Everyone said it would be and it is. It's hard. Our team has been "out" with our Kickstarter campaign for one week. We gave ourselves 40 days to raise $86,000. We read, we researched, we engaged our respective networks, then we launched. Into the abyss. In many ways it feels good to have it out there, to be open about the work we've been doing for the past year, to ask our community and the world for support, but it's also scary.
I believe in this project. I want to see it succeed, and I can't do it alone. I'm vulnerable. I'm reaching out to people I don't know and asking them to believe in me, believe in this team, and believe in the power of a story.
Every time I watch our interviews or review a transcript I am struck by the power of this story. I believe it has the power to change the way we think about birth in America. This story can temper the discussion surrounding place of birth, present the data, and let women and families make informed decisions for themselves--without judgement.
I know there are thousands of people who want the same thing. If you're reading this there's a good chance you're one of them. In order to complete the film and get this message out, I need you to put your beliefs into action. Please add your name to the 88 backers we have so far, pledge any amount to our Kickstarter campaign, and engage your networks to do the same.
During our interview with Melissa Cheyney last Friday she described the empowered feeling a woman has after giving birth as, "a fire in the uterus." When talking to her grad students about their dissertation topics she likes to say, "If it doesn't put a fire in your uterus, choose something else." I have a fire in my uterus for this project. If I didn't, I would have quit long ago. With your help we can give birth to a film we can all be proud of.