The Midwife Podcast

Welcome to this episode of the Midwife Podcast. Today I am joined by Mieko Aoki, a practitioner in the beautiful island of Kauai, where she complements birthwork herbalism & Mayan Abdominal Massage, aligning the mind and the body with nature. Mieko talks about journey work , the path of sitting, sensing and responding. As midwives, we have a responsibility of being perceptive and attuned to the unspoken things that mean so much when we are vulnerable. Listening to what nature is telling us and entering a space of connection with ourselves, mothers and the beyond. A recurring topic in our conversation was the power of connection. Mieko was taught by a Mayan woman from San Ignacio Belize. And reflects how the same medicine is present in different practices from different cultures like acupuncture, mayan abdominal massage and herbalism. Nature is wise, and so are we as women, grab a cup of tea and join us.

On this episode of The Midwife Podcast, we explore the profound experiences of Jeanna Deswert a midwife who has worked in various crisis areas around the world. Jeanna shares her journey providing care in Greece, Lebanon, Mexico, Bangladesh, and Ecuador. We discuss the challenges of working as a midwife in crisis areas and the dynamics of birth within each setting. Jeanna also highlights the undervaluing of the rite of passage that is birth in our society and how certain interventions during birth can disconnect individuals from their experience. We delve into the importance of midwifery care that centers on the individual and how it empowers them to listen to their bodies during birth. Tune in to hear our guest's inspiring stories of births in humanitarian settings and how their work as a midwife has impacted their worldview. Also, check out Jeanna's book 'Refugee' on Amazon if you want to hear more stories.

*New Episode* In today's episode, your host Sofia Scheuerman delves into the intriguing life and career of Mary Sullivan, a midwife who worked closely with Gloria LeMay for many years. Together they faced a lawsuit related to the death of a baby, the case reached the Supreme Court of Canada. Mary's experiences shed light on the complexities of being a midwife and the fight for legitimacy. Join us as we explore Mary's path to becoming a midwife, the struggles she faced during the legal battle, and the impact she made within the birthing community. Get ready for an episode filled with stories of empowerment, resilience, and the pursuit of individualized care. Let's dive in!

Welcome back to The Midwife Podcast! In today's episode, we have the pleasure of interviewing the Leah Hatcher a midwife in Kauai. Leah is a passionate midwife who believes in the power and nuances of home birth. She shares her experience and insights into why some women choose home birth over hospital birth, and the importance of safety, support, and autonomy during this transformative time. Leah reminds us that the decision to have a home birth should not be taken lightly, as it involves careful consideration of potential risks and rewards. As a midwife, Leah's role is to support women throughout the birthing process, providing essential care and monitoring the well-being of both mother and baby. Join us as Leah shares her personal stories, the challenges she faces as a midwife, and her exciting plans for the future. So grab a cup of tea, sit back, and get ready for an enlightening and empowering conversation with Leah Hatcher on The Midwife Podcast. Let's dive in!

On this episode of The Midwife Podcast, Dana Fetherstonhaugh shares her experiences as a midwife in British Columbia in the eighties. She explains the importance of creating a strong connection with families during the period of care. We discuss the natural strength and internal knowledge of women during childbirth. Dana shares a powerful method of visualization to get birthing people in touch with the anatomy of prenancy and birth. Lastly, we discuss how the registration of midwives impacted her midwifery practice. Enjoy this sweet episode!

On this episode of The Midwife Podcast, we dive into the challenges midwives face when providing care in crisis and disaster situations. Midwives have to overcome a variety of obstacles to provide skilled and compassionate care in crisis zones. Laureli shares what it's like for midwives to work in Bangladesh with the Rohingya and in Greece with refugees. Additionally, we explore the work of Global Midwife Response (formally known as Midwife Pilgrim), an organization that provides midwifery care in low-resource areas. They aim to fill gaps in disaster relief by prioritizing reproductive health. This is an inspiring episode about providing midwifery care to populations of people in the most vulnerable of situations.

Pat Chouinard tells stories of her experience as a lay midwife before licensure of midwives in British Colombia. She speaks of birth as a rite of passage and values giving the birth back to the birthing person. Mother to many she had one of the first VBACs in BC!

Wendy Clemens shares stories practicing as a traditional midwife in British Columbia. She engages us with an exciting account of her own birth in Mexico and her introduction to midwifery. There were many beautiful moments and stories in this episode.

Janette Gyesky & Morgan Miller discuss the ins and outs of the Bend Birth center, birth in central Oregon, and their passions about birth.

Carrie Neerland is a CNM and currently attends births at The University of Minnesota Medical Center. During the episode we speak about physiologic birth. Then we go on to explore Carrie's PhD, Maternal Confidence for Physiologic Birth. Near the end of the episode we explore how twin cities midwives have come together to create better home birth to hospital transfers. Since recording the episode spring of 2018, Carrie Neerland has completed her PhD. Congrats Carrie!

What a captivating conversation with Barbara Belcore about midwifery in Illinois. Barbara is the president of the Illinois chapter of CPMs and a licensed midwife in the state of Wisconsin. She shares about the complex political atmosphere surrounding home birth in Illinois. Take a moment to like the Illinois Friends of Midwives facebook page and help homebirth become legal in illinois again! https://www.facebook.com/IllinoisFriendsOfMidwives/

Sarah Stetina, CNM Sarah is the first CNM on our podcast and currently works at AMITA Health OMG Women's Healthcare in Hinsdale, IL. We loved hearing about hospital birth through Sarah's eyes. We also dive into conversations about word choices in birth and sensitive care for women who experienced sexual abuse. Mentioned in this episode: Feminist Midwife blog: http://www.feministmidwife.com/ Penny Simpkin's When Survivors Give Birth Workshop: https://www.pennysimkin.com/sponsoring-a-lecture-or-workshop/ ACNM Issue Brief on Gender Terminology: http://www.midwife.org/ACNM/files/ACNMLibraryData/UPLOADFILENAME/000000000313/Issue-Brief-Use-of-Culturally-Appropriate-Terminology-for-Gender-Diverse-Populations-FEB-2018.pdf

Wabanewquy, Dorene Day, is a traditional Anishinaabe midwife who captivated us with visions of reawakened traditional birthing practices. As we listened to her stories we cried, laughed, and dreamed better births for generations to come.

Julia melodically shares her path to midwifery, first as an RN then a traditional midwife. She no longer attends births as a midwife but occasionally works as a doula for friends and family. In conversation with Julia we explore song and birth, and what it's like to practice with a group of traditional midwives.

What a delight to have Emme from Trillium Midwifery Care as our first guest on the podcast! I grew up with Emme's kids and was always fascinated when she'd come home late a night with a fresh placenta. Check out our conversation where we talk about homebirth, CPMs and birth culture in the twin cities. Check out Emme here! http://www.trilliummidwives.com/

Sofia & Rinya bring you passionate conversations about midwifery! The spirit of this podcast draws upon the mystically modern experience of birth. We interview midwives from diverse backgrounds to paint a nuanced picture of midwifery! Stay tuned. Love, R & S