Understanding the Landscape of Mental Health and Wellness in Pregnancy and the Postpartum with Jennifer Summerfeldt

In this episode, I coach Trisha, a birth worker navigating how to best use a recent financial windfall. We dive into balancing big decisions—like investing in a marketing program—against other priorities like organic strategies, childcare, self-care, and creating business momentum. We explore actionable tips tailored for doulas and birth workers, including leveraging local Facebook groups, improving online presence with a Google business listing, and refreshing a website to attract the right clients. I also share insights into balancing family demands with business growth and making thoughtful financial choices that align with long-term goals. Whether you’re in birth work or another small business, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you grow sustainably while staying true to your values. If you’re considering a big investment or just need ideas for smarter marketing, tune in for inspiration and support!

In this inspiring episode of Midwifery for the People, I sit down with Daniel White, Co-Founder of QNTMLY & The CRD Challenge, and Founder & NPO Chair of Sleep Better Live Better. Nikko Kennedy, long time friend of Indie Birth introduced me to Daniel recently when she suggested I might want to be an ambassador for the CRD challenge (ti is so good, go sign up for free! Link down below). Nikko’s education and support around my own circadian health was pivotal in healing my anxiety and panic “disorder” (not really a disorder, a totally normal and understandable response to the stress/trauma/life changes I was undergoing and unraveling through a major spiritual lesson) earlier this year. To say I’m a circadian health convert is an understatement. I have blackout curtains scotch taped over my bedroom windows and my kids switch to red lights with me at sunset now, lol. But I digress! In this episode Daniel shares his personal journey from mental health issues, excessive screen time, and poor dietary habits during his teenage years to committing to holistic health and wellness. He discusses the founding of the Sleep Better Live Better Foundation and groundbreaking research on the adverse impacts of technology on today’s youth, including the benefits of blue light blocking glasses. This is an episode for EVERYONE, but of course is exceptional for anyone trying to optimize the health of themselves and their families. Daniel introduces the CRD Challenge, an initiative aimed at improving circadian rhythms, and emphasizes the importance of natural light exposure and community education. We explore what the creation of optimal environments for families might look like. This episode illustrates the profound impact of small lifestyle changes and Daniel’s mission to educate and inspire communities to embrace a healthier, more balanced life. Go check out the CRD challenge at http://thecrdchallenge.com/

In this reissued episode, I sit down with Isa Gucciardi to talk about her powerful book, *The New Return to the Great Mother*. We explore the deep connection between spirituality and birth, and how reclaiming that connection can profoundly change women. Isa shares her insights into shamanic practices, birth rituals, and how tapping into the wisdom of the Great Mother can transform the entire birthing experience. We discuss the evolution of birth culture since the 1970s and the growing recognition of women’s spiritual and physical journeys. Packed with inspiring stories and practical wisdom, this episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the sacred intersection of birth and spirituality. Isa is ALSO a contributor for our program the Sacred Birth Certificate which is enrolling through October 15th. Check that out here. 00:00 Introduction and Reissue Announcement 03:29 Introducing Isa Gucciardi and Her Work 04:23 Isa’s Journey and the Evolution of Birth Practices 07:42 Empowering Women Through Spiritual Connection 12:04 The Role of the Great Mother in Birth 19:24 Integrating Spirituality in Midwifery 31:44 Addressing Trauma and Repatterning Initiations 37:43 Stories of the Great Mother 46:44 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this episode of ‘Midwifery for the People,’ I allude to our new Sacred Birth Certificate Program which we are launching September 15th :)! For this first one, I’m joined by Stacey Ramsower, a contributor to our brand new, soon to be launched program, who shares her personal journey with pregnancy loss and how she has woven those lessons into her extensive training as a doula and somatic experiencing practitioner. We discuss her profound experiences with pregnancy loss, how it transformed her relationship with her body and work, and talk about conencting ot the sacred. We also touch on the broader goals of our new project, which aims to deepen and expand the conversation around sacred birth. I hope you love this one as much I do!

In this episode of ‘Midwifery for the People,’ I had the pleasure of interviewing Nicole Morales, a home birth midwife based in San Diego, California. Nicole shares insights from her diverse background, which includes teaching, co-authoring books on midwifery, and training others in breech birth techniques. She discusses the various roles and internal conflicts midwives face while emphasizing the importance of storytelling, nervous system work, and the evolving nature of midwifery education. The episode delves into the complexities of practicing midwifery today and offers perspectives on how to navigate the ideological and practical challenges that midwives encounter. Below I’ll include the caption quote of hers that we discuss in the episode, and that inspired me to ask her to come on the show. “This question, who are you, gets asked by the universe not just amidst birthing babies or when we are faced by challenges in parenting, it is also asked of us birth workers after challenging births and overwhelming experiences. It gets asked of us during the emotions of both grief and triumph. I have been many midwives. I have been the trust birth midwife. I’ve been at births where some might call me the medwife. I have emulated other midwives. I have been the burnt out midwife and the exhilarated midwife. I have felt I was even several of those midwives all at once. I have also come out of births and arrived in what I call midwife purgatory, awaiting my sentencing of how someone feels about me and about their birth. I have awaited my sentencing of my inner critic after a birth, vowing to never make a certain decision or put myself in a certain position again, and I have broken that rule and cared for a family similarly again, but from a completely different perspective. In all the seasons of midwifery, I continue to deeply trust birth.” – Nicole Morales You can find Nicole at restorybirthwork.com and on IG at @nicolemoralesmidwife 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 01:22 Nicole Morales’ Background and Work 02:23 Anthology and Storytelling in Midwifery 04:10 Perspectives on Midwifery and Birth Work 05:44 Reading and Discussing Nicole’s Quote 06:55 Navigating Midwifery Challenges and Ideologies 16:44 Midwifery Education and Nervous System Work 24:58 Breech Birth and Birth Work Experiences 28:35 Midwife Purgatory and Dealing with Outcomes 34:44 Shifting Conversations Around Birth and Death 43:41 Compassion and Generational Healing in Midwifery 48:21 Conclusion and Where to Find More Information

Wowee wow wow I have gotten to talk so some cool people lately on the podcast. This week I have Mel from the Great Birth Rebellion Podcast on and we really get into some good stuff. I invited her on after I saw the clip that the birth world was resharing like crazy, where some official looking Australian folks were talking about limiting homebirth access (or so it sounded) to ultra low risk women, which is a pretty small percent of women. It all sounded very Handmaid’s Tale and I asked Mel if she could come help us north american folsk understand what’s going on and also learn more about the state of midwifery in Australia in general. I love that Mel and I have pretty different ideas of “how” we can get to the same place with women and midwives having autonomy and power, etc, etc. She is working in the system. I’m working outside any systems. And yet we have a lovely chat, and I think there is a lot of richness because of the differences. We talk educational pathways, how to find hope for the future of birth and midwifery, regulations, advocacy and so much more. Also be sure to check out The Convergence of Rebellious Midwives here and more of Mel’s awesome work here. So have a listen and tell me what stood out for you or what you took away!

I was so blessed to record this conversation with Hannah Penaluna that was a long time coming! She is an experienced midwife who moved from state controlled midwifery landscape of Australia to the wild west (ok she is in the south but still) of Georgia, an unregulated state in the U.S. The episode delves into her journey, exploring her midwifery practice in rural Australia, how vaccine mandates led to her termination under disciplinary action for non compliance there, and her transition to home birth midwifery in the U.S. Her experience in both of these locations and versions of midwifery help shed a lot of light and nuance on the regulatory challenges we are facing as midwives globally. This is a conversation between two unlicensed midwives who stand fof midwifery autonomy, and yet, we definitely also talk about the disturbing trend of unskilled unlicensed midwives or midwife adjacent practitioners cropping up in communities. Our conversation focuses in on humility, continuous learning, and accountability in midwifery, especially when we are working outside the system. Listen if for some genuine midwifery wisdom and a fresh take on some of these old conversations that trend towards being too black and white.

This episode is SO MUCH FUN. I have really enjoyed stepping out of the normal birth circles and talking about birth with “non-birthy” people lately. The same old conversations are tiring and frankly boring. So this episode is an interview Jake and I did on Mother’s Day for the spiritual community called Aldea that I have been a part of since moving to Tucson. He asked me so many great questions about birth and spirituality, and the lessons I’ve gleaned, and hopefully you’ll enjoy hearing a different perspective and different stories than usual from me You can check Aldea out at https://www.aldeaspiritualcommunity.org/

In this episode of Midwifery for the People, I’m sharing a recording of an interview where Kristen Nagle of the Reclaiming Birth Conference asked me about my journey into radical midwifery! Different things come out when different people ask me questions, so this was a lot of fun I chat about my background in women’s and gender studies, my shift from studying domestic violence policy to becoming a midwife, and then the early years of apprenticing with Maryn. The conversation touches on the importance of community and autonomy in birth, the challenges of navigating midwifery regulations, and the impact of real-life connections and experiences in birth work. I definitely encourages you to check out the upcoming Reclaiming Birth Conference in London, Ontario (I might be there as a speaker!), where you can be surrounded and inspired by like-minded women. https://www.reclaimingbirthconference.com/

In this episode of Midwifery for the People I have a quick chat with doula Elisha Anderson about her experience trying to accept state medical care funds for her doula services in Oregon. She had reached out to me about midwifery school and shared a little about her experience, and I invited to come on and share more fully on the podcast because I think this topic is SO IMPORTANT. I am not professing to have the answers, but I do know that inviting the government into birth (through licensing or insurance) is not going to ultimately help women reclaim their power and sovereignty in birth. Find Elisha at https://medicinalmom.company.site/