Podcasts about midwives

This Sunday, we began a new summer series, "Deep Cuts," considering stories and characters that don't get much airplay.

Birth Rights, Medical Bills & Maternal Advocacy with Andi Orwoll, Esq In this powerful episode of MaternalRx, Dr. Danielle Plummer sits down with Nevada attorney and founder of Your Legal Doula, Andi Orwoll, to discuss the often-overlooked legal and financial realities families face during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery. From navigating IVF paperwork and unexpected C-sections to battling insurance denials and understanding birth rights, Andi shares how her own journey into motherhood inspired her to create a legal advocacy practice specifically for pregnant and postpartum families. This conversation explores the intersection of maternal health, patient advocacy, legal protections, informed consent, workplace rights, and the emotional toll of navigating the U.S. healthcare system during one of life's most vulnerable seasons. In this episode, we discuss: - Why birth rights matter - The legal gaps in maternal healthcare - Insurance denials and surprise medical bills - IVF, fertility care, and the hidden administrative burden - Informed consent and patient advocacy during labor - The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) - The midwifery model of care vs. traditional obstetric care - Maternal mental load and postpartum vulnerability - Why tracking medical records, bills, and receipts matters - Navigating medical bills and insurance appeals Key Takeaways: “Policy never overrides your rights.” Andi explains how many patients are intimidated in medical settings and may not realize they have the legal right to informed consent, respectful care, and bodily autonomy during pregnancy and birth. Birth experiences matter. Even when outcomes are medically positive, the emotional and psychological experience of birth can have lasting effects. Advocacy, education, and support can profoundly shape those experiences. The paperwork burden is real. Pregnancy often comes with overwhelming administrative tasks: insurance appeals, billing disputes, maternity leave paperwork, provider reimbursements, and more — all during an emotionally and physically vulnerable time. Midwives, doulas, OBs, pharmacists, and lawyers all have a role. Maternal healthcare works best when it's collaborative. This episode highlights the importance of interdisciplinary support systems for pregnant families. Track everything. One of the biggest practical pearls from this episode: keep copies of: - Medical bills - Insurance explanations of benefits (EOBs) - Receipts - Appointment dates - Correspondence with insurance companies - Workplace accommodation requests Documentation can make all the difference if problems arise later. About the Guest: Andi Orwoll is a Nevada-licensed attorney and founder of Your Legal Doula, a legal advocacy practice focused on supporting families navigating pregnancy, birth, postpartum recovery, workplace accommodations, and healthcare systems in the United States. Inspired by her own experience with IVF, an unexpected hospital birth, and overwhelming postpartum paperwork, Andi created Your Legal Doula to help families understand their rights and confidently advocate for themselves during pregnancy and birth. * Follow Andi: - https://yourlegaldoula.com/ - Instagram @yourlegaldoula About the Host: Danielle Plummer is a pharmacist, antepartum doula, and founder of Obstet-Rx. Through education, advocacy, and pharmacogenetics, she helps women navigate hyperemesis gravidarum and manage medications through complex pregnancy-related conditions. * Follow Danielle: - www.HGPharmacist.com - linkedin.com/in/daniellerplummer Memorable Quotes “We are not playing. We are here to have the birth experience that we want.” “Policy never overrides your rights.” “The most important work you are doing during your perinatal season should not be paperwork.” “The way we are treated during birth matters.” Resources Mentioned https://yourlegaldoula.com/ https://hgpharmacist.com/ Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (EEOC): www.eeoc.gov/ Disclaimer: This podcast episode is intended for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. The opinions expressed are those of the speakers and do not reflect the views of their employers or affiliated organizations.

When people think of midwives, they often think about pregnancy and birth, but the reality of modern midwifery is far broader.  In this episode of Behind the Genes, our guests explore the many different roles midwives play across healthcare, from clinical care and safety improvement to research and genomics.  The conversation looks at how midwives are helping shape the future of maternity care through research, supporting families to make informed decisions about genomic testing, and contributing to studies like the Generation Study.  Our host, Sharon Jones is joined by:  Katie Handley - maternal and child health clinical lead for the Generation Study,  Fiona Smith - research midwife for the Generation Study at Rosie Hospital in Cambridgeshire  Jess Fletcher - safety and quality midwife at the Rosie Hospital and a participant on the Generation Study  You can find out more about the Generation Study via the study's official website.   “ The more brave we are as midwives, and the more that we're willing to be curious about what we can do to improve our care, the better we're going to be at our profession. All midwives want to do is to provide safe, effective care that is what is in the best interest of that woman. We are advocates for women and for their families.” You can download the transcript or read it below. [00:00:00] Sharon Jones: Welcome to Behind the Genes. How is genomics changing midwifery, and what role are midwives playing in shaping the future of genomic healthcare? Also, do midwives just deliver babies, or is their role much broader than many people realise? [00:00:16] My name is Sharon Jones, and in this podcast we cover everything from cutting-edge research to real life stories in genomic healthcare. [00:00:23] Joining me today are Katie Handley, Fiona Smith, and Jess Fletcher. Katie is Maternal and Child Health Clinical Lead for the Generation Study, Fiona is a research midwife for the Generation Study at Rosie Hospital in Cambridgeshire, and Jess is a safety and quality midwife at the Rosie Hospital, and a participant on the Generation Study. [00:00:42] Together, we'll be exploring how midwifery's evolving, where research fits into clinical practice, and what genomics mean for maternity care now and in the future. We kicked off this one by asking Katie what roles midwives play day to day. [00:00:56] Kate Handley: I think when people think of midwives, they think of helping a lady to have a baby. [00:01:01] We're there for the birth, we're there to catch the baby, but it is so, so much more than that. We're there from the moment a woman becomes pregnant or even before that. We can help with prenatal, uh, preconception care. We're there all the way through the pregnancy, for the birth, and then afterwards as well, we'll look after the lady, her family, until, until we hand the baby and, and her over to the health visitor or to whoever's next in her care pathway. [00:01:25] But that's just looking at clinical midwives for the... that are involved directly in that particular pregnancy. There's midwives doing all sorts of other roles. I think I'm a really good example of that. So I am a clinic- I was a clinical midwife. I am a registered midwife, but now I work as a clinical lead, so I'm using my midwifery background and my midwifery skills in a research environment, but to help people who don't know as much about midwifery to implement a research study, and how we can make a research study real in a clinical environment. [00:01:59] So that's one example, but there are so many other things, and we have midwives doing screening roles and lots and lots of midwives working in research as well. [00:02:08] Sharon Jones: That's interesting. I've got a couple of friends who are midwives, and I would never have known, like, the extent and scope of their role. [00:02:14] Kate Handley: Yeah, I think people might be surprised to hear that you can be a midwife but never actually even see a pregnant person. So we have midwives that are academics, for example, or midwives that are lecturing at universities, midwives that are working behind the scenes in risk and governance and looking after the safety aspect. [00:02:30] Sharon Jones: That's amazing. I would never have known that. So Fiona, how has your role as a midwife changed over the years? Because you've gone through quite a bit of a transition, haven't you? [00:02:39] Fiona Smith: I have. Before I even became a midwife, I was, I was nursing. That nursing pathway was not academic, as we now have to undertake academic training to become a midwife. [00:02:50] So we... the training was very different. It was very hospital-based, and this is what you do, this is what we do. You would do some observation. You'd have a go. You'd get signed off. That really was my nursing background, and then when I started to explore midwifery, and it was much more academic, and that I was going to do the university pathway, I doubted that that would be something that I could actually even contemplate. [00:03:15] Moving forward 20 years, here I am. I've had various roles: community midwife, running birth centres, and then more recently, the last six years, joining a university hospital which has a, a, a big emphasis on research and academic training, brought in lots of students, medical students, and others. I saw some research that was happening at the hospital and became quite curious, took the plunge, and the last two years I've been working as a research midwife, which was a real surprise to me to find that this is where I am, and to actually be working on a genomic study is an even bigger surprise. [00:03:57] If you'd asked me 20 years ago that this is where I'd be, I'd probably have laughed and said, "No, that's not something that I could even be contemplating." [00:04:07] Sharon Jones: That's fascinating. It's fascinating, the journey you've been on and how midwifery and nursing training has evolved more broadly. So Jess, how does that compare with your own journey in midwifery? [00:04:19] Jess Fletcher: Similarly, actually, like off the back of what Katie and Fiona are saying, you do kind of go into midwifery thinking that your career is going to very much look like providing labour care and catching babies, which is a wonderful part of the job. And that is very much my background, is that I have been, like, a labour and delivery midwife, usually on the birth centre or in the community doing home birth. [00:04:43] So, and never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would pivot and go into something specialist. I think you k- ... Well, in my case, certainly, I kind of fell into it, quite literally, uh, because I broke my ankle and then had- ... to work from home for quite some time. I was offered to be off sick, and I was working at a new trust, and I kind of wanted to, so to speak, keep my foot in the door. [00:05:05] And I said, "Oh, I, there must be something I can do from home." And they set me up to do some auditing, which quite frankly, a few years prior I would've ... Yeah, you couldn't have paid me all the money in the world to do auditing. And then, lo and behold, I found it so fascinating, not just the process, but kind of seeing how that then would kind of implement us in clinical practice. [00:05:28] And now I'm a safety and quality improvement midwife. My office is on a birth centre though, so it does mean that I still very much work clinically. So yeah, so a similar story. [00:05:38] We're such a highly skilled profession that we can apply it in so many different ways. And now of course, I'm on maternity leave with my third baby. [00:05:46] Sharon Jones: Congratulations. [00:05:47] Jess Fletcher: And so taking a little, a little break, but really lovely to talk about it all today actually. [00:05:52] Sharon Jones: Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for sharing that. [00:05:53] So as mentioned, alongside clinical care, midwives are, are playing this increasingly important role in research. [00:06:00] And though it's something that people might not necessarily realise and they might not associate with the profession, I'd love to explore what that actually means in practice and how midwives have become involved in this space. So Katie, where does research fit in with midwifery today, and how do midwives get involved in that space, and is that something that all midwives are engaged with? [00:06:21] Or is it a more specialist kind of pathway? [00:06:23] Kate Handley: It can be a specialist pathway, but I think what's really, really important to realise here is that every single midwife is involved in, in research, whether they realise it or not, or midwifery care, has got to be evidence-based. Everything we do is evidence-based, um, because that's what keeps midwifery care as safe as it possibly can be, and we can only get that evidence base from doing research. [00:06:46] So even if midwives aren't taking part in a research study themselves, if they're not, you know, getting consent from people to do research studies, the care that they are giving comes from research that has been done in some space. Even if that's not within the UK, it's research that has been done. So research is incredibly important. [00:07:03] That's how we evolve, um, our care, how we evolve our pathways, evolve our guidelines is through that, through that research. [00:07:11] Sharon Jones: So can you talk to the audience about what is a research midwife versus a clinical midwife? [00:07:16] Kate Handley: So a clinical midwife generally is somebody that will have hands-on care during the antenatal and intrapartum or, or postnatal period. [00:07:24] A research midwife, often that will be someone who still works on a ward, in a hospital, but is helping to put research into place. So that may be running a study and taking consent from women to take to be part of that study, and then doing whatever the study needs. Or it can be actually conducting their own research, it can be writing, it can be an academic form of, of midwifery as well. [00:07:49] It's really, really important, and it really depends on the hospital and on the trust how much that research is incorporated into the clinical care, and sometimes it can be quite separate. But both very, very important. And the Royal College of Midwives are really, really trying to work on making research part of general midwifery care. [00:08:09] It's something that undergraduates need to do now as part of their, their degree, which all midwives have to do a degree to become a midwife. They have to do research. They have to be involved in research. Midwives in their first year of being qualified should still be having a research role and looking at how research can broaden their clinical skills, and it's something that should be going on throughout their entire career [00:08:32] Sharon Jones: Yeah, that's great. [00:08:33] Fiona, what does a typical day look like in your kind of research-focused role? [00:08:38] Fiona Smith: Firstly, just to say, when I moved from a clinical role into the research role, I thought I was going to miss that kind of adrenaline rush that does come with being a clinical midwife. And so I thought, it-- this is so quiet, it's just a really very different pace. [00:08:54] But actually, there are deadlines and things like that. So yeah, on a daily basis, it is really... it's a really busy day. [00:09:02] So we can be answering our emails and inquiries about research. We're liaising with the clinical team, so I'm involved in a screening study, so we, we need to collect samples. So we go and collect samples, we register those samples. [00:09:19] We're then approaching our patients or ladies that come in to have scans, or they might be in the antenatal ward. We liaise with the community midwives who might have people that want to take part in the study, so we do a lot of communication with the women through that way. [00:09:38] And having the background as a midwife, having that holistic approach has really, really broadened, you know, and really helped support my role as a midwife. Having-- transferring those skills has been incredible. [00:09:53] Sharon Jones: So what kind of studies do midwives support? [00:10:03] Fiona Smith: So apart from the genomic studies, uh, because a, a lot of genetic-based studies are going on within our trust. Where they're looking at trying to understand why things happen and see if there's a genomic h- component that might be attributed to conditions. We've got observational studies where we use lots of questionnaires to ask patients about their experiences. We've got interventional studies, so that could be testing a new drug or an interventions, just testing something that might work and, and might build that into that evidence base to - [00:10:32] You know, to put into practice. I'm really surprised at the portfolio of, of studies that is available. So they could be, um, not just maternity-based, but the obviously obstetric-based and studies, and we do a lot of gynae studies as well, so we work alongside the gynecologists. [00:10:51] Sharon Jones: So Katie, genomics is becoming more visible in healthcare. How is that showing up in maternity care more broadly? [00:10:58] Kate Handley: So I think what's really important to note here is that genomics has always been really important in, um, maternity care. [00:11:04] It's just that midwives potentially didn't know that they were doing it. Um, so from the very moment that we book a pregnancy, so when, when a woman has her first appointment at, you know, 8-10 weeks, we're already using genomics to plan her, her care. So we're asking about family history. We're asking about a predisposition to, um, heart disease, for example, or heart conditions or diabetes, or things that we will then use to plan a, a pregnancy going forwards. [00:11:30] We're looking at, yeah, family history. Uh, we're doing screening, antenatal screening, which, uh, some of the tests there are genomic based. And then after the 20-week scan, for example, if we find some sorts of congenital abnormalities, we can use genomic testing then to find out what, what is potentially wrong with the baby and what we can do about it. [00:11:50] And then moving forward throughout that pregnancy, genomics is also really important in bereavement care. So if there's a history of multiple miscarriages, for example, or if a baby is stillborn, we can use genomic testing to find out any reasons for that and to hopefully improve, um, care for that woman going forwards as well. [00:12:08] The big thing that's going on at the moment for genomics in maternity and midwifery is, uh, newborn screening At the moment, our newborn screening is looking for, uh, nine or 10 different conditions, um, which are very rare, but do have some treatment if they are caught early. What we're doing with whole genome sequencing, where genomic testing is looking to see whether we can find a much larger range of conditions much earlier in the baby's life to see if we can improve outcomes for those babies. [00:12:38] And so that's a huge role of genetics. Yeah, absolutely. [00:12:41] Sharon Jones: So Fiona, how confident do midwives generally feel about discussing genomics with families, even though Katie's just said it's not sort of nothing new and it's always sort of been there, maybe badged differently. How do you feel that midwives feel about talking about it when they are talking to families? [00:12:59] Fiona Smith: They probably don't feel, you know, very confident speaking about it. And I definitely wouldn't have been able to speak confidently in a comm- as a community midwife, uh role. But what, what is great about the hospital is that we know that they're where to refer to. So we've got the fetal medicine midwives who are available at any point to talk us through what to say to women or to help us, and the screening team are really useful and are on hand to, again, help us navigate that and what to, you know, what to say to parents. [00:13:36] We've got a really good patient record system as well, so we should, we, you know, the notes are very accurate. We should be able to, uh, follow through from what the parents have been told already, what their journey looks like. So although we're not 100% confident, but I think the students coming through, they're going to have res- acquire a lot more knowledge. [00:13:59] And also our midwifery standards imply that genomics should be part of that everyday conversation that midwives are having. So although it isn't something that's familiar within our parlance. I think going forward, I think it definitely will become much more mainstay, if you like, just- [00:14:20] something that we will be naturally talking about because you know, let's face it, genomics is here. I want to say being part of the Generation Study team, because I'm quite visible and everybody seems to know me because I've, I've transitioned from one role to the other, you know, we are visible. I'm stopped quite a lot, and midwives are asking the questions and, "Well, why?" [00:14:43] You know, "Why is it important?" Just even to be able to talk about, you know, that we've, we're building up a database, data that's going to be used for future reference. Being able to have those conversations with, with the midwives now will really help that confidence. It's something that I didn't think I'd ever have a conversation with. [00:15:02] I don't have very deep conversations, but I know where there are people if I do need to get those answers. [00:15:09] Kate Handley: No, um, I think going with what, what Fiona says, I think it's really interesting that pregnancies generally now are becoming a lot more complex. Um, we're seeing a lot more high-risk pregnancies, and I think that we will find that, that women and their families, their knowledge of genomics is probably going to increase as well because we're going to see genomic testing more widely in, in healthcare, and that's going to have to then flow through into maternity and into midwifery knowledge because women are coming in with more of a baseline knowledge as well. [00:15:40] And when we're dealing with more complex pregnancies and more high-risk pregnancies, genomics is a huge part of that. We, you know- Mm ... because we're going to be looking at things like pharmacogenetics, where we can see what kind of treatments are going to be best for these women and how that can then impact on their pregnancies. [00:15:56] I think epigenetics is becoming more and more talked about and more interesting in maternity, you know, and it's really important that midwives are aware that we've been speaking for years about the impact of smoking, alcohol, all of the outside factors on a pregnancy. But when we actually consider that from a genetic point of view, and that these genetic changes could potentially then be feeding down through generations, it brings a whole new level to the, to that aspect of maternity that, that midwives do need to know about. [00:16:27] So I, I think Fiona's right. I think that there is a lack of confidence when you hear the word genomics, but as soon as you explain what genomics actually means, then that confidence can be boosted. And I think that as we go forwards, there's so much work being done in the training and education systems for universities, for midwives that are already practicing. [00:16:53] We're really trying to, to improve that confidence and competence. Within the Generation Study, that's something that we're working really, really hard on, is to make sure that we're giving all the really appropriate training to the midwives that are involved in it, and that's not just the research teams that are, uh, that are asking consent from the participants, but that's for the wider team as well to, to help the, the midwives who are taking samples, for example, understand why they need to take that particular blood sample, the importance of taking it at the time, and what that means for the family and how that can impact on, on the future. [00:17:26] Sharon Jones: So it's kind of a whole literacy raising across the piece, isn't it? Just to sort of go back to a couple of things you said there, for those who might not know who are listening, would you mind just explaining about, um, pharmacogenomics and epigenetics? Because I just wanted to make sure that we put it across for everyone who might not know those terms. [00:17:44] Katie Handley: So epigenetics, for example, that's looking at how environmental factors can influence gene expression. So how the impact of something on the outside can impact what's going on in the inside. And we do know now that, that environmental factors can change the way that your genes in your body work. So that can not only impact the individual, those gene changes can be passed down through to the next generations as well. [00:18:12] And we know that this can happen across the placenta, so what a mum does in her pregnancy can then change the gene expression of the baby as well. And then we've got pharmacogenetics, which is looking at how certain drugs and certain treatments can be individualised for personal care. So looking at a person's genome, looking at the way their individual genes all work together, and then seeing how specific drugs, specific treatments can be used for that individual rather than as a population level. [00:18:43] Sharon Jones: That's really helpful. Thank you. So Jess, did being a participant on the Generation study change how you approach conversations as a midwife? 'Cause you're kind of like in both camps, which is a quite rare and interesting position to be in. [00:18:58] Jess Fletcher: Yeah, it's been a really amazing insight actually. Um, it definitely will, and I think this will kind of, uh, piggyback off of what, uh, Fiona was, and Katie was saying about how confident are midwives when, when they're counselling for studies. [00:19:10] So, you know, I'm, I'm particularly passionate about, and I mean mostly all midwives are, but I'm very passionate about making sure, ensuring that the people that we're providing care for are making truly fully informed decisions. Like very informed, you know, not, not just signposting, but making sure that they understand, you know, what does this mean for you? [00:19:31] Like what could these results mean for you and your family? Because I think the, I mean, this is a wonderful approach in some ways, but very often we'll be met with people under our care that go, "Yes, of course. Like sign me up for absolutely everything." Like the, the more we know, the better. Mm. And actually, I think it's- Then having that discussion about, well, actually, knowing things can be very complex because it then opens up a lot more questions for you and your family, and I'm not, not suggesting that ignorance is bliss, but actually, you know, really ensuring that they truly understand what this could mean for them and for their babies. [00:20:09] And the positives of that as well, what this could, you know, how this could really optimise your, your child's health throughout their life. And so for me, you know, I've always been very passionate about discussing studies with, with the people that I'm caring for. But it was really amazing actually being on the other side and applying that to me and my family and my baby. [00:20:32] What I talk about this, you know, every day, and actually Fiona's right, they're a very visible team, and it's, and it's amazing because, well, for Fiona, because often if she's on the birth centre and a bell goes, she's often having to get stuck in clinically in emergencies anyway. So you get a little touch of that every now and then, don't you, Fiona? [00:20:49] But it means that they are very accessible. I felt I had a really good understanding, but suddenly it felt very personal. And I can't quite remember how it went, whether Fiona approached me or I approached her, because we see each other so frequently at work. I think that when my pregnancy became, you know, common knowledge, correct me if I'm wrong, Fiona, it was more of a like, [00:21:11] "Oh, here we are again meeting in a corridor. Oh, yay, I can do the study," type of thing. [00:21:16] Fiona Smith: I think you came and sat in my office to do the consent. [00:21:19] Jess Fletcher: And that was a really interesting part for me because, of course, as a midwife, you know, you don't get to see behind the curtain, so to speak, as much as what I got to do as a participant. So I got to come and sit with Fiona in the office with the team. [00:21:33] It was wonderful from the perspective as a pregnant person, but also as a midwife, I've learnt quite a lot, and I think that, of course, I'm not at work, you know, currently, but when I return, um, certainly the way in which I signpost and, and the way that I talk about research and this, and the Generation Study in particular, all of that will still be there. [00:21:54] But I, I do wonder if there's going to be, there's a much deeper understanding on my side And yeah, I think undoubtedly that's probably going to, uh, I will adapt how I then, um, talk to people about the study because I've, you know, had more of an opportunity to delve into, you know, some of the great stories that have come out of it [00:22:15] and some of the real successes that have been shared from the team. I think there was very recently a case where a genetic condition was found, but it was found so early that actually his quality of life is now going to be, you know, really optimal. And I just found the whole story really fascinating. So I suppose it's opened a bit more of a door for me on a personal side and a professional side to read more, and I found it, you know, that much more intriguing, I suppose. [00:22:41] Sharon Jones: Yeah, I suppose it piques that curiosity and also just hearing those good news stories. Yeah, kind of showing how, you know, a family's life has been impacted in such a, sort of the early part instead of having that massive journey of finding out what possibly could be the challenges a child is facing and not knowing, having that result so much early on makes such a difference to, to a family. [00:23:03] Jess Fletcher: Absolutely. And, and also just I think as well, because I work in safety and quality, you know, the, a huge part of my role is looking at patient experience. It's been great to be on the other, I mean, yes, this is third time around, but this was the first time that I had a baby at this current trust that I'm working at. [00:23:18] So, you know, it was really great being on the other side of that and actually seeing how streamlined it was, how the communication between the research team and myself as the pregnant person, how efficient it was that I was receiving various things in the post and through the kind of patient portal that we use. [00:23:36] And then how swift the results were as well. [00:23:39] I mean, that, I'm sure that can vary between participants, but for me, you know, you're so caught up in the, in the newborn weeks that you can almost forget you were part of a study. And then I, and then I got the results through and I went, "Oh my gosh, of course. I mean, what a wonderful thing to participate in." [00:23:54] And the fact that we're still a part of it really until he's 16 years old and beyond, if he consents. So I just think, yeah, it's been a really great experience to participate, but it will undoubtedly change how I then talk about it moving forward because I've had this personal experience. [00:24:11] Sharon Jones: Yeah, yeah. Kind of hearing that seamless experience kind of builds on the trust that, you know, you have in the study and, and, you know, the sort of people behind it essentially, which is, is really important when you're kind of giving your genomic data essentially. [00:24:25] So it's, it's really good to hear that. Yeah. So looking to the future, it's clear that genomics is going to play a growing role in healthcare, so I'm really interested in what that means for midwifery. How might the role evolve, and what does that mean in terms of supporting midwives who need to feel confident in this space? [00:24:43] Kate Handley: I think that genomics is going to have a huge impact on maternity care, and I think it's going to be really great to see how we can really improve the personalised care that we give to individuals that come through the maternity system. We try really hard as midwives to treat every single woman that comes through our care as an individual, to personalise her care plan, and the more information that we've got about somebody, the more information they want to share, the better we can look after them and the better care plan we can actually put in place. [00:25:17] So by using any genomic data that we have, we can really improve that, that care. If whole genome sequencing does become part of newborn screening in the future, we can potentially find these babies every day that we think may have a rare condition, and we can do something to improve their quality of life. [00:25:37] Sharon Jones: Yeah. That's, that's incredible. If the study continues and, and rolls out into healthcare, that will be, um, such an impactful and, like, really game-changing Sort of effect for everyone. [00:25:49] Kate Handley: It will be really impactful and game-changing as long as we do it properly, and I think what Jessica was saying is really, really important about genomics can have huge implications for families and for people. [00:26:00] So it is so important that people understand what they're signing up for in any kind of genomic testing, not just in the Generation study. And because of that, the training that we give to midwives in the future, and I say we, I mean that as universities, as midwives teaching each other, as all education bodies, the information and the education that we give to midwives is so important because the only way that we can ensure that the individual signing up for any kind of genomic testing are giving informed consent is by making sure the people taking that consent are fully informed as well. [00:26:34] As us going forwards, if all midwives can just embrace genomics, everybody will help each other build to a position where we can provide really, really good care. [00:26:44] Jess Fletcher: From the perspective of, yes, a midwife, but also someone that's fairly freshly postnatal, you know, decision-making during a pregnancy is actually really complex. [00:26:53] There's a lot of grey areas, and I think that decision-making, that can be really tough if it's your first experience or if you're suddenly dealing with something in a pregnancy that is more complex than you anticipated, and there's no right or wrong answer, and you're having to make decisions with perhaps not quite all of the information. [00:27:14] I mean, Katie touched on the non-invasive prenatal testing when we are, yes, we're, we're screening in, in early pregnancy for a number of conditions, but the non-invasive prenatal testing, it's not 100%, but it, it gives us a lot more to work with. And I think everyone interprets risk differently, don't they? [00:27:34] So if you're given a one in something chance that your baby might have a condition, it's very, can be really difficult and, and a very emotional process to make decisions around that. What's my next move going to be? So if we have the ability with genomics to actually provide a lot more information and kind of broaden the decision-making process, then - [00:27:59] that can only, I think, be a positive thing, or give them the opportunity to then opt out of any further testing, which is equally as important. [00:28:08] Sharon Jones: Giving you as much agency to choose without pressure and just giving you as much knowledge that you need to make the best decision that you can in that, in that situation. [00:28:17] Jess Fletcher: Yeah, the situation that's right for, for you and for your family, which is going to look different for every family, isn't it? [00:28:23] Kate Handley: And midwives are in such a privileged position because of the amount of time that we potentially spend with a woman and to get to know that woman. We have got the ability to actually explain things in a way that, that woman may be able to understand as well, as long as we've got the knowledge. [00:28:40] So, you know, genomics can be really, really complex. Mm. And it can be really difficult for people to understand, even if we do have all that information. So by using the relationships that we can build with those women, I'm thinking particularly community midwives or people during the labour room that are building these really intense relationships really, really quickly. [00:28:58] We really need to be able to use that to our advantage when it comes to actually information given to, to patients as well, and to women and their families. [00:29:06] Jess Fletcher: We're in a really unique position in our profession because we're very highly skilled at having to explain something quickly and under pressure, and try and capture and provide all of the information possible. [00:29:18] But also we work as part of a multidisciplinary team, so we've got access to a lot of professionals that can provide input and help with educating the patient, but also educating us. So our knowledge is always growing, especially around kind of research and genomics in, in particular. Yes, it's becoming so much more a part of midwifery. [00:29:41] So I think, yeah, I, I feel really lucky that, you know, we're not just in a profession that, it, you know, we do this day to day and that's it. It just feels like that there's always a chance to learn and to grow as a professional, and then impart that on the people that we're caring for [00:29:57] Sharon Jones: So coming to my final question, if you could leave our listeners with one message about midwives and research, what would it be? [00:30:05] Fiona Smith: I'd say even though it does sound like it's a scary subject, I think we need to embrace it. The technology that's there, you know, we've got it. It's here to stay. Yeah, just don't be scared. Be curious and excited. [00:30:22] Jess Fletcher: Yeah, and I, I do think... I, I think midwives in general, I feel like when we qualify, we also qualify with a bit of an inferiority complex, you know? [00:30:30] That we worry about what we don't know, and actually, you're right, Fiona, we really mustn't be scared of this. We, we carry so much knowledge. Our profession is, as we've already spoken about, it's so... It's amazing how much we actually do as midwives and, and how broadly we practice, that actually it's absolutely okay if we're not confident in delivering this information, or we're not confident about, you know, where research is going. [00:30:55] The most important thing is, is, is accessing support so that we can make sure that we are, for ourselves and for the people that we're looking after, we have a- as deep of an understanding as we possibly can. [00:31:06] Sharon Jones: Definitely, and, and talking about sort of multi-skilling and, and being kind of pretty amazing, Jessica, I'm, I'm very impressed with our guest that has joined us on, on your shoulder [00:31:26] Jess Fletcher: The generation study baby! [00:31:28] Sharon Jones: A newborn baby. A Generation Study baby, that you've, uh, done this entire podcast with your baby. [00:31:32] Jess Fletcher: He's done amazingly well, hasn't he? [00:31:35] Sharon Jones: Yeah, he's done very well, and that really does, uh, sort of show the power of your, of your skills, not just a midwife, also as a mum, as we know. [00:31:43] Jess Fletcher: Always a juggle. [00:31:45] Sharon Jones: It certainly is. Katie, did you want to add any more about leaving our listeners with a, a message about midwives and, and research? [00:31:50] Kate Handley: Yeah. I, um... Fiona used the word curious, which I think is, is brilliant. I think if we can all be curious about research, we're already onto a winner. And Jessica said about being brave. The more brave we are as midwives, and the more that we're willing to be curious about what we can do to improve our care, the better we're going to be at our profession. All midwives want to do is to provide safe, effective care that is what is in the best interest of that woman. [00:32:07] We are advocates for women and for their families. We want what they want. But in order to do that, we have to embrace research, along with safeguarding and health and safety, I feel like it needs to be everyone's responsibility. You know, we all have this responsibility to improve care for, for the women that we're looking after, and research is at the heart of that. [00:32:30] And the more research that we can do, that we can be part of and that we can implement, the better that our profession will be and the safer that our women will be. [00:32:39] Sharon Jones: Thank you. Thank you to our guests, Katie, Fiona, and Jessica, and Jessica's newborn baby, for joining me today and sharing your insights into the evolving role of midwives. [00:32:50] It's been fascinating to hear how midwives are not only supporting families day-to-day, but also contributing to research and helping to bring genomic medicine into routine care. If you'd like to hear more like this, please subscribe to Behind the Genes on your favourite podcast app. Thank you for listening. [00:33:06] I've been your host, Sharon Jones. Behind the Genes is produced by Deanna Barac, Florence Cornish, Sophie McLachlan, and Patrick Wallace at Bespoken Media.  

Chief Midwife at the Australian College of Midwives, Kelley Lennon, joined Ross and Russ to unpack the new stats that more and more women are choosing c section deliveries. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Community midwives are calling for an overhaul of the way they are contracted to work. 

In dieser Folge erzählt Hebamme und Gründerin von more midwives Lena von den Geburten ihrer zwei Kinder. Ihren Sohn bekommt sie mit Anfang zwanzig bekommen, noch bevor sie Hebamme ist. Als ihr Sohn zweieinhalb ist, beginnt Lena die Ausbildung zur Hebamme und kurz nach Abschluss wird sie mit ihrer Tochter schwanger. Lena redet über die Wichtigkeit von Geburtsvorbereitung und der kontinuierlichen 1:1 Betreuung während Schwangerschaft, Geburt und Wochenbett für ein bestärkendes Geburtserlebnis. Mehr zu Lenas Arbeit findest du bei more midwives und holabirth. Folge direkt herunterladen Den kostenlosen Guide zur nicht-medikamentösen Schmerzlinderung kannst du dir hier runterladen. Melde dich hier zum Geburtsgeschichten Newsletter an. Zur Schwangerschaftsyoga Online Videothek geht es hier entlang. Das Webinar zum Thema Kaiserschnittnarben & Narbengewebe gibt es hier. Hier kannst du eine Google Review für den Podcast schreiben und damit dazu beitragen, dass mehr Frauen authentische Geburtsgeschichten hören können. Zum MutterKultur Substack geht es hier entlang. Den Geburtsgeschichten Instagram Kanal findest du hier.

Reality is stranger and more intelligent than the official story allows.In this episode of So You're Living in a Simulation, Jo explores God as reality itself, the body as an interface for consciousness, non-human intelligence, UFO disclosure, ancestral religion, possession, women healers, Goddess theology, simulation theory, parallel universes, political theater, and fiction as an archive of forbidden truth.From Waymo self-driving cars to Witches, Midwives, and Nurses, Fallen, remote viewing, spiritual parasites, Christianity, colonization, and the intelligence of the Earth, this episode asks what happens when the boundary between “woo,” conspiracy, religion, science fiction, and accepted reality begins to collapse.#SimulationTheory #Consciousness #NonHumanIntelligence

Sophia sits down with Rowan Bailey and Sarita Bennett of Foundational Concepts for Midwives for a conversation about traditional midwifery, mentorship, persecution, peer review, and preserving birth wisdom.Together they discuss:practicing midwifery in illegal statesaccountability within the birth communitytrauma and trust among birth workerscompetency-based educationnervous system safety in learningsupporting the future of traditional midwiferyA thoughtful conversation for birth workers, students, and anyone passionate about preserving physiological birth knowledge.Connect with Foundational Concepts Connect with Born Wild Midwifery Some of our FAV products: ▶︎Afterease Tincture by Wish Garden Herbs: ▶︎Sitz Bath Herbs by Motherlove Organics: ▶︎HIRO diapers: ▶︎Mioberry Organic Muslin Swaddle sets & more: Save 15% with code: Bornwild15Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only. The views and experiences shared by guests are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice.We are not providing medical or legal guidance, nor are we encouraging listeners to engage in any practice that may be unsafe or unlawful in their jurisdiction. Birth choices, medical care decisions, and midwifery practices are highly regulated and vary by state and country.Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified, licensed professionals and to research the laws applicable to their location before making any health or birth-related decisions.By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own decisions and actions.The show notes may contain affiliate links. IF you click and purchase product or service I might be compensated. Thank you for your support. 

In today's episode, host Augustine sits down with Kayla Branstetter — English instructor, TEDx speaker, doctoral candidate in healthcare education, and author of the forthcoming book Don't Be an Athena — for a conversation that sits right at the intersection of storytelling, reproductive trauma, and the future of patient-centered care.Kayla's work in narrative medicine is a beautiful reminder that behind every chart, every lab result, and every clinical encounter is a human being with a story that deserves to be heard. And for midwives and birth workers who already know this in their bones — this episode gives you the language, the research, and the tools to do it even better.In this episode we cover:What narrative medicine actually is — and why it's been around for centuries, we're just now naming itKayla's personal journey through her mother's teen pregnancy, her own infertility and miscarriage, and how storytelling found herHow a patient's chart tells a story — and what we miss when we only look at the numbersThe growing mistrust between the medical community and patients — and what narrative medicine offers as a bridgeHow providers can support traumatized clients after unwished-for birth outcomes — including the power of offering writing as an alternative to talkingObstetric violence, medical gaslighting, and what patients can actually do — from documenting their experience to filing grievances and amending their own medical recordsHow a midwife or doula can be a powerful patient advocate in the aftermath of traumaVicarious and secondary trauma in providers — and how narrative medicine workshops create space for clinicians to reflect and healThe myth of Medusa and Athena — and why Kayla's book asks us to stop turning survivors into monstersWhy medical humanities is on the rise — and the medical school built next to an art museum that's changing how future doctors are trainedResources & Links:

299: I'm joined by Dr. Stuart Fischbein to have an honest conversation about modern pregnancy, birth culture, and why so many women feel fearful going into labor. We talk about the rise in C-sections, inductions, epidurals, and the cascade of interventions that can happen in hospital births. Dr. Stu also explains the history behind “geriatric pregnancy,” the differences between midwifery and the medical model, and why informed consent and individualized care matter so much for mothers and babies. Whether you're currently pregnant, planning to have children someday, or simply curious about how birth has changed over time, this episode offers a deeper look at the modern birth system and the importance of trusting women's bodies.Topics Discussed: → Pregnancy After 35 & “Geriatric Pregnancy” → Home Birth vs Hospital Birth → Fear-Based Birth Culture → C-Sections, Inductions & Medical Interventions → Midwifery Model of Care → Epidurals, Pitocin & Birth Outcomes → Informed Consent & Choosing the Right Birth Provider → Trusting Nature's Design During Birth Sponsored By: → Function | Check your health the way I do — 160+ lab tests a year for $365, plus the ability to dive deeper into your results with Function's trusted connections to platforms like ChatGPT and Claude. Join at https://functionhealth.com/REALFOODOLOGY and use code REALFOODOLOGY25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. → Qualia | Take control of your cellular health today. Go to https://qualialife.com/realfoodology and save 15% to experience the science of feeling younger.  → PaleoValley | Head to https://paleovalley.com/realfoodology for 15% off your first purchase. → BetterWild | Right now, Betterwild is offering our listeners up to 40% off your order at https://betterwild.com/REALFOODOLOGY → Clearstem | Discover the CLEARSTEM difference — Because CLEAR SKIN CHANGES EVERYTHING. Go to https://clearstem.com/realfoodology and use code REALFOODOLOGY at checkout for 15% off your first order.→ 00:00:00 - Introduction → 00:02:11 - Is Pregnancy After 35 Actually “Geriatric”? → 00:08:35 - How Mammals Naturally Give Birth → 00:13:12 - Why C-Sections & Inductions Keep Rising → 00:20:16 - What Counts as a True Birth Emergency? → 00:33:58 - The Cascade of Interventions During Labor → 00:42:20 - Midwives vs Traditional OB Care → 00:49:38 - Solutions for the Modern Birth System → 00:54:57 - Fear-Based Pregnancy Culture & Epidurals → 01:03:07 - Epidurals, Hormones & Baby Bonding → 01:17:07 - “Your Baby Is Too Big” & Birth Myths → 01:21:17  - Induction at 41/42 Weeks Explained → 01:25:31 - Why Birth Stories Stay With Women Forever → 01:28:37 - Final Thoughts + Trusting Your BodyShow Links: → ⁠realfoodology.com Check Out: Dr. Stu → Instagram - Birthinginstincts → Dr. Stu's Newsletter Sign Up  Check Out Courtney:  →⁠⁠⁠ ⁠LEAVE US A VOICE MESSAGE⁠⁠⁠⁠ → ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Check Out My new FREE Grocery Guide!⁠⁠⁠⁠ → ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠@realfoodology⁠⁠⁠⁠ →⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠PEOPLE VS THE POISON - Sign up now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ → ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.realfoodology.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ → ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠My Immune Supplement by 2x4⁠⁠⁠⁠ → ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Air Dr Air Purifier⁠⁠⁠⁠ → ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠AquaTru Water Filter⁠⁠⁠⁠ → ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠EWG Tap Water Database⁠⁠⁠⁠  Produced By: Drake Peterson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us for our special guest

The Mama Baby Fund provides maternity care and childbirth support to people on the front lines of climate change. Learn more at https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/ 

In this second episode, Dr Claire Feeley speaks with Elisabeth Ubbe, a midwife from Sweden who is also a prolific artist and photojournalist. In this episode, we explore how we met and our connections to 'Skilled Heartfelt Midwifery Practice' where Elisabeth, through her photography, has managed to capture the essence of such practice. As they say 'a picture is worth a thousand words'! Listen and find out more. Claire Feeley Elisabeth Ubbe -  Photographer, filmmaker, writer, midwife. Socials: instagram is @eubbe on facebook just Elisabeth Ubbe.If you want to contact her elisabethubbe@gmail.com

Injustice, Resistance, Small Things, Transformation, Mission, Culture

In this episode Mel casts a critical eye over the serious pregnancy complication of preeclampsia. She explains what pre-eclampsia is, how to diagnose it, how it develops and some strategies on how to prevent it. In this episode, you will also learn who is more likely to get pre-eclampsia so that preventative strategies can be targeted. Get your tickets to The convergence of rebellious midwives conference, tickets available NOW - it's not just for Midwives!  This great birth rebellion podcast episode is generously sponsored by Poppy Child from @popthatmumma. She is offering great birth rebellion listeners 25% off the Birth box which includes the oxytocin bubble tracks. Use the code Melanie at the check out to claim your discount. Just go to https://hypnobirthing-positive-birth.com/birthbox Grab Mel's Guide to giving birth without pain medication here. You can watch this episode on YouTube here Get more from the Great Birth Rebellion PodcastJoin the podcast mailing list to access the resource folder from each episode at www.melaniethemidwife.comJoin the rebellion and show your support! Grab your Great Birth Rebellion merchandise now at www.thegreatbirthrebellion.comFollow us on social media @thegreatbirthrebellion and @melaniethemidwifeIf this podcast has improved your knowledge or pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey please consider thanking us financially by leaving a tip to support the ongoing work of this podcast. DisclaimerThe information and resources provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice. Instead, all information provided is intended for education, with it's application intended for discussion between yourself and your care provider and/or workplace if you are a health professional.The Great Birth Rebellion podcast reserves the right to supplement, edit, change, delete any information at any time. Whilst we have tried to maintain accuracy and completeness of information, we do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or currency of the information. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss, damage or unfavourable outcomes howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.All transcripts are generated by ai and may contain errors

www.missingwitches.com/beltane-2026-midwives-to-new-worlds-mwrf-2026-part-1 The Missing Witches coven is trans-inclusive, anti-racist, feminist, pro-science, anti-ableist, and full of AWE and LOVE.If that sounds like your people, come find out more. https://www.missingwitches.com/join-the-coven/

Join the conversation by letting us know what you think about the episode!*** Correction: "I did notice one mistake at the end of the conversation regarding a statistic. I said that maternal mortality is 4 women per 1,000 live births in The Netherlands versus 1,000 out of 1,000 live births in other countries. What I meant to say was 4 per 100,000 and 1,000 per 100,000 live births." - LiselotteMay 5 is International Day of the Midwife and the theme this year is "One Million More Midwives". The message is simple but urgent: the world is facing a critical shortage of midwives, and without investment in the workforce, women and newborns will continue to pay the price. Every two minutes, a woman dies from pregnancy or childbirth complications, most of them preventable. Evidence shows that with one million more midwives, we could prevent 67% of maternal deaths, 64% of newborn deaths and 65% of stillbirths — saving more than 4.3 million lives by 2035. To discuss all of this and more, our guest this week is Liselotte Kweekel - a midwife with 15 years of experience in community-based care in the Netherlands, including home births and running an independent midwifery practice. She currently works as a Midwife Advisor at the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM). Alongside her clinical work, Liselotte has worked for and with midwives' associations for many years, supporting their development and strengthening their role at national and international level. She has extensive experience building partnerships through twinning, supporting long-term exchange, learning, and collaboration between midwives across different countries and care settings. In recent years, her work has focused on supporting midwives and midwives' associations in humanitarian and crisis-affected contexts, working closely with UN partners and national stakeholders to strengthen midwifery leadership and response capacity. Liselotte also volunteers with Doctors of the World in the Netherlands, supporting undocumented migrants in accessing appropriate sexual and reproductive healthcare. She is also a mother of two daughters.Where to find more information:International Confederation of Midwives website: https://millionmore.org/ICM petition: https://millionmore.org/petition/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/world_midwives/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-confederation-of-midwives/posts/?feedView=allSupport the showBe part of the conversation by sharing your thoughts about this episode, what you may have learned, how the conversation affected you. You can reach Raquel and Jennifer on IG @madnesscafepodcast or by email at madnesscafepodcast@gmail.com.Share the episode with a friend and have your own conversation. And don't forget to rate and review the show wherever you listen!Thanks!

message me: what did you take away from this episode? Ep 112  (http://ibit.ly/Re5V) Georgina Voss on FGM, one-to-one labour support and where governance can take you#PhDMidwives #research #midwifery #FGM #one-to-one #governance #leadershipresearch: t.ly/oV_kZPeople love to say midwives “just sit there” during labour. That throwaway line misses the point and it misses the skill. We're joined by Georgina “Gina” Voss, a midwife of 30 years whose career spans emergency nursing, maternity governance, FGM clinical work, and a PhD focused on what one-to-one labour support truly looks like in real birth rooms.Gina shares the moments that shaped her practice: learning to trust intuition when a patient looks fine but something feels wrong, being mentored by fiercely autonomous midwives who protect the birth space, and seeing how quickly normal birth can be disrupted when systems don't support midwife-led care. We also explore her work on supporting women with female genital mutilation (female genital cutting) and what good care requires, from using clear respectful language to understanding why deinfibulation should be the first action for women with type III FGM, plus the practical postnatal details clinicians too often miss.Her ethnographic research takes us behind the door, across home births and midwife-led units, including the relationship-building needed to be invited in, the ethics of being a clinician-researcher, and the constant balancing act that can look like “doing nothing” from the outside. We finish by zooming out to midwifery education and workforce development, including Gina's work helping to build a midwifery degree in the UAE aligned with International Confederation of Midwives competencies, and her advice for midwives who want careers in clinical practice, research, leadership, and governance.If you care about safe maternity care, midwifery continuity of care, one-to-one support in labour, and respectful women-centred practice, this one will stay with you. Subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a review so more people find the work midwives do when it matters most. Support the showDo you know someone who should tell their story?email me  - thruthepodcast@gmail.comThe aim is for this to be a fortnightly podcast with extra episodes thrown inThis podcast can be found on various socials as @thruthepinardd and our website -https://thruthepinardpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ or ibit.ly/Re5V

When our guest was born, her mom's labor was candles, olive oil, and vibes… Unfortunately, we didn't have the same experience. In this episode of The Mama's Den, we're getting real about childbirth — because between us, we've experienced a little bit of everything. The beautiful births. The “this is not what I planned” moments. The amazing providers… and the ones who had us like, wait, is this normal?! And if you've ever walked away from a birth experience feeling confused, dismissed, rushed, or just trying to make sense of what happened — you are not alone. We're joined by Certified Nurse Midwife Jyesha Wren, who breaks down what midwives actually do (spoiler: they don't just pop in at the end), how they differ from OBs and doulas, and why so many women — especially Black women — deserve more supportive, informed, and respectful care. In true Mama's Den fashion, we're sharing: • Our real childbirth stories — the highs, the surprises, and the “nobody told me THIS” moments • The myth vs. reality of birth (because it's not just crystals and calm breathing, okay?) • What midwives actually do — and why that level of care can change everything • The difference between midwives, OBs, and doulas • Why so many women leave birth feeling unheard — and what should be different • What to expect from your care team (and what you have every right to ask for) • How culturally aligned, community-centered care models are improving outcomes As Jyesha explains, midwifery is rooted in supporting birth as a natural process — while also knowing when to bring in medical care — creating a more balanced, human-centered experience.   This episode will have you laughing, nodding, side-eyeing your past experiences

This episode of the Midwifery Wisdom Podcast is a beautiful, globe-spanning conversation about what happens when birth workers step out of their comfort zones. Host Chetana sits down with Brooke, a US-based midwife, and Johanna, the founder of a birthing clinic in India, to discuss the "sisterhood of midwives," cultural humility, and the universal language of birth.In This Episode, We Cover:From Opera and Animals to Midwifery: The unconventional paths that led Brooke (a former vet tech) and Johanna (a former opera singer) to birth work.Navigating the Indian Medical System: Johanna discusses the challenges of running Jeevalaya Birthing Home and the "diplomacy" required to advocate for gentle birth in a rigid obstetric environment.A Journey to Papua, Indonesia: Chetna shares her experience volunteering at a remote, non-profit birth center and the differences between physiologic birth and the mainstream medical model in Indonesia.The Global Epidemic of Anemia: A clinical discussion on why low hemoglobin is a worldwide challenge and how different systems address it.Cultural Competency vs. Connection: Brooke shares a moving story about attending a twin breech birth for a Ukrainian refugee family without a common language, proving that being "with woman" transcends words.High-Tech Solutions: A look at how real-time translation earbuds are changing the game for international midwifery care.Key Takeaways"Don't go thinking you are going to teach somebody else. You should be going open and receptive to what they can teach you... checking our ego at the door." — BrookeMidwifery is a Versatile Species: Whether it's navigating "midwifery deserts" or adjusting to spicy local diets, midwives are uniquely equipped to blend into and serve diverse communities.The Power of Presence: In many cultures, the most radical intervention a midwife can offer is simply holding a hand, looking into a mother's eyes, and returning her agency.Bridging the Gap: International collaboration isn't just about sharing clinical skills; it's about providing the emotional support and "sisterhood" that keeps birth workers sustainable.Resources MentionedJeevalaya Birthing Home: Johanna's clinic providing care to marginalized women in India.Timekettle Translation Earbuds: The tech Brooke uses to communicate with her Slavic-speaking clients in real-time.Midwifery Travel Experience August 2026This 2-week experience takes you to Angel Hiromi Bhumi Sehat (AHBS), the only midwife-led birth center in Papua, Indonesia. Set near the stunning Lake Sentani, AHBS serves indigenous families who often travel long distances to access respectful, midwifery-centered care.

Dr. Kaytura Felix didn't set out to document the Black maternal health crisis. She set out to find the people who are already doing something about it. On this episode of The Dose podcast, Dr. Joel Bervell talks with Felix, founder of the Black Birthing Futures project, about what she discovered: a constellation of Black community midwives providing "deep care" — clinical, emotional, social, and spiritual support centered on care of the birthing family. "The family is the sun and all the providers are orbiting them," says Felix. But keeping the family at the center isn't easy. Felix shares what stands between deep care and the families who need it most.

Are you managing your life rather than living it? In this episode, Augustine sits down with Kristen Brickl, an intuitive licensed professional counselor, to explore the transformative journey of women in midlife. They dive deep into the "Good Girl" arc—how childhood conditioning leads to adult over-functioning, people-pleasing, and eventually, physical and emotional burnout.Specifically tailored for midwives and high-pressure caregivers, this conversation explores why "self-care" isn't just a luxury but a professional necessity. Kristen shares how our nervous systems impact not just our own health, but the way we co-regulate with the families we serve. If you've ever felt like you're "giving from an empty cup" or losing your passion for your calling, this episode is a permission slip to stop, breathe, and reclaim your joy.Key HighlightsThe Evolution of the Martyr: How the "Good Girl" of childhood becomes the "People Pleaser" of young adulthood and the "Over-functioning Martyr" of midlife.The Power of the Whisper: Recognizing the subtle signs of burnout before they turn into a "cosmic two-by-four" (health crises or autoimmune issues).The "Pause" Practice: A simple, transformative tool to reset your nervous system in the middle of a chaotic day or between client calls.Reparenting Your Inner Mean Girl: Shifting your internal monologue from criticism to the "loving bosom" of the Wise Adult.The Liminal Space: Navigating the "cringey" discomfort of transition—that moment in the birth canal of your own life where you can't go back, but can't yet see the way forward.Channel vs. Source: A revolutionary mindset shift for caregivers: how to be a channel for service without becoming the depleted source of it.Perinatal Psychology & Attachment: How a caregiver's distracted or overwhelmed state affects a newborn's ability to form secure attachments.Resources MentionedBook: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk.Course: Boundaries for BirthworkersConnect with Kristen BricklWebsite: KristenBrickl.comInstagram: @kristen.bricklWant more? Join our Skool community to access 90% of our CEU courses and more!MWC Spring Break Sale! Course Bundles, Midwifery Equipment and more - upto 80% off!

Running away verses running towards. Midwives and the potter's wheel. Moses saved in the ark. The name of Moses. The …

Care about independent and ethical news? Support Media Storm on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Warning: this episode mentions baby loss and birth trauma. How many times have you read a headline that tells you UK maternity services are in ‘crisis'? And how many times have you really understood why they're in crisis? A recent interim report into England's maternity and neonatal care had some brutal findings: hospital mistake 'cover-ups', negligent care from frontline workers, lack of staff and poorer maternal outcomes for ethnic minority women. But identifying the problems is just the beginning – understanding their root cause is harder, and something our press repeatedly fails to do. Financial incentive schemes that reward units whose data meets certain 'safety' targets put the lives of pregnant people on the line – but midwives with low morale, burnout, unsustainable working hours and stress take the brunt of the blame in the media, even when their voices are notably missing from the coverage about them. What's really behind headlines about a lack of staff? Is there really a woo-woo 'normal birth ideology' killing mothers and babies? And why are outcomes so different depending on skin colour? Here to answer all those questions is Leah Hazard, NHS midwife and author of 'Hard Pushed: A Midwife's Story', and Illiyin Morrison, perinatal trauma specialist midwife and author of 'The Birth Debrief'. You can sign Leah's petition for legal limits on midwives working hours here. This episode is hosted and produced by Mathilda Mallinson (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@mathildamall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠) and Helena Wadia (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@helenawadia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)  The music is by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ @soundofsamfire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this warm and deeply moving episode, host Chetana sits down with Rachel — a mother, visionary, and midwifery student from Jayapura, Papua, Indonesia — who turned her own transformative birth experience into a mission to bring gentle, dignified birth care to one of the most underserved regions in the world.Rachel shares how a VBAC at Bumi Sehat in Bali — under the care of the legendary Ibu Robin Lim — changed the entire course of her life. Returning home to Papua, she and her husband Ronald built AHBS (Angel Hiromi Bumi Sehat Papua) from the ground up: starting with just a plot of land, moving their own furniture into the building, and slowly gathering the equipment, midwives, and mentorship needed to open their doors in December 2019.This episode is a love letter to the women of Papua — and to everyone who believes that every mother, no matter where she lives, deserves to be treated like a goddess.In this episode we cover:Rachel's first C-section, and the longing for a normal birth that led her to Robin Lim in BaliWhat a VBAC at Bumi Sehat felt like — and why it changed everythingThe founding of Angel Hiromi Bumi Sehat (AHBS) - the only midwife-led birth center in PapuaThe role of Augustine (Maggie) in bringing gentle birth philosophy to Papua — and why her six-month visit left a lasting imprintWhy Rachel decided to enroll in midwifery school herself — after her own staff told her she "knew nothing"The ongoing challenge of training midwives in gentle birth when mainstream protocols dominateWhat changed in the birth rooms after Chetana's visit — upright births, birthing balls, dim lighting, and mothers who don't want to go homeRachel's vision for AHBS: a third floor, an operating room for gentle cesareans, a dedicated training space, and an ultrasound roomHow AHBS is funded — and what continued support looks likeResources & Links:

There is a moment after birth that often goes unseen.The visitors leave. The appointments slow. The world moves on.And a mother is left in the quiet—tending, giving, adjusting—while something within her is still wide open.In this episode, we explore what it means to truly care for a mother in the postpartum window.Not just to ensure her safety, but to honor her experience.Not just to support the baby, but to remain present with the woman herself.We speak honestly about the gaps many mothers feel in modern postpartum care—where clinical success does not always translate into emotional or relational support. And we begin to name what has been missing.This conversation is a remembering.A return to the understanding that postpartum is not simply a recovery period, but a profound threshold—one that asks for rest, warmth, nourishment, and steady presence.Together, we explore:Why safety alone is not enough in postpartum careThe emotional and relational needs of mothers after birthThe postpartum window as a time of deep transformationWhat it means to offer care that is embodied, conscious, and humanHow we can begin to reweave support back into families and communitiesIf you've ever felt that something was missing in your own postpartum experience…If you feel called to support mothers in a deeper, more connected way…If you're longing for work that honors both care and consciousness…This conversation is for you.You are not alone in what you're sensing.—About Kenga:My guest has spent her career inside some of the most high-stakes rooms that the perinatal journey can hold. As Lead for Obstetrics Care at Central Health London and Consultant Obstetrician at King's College Hospital, Dr. Kenga Sivarajah has guided thousands of women and families through both theordinary and the extraordinary passages of pregnancy and birth. Her specialist interests in high-risk obstetrics, maternal medicine, perinatal mental health, and obstetric risk management have shaped not only the care she gives, but the systems she builds. And it is the systems she has built that I find especially moving. Dr. Sivarajah pioneered a joint obstetric-psychiatry service in partnership with South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, bringing together two worlds that so often operate in silos, to hold women with severe mental health conditions in a truly integrated, multi-disciplinary way. That work was nationally recognised with a Royal College of Midwives award. What draws me most deeply to this conversation, though, is something that cannot be measured in awards or patient numbers, but how Dr. Sivarajah speaks about a woman's voice in the room. Whether a mother is weighing the decision around induction, navigating birth after trauma, or trying to make sense of what her body and spirit need in the weeks that follow... Kenga brings a rare and beautiful combination of medical excellence and genuine human advocacy. She does not just see the clinical picture. She sees the person. As Labour Ward Lead at King's, she has held a vantage point on what families truly need in the postpartum window... and she knows, as we know, that it is not only safety. It is dignity. It is participation. It is being seen.Links:Dr Kenga Sivarajah | Consultant in Obstetrics & Maternal Medicinehttps://www.centralhealthlondon.com—Are you feeling the call to know more about Conscious Postpartum Care?Reach out! ⁠Schedule a time with Christine⁠ to find out how this work can transform your care business or provide a meaningful career path.Here is the ⁠link⁠ to our free class@‌sacredwindowstudiesJoin our ⁠Facebook Group⁠Podcast Music is Composed by Sara Emmitt, graduate of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. You can hear more of Sara's incredible music at www.saraemmitt.com.

The Irish Nurses’ and Midwives’ Organisation has accused the HSE of a lack of ‘required engagement’ in relation to staffing as part of the transfer of services from Killarney Community Hospital’s current base to a new building. Jerry spoke to Kathryn Courtney of the INMO.

Welcome to Meizon Church. This is Episode #255 "Identity - The Courage of the Midwives" DIGITAL CONNECT CARD Fill out the online connect card... https://meizon.churchcenter.com/peopl... FINANCIALLY SUPPORT MEIZON CHURCH Give Online: https://meizon.churchcenter.com/giving Mail a Check to: Meizon Church 3411 NW 83rd Street Gainesville, FL 32606 LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL: / @meizongnv Contact our lead team... Vision Pastor - Kevin Bruchert - kevin@meizonchurch.com Operations Pastor - Miranda West - miranda@meizonchurch.com Media and Messaging Pastor - Joe Smith - joe@meizonchurch.com Credits: Producer: Jack Bruchert FOH Sound: Katye Poole Band: Kevin Bruchert, David Nations, Ven Williams, Teagan Allen Communion: Erin Bruchert, Ted Gilson Host: Erin Bruchert Message: Joe Smith Our Core Team: Dawn Bekaert Kate Mitchell Neil Lorenzini Kevin Bruchert David Nations Meizon Church CCLI License # 20909759

The NZ College of Midwives have won its class action against the crown over fair and reasonable pay. A court decision has found the way the Crown paid its lead maternity carers unlawfully discriminated on the basis of sex and the crown failed to ensure self-employed midwives got fair and reasonable pay. The case was heard in the High Court in 2024. College of midwives CEO Alison Eddy spoke to Lisa Owen.

Midwives feel vindicated about a legal win in a long-running battle with the government over pay and conditions. Rangiora-based LMC midwife Bex Tidball spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

The High Court's ruled the Crown breached its promise to ensure self-employed midwives are paid fairly and reasonably. After 18 months of waiting, the decision's been published. Justice Cheryl Gwyn also says the Crown unlawfully discriminated against the midwives on the basis of sex - and breached their human rights. NZ College of Midwives chief executive Alison Eddy says workers weren't being paid based on reasonable comparators. "And the fact that they're self-employed and had to carry the costs of that and providing a 24/7 service, 365 days a year." The Government says it will appeal the decision. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mothering the Mother: African American Postpartum Traditions with Shafia MonroeIn this rich and powerful episode, host Augustine is joined by co-host Israel Johnson, Licensed Direct Entry Midwife and Certified Professional Midwife from Oregon, to welcome the legendary Shafia Monroe — midwife, author, cultural historian, and founder of the SMC Full Circle Doula Training, the first Black doula training launched nationally in 2002 in Portland, Oregon.Shafia has just published her long-awaited book, Mothering the Mother: African American Postpartum Traditions, Recipes and Healing, and this conversation is a celebration of that birth — and so much more.In this episode we cover:Shafia's 11-year journey from journal entry to published bookWhy African American postpartum care has been largely invisible — and why that must changeThe historical trauma Black mothers carry, and the healing power of returning to traditionsWhy anemia may be at the root of more postpartum depression than we realizeThe herbs every postpartum mother should have on hand Shafia's relationship with Erykah Badu, who wrote the foreword and called the book "the postpartum Bible"Why more clinical visits is NOT the same as postpartum careThe ongoing "midwife problem" in America — and why change is urgently needed.The critical mass of home birth across US states and what it means for the future of midwiferyWhy we need to retire the word "patient" for pregnant people — and the word BIPOCThe burnout crisis in midwifery and why we must return to a collective modelResources & Links:

For most of human history, childbirth belonged to women. Midwives guided mothers through labor, cared for newborns, and held generations of medical knowledge within their communities. But over time, birth moved from homes to hospitals, and from the hands of women to the authority of male physicians. In this episode, we explore the hidden history of childbirth, the rise of modern gynecology, and the women whose bodies shaped the field but whose names were nearly erased from it. At the center of this story are three enslaved women in the 1840s American South: Anarcha, Betsey, and Lucy. Suffering from a devastating childbirth injury, they were subjected to years of experimental surgeries by physician J. Marion Sims, procedures performed without anesthesia or the ability to consent. Sims would later be celebrated as the “father of modern gynecology,” but the medical advancements credited to him were built on the pain, endurance, and forced labor of these women. We also trace the overlooked legacy of Black midwives, who for generations were the backbone of maternal healthcare in the United States. Once trusted community leaders and healers, they were gradually pushed out of medicine as childbirth became increasingly medicalized and controlled by white male physicians. Trigger Warning: This section of the episode addresses scientific experimentation on enslaved women and violation of their bodies. Created and produced by Tess Bellomo and Claire Donald For more RAM, go here! If you're interested in our premium channel for THREE bonus episodes for $7.99/month. Get added to close friends, hear about pop culture, and get to know us more! You also get the last FULL history episode here! HAPPY WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During this message, we looked at Exodus chapter 1 to see the egyptian Midwives. The midwives’ response to Pharaoh … demonstrated a profound fear of God and resulted in God’s kindness. This weekend, Pastor Steve Huffman guided us through these two important points as we continued our Villains series. This week consider what part of your life needs more of God's kindness.

Who are the unexpected heroes who helped save Israel's future deliverer, and what does their courage reveal about God's plan? Dr. Krystal Pierce explores Exodus 1-3, highlighting Jehovah's covenant power, Moses's struggle for identity, and the faithful women who preserved the prophet who would lead Israel to freedom.YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/u41LHmJSXAQALL EPISODES/SHOW NOTESfollowHIM website: https://www.followHIM.coFREE PDF DOWNLOADS OF followHIM QUOTE BOOKSNew Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastNTBookOld Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastOTBookBook of Mormon: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastBMBook  WEEKLY NEWSLETTER https://tinyurl.com/followHIMnewsletter  SOCIAL MEDIA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/followHIMpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastTIMECODE:00:00 Part 1 - Dr. Krystal Pierce02:41 Episode teaser05:20 Bio07:17 Come, Follow Me Manual and Exodus begins10:59 The Hyksos and then a new king 14:40 The Hebrews build storage cities and miraculously multiply18:59 Crushing the Hebrew's spirits and mud bricks21:40 Has the Lord abandoned us?25:42 Righteous leadership suffers also26:31 Midwives save the Hebrews31:20 Female Heroes35:18  Moses's family 38:19 Moses's ark40:17 A fourth woman saving Moses and the Israelites42:28 Jehovah is merciful43:46 Miriam and women as symbols of Jesus Christ46:60 Moses's first forty years49:22 Moses is taught his identity53:21 Midianites and liminal spaces57:12 Moses and a sixth woman who saves58:58 the Lord hears their suffering and remembers covenants1:01:09 Melted mud brick bottom and Jethro1:04:23 A burning bush1:07:38 Holy vs profane spaces1:08:54 Moses is His son and will deliver Israel1:12:36 Land of milk and date syrup1:14:03 End of Part 1 - Dr. Krystal PierceThanks to the followHIM team:Steve & Shannon Sorensen: Cofounder, Executive Producer, SponsorDavid & Verla Sorensen: SponsorsDr. Hank Smith: Co-hostJohn Bytheway: Co-hostDavid Perry: ProducerKyle Nelson: Marketing, SponsorLisa Spice: Client Relations, Editor, Show NotesWill Stoughton: Video EditorKrystal Roberts: Translation Team, English & French Transcripts, WebsiteAriel Cuadra: Spanish TranscriptsAmelia Kabwika: Portuguese TranscriptsHeather Barlow: Communications DirectorSydney Smith: Social Media, Graphic Design "Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com

Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. — Exodus 1:21 In our story today, at the beginning of the book of Exodus, we learn that many years have passed since Jacob and his family went to live in Egypt. Joseph, who had ruled at the king's right hand, is long gone and forgotten. A new king reigns over the land, and this Pharaoh sees the Israelites— the descendants of Jacob—as a great threat to his power. So he aims to control and contain them.Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, put slave masters over the Israelites, using them as laborers to build new cities. The people of Israel kept multiplying, though, so the king also ordered that their baby boys be killed. Midwives, who were trained to be helpers in childbirth, were assigned to be killers instead.The authority of Pharaoh dominates this narrative, but another authority is at work in this story too. In fact, much of the early part of this book of the Bible is about battles between the gods of Egypt and the one, true God, who chose to bless all nations through the Israelites, the descendants of Abraham.The midwives trusted in God rather than the Pharaoh, however, so they chose to be servants of life rather than death. Their actions helped the people of Israel to increase, and the Lord blessed them with families of their own.Again we see that God is faithful to his promises. Dear God, help us to be agents of life wherever we may be, and help us to honor you with our lives. Lord, thank you for blessing us, and may we trust and serve you faithfully. Amen.

This episode features a detailed birth story that explores the journey of choosing a home birth, navigating pregnancy challenges, and embracing natural birth practices. The guest shares insights on interventions, the power of intuition, and the importance of support systems.Sophia interviews one of her clients, Aine, where she shares how she navigates different challenges or obstacles, ends up basically free birthing at home, post birth challenges through breastfeeding and so much more. This is a beautiful and inspiring home birth story that will give you so many wonderful insights if you are considering home birth for yourself. To connect with Sophia visit: www.bornwildmidwifery.comTo connect with our guest, Aine, email her @aine.kimsey@gmail.comChapters00:00 Introduction to Anya's Journey03:12 The Path to Motherhood06:06 Choosing Home Birth08:56 Understanding Pregnancy and Health12:04 Navigating Pregnancy Challenges15:06 The Labor Experience Begins18:05 Anticipation and Emotional Journey21:03 Induction Conversations and Decisions27:12 Navigating Natural Birth Choices30:12 The Birth Experience: Embracing the Journey34:49 The Role of Support During Labor39:47 Postpartum Realities and Breastfeeding Challenges45:35 Empowering Birth: Education and ResourcesThis podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only. The views and experiences shared by guests are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice.We are not providing medical or legal guidance, nor are we encouraging listeners to engage in any practice that may be unsafe or unlawful in their jurisdiction. Birth choices, medical care decisions, and midwifery practices are highly regulated and vary by state and country.Listeners are encouraged to consult with qualified, licensed professionals and to research the laws applicable to their location before making any health or birth-related decisions.By listening to this podcast, you acknowledge that you are responsible for your own decisions and actions.

Precipitous labour and birth can be a real surprise if you were mentally preparing for a longer labour. Around 15% of women will have a labour that is less than 3 hours and these quick ones require a little bit of understanding and preparation to help you not become overwhelmed by it. There is often no time for pain management, you are on the ride! In this episode, Mel gives some strategies to help you plan and manage a fast labour and birth and also what to do if your baby comes before you get to hospital or before your midwife arrives.  This episode comes with 2 helpful check lists with quick tips for you and your support people: Preparing for a fast labour AND Born Before arrival These are in the podcast resource folder. Get access to them here This episode has been generously sponsored by Poppy Child from @popthatmumma. She is offering great birth rebellion listeners 25% off the Birth box which includes the oxytocin bubble tracks. Use the code Melanie at the check out to claim your discount. Get my guide to Working through birth without pain medication here with a bonus section for your partner or support people so they know how to support you through labour and birth without pain medication.  You may also love to join us LIVE! The convergence of rebellious midwives conference, tickets are available NOW. Get your ticket here - it's not just for Midwives!  Link to youtube  https://youtu.be/MndPC8eH1KA Get more from the Great Birth Rebellion PodcastJoin the podcast mailing list to access the resource folder from each episode at www.melaniethemidwife.comJoin the rebellion and show your support! Grab your Great Birth Rebellion merchandise now at www.thegreatbirthrebellion.comFollow us on social media @thegreatbirthrebellion and @melaniethemidwifeIf this podcast has improved your knowledge or pregnancy, birth or postpartum journey please consider thanking us financially by leaving a tip to support the ongoing work of this podcast.DisclaimerThe information and resources provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice. Instead, all information provided is intended for education, with it's application intended for discussion between yourself and your care provider and/or workplace if you are a health professional.The Great Birth Rebellion podcast reserves the right to supplement, edit, change, delete any information at any time. Whilst we have tried to maintain accuracy and completeness of information, we do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or currency of the information. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss, damage or unfavourable outcomes howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.All transcripts are generated by ai and may contain errors

Some of the most effective solutions for improving birth outcomes worldwide are rooted in relationships, not technology. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca Dekker speaks with midwife Stephanie Marriott of the International Confederation of Midwives about the global impact of midwifery care. She outlines what defines a midwifery model of care, why continuity of midwife-led care matters for both outcomes and experiences, and how trust and relationship-based care can influence Cesarean rates, trauma-informed care, and access to services. Stephanie draws on her work across the U.K., Asia, and Africa to share how countries such as Indonesia and Bangladesh are strengthening midwifery education, regulation, and deployment, and what that means for maternal and newborn health. Together, Stephanie and Rebecca also discuss the essential role midwives play in humanitarian and disaster settings, the global shortage of midwives, and the growing call for One Million More midwives worldwide. (04:58) What is a midwifery model of care? (08:00) Why relationships are central to better birth outcomes (10:27) Time, workload, and sustainability for midwives (12:20) Trust, disclosure, and safety during pregnancy (13:01) How continuity of care shapes labor and birth experiences (16:48) What is the International Confederation of Midwives? (22:05) Strengthening midwifery education worldwide (28:13) Rebuilding midwifery education where it was lost (34:53) Rising cesarean rates and the role of midwives (39:26) Why midwives are essential in humanitarian settings (42:35) The global shortage of midwives Resources Learn more about the International Confederation of Midwives: internationalmidwives.org Support the One Million More campaign: millionmore.org Explore UNFPA's work supporting sexual and reproductive health, maternal health, and midwifery systems: unfpa.org For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

Collagen supplements have become increasingly popular over recent years. However, a new review has revealed that although taking collagen may rejuvenate the skin, it won't stop you from getting wrinkles. Dr Ann Robinson, a family doctor, discusses findings on what collagen is actually doing for your skin. The world is short of nearly a million midwives, a new report in Women and Birth warns. Daniela Drandić, the Head of Advocacy & Communications at the International Confederation of Midwives, is one of the authors of the study and breaks down the reason for this shortage and what could be done to increase numbers. Plus, we hear from Sarah Namyalo, a midwife in Uganda, who is doing her best to serve her community under difficult working conditions. A protein derived from a tick could lead to new therapies for conditions such as MS and certain cancers. Known as ‘evasins', these proteins produced by parasites such as ticks block the inflammatory response and could prevent the immune system from overreacting and develop certain diseases. Gout is a common type of inflammatory arthritis that causes joint pain and swelling but often goes untreated. Journalist Tony Vinyoh was recently diagnosed and treated for gout, and reports on how the disease is managed and perceived in Cameroon. Plus, scientists have developed the first ever fart measuring underwear, revealing that we break wind almost double the amount previously estimated. Presenter: Laura Foster Producer: Hannah Robins Assistant Producers: Georgia Christie and Anna Charalambou

A 40-year career retrospective of Dame Tracey Emin's work has opened at the Tate Modern in London, featuring many of the artist's most iconic pieces, from her controversial, Turner Prize shortlisted My Bed (1998) to her neon artworks, textiles, bronze sculptures, photos, and paintings. Called A Second Life, it explores the connections and tensions between her early career and the work she's created since 2020, when she was diagnosed with cancer and underwent a huge operation. Tracey joins Anita Rani to discuss her body of work.Student midwives have contacted us to say many of them are struggling to find jobs despite a serious shortage of midwives in the NHS. A new survey from the Royal College of Midwives finds 31% of newly qualified midwives are still not employed in the role, and the majority of those who have found employment are on fixed-term contracts. Nuala McGovern hears from Safia, who is in her final year of midwifery training, and Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives.Molly vs the Machines is a new feature-length documentary that tells the story of Ian Russell and his fight for online safety after his daughter Molly took her own life in 2017 following months of viewing content relating to self-harm and suicide on social media. Molly's friends Charlotte Campbell and Sophie Conlan tell Anita why it was important for them to take part in the film.In collaboration with our Send in the Spotlight podcast, Nuala speaks to Schools Standards Minister Georgia Gould about the government's proposed SEND reforms.Writer and actor Kyla Harris joins Clare McDonnell to discuss reframing disability with her acclaimed BBC comedy We Might Regret This, which she co-created.Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Dianne McGregor

Irish author Marian Keyes has sold over 30 million copies of her books worldwide over the past three decades. From her 1995 debut Watermelon to Rachel's Holiday and last year's 'menopause romance' My Favourite Mistake, she's championed telling ordinary women's stories in all their glory, with plenty of humour thrown in. Now some of her most-loved books and characters have been adapted into a TV series called The Walsh Sisters which has just debuted on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Marian and the show's co-creator Stefanie Preissner talk to presenter Nuala McGovern about bringing Rachel and her sisters to life on screen. As the Government prepares to unveil its plans for a major overhaul of the SEND system, we hear from BBC Political Correspondent Alex Forsyth on what's been said so far and what's expected. The government has said it will spend billions to make English mainstream schools more inclusive for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, with Sir Keir Starmer saying that the experience of his late brother, who had learning disabilities, makes him "determined to change Britain so that it is truly built for all." The number of people with education, health and care plans (EHCPs) up to the age of 25 in England has doubled in a decade. Student midwives have contacted us to say many of them are struggling to find jobs despite a serious shortage of midwives in the NHS. A new survey from the Royal College of Midwives echoes that finding. It says 31% of those newly qualified midwifes are still not employed in the role and the majority of those who have found employment are on fixed term contracts. This comes a year after the government announced it's Graduate Guarantee pledging that every newly qualified nurse and midwife in England would have the opportunity to apply to join the NHS workforce. We hear from Safia, who is in her final year of midwifery training, and Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives. Award-winning British Nigerian fashion designer Tolu Coker joins Nuala in the studio fresh from kicking off London Fashion Week with King Charles in the front row. Her latest collection, Survivor's Remorse, is inspired by grief, nostalgia and childhood memories and is a joyful celebration of growing up in 1990s London and the community that shaped her. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths

In this episode, we're debriefing our recent Skills Workshop — It was everything birth education should be.We're talking about:• Why we believe in failing fast to fail forward• The “ahh” moments when the pelvis finally clicks• The creative simulators we built to actually understand physiology• Trauma responses and how embodied practice changes everything• Why how you practice is how you show upAt HJ, we don't just teach information.We train skillsets.Because reading about birth is not the same as holding birth.Social media has created a generation of loud birth voices — but personality is not the same thing as embodied presence. Posting infographics doesn't make you a birth keeper. Memorizing stats doesn't make you safe in the room.Being a birth servant requires:– Hands-on anatomical understanding– Nervous system regulation– The ability to read a room– Trauma-informed awareness– Humility– Real practice– Real feedback– Real peopleAt our workshop, we practiced how we intend to show up.We spoke to the models and dolls the way we speak to women and babies.Links for show notes:hearthmotherministries.com/journeyfirst-to-know listprivate communityemail us: hello@hearthmotherjourney.comConnect:Email us to say hi: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠holywildbirth@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Put in a request for future topics and/or submit a question for future Q&A episodes: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Fill out the form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply to tell your birth story on the podcast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Holy Wild Birth Podcast : Guest Application⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hang out with us and other Holy Wild Women in our private community (off Facebook): ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rooted in Eden PMA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Become a holy, wild birthkeeper with us inside ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Hearthmother Journey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠From Lauren:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Midwifery consults: Email  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rootedinedenpma@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠From Brooke:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trust God, Trust Birth Workshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - a 5-part high-level roadmap to a confident home birth (pay what you can)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Faith-Filled Home Birth Workshop ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- a free, 3-part video series delivered to your inbox⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Embrace Birth Journey ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠- comprehensive and holistic faith-based home birth preparation (courses + private community)Intro and Outra Music Credit -Betty Dear By ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blue Dot Sessions⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is licensed under a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Creative Commons License⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 

Join Augustine on the Midwifery Wisdom Podcast as she welcomes Ashley from Michigan, who shares her transformative journey from birth trauma to healing and empowerment. Ashley, a former ICU nurse, candidly discusses the importance of recognizing and honoring birth trauma, advocating for co-care and collaborative care, and the revolutionary experience of having a maternal assisted C-section. Together, they delve into the significance of patient rights, the balance between medical intervention and natural processes, and the profound impact compassionate, dignified care can have on the birthing experience. This episode is a powerful testament to the possibility of change and hope within the birthing community.Links: For more information about the Turnkey Birth Centre for Sale in Abilene, Texas, write to amy@midwiferywisdom.comFollow Ashley's Instagram @birthonherterms00:00 Introduction and Special Announcement01:26 Meet Ashley: A Journey of Change03:32 Balancing Art and Science in Birth04:08 Challenges in Community-Based Midwifery08:48 Ashley's Personal Birth Experiences21:40 The Maternal Assisted C-Section37:41 Standing Firm on Informed Decisions38:21 The Importance of Family Inclusion39:52 Advocating for Support During Birth41:16 The Impact of Birth Experiences on Mental Health42:28 The Need for Patient Rights and Advocacy44:14 The Role of Communication in Healing48:36 Transforming Pain into Power49:11 Balancing Passion and Parenthood54:12 The Value of Midwives and Postpartum Support01:04:20 The Importance of Trauma-Informed Care01:12:58 Advocating for Change in Healthcare01:16:54 Sharing the Journey and Future Plans

What if maternal health goals expanded beyond "alive and healthy"? In honor of Maternal Health Awareness Day, Debra Pascali-Bonaro invites us to imagine a world where pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care are not only safe but also deeply respectful, emotionally whole, and infused with comfort and pleasure. In this moving solo episode, Debra shares her personal connection to the origins of Maternal Health Awareness Day—beginning in her home state of New Jersey—and explores how far the movement has come, and how far we still must go. With maternal mortality rates rising across the U.S. and nearly 80% of pregnancy-related deaths proven preventable, Debra calls us to collective action: to hold ground, raise our voices, and reclaim maternal health as a human right. From advocacy and policy to embodied care and global collaboration, this episode invites you to consider: what does it mean to move from surviving to thriving with safety, love, and pleasure? In this episode, you'll learn: The origins of Maternal Health Awareness Day and its urgent mission. Why systemic inequities—not personal failures—drive maternal mortality rates. How safety, equity, and pleasure are biologically connected in birth. The protective power of respect, love, and support during birth and postpartum. Practical advocacy steps for expectant parents, birth workers, and allies. Mentioned in this episode: International MotherBaby Childbirth Organization  @internationalmotherbabychi3946   International Childbirth Initiative (ICI)  @internationalchildbirthini2273   FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics)  ICM (International Confederation of Midwives)  @WorldMidwives   American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)   Eat Pray Doula Advanced Retreats www.eatpraydoula.com  Pleasurable Birth Essentials https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/pleasurable-birth-essentials Resources & Next Steps: Learn more and access free resources at https://www.orgasmicbirth.com/black-maternal-health-birth-equity-resources Share how you're holding ground on maternal health using #OrgasmicBirth and tag @orgasmicbirth on social media. Review and follow the show—we'd love to hear how this episode inspired you! Connect with Debra! Website: https://www.orgasmicbirth.com Instagram:   / orgasmicbirth  X:   / orgasmicbirth   YouTube    / orgasmicbirth1   Tik Tok   / orgasmicbirth   LinkedIn:   / debra-pascali-bonaro-1093471    ----

Links: Today's episode is sponsored by Motif Medical. See how you can get Motif's Luna or Aura Glow breast pumps covered through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour.  Know Your Options Online Childbirth Course (use code 100OFF for $100 off) Beyond the First Latch Course (comes free with KYO course) Get more episodes and extra perks via Patreon! 

What happens when the birth you thought you'd have turns into something even more powerful?In this incredible unmedicated birth story, My Essential Birth Mama Rebekah Foderaro shares her journey from planning a hospital birth to unexpectedly falling in love with birth center care. Along the way, she opens up about pregnancy challenges, navigating provider options, trusting her intuition, and how preparation—both mental and physical—completely changed her birth experience.Rebekah's story is one so many moms will recognize: doing the research, asking the hard questions, and learning to listen to your body and your instincts. From the early moments of labor to working with contractions and feeling truly supported, this episode is a beautiful reminder that when you feel informed and prepared, birth can be empowering—even when it doesn't follow your original plan.I absolutely loved sitting down with Rebekah and walking through her experience. Her reflections on mindset, education, and partner support are incredibly grounding and will leave you smiling. This episode is a reminder that birth preparation is about confidence, trust, and knowing your options. If you're pregnant and wondering what's possible for your birth, this is one you'll want to listen to more than once.Here are some highlights from the episode: • What led Rebekah to explore birth center care—and why it ended up being the perfect fit • Navigating pregnancy challenges and advocating for herself along the way • How education, movement, and mindset shaped her confidence going into labor • What early labor felt like and how she knew it was time to pay attention • The ways she worked with contractions and supported her body through labor • How her husband showed up as a steady, supportive birth partner • What surprised her most about the birth experience • Why preparation made such a difference in how she felt during labor and birth • Her best advice for moms and birth partners preparing for birthWhether you're planning a hospital birth, a birth center birth, or still figuring out your options, Rebekah's story will leave you feeling confident in your ability to prepare for a birth experience you can look back on with joy. Don't forget to RATE & FOLLOW the Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy Podcast! Leave a Review! ⭐️ Here's how >> On Apple Podcasts Find “Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy” podcast Select “Ratings and Reviews” Click the stars! Select “Write a Review” and tell us what was the most amazing, comforting, eye-opening thing that you loved! On Spotify Find "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" podcast Click the 3 dots "..." Select "Rate podcast" Click the stars and write a quick review! FOLLOW "Pregnancy & Birth Made Easy" so you never miss an episode that makes pregnancy & birth feel easier! Here's how to do it in just 2 seconds: On Apple Podcasts → Tap the “+” Follow button in the top right corner of the show page. On Spotify → Tap the “Follow” button right under the show titles Let's Connect!Join the Course! https://www.myessentialbirth.com/getstartedEmail: hello@myessentialbirth.com. Follow @myessentialbirth on INSTAGRAM!