This week, we’re bringing back one of our top episodes featuring the one and only Flor Cruz, aka Badass Mother Birther! 🌟

Flor is a: Latina Birth Worker, Birth Influencer, Award-Winning Doula and a Birth Educator with a wildly popular social media account @badassmotherbirther

She’s on a mission to normalize birth and celebrate women’s bodies—no matter how or where they choose to give birth. You won’t want to miss this powerful conversation! 🎧

Today’s episode is a rerun—a timeless favorite from our archives. Three experienced midwives join Augustine Colebrook for an insightful discussion on charting fetal heart tones.

✨ Topics Covered:

• How often should you chart?
• How do you determine if a baseline has changed?
• Most importantly, what data is essential for defensible documentation in case of a bad outcome?

Like we said—an oldie, but a goodie!

🔹 Special Update: The wonderful Ilka Fanni, featured in this episode, has since come a long way in her midwifery journey. She will be a mentor at our upcoming Pathway to Midwifery – New Student Retreat at Yokayo Ranch, March 17-18, 2025!

🎟 Reserve your spot now at www.midwiferywisdom.com.

Resources:
Fetal Heart Tones Course
Defensive Charting Course

Trigger Warning: This episode discusses sensitive topics, including fetal and maternal loss.

Welcome back to the Midwifery Wisdom Podcast! While we take a short break between seasons, enjoy this rerun of one of our most popular episodes. We’ll be back with brand-new episodes in just a couple of weeks!

In this episode, Augustine Colebrook sits down with Roxanne Anderson, a seasoned Texas midwife, for a powerful conversation about faith, birth, and the challenges of midwifery.

Roxanne shares personal stories from her early years, reflecting on her journey as a Christian midwife within the Born in Zion movement. Together, she and Augustine explore the intersections of faith, fear, societal influence, and the role of religion in birth.

Tune in for an insightful and thought-provoking discussion!

What It Means to Be a Birth Rebel – Season 5 Finale! 🎉

This episode with Dr. Melanie Jackson marks the end of Season 5! As a midwife, researcher, and host of The Great Birth Rebellion Podcast, Melanie dives deep into what it truly means to be a "birth rebel." She shares insights from her PhD research on birth outside the system, her experience as a private midwife, and her work mentoring midwives, and expecting parents in Australia and beyond through her impressive online reach!

Join us for this powerful conversation on informed choice, the challenges of midwifery beyond traditional models, and what it takes to create meaningful change in birth care.

We’re taking a short break, but we’ll be back soon with an exciting global adventure in Season 6! We’ll travel the world, meeting midwives from different countries to learn about their wins, challenges, and the incredible ways they are making a difference.

Until then, take care and make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter at www.midwiferywisdom.com to stay up to date! 💜✨

We're thrilled to welcome Meaghan Beames, a passionate advocate for infant wellness and the founder of Beames CST Training Centre.

As a Registered Massage Therapist and dedicated Infant Craniosacral Therapist, Meaghan has made it her mission to help babies and families heal. Through her hands-on work and training programs, she’s empowering practitioners to support infants with gentle, effective techniques.

In this episode, we explore the incredible world of Craniosacral Therapy—how it can ease birth trauma, support feeding challenges, and promote overall infant well-being using just 5 grams of pressure or simply by witnessing fascia. It’s a fascinating approach, and the science is only just beginning to catch up.

Whether you're a birth professional, a parent, or simply curious about CST, this conversation is filled with insights and practical takeaways you won’t want to miss.

Resources from this episode:
Meghan Beames' Website - www.beamescst.com
The Most Underrated Referral for Your Clients

In this episode, Augustine and Lucy share their journeys after 100 days and 1 year on the Carnivore diet, discussing what led them to make the switch and the remarkable changes they've experienced in their health.

Lucy, a UK nurse and Carnivore lifestyle advocate, shares how her work in healthcare exposed her to the consequences of poor nutrition and why she believes a species-appropriate diet is key to a strong, functional body. She and Augustine dive into the addictive nature of ultra-processed foods, the benefits of eliminating them entirely, and how fatty red meat provides the essential nutrients for optimal health.

Whether you're exploring the Carnivore lifestyle or looking to rethink your approach to nutrition, this conversation offers real-world insights into breaking free from food industry myths and eating for true wellness. (Not medical advice, just personal experience.)

Resources:

That Carnivore Nurse on Instagram: @thatcarnivorenurse
Dr. Eric Berg: Dr. Berg on the Carnivore Diet​

Dr. Paul Saladino: CarnivoreMD Website

Dr. Shawn Baker: Revero Health (formerly MeatRx)

Professor Bart Kay: Bart Kay YouTube Channel

Danielle Hayden, founder of Kickstart Accounting, Inc. and Augustine Colebrook sit down to discuss how midwives and other female entrepreneurs can thrive by staying in their zone of genius and outsourcing essential tasks like bookkeeping, taxes, and financial planning.

Danielle shares her journey from corporate CFO to empowering women entrepreneurs to take control of their finances, build sustainable wealth, and focus on what they do best.

You’ll learn:

• Why understanding your financials is crucial for business growth and profitability.
• The dangers of trying to do it all and how it can impact your business, sanity, and overall success.
• Practical tips on finding the right "midwife for your finances" so you can enjoy the wealth you’re creating while delivering exceptional care.

Don’t miss this conversation packed with financial wisdom, actionable advice, and encouragement to step into your entrepreneurial power as a birthworker!

Resources:
The ABC's of the BBC
How to Pay Yourself as a Business Owner - www.kickstartaccountinginc.com
Start a Midwifery Business Right

We’re so grateful to welcome Aaisha Alvi, author of the powerful new book A Mom Like That, to the podcast. In this episode, Aaisha shares her harrowing journey through postpartum psychosis with unflinching honesty. While early motherhood is often depicted as a time of joy and connection, Aaisha’s experience was marked by delusions, terrifying thoughts, and a health system that repeatedly failed to provide the support she desperately needed.

When her second pregnancy ended in miscarriage at 14 weeks, Aaisha’s psychosis returned—this time, accompanied by unimaginable and intrusive voices urging her to harm her daughter and others. Feeling evil and unworthy of life, Aaisha sought help repeatedly, only to be turned away at every turn.

Driven by her mission to ensure no woman endures the prolonged suffering she faced, Aaisha is raising awareness about this life-threatening condition through her book, social media presence, and volunteering with Postpartum Support International. Her work is helping families access the resources they need to prevent tragic outcomes.

Her story is a powerful call to action, shedding light on a condition that remains widely misunderstood and stigmatized, particularly for women of color. It challenges us to foster better awareness, compassion, and support for those navigating postpartum psychosis in silence.

In this conversation, Aaisha also shares invaluable insights for perinatal providers, helping them recognize the symptoms of postpartum psychosis and offer critical support to women in their care. This is an essential episode—listen and learn.

Trigger Warning:

In this episode, we discuss postpartum psychosis, including intrusive suicidal and homicidal thoughts. These are difficult topics, and some listeners may find this conversation distressing. Please listen with care, and if you feel this content may be overwhelming for you, consider skipping this episode or ensuring you have support available as you listen.

Links:

• Support your local indie bookstore and buy A Mom Like That by Aaisha Alvi. Also available at major retailers and as an ebook and audiobook.
• Follow Aaisha on Instagram: @aaishaalviwrites and visit her website: aaishaalvi.com.
• Postpartum Support International: Promoting awareness, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues related to childbearing worldwide.