Juliet Hutchings After all of the terrible moments on various "reality" TV programs with screaming women, fear-mongering doctors and sterile, cold forceps, "The Mama Sherpas" is a documentary all humans need to experience. Along with "The Business of Being Born" and "Call the Midwife," Brigid Maher's story is, at once, enlightening, uplifting, heartening and informative. This documentary shares stories of VBAC, Caesarean births, first-time vaginal births, 3rd time births, and all birth experiences, in between. All women will benefit from viewing this film, discussing it with mates, and sharing it with anyone who was ever born. As every baby met the world and her/his mother for the first time in this film, I found myself beaming from ear to ear, pumping my fists into the air and cheering. Well done. Ms. Maher.

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. If you are not directly involved, it's easy to underestimate, or even remain oblivious, to the stress involved as an expectant mother makes baby-delivery decisions. In this age of readily available information, women can no longer simply accept what their doctor says. Documentarian Brigid Maher sets out to educate us on the options available to pregnant women.Ms. Maher opens our eyes to the growing trend of collaboration between doctors and midwives. One of the key factors in this shift is the fact that nearly one in three babies are now delivered via cesarean (C-section), even though the World Health Organization (WHO) says the figure should be closer to 15%. To her credit, Ms. Maher doesn't attack the medical establishment, but rather focuses on the positive effects of the collaboration. Speaking from her personal experience (as a VBAC – Vaginal Birth After Cesarian), and also presenting numerous actual case studies, she expertly guides us through various birth methods including yoga birth, hypnobirthing, and waterbirthing … each a form of natural birth in a hospital environment.Viewers should be prepared for some up close and very personal camera work – especially when demonstrating that natural birth is even a possibility (in some cases) with a breech baby, a big baby, babies showing little progress, and extended-labor cases which have always been stressful to mother and child.Executive Producers Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein have allowed Ms. Maher to expose this little-known network of highly supportive midwives and doctors who firmly believe that Natural childbirth is preferable whenever possible. These folks (not surprisingly almost all women) are committed to the cause of helping the mother and baby through the process.This will prove informative to some, and inspirational to many … though, of course, many within the traditional medical industry (the industry responsible for 33% c-sections) will argue that this method is unsafe for mother and baby. It doesn't appear this position holds water, as the collaborative method covers both the medical facilities and the natural (lack of medication) bonding between a mother and child. What a miracle of nature to behold!