The Mama Sherpas

Director Brigid Maher decided to make a film about midwives after having one child by Cesarean section and another by vaginal birth (the former was a disappointing experience; the latter was not). As in previous documentaries from producers Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein (The Business of Being Born, Breastmilk), Maher here draws attention to unnecessary medical procedures that benefit hospitals at the expense of patients, but she focuses on practices across the country where midwives collaborate with doctors. Whitney Pinger, a certified nurse midwife (CNM) at George Washington University Hospital, serves as a bridge between obstetricians and patients (an inter-title explains that certified midwives are authorized to practice in five states, while CNMs provide care in all 50 states). Pinger believes that America's 30% Cesarean rate is too high—particularly since the World Health Organization recommends a rate of 15% (fewer C-sections result in a lower infant mortality rate). With proper training, Dr. Annette Fineberg at Sutter Medical Group believes it is just as safe to deliver twins and breech babies vaginally, although doctors routinely perform C-sections in those instances. The Mama Sherpas features several actual births, including a water birth and a breech birth. In one case involving a Somali immigrant, a midwife recommends a C-section because the patient has diabetes and other risk factors. While it isn't what she wants, the woman realizes that it's in her baby's best interest, so she assents. This incident underscores Maher's point that while there is nothing fundamentally wrong with C-sections, their frequency in American hospitals has grown out of control. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)