Woman gives birth infront of audience.

Goodmorning all.

I was just watching the "Sunrise" program and they had a story on a woman who in the name of art, put on a performance of giving birth (real giving birth) in front of 20 people who paid to attend the "performance". It was a water birth and a healthy baby boy was delivered.

What do you all think of this?

I don't suppose its any different than posting ones birth video on utube is it? And, birth is a natural, beautiful experience. It does make me wonder why strangers would pay to watch someone give birth but I am sure there are some valid reasoning behind it.

Each to their own.

For me, birth is a private and intimate experience. But I guess everyone is comfortable with different things and if she wanted to mark the occassion by having an audience, good on her.

I'm not sure about accepting money for it though ... that seems a bit off.

Is she donating the money at all to a charity? Seems wrong commercialising something that I consider sacred but then thats just howI feel about birth.

Not something I would or could do, I know what I am like when I am in pain and lets just say no one is safe from a verbal shalacking if they dare speak to me :rofl: BUT obviously she was comfortable with it - any indications of whether they were just random people or actually people she knew?

Still its not for me - what others do really isn't my place to judge.

Nae x x

A bit odd. I wonder how much she charged per person?

I've read a few articles now about this and it's the first time I've heard that people paid? From what I read there were friends, family and then a small number of strangers who she had interacted with regularly at the gallery while she was pregnant.

I think it's different, but cool. Not dissimilar to posting a video. I wanted to live stream my (home)birth but the home part didn't eventuate :lol:

The people were a paying audience as the birth was a 'performance'- they were strangers :o

To be honest I felt abit dirty when I first heard the story. Not because people were watching her give birth but because they were strangers...these people paid to watch. Now, I have watched women I don't know give birth- but that was part of my nursing training. What would motivate a stranger to pay to see some woman give birth?

And LOL @ NAeNae- I too would be worried about pulling my 'labor face' as DH calls it, which apparently is a cross between the "scream' mask and one of those clowns that you put the ball in its mouth :rofl:

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I've read a few articles now about this and it's the first time I've heard that people paid? From what I read there were friends, family and then a small number of strangers who she had interacted with regularly at the gallery while she was pregnant.

I think it's different, but cool. Not dissimilar to posting a video. I wanted to live stream my (home)birth but the home part didn't eventuate :lol:

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You may be right PZ. From an article I just read the Gallery where the birth was did open so people could met the mother and 'develop rapport' and express interest at attending the birth, but seriously, how much rapport can be developed in the month before a birth. I would still consider them strangers.

Anyway heres a link to one article- HERE This article is from before the actual birth happened. will try and find an up to date one

Did the idea of paying come from Sunrise? That wouldn't surprise me :lol:

I do see birthing as beautiful and I love watching it, and would happily go along to watch. I wouldn't feel comfortable with having strangers watching *me*, although I thought I would be before I actually gave birth. Turns out, I was a very inward and private person during birth.

If she did charge attendees, it might be that she is making a statement about commercialisation of birth, childhood, etc. I guess if that was her intent it mitigates it a bit??? Who knows :dunno:

hhmmm. Sorry I don't know where the idea of paying came from...is it in my head??...I don't know :dunno: Not sure if they said they paid or if I assumed it because it was held at an art gallery......

Eitherway, I still think strangers coming along is abit strange. The audience was also a mixture of males and females too.

I think it is beautiful to demystify birth. Not many people get to see it these days. Good on her, I bet it empowered her no end!

When I read about it my attitude was changed by the end of the article when I tried to understand her as an artist. The purpose of her art is to transform real life into art. I definitely think there's no greater creative process than being pregnant and giving birth. Duchamp presented a urinal, she presented a birth. There's something right there in the masculine/feminine interpretation of that art form.

She transformed the gallery into a homebirth suite so it's not like she lay down on a piece of marble and struck a pose. I think it's interesting.


C'est ne pas une birth?

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Jude 07/10/2008 | Lilac 16/06/2011

Heh. Good on her. At least the strangers there would appreciate the 'performance'. Probably a better bunch of strangers than you get at a hospital birth when any number of strangers come in. Not much rapport is established with hospital staff either before a birth. She probably had a wonderful uninterrupted birth :) these strangers would have just been in the background.

it doesn't bother me that she did it, I would never do it! if it was paying strangers I would be a bit worried about certain people out there who get some sort of thrill out of it as I actually knew someone who found birth, well lets just say stimulating and it was a woman!

I kind of like the idea - from the art perspective. Giving birth is the most amazing thing, I think its amazing that she wanted to share it with other people.

I am the same though - I would never do it myself. I can imagine that it would have given a lot more meaning to the experience for her.

I saw the Sunrise interview too, and she spoke about how she likes to make every day life into art, and what better art is there than giving life? I think it would have been incredible to be there, as she'd set up a home birth suite and she said she really didn't notice the people there, they were just in the background and she was doing her thing. I know the midwife and student midwife when I had DD both had tears in their eyes when she was born, and I'd love to experience that from a third party perspective.

I'm not so sure about after the birth though. Once he was born, the mum said all the 'guests' held him and they all discussed their shared experience. I reckon if it were me, once it was over I'd want them to just leave, not pass around my newborn baby and chat with all these people. From that perspective I'd probably prefer a video - you don't get the same atmosphere as being there, but you're still showing something beautiful.

wHAT is a 'homebirth suite'? sounds like when they try to tell you that birthing centres are just like giving birth at home. :wall:

not for me, but i'd be happy to lock myself in a cupboard until i'm done.

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wHAT is a 'homebirth suite'? sounds like when they try to tell you that birthing centres are just like giving birth at home. :wall:

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I wondered that too! They didn't show much, but there was a pool, and what looked like a soft bed. I guess she calls it that because she set it up the same as she would have if she were giving birth at home. I really think being in a big gallery with 20 onlookers would take away from all that though.

I thought it was great that Tracy Spicer said she thought it was a great idea "with our anglo-saxon uptight background we never see birth or breastfeeding...birth is a beautiful thing" But then the other woman has to go and say "birth is meant to be in a hospital" :wall:

Yes I raised an eyebrow at the hospital comment too lol.
I absolutely agree that a birth is an amazing experience to see. I do think a roomful of strangers watching on is alittle far out for me though.
And yes, in response to a PP who said the medical staff are strangers- yes they are but we know why they are there. We know their motivation in 'watching'. A middle aged male stranger coming to watch your birth however- what is his motivation ?IYGWIM.


Sent from my iPhone

she recreated losing her virginity in a car as a performance piece so giving birth in public too makes sense in the context of her art.

Keep in mind an artist is quite at home in a gallery space and may feel more comfortable in that setting than in an apartment they rarely spend time in.

So that might give different perspective to the idea of a homebirth suite.

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Jude 07/10/2008 | Lilac 16/06/2011