a few pix from the gorgeous homebirth i filmed a week ago. happy 1 week bday max! born peacefully in the water…surrounded by love…supported by professional midwives…the gold standard of care. at home in lisbon falls, maine! stay tuned for the film later this year…
August 8, 2011. As some of you may have noticed, “At Home in Maine” is undergoing some changes. I’ve spruced up the look of the website a bit (got to love that paisley!) but more significantly, I am in the process of transitioning the “At Home in Maine” series to Video on Demand (VOD). Soon, all the films will be available to watch via rental or purchase (as a digital download). So far, “At Home in Winthrop”, “At Home in Waldo” and “At Home in Orland (#2)” are all viewable through VOD. In the coming weeks, more films in the “At Home in Maine” series will be available via VOD.
It is a big change and one that I took a lot of time to research and consider. I found a great new online distribution service, “filmDIY” that is making this possible. Education, information and inspiration are important goals of this project–and accessibility is a key value. However, I have to make a living, too! I’m graduating from my Master’s Program at U Maine in a few weeks! So, far I have created 11 films for this series–mostly with out-of-pocket resources. I want to keep doing the work I’m so passionate about and sustain the “At Home in Maine” project. Revenue from VOD will generate resources to keep adding to this body of work–presenting more diverse representation of families choosing homebirths, midwives, locations in Maine and a variety of homebirth experiences. The prime goal of “At Home in Maine” is to help educate women and their partners about the choice to have a homebirth–with the intention of increasing access to information about this choice. The recent CDC report about the 20% increase in homebirth credits the “subculture of white women” as responsible for this increase. I’d say much of this has to do with the Internet–and the vibrant online Natural Birth Movement, which is making it easier for women to share their stories and learn about their choices in childbirth. “At Home in Maine” is part of that Movement, which aims to transform the way birth is seen and done (especially in the US). To help “normalize” the choice to have a homebirth.
The “At Home in Maine” films make a great gift for expectant parents and an excellent educational tool for childbirth educators and doulas to present what homebirth looks like–and just as important, what normal, natural, vaginal birth looks like. The films make an excellent addition midwives’ lending libraries. And to midwifery and nursing schools and women/gender/cultural studies program collections, as well! At $4/4 days for rentals and $14 per film (be in touch if you want to purchase the whole series, I offer “bundle” discounts), I’m working at maintaining a balance between accessibility and affordability. Digital downloads can be burned to disc–or even uploaded to your own secure servers and/or video-sharing platforms (for academic/educational use only–meaning not available to the general public).
Please spread the word about this series! I also have launched a Kickstarter campaign, as well, to generate more resources to sustain the work I’m so very passionate about! Over the next few months, I will also be screening films from the series in various communities. The screenings in Belfast in April and Brunswick in July were sold-out shows! Won’t you consider please supporting my work with “At Home in Maine”–via renting/purchasing films, donating to the Kickstarter campaign, scheduling a screening–or just spreading the word about this work?
A sincere “thank you” to those that have done so already–in ways large and small!
Hope you’re having a great August!
Peas and carrots,
Nicolle
BRUNSWICK, MAINE. It is the eve of solstice, June 2010. Jenn and James Currier stand on a quite neighborhood street engaged in what appears to be a slow, swaying dance. In fact, Jenn is having a contraction; labor is the rhythm she moves to. Later that evening, in the dining room of her home, she will give birth to her son Robbie in a birth tub supported by her husband, her mother, her doula and her professional midwives, Sarah Ackerly ND, CPM and Josie Skavdahl ND, CPM of Northern Sun Family Healthcare and Birth Center.
This story is presented in a new documentary film, “At Home in Winthrop, Maine” by Belfast, Maine–based filmmaker Nicolle Littrell and will have it’s premiere screening at the Frontier Café on Wednesday, July 27th from 6:30-8pm.
A discussion with Littrell, the Curriers, Ackerly and Skavdahl will follow the screening. Admission is by suggested donation: $5 for individuals and $10 for families.
The film is part of “At Home in Maine”, a film series and educational resource about the choice to have a homebirth and receive professional midwifery care in Maine. To learn more about At Home in Maine visit: www.mainehomebirth.wordpress.com
The premiere of “At Home in Winthrop” is part of a weeklong celebration of events centered on the opening of a new birth center at Northern Sun Family Healthcare, one of two freestanding birth centers in Maine and staffed by CPMs. For info about Northern Family Sun Healthcare visit: www.northernsunfamilyhealthcare.com
For more information about the screening and to see a trailer for “At Home in Maine” visit: www.explorefrontier.com
july 1, 2011. belfast, maine. new moon and solar eclipse in cancer. woman in the moon films proudly announces the release of two new films for the “at home in maine” series. click each image to go the film page:
At Home in Waldo, Maine will have it’s Waldo County premiere tonight at the Belfast Free Library, 6:30-8pm. Discussion with the filmmaker, film participants (including Morningstar Midwifery) and snacks will follow the screening. DVDs of the film, Odlaw CDs and books about homebirth will be available for purchase.
The film is one of the latest releases from, “At Home in Maine”, a documentary film series and web resource about the choice to have a homebirth and receive midwifery care in Maine. This film series is for anyone who interested in learning more about this choice. But this film is not just for people exploring their Choices in Childbirth. It’s for anyone who would like a picture of normal, natural family-centered childbirth–unfortunately, an experience that most people in the US do not have. For many women, birthing at home is where this is most possible.
Hope to see you tonight!
Waldo Boy to Celebrate First Birthday
Friday April 8, 2011
WALDO — Gideon Jay Weaver will celebrate his first birthday on Friday, April 8. He was born April 8, 2010, at home to Melinda, Jerry and big brother Ravi.
His birth was attended by Morningstar Midwifery of Belfast.
A documentary on Gideon’s home-birth,“At Home in Waldo,” by Nicolle Littrell, will be screened at Belfast Free Library Abbott Room on April 12, at 6:30 p.m.
BELFAST, MAINE “At Home in Waldo, Maine” will screen on filmmaker Nicolle Littrell’s home turf, at the Belfast Free Library, Tuesday, April 12th, 6:30-8pm. The film is one of the recent releases from the “At Home in Maine” film series, which focuses on homebirth and professional midwifery care in Maine.
“At Home in Waldo, Maine” features the Weavers, a family from Waldo who are semi-homesteaders, homeschoolers, entrepreneurs and rock’n’rollers! Integrating footage from the Weaver’s day-to-day life with their home birth, “At Home in Waldo, Maine” explores the relationship between how we live and how we birth. The film includes a single performed by Jerry Weaver’s band, Odlaw.
The film also features Morningstar Midwifery (morningstarmidwifery.com/) a professional midwifery practice located in Belfast. Discussion with the filmmaker, film participants and refreshments will follow the screening.
For more information about “At Home in Maine” visit: www.mainehomebirth.wordpress.com.
This program is free and open to the public. For more information call 338-3884 ext 10.
January 28, 2011. Belfast, Maine. Woman in the Moon Films is releasing a second new film to add to the At Home in Maine film series, “At Home in Orland (#2).” This film features the second homebirth of the Bates/Cotier family–Valerie, Todd, Austin, Cooper and Penelope. Valerie and Todd had a homebirth with their second child, Cooper, in November of 2008. I was lucky enough to film that one, too! That birth is featured in two other films in this series, “At Home in Orland” and “At Home in Maine Part III.”
Andrea Mietkiewicz and Evelyn Conrad of Clear Light Holistic Midwifery of Old Town, Maine assisted this family in both homebirths.
This birth provides an interesting counterpart to “At Home in Waldo”; Valerie had a VERY fast labor with her third child, Penelope, who made her quick entrance outside of the womb into the water, in the birth tub. Though Penelope’s birth was normal, Valerie experienced some heavy postpartum bleeding–this film addresses how midwives are trained to deal with this complication. I continue to be amazed at the depth and breadth of women’s wisdom–both mothers and midwives.
I feel really blessed to have had the opportunity to film both of Valerie’s homebirths. Both she and Andrea have become good friends of mine throughout the past few years and I am grateful for their trust in me and support of this project. Thank you!
The film runs 20 minutes long; please take some time to check it out and offer your input. You will also see supplementary commentary, provided by Andrea, regarding how midwives address postpartum bleeding. Enjoy and share!
womaninthemoonfilms.com 