illegal Homebirth“ is interesting and funny and demystifies home birth a bit, though of course her experience isn’t representative (and took place in a state where attending a home birth was illegal); check it out. Michelle Gienow’s Baltimore CityPaper article “Home Made: [...]