Delve into the pleasures and the pains of pregnancy with rare childbirth films hailing from the Baby Boom era. This highly informative collection of (3) historical childbirth films features invaluable instruction for successfully giving birth in both normal and unusual delivery situations. The combination of profoundly powerful images and significant sociocultural subtext contribute to the compilations broad educational appeal.
Included Films:
Newsreel: Dream Hospital
Newsreel: Dream Hospital
Produced: 1953
Length: 1 Minutes
This newsreel may invoke nostalgia for the dawn of innovative modern design, when giving birth at the revolutionary hospital of the future included amenities such as bedside baby drawers, futuristic ashtrays, and an outdoor pool. This film features footage of the founders of Kaiser Permanente and the cutting edge medical technologies of the 1950s.
Labor and Childbirth
Labor and Childbirth
Produced: 1950
Length: 16 Minutes
Nine months may not seem like a lengthy amount of time in the average lifespan, but it is an important and life changing period of time for a soon to be mother. Childbirth is as old as humanity and as frightening as the unexpected. Labor and Childbirth, attempta to take away fear by explaining the process from start to finish in the post-war baby-boom era. While horrendously outdated in some respects – you should be sure to have the proper amount of makeup on while giving birth! – the overall theme of preparation, staying calm, and trusting in your doctor has not changed. Of incredible historic significance, Labor and Childbirth, is a step back into a time of different values while appreciating the consistency of some things that never change, like bringing a child into the world.
Sudden Birth
Sudden Birth
Produced: 1963
Length: 22 Minutes
Sudden Birth is a rare mixture of campy, bad film and informative documentary. It starts out following a young police officer as he reports to the scene of a car honking its horn dramatically off the interstate in the dark. There he finds a woman in distress ready to give birth. With no time to spare he delivers the baby, showing the proper way to ensure the safety of both mother and child. The graphic, true account of what to do in a labor emergency and the 1960s campy quality, makes this a must see.
