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Midwifery Wisdom Podcast

Advertise on podcast: Midwifery Wisdom Podcast

Rating
★★★★★
4.9
from
23 reviews
This podcast has
165 episodes
Language
English
Explicit
No
Date created
2021/11/15
Latest episode
2026/10/21
Average duration
48 min.
Release period
15 days

Description

Welcome to the Midwifery Wisdom Podcast This podcast is your go-to resource for practical education, thoughtful insights, and relevant conversations tailored to modern midwives. Each week, we bring fresh content and engaging guest speakers to explore key themes in midwifery, including: Advocacy, business, and clinical skills Self-care and professional growth Current issues shaping midwifery today Listen to meaningful stories and essential advice from leading midwives working to elevate care for families across the globe. Gain clarity, encouragement, and actionable guidance to support your business, practice, and personal life. Wherever you are in your journey, the Midwifery Wisdom Podcast is here to empower you. Together, we strive to make midwifery the gold standard of care worldwide.

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Check latest episodes from Midwifery Wisdom Podcast podcast


The Meekness of MEAC with Sarah Hamid
2026/10/21
Sarah Hamid, a student midwife in the Los Angeles area, joins Augustine to talk about what the direct entry midwifery education crisis has meant for students this summer. Sarah is a student at the National College of Midwifery (NCM), which lost its MEAC accreditation, and she walks through the timeline as she has documented it, from MEAC’s decision to step away from federal recognition to the withdrawal of NCM’s accreditation. She also explains how the acronyms fit together (MEAC, NARM, PEP, CPM) and what her own options look like in California. The conversation goes beyond the timeline to the reasons students feel left behind: the financial pressure on a student population that is largely working-class, parenting, and rural, and the lack of communication and accountability from the institutions involved. Sarah and Augustine also talk about holding compassion for institutional leaders while still naming harm, why midwifery education should be midwife-led, and what preceptors and senior midwives can do today. What We Cover-Sarah’s path to midwifery and her experience as an NCM student near the end of her education-A plain-language breakdown of MEAC, NARM, PEP, CPM, and how direct entry education connects to licensure-The timeline of this summer’s events: the Department of Education report, MEAC’s statement, and NCM’s suspension and withdrawal-What the federal report alleges, as Sarah describes it from publicly available documentsSarah’s options in California, including PEP, the bridge program, and the California-specific exam-Who student midwives are right now, and what the cost of becoming a midwife looks like-Holding frustration and compassion together, and why the lack of accountability is the central issue-The case for midwife-led education programs and midwifery-specific business training-Support for student midwives who are parents-Why this connects to the devaluing of feminized labor, with a book recommendation-A direct ask to preceptors and senior midwives Resources MentionedSarah’s Substack, with the full chronological timeline: sarahmichalhamid.substack.comSarah’s social media: www.instagram.com/talesofadaiThe Farmer and the Obstetrician: https://a.co/d/07rcWj7xStart a Midwifery Business Right: https://www.midwiferywisdomcollective.com/ceu-courses-midwifery/starting-a-birth-business-rightStudent Midwife’s Keepsake Journal: https://www.midwiferywisdomcollective.com/student-midwife-journal
When the State Comes for Your License with Salli Gonzalez & Octavia Martinez, Esq.
2026/09/09
Navigating a midwife license suspension is every practitioner's nightmare. Salli Gonzalez shares the reality of her experience.  Salli joins us to discuss the sudden news of her license suspension following a baby's death. This conversation addresses the vulnerability of midwives in the current climate, specifically regarding potential repercussions for comments made in online spaces. We look at how quickly professional standing can be challenged and the anxiety that surrounds public discourse for providers. Beyond the legal and professional, protecting your midwifery practice requires both emotional resilience and a clear understanding of the risks involved in today's digital landscape, especially when maintaining online professional boundaries. Subscribe for weekly midwifery wisdom breakdowns, and let us know in the comments: what steps are you taking to maintain your professional boundaries? 💬 0:00 The Sudden License Suspension2:04 A Career Built on Intimate Care4:25 The Day Everything Changed8:54 The Accidental Midwife Attorney24:29 The Weight of Unexpected Outcomes30:26 Treating Regulatory Boards as Prosecutors36:04 Screening for Success and Safety Resources & Links: 💰 Support Salli's legal defense: gofund.me/a54e40705🌐 Octavia LaVon Martinez, Esq: https://www.octaviamartinezlaw.com/🐦 Follow Octavia on X: @OctaviaLaVon📚 Take Augustine's Defensive Charting Courses: https://www.midwiferywisdomcollective.com/ceu-courses-midwifery🏡 Join our private community: skool.com/midwiferywisdom
Community Based Midwives are the Anchor with Martha Redpath
2026/09/02
Martha Redpath, a CNM turned burnout and boundaries coach, joins Augustine to talk about what happens when the people who hold space for everyone else run out of space for themselves. Martha traces her path from home birth CNM in Vermont to founder of Provider Space Coaching — a pivot that came out of her own reckoning with alcohol, burnout, and eventually grief after losing her husband. The conversation moves through the state of community-based midwifery today (closures, legal exposure, the pressure CPMs face that CNMs often don't), the martyrdom culture baked into midwifery training, and what it actually looks like to teach boundaries as a clinical skill rather than a personality trait. Martha and Augustine also get into nervous system regulation, the difference between CNM and CPM entry points into boundary-setting, and why the ability to disappoint people — kindly and clearly — might be the most underrated skill in this profession. Key Topics Martha's path: nursing → home birth CNM in Vermont → 10 years in a small hospital birthing center → burnout, alcohol, and the pivot to coachingThe current landscape for community-based midwives: closures, lawsuits, board investigations, and the Texas trend of using public social media posts as testimony against midwivesHistorical spikes in home birth rates (Ricki Lake's documentary, the ACA, COVID) and where rates stand nowCNM vs. CPM pathways into professional boundary-setting — and why CPMs often enter the field less boundariedThe martyrdom/"lone cowboy" culture in community-based midwifery, and generational shifts around itMartha's coaching framework: strengths-based reflection across eight life domains, nervous system regulation, "tiny habits," and discomfort resilienceGrief as a parallel thread to birth work, following the loss of Martha's husbandThe value of one truly safe confidant ("marble jar friends") for midwives carrying constant on-call stress Resources Mentioned:Martha's coaching practice: providerspacecoaching.com — sliding scale fees, one-off debrief calls, and a six-week burnout package built around The Big Life Journal Student Midwife's Keepsake Journal — the HIPAA-appropriate documentation journal mentioned in the mid-episode ad, with space for 100 birth records and built-in compliance guidance
Building Against All Odds & the Cost of Calling with Althea Hrdlichka, CPM
2026/09/02
Editor's note (09/04/2026): This episode was recorded in July 2026, before criminal charges were filed against Althea Hrdlichka in September 2026 related to her Fort Collins birth center. She has not been convicted of any crime. We're leaving this conversation up as recorded; you can find current reporting on the case through local Colorado news outlets. Show notes:Althea Hrdlichka opened a birth center in Colorado in 2020 — a state where CPMs were not legally allowed to practice in birth centers. She then changed the law. She opened a second location in 2026. She has attended over 1,000 births and she's far from done. In this episode Augustine sits down with Althea for one of the most unfiltered conversations this podcast has had about what it actually takes to build midwifery infrastructure in a hostile system — the legislation, the license battles, the EMS protocols that she believes are being used deliberately against out-of-hospital providers, the rivals who tried to bring her down, and the moment she almost didn't keep going. And why she kept going anyway. In this episode: Four births that led her to midwifery — and the one that changed everythingOpening a birth center she couldn't legally practice in — and changing the lawA two-year license battle, $70,000 out of pocket, and what pulled her back from the edgeThe EMS "stay and stabilize" protocol and what it means for out-of-hospital birthWhy she pays herself zero and what her sustainability plan actually looks likeThe homegrown midwife model — and why it's the only one that worksWhat midwives eating each other is costing the profession• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MidwiferyWisdom • Birth Center Incubator: https://www.skool.com/birth-center-incubator-4343/about • Guest Contact: https://tendergiftsmidwiferyandbirthcenter.com/about-us/
Rerun: Understanding Postpartum Psychosis (Beyond The Lindsay Clancy Headlines) with Aaisha Alvi
2026/08/19
When high-profile cases like Lindsay Clancy hit the news, public fear and sensationalism surrounding Postpartum Psychosis (PPP) spike—making clinical clarity and lived experience more vital than ever.  In this special re-released episode, we sit down with Aaisha Alvi, author of "A Mom Like That: A Memoir of Postpartum Psychosis." Aaisha is a two-time PPP survivor who navigated severe hallucinations, delusions, and several medical dismissals before finally receiving life-saving psychiatric treatment. Community birth workers, midwives, and doulas are often the primary line of defense in the first 14 days postpartum. In this conversation, we break down: * The clinical differences between Postpartum Depression (1 in 5) and Postpartum Psychosis (1-2 per 1,000).* What hallucinations and delusions actually look and feel like from the inside.* Why calling PPP "rare" leads to dangerous medical dismissals in emergency rooms and clinics.* Exact red flags, key phrases, and emergency protocols birth workers must use when advocating for a client in crisis. CONTENT WARNING: This conversation includes discussion of severe perinatal mental health crises, intrusive thoughts, and psychiatric emergencies.  RESOURCES & LINKS:• Learn more about Aaisha Alvi & grab her memoir: https://www.aaishaalvi.com• Follow Aaisha on Instagram: @AaishaAlviWrites• Postpartum Support International (PSI): Call or text 1-800-944-4773 | https://www.postpartum.net• National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988• Explore Midwifery Wisdom courses & resources: https://www.midwiferywisdom.com
From The Farm to Motherfly with Corina Fitch
2026/08/05
Corina was literally born into midwifery. She came into the world in an old school bus on The Farm — the legendary intentional community in Tennessee founded by Stephen Gaskin and Ina May Gaskin — and grew up surrounded by communal living, the absence of money, and birth as an ordinary, community experience. After years of practicing midwifery across six countries, raising three daughters as a single mother, navigating a nine-year mental health journey, and returning to The Farm as part of a new generation of midwives, she has arrived at something extraordinary: a framework for motherhood that she believes could change everything. This episode is for every midwife who has ever burned out, every mother who has lost herself, and everyone who believes birth work is about so much more than catching babies. In this episode we cover: Growing up on The Farm — communal living, kid herds, no money, and birth as a normal community eventLeaving The Farm at 10, landing in Hollywood Florida, and the culture shock of the "real world"Her first birth on her 21st birthday — and three months apprenticing with Ina May and the Farm midwives that summerGetting licensed in 1999, practicing in Florida, taking students to Honduras, and attending births across six countriesBecoming a mother as a midwife — and how her first postpartum experience shattered every expectation she hadA nine-year mental health journey including depression, anxiety, and eventually a bipolar diagnosis — and the shame of suffering in silence as "the one who knows"The vision for Motherfly — a new archetype for motherhood rooted in self-compassion, creativity, and community rather than martyrdom and supermom mythologyWhat matrescence is, why it matters, and why it should be a household wordReturning to The Farm in 2020 — driving through the Confederate-flag South with her Black daughters, the financial relief, and the racial reckoning of arriving in a predominantly white communityThe onboarding meeting that became a confrontation — and the "Midwives for Black Lives" sign that nobody would respond toHolding Ina May's legacy with nuance — the good, the harm, and the missed opportunityFounding Community Birth and Wellness with three other midwives — and the spontaneous passing of the torch at the Sanctuary SummitThe Motherfly nine-month group coaching container, the Matrescent Circle, and what's coming nextWhy our culture does a so-so job birthing babies and a terrible job birthing mothersResources & Links: 🦋 Learn more about Motherfly: motherflymom.com 📱 Instagram: @motherfly.tribe 🎙️ Corina's podcast: Mother Tongue — Reclaiming Motherhood from the Patriarchy 🏡 Join our Skool community: skool.com/midwiferywisdom 🌿 Birth Center Incubator: https://www.skool.com/birth-center-incubator-4343/about
Mother-Assisted Cesarean: Reclaiming Choice with Dr. Koen Deurloo
2026/07/29
In this episode, Augustine sits down with Dr. Koen Deurloo, a Dutch gynecologist at the Diakonessenhuis in Utrecht and the first physician in the Netherlands to perform a maternal-assisted cesarean (MAC) — a technique that lets the birthing parent help lift their own baby from the incision during a planned cesarean. What began as a single patient's request in 2018 has grown into a practice Dr. Deurloo has now performed more than 200 times, and one he freely shares with hospitals around the world. This conversation goes far beyond the surgical technique. Dr. Deurloo talks candidly about the home births of his own two daughters and how that experience shaped his respect for the midwifery model of care, learning to ask "why" instead of overriding a patient's choice, and building one of the most collaborative OB-midwife relationships in the Netherlands — a country where roughly 90% of pregnancies start with midwifery-led care. He shares research on women who request care outside standard guidelines, why the "dead baby card" says more about a provider's own trauma than about safety, and how he trains residents, midwives, and doulas to work from a shared goal instead of competing silos. Dr. Deurloo is also the author of Door de ogen van een gynaecoloog ("Through the Eyes of a Gynecologist"), a collection of 35 stories from his clinical life. Whether you're a physician, midwife, doula, or student, this episode offers a rare, first-hand look at what it looks like when a high-risk hospital system chooses trust and autonomy over rigid protocol — and how that shift actually happened, person by person. In this episode we cover: The story behind the first maternal-assisted cesarean in the Netherlands and how the procedure has evolved since 2018What selection criteria Dr. Deurloo uses for MAC, and why he doesn't offer it routinely to every patientHow the Dutch maternity system integrates first- and second-degree midwives with hospital-based obstetric careDr. Deurloo's research on women who request birth outside clinical guidelines — and what happened to their outcomesReframing the "dead baby card" as a signal of provider trauma, not patient riskHow to build trust between physicians, midwives, and doulas without changing the actual clinical carePractical advice for starting pilot programs and finding your "pioneers" when introducing new practices into a hospital systemResources & Links: 🔗 Follow Koen on Instagram for MAC photo series and behind-the-scenes footage: www.instagram.com/kldloo
One Fellow's Journey Through Burnout, Betrayal, and Rebuilding with Emmelia Cappelletti
2026/07/22
In this episode, Augustine shares a real one-on-one consult from the very first Midwifery Wisdom Fellowship cohort — a conversation with Emmelia. Emmelia is navigating a question many apprentice and student midwives face: what does a sustainable path in this work actually look like? She's processing betrayal by a preceptor who left her stranded without signed-off skills, wrestling with whether solo practice or a birth center model fits her life, and trying to figure out if she can be both a hands-on provider and a business owner without losing herself — or her family — in the process. Augustine and Emmelia talk through the Dunning-Kruger effect and why that crash in confidence after early competence is actually a sign of real growth. They talk about processing trauma from an unsupportive preceptor relationship, the difference between scarcity and abundance mindset in a competitive field, and why so many birth centers close within a few years while others last for decades. It's an honest look at the tension between calling and capacity — and a reminder that building something sustainable is its own form of midwifery. Emmelia generously gave us permission to share this consult, believing other students and apprentices working through similar struggles might find something useful in it. To learn more about the next cohort of the Midwifery Wisdom Fellowship starting September 1, 2026, visit our website https://www.midwiferywisdomcollective.com/midwifery-wisdom-fellowship-2
Pink is for Midwife: Birth Work in Bangladesh with Rafia Islam
2026/07/15
In this episode, Augustine sits down with Rafia Islam, a midwife from Bangladesh with eight years of experience spanning refugee camps, mentorship roles, and one of Dhaka's busiest labor wards. Rafia walks us through her training, her path from data collector to midwife, and what a 12-hour night shift with 13 deliveries actually looks like. The conversation turns to the realities shaping birth in Bangladesh: a cesarean rate as high as 80% in some private hospitals, the financial incentives driving unnecessary surgery, and the coercion many families face in the delivery room. Rafia also shares why midwives are legally barred from home birth in Bangladesh, how the country's neonatal mortality rate has dropped dramatically since 2000, and a harrowing memory of delivering a baby during a hospital fire. This is a candid look at what it means to fight for autonomous, respected midwifery care in a system still learning what a midwife is for — and a reminder that no matter where you practice, the work of holding space for birth looks remarkably the same.
Seeing Birth Clearly: Birth Photography & Fighting for Women's Choices with Eva Rose
2026/07/01
In this beautiful and powerful episode, host Augustine sits down with Eva Rose — Norwegian birth photographer, doula, advocate, documentarian, and creator of Birth Mood — for a conversation that spans birth rooms, operating theatres, Ethiopian hospitals, and the fragile future of midwifery-led care across the globe. Eva has been attending births for nearly 30 years, building one of the most extraordinary visual archives of physiological birth in the world — and along the way becoming an unstoppable voice for women's birth rights and informed consent. In this episode we cover: How witnessing her baby sister's home birth at age seven — and growing up in a family of photographers — set Eva on her pathHow a midwife told Eva "you are a doula" — and what happened nextThe closure of ABC, Norway's most beloved midwifery-led unit, and how Norway went from 70 such units to just fourWhy Norwegian hospitals profit from over-medicalizing birth even within a free public healthcare systemThe fetal scalp electrode post that went viral globally — and why Norwegian midwives were furiousHow Eva's role as a doula shifted from loving birth companion to consent advocateThe mother-assisted cesarean in the Netherlands — and Eva's mission to bring it to NorwayBirth culture across countries — the stark difference between consent practices in Norway, the UK, and SwitzerlandBirth Around the World — selling everything to document birth globally before COVID shut it downFundal pressure in Ethiopia and Eva's campaign to make it illegal worldwideBurnout, her lowest two years, and what slowing down has taught herBirth Mood — the visual birth preparation course now used by birthing women, midwives, and doctors worldwideResources & Links: 📸 Follow Eva: @evarosebirth on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook🏡 Join our community: skool.com/midwiferywisdom🌿 Midwifery Wisdom Collective: midwiferywisdomcollective.com
Sustainable Impact & the Art of the Ask with Vandana
2026/06/03
In this wide-ranging and utterly fascinating episode, host Augustine sits down with Vandana — doctor, public health expert, MBA, entrepreneur, beekeeper, candle maker, and one of the most multi-dimensional humans to ever grace this podcast. Born and raised in Bangalore, India, now based on Long Island, New York, Vandana has spent over two decades working across 13 countries in disaster zones, war zones, and underserved communities — always following the woman, always asking: what does she actually need to thrive? This conversation moves from the villages of rural India to the boardrooms of global philanthropy, from beehives in Brooklyn to the operating table, and from the burnout of nonprofit founderitis to the liberating power of learning to ask. There is so much in this episode for midwives, birth workers, nonprofit founders, and anyone who has ever built something from scratch and wondered why it won't grow. Resources & Links: 🌐 Learn more about Komselj: https://www.komselj.com/ 🏡 Join our Skool community: skool.com/midwiferywisdom 🌿 Midwifery Wisdom Collective: midwiferywisdomcollective.com
Narrative Medicine with Kayla Branstetter
2026/05/13
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: 📖 Pre-order Don't Be an Athena by Kayla Branstetter — available July 20th on Amazon and in independent bookstores 🌐 Follow Kayla: Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn — search Kayla Branstetter 🎤 Watch Kayla's TEDx Talk on narrative medicine and reproductive trauma 🏡 Join our community: skool.com/midwiferywisdom
From India to Indonesia: Navigating International Birth Cultures
2026/04/15
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 Mentioned Jeevalaya 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 2026 This 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.
Midlife Reclaimed with Kristen Brickl
2026/04/08
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 Highlights The 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 Mentioned Book: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk.Course: Boundaries for BirthworkersConnect with Kristen Brickl Website: 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!
Building a Gentle Birth Center at the Edge of the World with Rachel and Chetana
2026/04/01
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:🌸 SPRING BREAK SALE Save BIG with our clearance and Course Bundle sale of the year! Save up to 50% on course bundles, grab our full Informed Consent & Refusal doc suite for $799 (reg. $1,599), shop our everything-must-go midwifery tools clearance, and get Premium Skool membership for just $69/month (reg. $89). Shop now → midwiferywisdomcollective.com 🌏 Learn more & follow AHBS: Instagram @AHBSPapua 🤝 Support AHBS - Travel with us to Papua: Join Chetana and a group of midwives visiting AHBS in August 2025 — more details on www.midwiferywisdom.com 🏡 Join our community: skool.com/midwiferywisdom

Podcast reviews

Read Midwifery Wisdom Podcast podcast reviews


4.9 out of 5
23 reviews
★★★★★
Ama Kyeiwaa 2023/01/29
For every midwife
As an aspiring midwife, I greatly appreciate the wisdom shared with every episode. Thank you so much!
★★★★★
PaigeW81 2022/09/16
Don’t miss out on the MAGIC
This podcast is a must follow for me! We all have to keep learning and growing and this is a place to do it!
★★★★★
kattjj 2022/08/29
Love it
Food for my midwifery soul. Thank you!
★★★★★
crystal741 2022/08/18
Excellent podcast for midwives
I am a frequent podcast listener and this is one of my favorites! Well produced and the content takes a deeper dive into aspects of birth work beyond ...
★★★★★
Greengal253 2022/02/11
Powerful Podcast
Each week there’s a new episode with a new important topic and incredible guest speaker. I find myself getting drawn in like I’m sitting in a coffee s...
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