and birth experience will be greatly enhanced If she surrenders to the forces within; if she is given love, companlonship, and reassurance; and. if her normal labor process is not Interfered with. This- program wuld be a valuable addition to the a”dt”visu?J collection of any practi- tioner Involved in teaching about the joy of birth.

What is Pre-Term Labor? Written and directed by hIary Bmcker, CNM, and Laura Mueller, MSN. Color. sound, 8 minutes. Produced “y BIO- medical Communications, Rush- Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center. 1987. Available in %-inch VHS and %-inch U-Matic formats from Healt!t Science Consortiutr. 201 Silver Cedar Court. Chapel Htii, NC 27514. (919) 942.8731. Pur- chase price: $195.00; $97.50 to HSC members. Rental price: $80.00. Fourteen-page study guide included.

Reviewed by: Ruth J. Stanton, CNM. MS, Clinical Coordinator. Piedmont Obetetical Home Care, Greenville, South Carolina.

The video “pens with the thought that a preterrn birth is a deoarture from the usual happy “utc&ne of delivrrv Preterm deliver, is defined. as Is &term labor. Rtsl; factors for pretenn labor are reviewed and signs of labor covered, with a practical suggestion for how to tell if a con- hacnon is occuning. Prehrm labor prevention is covered, as well as what to do if pretenn labor OCCUR. Possible mfdical treatment Is re- viewed. The video ends on the posi- tive note that preterm births can be decreased if all pregnant women “b- servo for and seek treatment for pre- term labor.

The video is short and pleasantly narrated with simple vocabulary, geared for patients. Difficult or new terms are usually defined, so that someone in junior high school would probably be able to understand the content. Clarity of content would be enhanced with some simple anatom-

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lcal drawings to show where the cervtx is located in relation to the uterus and the baby, and to empha- size where the different sensations of pretenn labor are felt (le. backache, cramps. pressure. discharge, bag of water breaking).

The chart listing signs of preterm labor is somewhat unclear in its “rga- ntzation of abdominal changes, but it does cover all the essentials. A chart presenting myths about preterm i&a is shown while the narrator dis- counts these myths. Although the content on myths is interesling, it might distract vfewers from the very important information on preterm labor recognition that needs to be presented and reinforced in a short paiod of Ume.

The video consists of staged shots of actors and scenes in a large med- isai center interspersed with some charts. Generally, the staging is smooth. However, some of the preg- nant women appear ill-at-ease. The actors arc of several races: sociceco- nomic differences are not obvious. One pardcularly helpful segment shows how to palpate a contmction. A sequence showing two preterm in- fants at the beginning is less helpful; the first babv clearlv looks oreterm. but the se&d do& not. A ;h”t of a more critically ill preterm infant might be more persuasive about the importance of preventing preterro birth.

The Study Guide restates the ln- formation In the video, along with some 3bjectives and a shohport- test. The average patient will prob- ably not be interested in going through this rote exercise. The infor- mation, in addition, is too basic for the practicing nurse-midwife and most health educators. The related bl;&graphy dates from 1977 to

In spite of the publication date of the materal, the infonnalton is still acc”rah?, except for the content con- cerning available therapies for pre- term labor. It does, however. cover the salient pOl”k of how to reccgnize pretenn labor.

This video could be utilized for educating p&tents in office waiting roams, or as part of early pregna”cy classes. However, due to the need for reorganization of some of the in- formation and the addition of better visual aides, this video and study guide would not be this reviewer’s sole resource for patient educational materials on the topic.

Real People: Meet a Teenage Mother. Produced by Rebecca Goalby, 1988. Color, sound, 18 minutes. Available in %-inch VHS vtdeoassette format with teacher’s guide for $139.00 or one filmstrip with audiocassette and teacher’s guide for $99.00 from Sunburst Communications, Suite HW. Box 415, PleasanMlle. NY 10570. (800) 431.2434. No rentals are available.

Reviewed by: Anne Thompson, CNM. MSN, staff CNM, SunLtk OB/ GYN Services, Inc., Prince George’s Ho;ital Center, Cheverly. Mary-

Real Peop:~: Meet a Teenage Mother is the true story of Laud. en adolescent who became a mother at age 15. In a documentary style, Lad dlscwses her life in depth. She tells us why she kept her chtld and what her life ts Uke now. We meet her family who discuss Laurt’s decl- sion to keep her baby and how this decision has affected all of their lives. There Is a touching scene with Lauri’s mother and father where they discuss how they reacted to their daughter’s pregnancy and how they shifted Into new percepnons of their family, ultimately offering un- vleldlng support for their daughter.

The video Is technically well done. Through a series of Interviews, Laud talks about her pregnancy from cow ceptton onward. She describes the response of the baby’s tether to her pregnancy. and his subsequent abandonment of them. She dis- cusses her uitimate acceptance of the pregnancy, the birth, and how she has proazeded with her life shce de-

Journal of Nurse-Mktw&ry l Vol. 35. No. 5. September0ctober 1990

livery. Laud describes the Impulsive nature of the act of getKng pregnant It was not a planned decision. She thought It could never happen to her. Throughout this discussion, one gets the impression that Laud even- tually took an active role in deciding to cany through with the pregnancy. There is a vague conversation re- garding aborKon. lauri ruled this op- tion out Tie viewer is not told why Laud made that decision.

The video contains moving scenes of Laud and her family in tba midst of everyday life. Laurl describes how, after transfening seven times, she is currently in her fifth year in e high school for teenage mothers. The school has a nursery. There is great sadness when Lauri and her parents describe how she no longer has the carefree life of a teenager. has no spontaneous social life, end has inadequate time for school work. Laud feels awkward with other non- parent teens. She tells how difficult dating Is. For example. some parents warn their sons, “Be careful, she may bring you a baby home, too:

This video is vey reaUsKc. Lawi, her parents, and her friend discuss teen motherhood with great realism. No one in this video thinks that it is a 4ood idea. There is a strona messaoe i;ere to other teens to seri&sly co;- sider the difftcultles of sin& mother- hood. This message is c&eyed by seeing the realty of putting a cranky two-year-aid to bed every night, and the realization that single teen mothers cannot have %omml(’ lives as teenagers. As Lauri says, most teenagers have time in the morning to “put on their makeup.” Laurt. however, tells of having to get up at 5 AM to complete her school work. and she explains how her grades have suffered. She tells the viewer: ‘“Think befow you have intercourse. I didn’t.” The video is explicit. It shows what life is like for a sln~le teenage mother.

This video is culturally limited. Laud IS a white. upper-middle-class young woman with no financial pressttres,lslnan educationalsemng

that accommodates teenage mothers. and has total family sup- port. This is not the case ior most single teen mothers This roessag+ heeds to be targeted to a tider pop. &ion. The video would be more effective if there were inteniews with teen n~otbers from other cultural and economic backgrounds. These young women need to hear the same kind of powerful messrgos from their peers, as is so eloquently portrayed by Lauri.

The power of this videotape lies in its potential impact on other teens. Adolescent viewers who see Lawi’s situation may be more inclined 40 be responsible about sex. The vidto should spark a discussion. among teenage viewers who may be at dsk for pregnancy. No adult can convey inform?tton about sex, pregnancy, and parenthood more powerfully to this group than ten a peer.

Red Flower: Rethinkina Meostnm- tion. By Dena Taylor. Freedom, CA: The Crossing Press, lq88 109 pages. $8.95, softmver.

Reviewed by: Kathyn McElroy. MS. cwt. Staff Midwife. Birth C&r&r at The Beth, Newark;New Jersey

Red Flower: Rethinking Mewtruo- tion is a delightful little book that em- phasizes the positive aspects of men- struation. Dena Taylor, the authoc. presents poems, musings, and dream seq!lences that celebrate tbe power and mystery of the menstrual cycle. The author’s intent is to dispel the notion that menstruation should be kept hidden and Is somehow shameful. She exhorts the reader to be aware of its powerful effect on all women.

The material opens with E discus- slon of menarche In literature and In other cultures. Several possible rituals for celebrating menarche are suggested. One includes a special bath with BwKng Bowers and fresh herbs to cleanse away the aspeca of chi!dhood or-e no longer desires, and as a preparation for woman- hood. Following the bath, the author

Joumal of Nurse.Midwtfety . Vol. 35. No. 5. Soptember/OctobDr 1990

recommends that !he “new woman” has a dinner in her honor, with female friends and rela~ves re- tenting their own stodes of men5Ku- ation and giving small gifts. It is hoped that tbff ritual and the others described will give the gid the love ar.d suppwt she needs at a time of so much change.

In later chapters, the author ponders the customs of a~nstmal seclusion and power, the effect of bleediwl on men, and menopause. Although the book is intended as a celebraaon of menstruation, there is a chapter devoted to pain and PMS. Ideas for help with PMS are sug- gested, such as changes in diet. yoga, fasting. and ~upuncture. The author b&eves that negative feelings about menstruation in our scci& cause females to feel badly about Kwoselves when they menstruate. These feelings then affect the way women act dudng tkir periods. the so&led “bitchy” behavior. which, I” turn. co”ti”ws to reinforce “ega- tive attihldes. In fact it is noted that most scientific and social question- naires regardtng menstruetion offer only “egiK”e &&es.

f%w and entertainins to read &ii book would make a lo&y gfft for a young girl as an introduction and preparation for menstruation. The book provides the reader with a ~“5. itive point of view about a natural bodily flmCK0” that wmen often ex- pedence for 40 years of their lives. Red Flower is a lovely .sffirmaUon for alI menstnrating women.

The Adolescent as Decision- Maker; Applications to Develop ment and Educatton. Edited by Ju- dltb Worrell and Fred Damw. %n Diego. CA: Academic Press, Inc., 1989. 320 pages. $49.95, hard- cover.

Rwkwed by: Janice Emerlfng. cm MSN. Clinical Nurse-Mldwlfe at Western Health Cer.ter. and in prt- vats pm&e, Baltimore, Matybnd.

The Ad&semi s De&n-Maker is the third volume in a series con-

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