Womb Documentary

[Tory Lattin]

Writtenproduced, and directed by Toby Mcdonald, the 2005 National Geographic Channel film In the Womb uses the most recent technology to provide an intricate glimpse into the prenatal world. The technologies used, which include advanced photography, computer graphics, and 4-D ultrasound imaging, help to realistically illustrate the process of development and to answer questions about the rarely seen development of a human being. The following description of the images and narrative of the film captures the major points of In the Womb, and of embryonic and fetal development, as they are seen at the outset of the twenty-first century, depicted in only 100 minutes.

In the Womb opens with a glimpse of the mature fetus moments before she is ready to emerge into the outside world. The narrator explains that at this final stage, she is equipped with all of the faculties necessary for full function outside the womb. The main focus of the film, however, is the journey leading up to these final moments, a journey that begins with just a single cell. This journey is viewed intermittently throughout the film using 3-D and 4-D ultrasound scanning techniques which show the baby moving. 4-D refers to a string of 3-D images taken in real time (time is the fourth dimension), thus creating a movie of in utero events. In addition, the process is simulated by computer imaging based on observations, giving a vivid portrayal of embryonic and fetal development.

Three weeks into gestation, In the Womb simulates the embryo folding inward and elongating as the basic body plan is determined. An actual embryo at this stage is shown and a basic spine is visible. The top of the embryo, destined to become the head and brain, is indicated; this region has already begun to generate nerve cells by the fifteenth day of the pregnancy. These nerve cells will proliferate and eventually become the brain and the central nervous system. The heart forms soon after this, and twenty-two days after conception, begins to beat. This movement is initiated by a single heart cell which begins to beat and induces the cells around it to beat to the same rhythm. Close-up filming shows this pulse as heart cells proliferate and the organ continues to form. With the formation of the heart come thin veins and early blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen and nutrients; the blood in these veins moves to the beat of the heart. During the early stages of development the heart beats relatively independently, though its function will later be carefully regulated by the brain.

By the time the embryo is four weeks old, preliminary eyes have appeared on her head. These look like dark spots on a pale landscape of surrounding tissue on which the early contours of the forehead, nose, mouth, and other parts of the mature face can be seen. In addition, arm and leg buds emerge. The narrator mentions that even though thirty days have passed since conception, the embryo is almost indistinguishable from the embryos of other mammals.

By nine weeks, the nervous system has developed dramatically and starts to allow the fetus to move. Although this movement, shown through computer simulation, is not yet connected to the brain, it promotes agility and further growth. After this point, the body will gradually come under the control of the brain. This change also has the effect of regulating heart rate, which may increase to more than 150 beats per minute before cerebral regulation.

In the Womb also notes that, as well as providing a preliminary basis for diagnosis of complications, ultrasound scans also promote the development of parental attachment to the yet-unborn child. Ultrasound is thought to enhance the relationship of the child with the parents, both in infancy and later in life. At twenty-four weeks, this relationship could begin prematurely, for it is at this point that a baby could survive outside of the womb; though still small and underdeveloped, with appropriate intensive care, she could be considered viable. The greatest complications may arise due to the premature lungs, since the lungs only fully develop near the conclusion of the pregnancy and are filled with amniotic fluid until breathing begins.

In the Womb is a documentary television special miniseries that was premiered on March 6, 2005, on the National Geographic Channel. Originally beginning as a special about human pregnancy (titled Life Before Birth in the UK), the program features the development of embryos in the uterus of various animal species. The show makes extensive use of computer-generated imagery to recreate the real stages of the process.

In recognition of Black History Month - The African American Faculty and Staff Association (AAFSA) would like to invite you to attend a community screening of The Big Hysto: A Black Womb Revolution. In partnership with California Black Women's Health Project and the UC Davis Health Office for Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.

The Big Hysto: A Black Womb Revolution speaks to the medical racism, sexism, homo/transphobia and xenophobia that Black womb holders/patients experience when seeking access to quality medical care. The documentary centers around fibroids, endometriosis, hysterectomies, ovarian cancer and cysts and calls out the racist evolution of the medical field built on the wombs and backs of Black bodies.

This documentary is directed by Melissa Muganzo-Murphy, pronouns she/they/sis. Melissa Muganzo-Murphy is the CEO of Muganzo Entertainment and Executive Producer of summer film The Big Hysto: A Black Womb Revolution and Owner of Mindy's Kitchen. She is an actress, activist, and humanitarian and believes in the power of Black ingenuity being the global catalyst to historically and presently advance technology, engineering, entertainment, and inclusion.

Directed by Ajitesh Sharma, the documentary narrates the true story of Srishti Bakshi, who embarked on a walking pilgrimage from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, spanning 3,800 kms over 240 days, with a mission to find and share stories about women, their struggles, dreams, rights, and their wins, against all odds, a press release said.

WOMB is not merely a depiction of pain and suffering, but a rallying cry and call for solidarity and action. We hope this film takes us a step closer to a world where every woman is appreciated, honoured, and empowered to soar," she added.

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In theory, this is an experience that could also have been presented as an expos of wombs-for-rent, a practice well known as a response to claims advanced as a right more than parental desires: what a pity that, on the contrary, Ghosts of the Republique is nothing more than sheer propaganda. This is not argued by some of its critics, but admitted by its authors themselves, who stress their aspiration to change the mind frame of people about what a family is today.

Really, I mean it, pull out all the stops and tell her in no uncertain terms to steer completely clear of surrogacy, especially if she is being enticed by the sums of money offered in fertility agency ads. Might I also suggest that you send her a copy of "Big Fertility: It's All About the Money," a recently released documentary by the Center for Bioethics and Culture, which I just watched over the weekend.

Before I go any further, I must say that I am a huge fan of the work of the filmmakers, the CBC's Jennifer Lahl and Matthew Eppinette, as I have engaged them both a few times in the past couple of years while reporting on bioethics issues here at The Christian Post. I can always count on them for insightful comments on the most morally complex and sensitive of topics that far too few Christians consider. And last year I interviewed Jennifer about this very film just before she traveled to South Dakota to shoot it. (Full disclosure: I am also a contributor to this project via their Kickstarter campaign).

And that wreckage is plentiful and gut-wrenching. Yet all too often, the harms inherent in this industry go unseen because commercial surrogacy is almost always portrayed in U.S. media as a sweet, wonderful thing. Key to this portrayal is the cunning way in which it is marketed, appealing to women who want to "help" someone who for whatever reason cannot have a child on her own, without disclosing any of the serious health risks.

The film recounts in riveting detail the journey of three-time surrogate Kelly Martinez and her husband Jay, a couple originally from Iowa who thought that third party reproduction could be a good option for them. They were economically disadvantaged and wanted to get ahead financially. Kelly had always had relatively easy pregnancies with her own children and because of that did not believe it would be a particularly burdensome venture. But as Lahl often points out, you'll never hear of a Hollywood celebrity offering to be a surrogate for her low-income housekeeper. It's the rich who can buy; it is poor women who are the ones selling their eggs and renting out their wombs.

Although it was a difficult ordeal, Kelly opted to become a surrogate a second time, this time using the intended mother's egg and intended father's sperm. She thought it would be better than the first go round because the couple was from the same state and the paperwork and politics that come with transactions across international borders would not be an issue, and the additional money was a needed bonus. But while the second surrogate pregnancy was relatively normal, the intended mother fell gravely ill as a result of the egg extraction process and almost died, causing Kelly great psychological distress. That couple is now divorced, compounding the trauma.

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