Play Sparks Global Movement to Improve Maternity Care

What do mothers want? What do mothers deserve? These tough questions are explored in Birth– the Vagina Monologues of childbirth. Throughout September, more than 100 benefit performances of the critically acclaimed play by Karen Brody, Birth, will be performed

BOLDAUSTIN, sponsored in part by Parent:Wise Austin, Maternity Card, Respectful Guidance Doula Services and Kula Yoga, will host a Gala Event honoring mother-friendly birth advocate and medical anthropologist, Robbie Davis-Floyd, PhD, featuring a catered reception, silent auction, and a special early performance of Birth, Wednesday, September 19th, 6:30pm at Arthouse in the Jones Center, 700 Congress Avenue. Proceeds will benefit the Coalition for Improving Maternity Services, their mission is to promote a wellness model of maternity care that will improve birth outcomes and substantially reduce costs.

Additional performances of Birth will be performed Saturday, September 29th, 7pm and Sunday, September 30th, 2pm at the Hideout Theatre, 617 Congress Ave. Proceeds will benefit Texans for Midwifery-Austin, an organization promoting midwifery options for birthing women.

Created by mother and playwright Karen Brody, Birth has been called “the naked truth about childbirth” by City Lights Theatre Company in San Jose, California. The story of eight women, Birth delivers a theatrical experience that melds the unbridled hilarity, the unexpected poignancy, and the tragic truth about power in maternity care today.

The cast represents the birthing spectrum from liberal, “My body rocks!” Amanda, to strong-willed, no-nonsense Vanessa. At the cornerstone of each story lies personal choice. All of their stories are on display without judgment.

Birth will be performed at venues in over 30 cities around the world including Amsterdam, Boston, Chicago, New York, Maui, Ontario, Austin and Seattle. Proceeds will benefit charities working to improve maternity care. In 2006, BOLD’s first year, performances of Birth raised over $10,000 for local maternity care groups. This year, BOLD expects that number to more than triple.

The work those charities do is essential: in a global maternal mortality crisis, one woman dies every minute from pregnancy and childbirth-related causes. There is a 30.2 percent cesarean rate in the United States, with Texas coming in with the 5th highest cesarean rate at 32.7 percent. There are rampant misconceptions about Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. Women in the United States who had one c-section aren’t aware they can choose not to have another.

“Maternity care today simply isn’t mother-friendly,” Brody says. “BOLD encourages all people attending performances to learn the truth about childbirth, understand where power lurks in their maternity care system and make informed birth choices.”

Brody adds, “Can a play improve maternity care? It not only can—it is.”

Additional BOLDAUSTIN events include BOLD Red Tents, October 6th, 1pm and 4pm at Kula Yoga, 2415 Exposition Boulevard. BOLD Red Tents are an opportunity for women to come together in an intimate, safe setting to share birth stories and discuss local maternity care issues.