Pregnancy support group to bring ‘40 Weeks’ to Warwick

Kelcy Dolan
Posted 1/8/15

The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) along with the March of Dimes and Big Belli LLC aim to bring “40 Weeks,” a new documentary following several families …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Pregnancy support group to bring ‘40 Weeks’ to Warwick

Posted

The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) along with the March of Dimes and Big Belli LLC aim to bring “40 Weeks,” a new documentary following several families through the process of pregnancy, to the Showcase Cinemas at Warwick Mall.

Dominigue Debroux, CEO of Big Belli and co-producer of “40 Weeks,” said in a phone interview, “This film isn’t just info or statistics, these are real families you can connect with. ‘40 Weeks’ creates a support system and community you can enter into. The takeaway from this film, after watching these other women, is that although it may be difficult, no matter what you can make it through pregnancy and you don’t have to do it alone.”

Lynn Erdman, CEO of AWHONN, said in a press release, “The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses is thrilled to support this groundbreaking film about pregnancy. Our nurses are on the front lines caring for mothers and babies.”

AWHONN, which began in 1993, works to further healthcare for women and infants through advocacy, education and holding themselves to strict high quality standards made up of 24,000 nurses, clinicians, educators and executives nationwide.

Big Belli LLC is, according to its website, “a parenting content media and social networking brand. Big Belli provides and emotional connection, coupled with information, for expectant families and provides a community of people who can share experiences and expert advice.”

Debroux said, “I was 42 when we got pregnant, and I found that all my friends had already had kids or weren’t having kids. I didn’t have any girlfriends to go through my pregnancy with. I wanted a community, but because I traveled for work it was complicated to build that community to go out and enter into one. I was reading and watching science documentaries on pregnancy, but I still didn’t feel like I had the support system I was looking for. So, I complained to my filmmaker husband and we decided we could make that film, a film version of a pregnancy resource. Then Big Belli and ‘40 Weeks’ was born.”

Big Belli LLC’s film, “40 Weeks,” an educational documentary, adheres to AWHONN’s efforts to bring awareness of pregnancy by following nearly 15 families of varying circumstances to get a full look at pregnancy.

The press release from the Rhode Island Chapter of AWHONN said, “The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses is a proud member of the Big Belli Family – as health care professionals, one of our missions is healthy pregnancies, moms, and babies. Our community is especially interested in the subject matter of this important film.”

Jean Salera-Vieira, the section chair for the Rhode Island AWHONN Chapter, said, “One of the things AWHONN, March of Dimes, Women & Infants’ as well as Kent Hospital have been interested in is the initiative to avoid elective deliveries before 39 weeks as long as it is safe for mother and her baby. It was believed that anywhere from 36 to 37 weeks was full term, but now we know it’s closer to 40 weeks. The film ‘40 Weeks’ really aligns with our ‘Go the Full 40’ Campaign, and it is also a huge supporter of nurses.”

According to AWHONN, 98 percent of births in this country occur in hospitals where AWHONN nurses are the primary clinical leaders and caregivers.

Salera-Vieira said, “This movie really appeals to anyone in the birthing community or those just interested in childbirth. I also think this film is really good for nursing students. They may watch a delivery, or care for a mother and baby, but they don’t know the mother’s full story, her whole experience. This film shows the stories of several families, their diversity and the different challenges they come to face throughout the nine month journey.”

“This film showcases the role nurses play throughout the whole process. They are someone you can turn to and ask questions, they want to make you feel comfortable, but this is also great for nurses to see. Nurses can see the other side of pregnancy, not just what they may see during an appointment. ‘40 weeks’ can help nurses know how to care and nurture for their patients in a different way,” said Debroux.

More than anything, Debroux feels the purpose of the film is to reach out to expectant families, or families looking to get pregnant, and offer them a support system.

“We have been really thrilled at the reception we have been getting for the documentary. We have heard that it offers more than a book resource can and is making our audiences feel supported as well as part of a community. Sometimes women and pregnancy can be taken for granted as something they can do, so they do it. Our documentary celebrates women and what women can do, and that makes them feel great after they’ve watched it,” she said.

Big Belli and AWHONN are using Gathr, a film service that allows groups to come together and bring films to local theatres to distribute and showcase the film across the country.

Debroux said, “Gathr is the group we are using to distribute our film, and they are just a great company. We don’t have these small theatres anymore, we have multiplexes, and Hollywood won’t support a film without major studio backing or a big star, so we are losing a lot of documentaries and independent films, but most of all we are losing out on women’s films. Gathr is helping to bring those films back to the public.”

AWHONN needs at least 65 people to purchase tickets by Jan. 9 to secure the Jan. 21 7:30 p.m. showing at the Showcase Cinemas at Warwick Mall. Tickets cost $11.25 and are available on Gathr’s website, http://gathr.us/8833.

For more information on AWHONN visit their site at ww.awhonn.org. For more information on the film “40 Weeks” or Big Belli LLC visit their site, www.bigbelli.com.

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here