By Patricia Ocampo
Few moms would disagree that no matter how tiring or uncomfortable pregnancy is, there is no denying how powerful the experience of carrying a life in one’s belly can be.
Simply taking a few moments to let the fact that a body is growing inside of us is enough to send any mother into tears of both joy and anxiety. It is a major responsibility to bear, but also a tremendous blessing and a unique opportunity to bring good into the world.
The film, In Utero attempts to explore just that. The power of every pregnancy and life in the womb and its lasting impact on human development, human behavior, and the state of the world.
It poses relevant questions for every human being such as “How much of our identities are formed during nine months we spend in our mother’s womb? Do we carry the trauma of our ancestors into our daily lives? Are we who we think we are?”
“Epigenetics is the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself.” Experts in this fast-growing field suggest that genes no longer have the final say, and that we are also products of the environments in our mothers’ wombs. This should lead us to carefully examine the levels of stress and quality of the environment during pregnancy.
Scientists and psychologists are finding that prolonged stress such as poverty, and traumatic events such as Ferguson and 9/11 impact a developing fetus on a genetic level. Still others have found that depressed or stressed mothers have higher levels of the hormone cortisol, which negatively affects the fetus by constricting blood flow to the placenta. The list goes on.
All of this research urges us to think about who we are and how the foundations of who we’ve become all began long before we were even born, and ultimately, how we can set our children up for better lives in the generations to come.
In Utero is a highly recommended documentary for any individual preparing to have a child. Not just a film for women, the film suggests that when one woman is pregnant, “everyone is pregnant” and that the beauty about these findings about pregnancy is that each one can care for the next generation simply by caring for their mothers.
The In Utero screen showing will happen on SUNDAY February 26, 2017 from 2:30PM to 6:30PM at SM Megamall Conference Center, Level 5, Bldg. B, Ortigas. You may contact Joana Lazaro, 0917-5996875 / (02) 994-9428.
For information on how to win free tickets to the screen showing, LIKE MomCenter Philippines on Facebook.
