Welcome to Birthwise! Congratulations on your pregnancy and embarking on theamazing adventure that is the birth of a new child.
We began Birthwise because as new mothers – despite our own very positive first-time birth experiences - we felt there was a fundamental lack of information, inspiration and empowerment to support women and new families. We wanted toknow the real stories and where to get support – not just medical information, but emotional and creative support. We knew there was more out there, more to birth and more to gain from the experience.
When we met Caroline Flint we were truly inspired by what she provides for womenand how she does it. We resolved to find a way to share Caroline’s expertise,wisdom, humour and honesty as widely as possible. As we developed Birthwise,we decided to include other people who had become valuable resources and whoinspired us, such as the experts and complementary therapists included in the DVD.We believe birth can be a positive experience – whatever kind of birth you have.
We believe it is possible to have an approach to birth that encourages a woman to trustherself and her body. We think an approach to birth that is normal and women-centredis possible now. We believe we can all be better informed as to when medical intervention is required and when it is not, and what approaches, words or comments either support, empower or disempower women. We have a vision that women and their partners have all the information they need and ability to choose who they partner with, to support them in the birth of their babies. Above all we want an approach that honours birth as both natural and profound.
We believe something has been lost in birth today and we are on a journey aswomen and families to rediscover it. Our greatest hope is that Birthwise will play apart in this journey.
Cari Caldwell is co-founder and director of Partus Ltd. and producer of Birthwise: Your Creation, Your Choice. Birthwise is Cari’s first film and she knows it won’t be her last! In addition to her work with Birthwise, Cari is a director, consultant, coach and facilitator at Future Considerations, a management consultancy specializing in leadership development. Cari’s work includes the areas of diversity, intercultural communication and women’s leadership. Cari leads experiential programmes in developing countries for business leaders, and that integrate leadership, corporate sustainability and diversity. Cari also facilitates a workshop for mothers called The Birth of a Mother helping women to creatively deal with the emotional aspects of motherhood. Cari has trained with the Strozzi Institute completing courses in Personal Mastery and Somatic Bodywork, the Intercultural Communications Institute, and the Newfield Ontological Coaching Network.
Cari’s experience of having her son Conor was a profound transition for her. After researching endless books, DVDs, and courses about birth, and starting a course to train as an antenatal teacher, she felt that crucial messages and issues like encouraging women to trust their bodies, stories of natural birth, and the emotional journey to motherhood were – still – only a faint whisper. After seeing Caroline teach, Cari was convinced Caroline’s positive, grounded and empowering messages needed to get to more women.
Shirley Gregoire McAlpine is co-founder and director of Partus Ltd and Producer and Director of Birthwise: Your Creation Your Choice. A mother of a 4 year old daughter, and a new born son, not to mention an aunt to 5 nephews and nieces and godmother to 4 others, Shirley is surrounded by pregnancy, babies and families. She has developed a passion for supporting new parents with their arrivals and loving parenthood. Birthwise is an expression of that commitment. Shirley had a great birth with her daughter, a great birth partner in my husband and loved her pregnancy. She found she was able to trust herself, her body and her baby. Yet, whilst working on Birthwise she discovered there was more she could do to create the birth she aspires to.
Shirley has been a freelance management consultant and coach for over ten years, and works with individuals to support them with having the life they want and fulfilling their dreams. She empowers organisations and individuals through diversity and equality work and has worked for over eighteen years with organizations providing countless research projects, workshops, and consultation. Shirley has also worked to raise the awareness of the impact of breast cancer in the black community. So what qualifies her to make Birthwise? She says, “An experience as a mother, a vision, a commitment, a passion and the rest I have left to the experts! “
Ben Mallaby has created DVDs, documentaries, short films and corporate videos that have played nationally and internationally. He is one the new breed of film-makers: with his training and experience he is able to act as director, cameraman and editor, using his own High Definition Camera and Final Cut Pro edit suite.
He holds an MA in TV production from BournemouthUniversity, the only centre for media excellence in the UK. He enjoys bringing his enthusiasm and experience to companies who are seeking a creative and thoughtful approach to deliver high quality pieces of work.
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