Midwifery for the People is a podcast about reimagining the way we approach the entirety of the birthing year. Margo’s goal is to combine her radical imagination with her knack for strategizing to bolster the birth revolution and a larger global revolution of feminine consciousness.
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In this episode I sit down with a friend to talk through her birth story and the years it took to really make sense of it. We talk about the powerful influence of Free Birth Society teachings, the pressure and dogma that can exist in birth spaces, and what it was like for her to navigate a breech baby, a c-section under general anesthesia, and the long process of untangling what she had…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
On this episode I wanted to share a reading from our book Indie Birth: A Story of Radical Birth Love, and in keeping with the recent theme, I’m sharing the complete story of my first miscarriage. This is one of the most “popular” pieces of content I’ve ever created. I wrote it in 2013 when there were almost zero stories like this available. Even now, there aren’t many, especially from the…
In this episode of ‘Midwifery for the People,’ host Margo Blackstone shares deeply personal experiences exploring her evolving relationship with death, both in her personal life and professional work as a midwife. She reflects on the profound impact of attending a birth where a baby unexpectedly died, which contributed to her first panic attack and a journey into understanding her fears related to…
Join Margo on this exploratory first part of a series on death and navigating our relationship to it as birth workers. If we want to shift the cultural narrative so that we honor birth as a right of passage, we will also need to reimagine death as a right of passage. The Western medical perspective is that death is the ultimate defeat. That often means there is someone or something to blame. On…
In this candid episode, Margo discusses her spiritual journey and how it intersects with her work at Indie Birth. She discusses her shift away from conventional religion towards a more earth-based spirituality that embraces elements from different practices such as earth prayers, shamanic journeying, and tarot. These approaches provide a crucial context for understanding the spiritual dimensions…
I’m sharing a lesson from my new project Mindful Money Magic because we are also offering a new program called Midwifery Magic, a comprehensive mentorship, up-leveling, magic infusing experience for midwives (or advanced midwifery students). A lot of what I offer in Midwifery Magic crosses over with my work as a financial wellness coach, and I wanted to give a little taste of the kind of content…
Thousands of women have contacted us over the years expressing their bone deep desire to be a midwife. BUT BUT BUT…they are afraid they will go to jail, be criminalized, or be put on trial. We have addressed their fear of persecution in lots of ways, but in this episode, I talk to Angee Hock, a midwife we have known for a long time now. She shares her story of…..you guessed it! Being criminalized,…
Listen in on a recent conversation I had with midwives Jessica and Bethel! We talked about the difficulties of educating midwives, why we should focus on educating more awesome birth assistants then, how mandatory MEAC education is crippling Alaskan midwifery, and how Alaskan regulation is restricting women’s access to midwifery care. These two midwives are really lovely, passionate women and I…
This is a unique episode where you can listen in on a section of our Answering the Call to Radical Midwifery Retreat from April 2022 where Maryn and Margo share the origins of Indie Birth and answer questions from attendees about licensing, underground midwifery, what happens when clients aren’t a good match, fear of persecution and more! SHOW NOTES AND TRANSCRIPT Answering the Call from Radical…
Listen in on this coaching and consulting session where Margo answers questions and talks all things preceptorship with a lovely Greek midwife. She had trained in the UK where the apprenticeship/hands on learning looks quite different than the model we teach. One of our students reached out to her about the potential to apprentice and she wanted to pick my brain about how that might look. It was a…
Join me for another awesome discussion (best one yet?!) with Jennifer, whose work I admire so much. As a midwife I have seen how mental health, overcoming limiting beliefs, and tapping into your own power is essential if we are going to reclaim birth. Jennifer’s nervous system focused approach feels like it is an essential piece in prepping for birth, and also in reintegrating after birth. Listen…
I’ve been talking to some really cool midwives lately, and this episode is no exception. Jessica, affectionately known as the Combat Midwife, tells us about her origin story, her work teaching birth skills to military medics, and midwifing in a refugee camp. Her energy is contagious! I was so excited to explore some unique ways that being a midwife can look in the world, and Jessica did not…
I changed the name of my podcast! Now it is called Midwifery for the People and in this episode I will tell you all about why that is, and some of the history of this podcast and how it reflects my evolution as a midwife. I hope to provide even more aligned content that feels like it stokes the fire of the birth revolution now that I have a clearer vision for how to do that. Tell me what you want…
Jennifer graciously shares her origin story with us, including her own birth experiences (2 midwife attended and one freebirth), her journey of learning about birth from Gloria Lemay, Jeannine Parvati Baker, Whapio and Michel Odent, two birth center apprenticeship experiences, and the multiple initiations and reckonings she has experienced that have brought her to a more nuanced place around birth…
Doula Training and Midwifery Training: Is Having Kids a Requirement? Description: “I want to be a doula or a midwife, but I haven’t had kids yet. Does it matter?” This is a question I hear constantly from aspiring doulas and midwives. In this exciting episode, I finally address this topic that has been on my mind for a while. Join me as I share my personal journey through different stages of life…
Join this conversation with Day Schildkret, an absolutely lovely guest, where he shares about the importance of ritual in marking life’s transitions and thresholds. Here at Indie Birth we love infusing our work with the sacred, and ceremony, and are always looking for more ways to offer this in an authentic and heart-centered way. Day’s new book Hello,Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss,…
Isa is the author of The New Return to the Great Mother: Birth, Initiation, and the Sacred Feminine and I had her on the podcast to share more about how we might implement these incredible tools and perspectives into the work we are doing as mothers, doulas and midwives. Join us as we explore Isa’s background, including her experience during the 70’s and 80’s during the renaissance of home birth,…
Get ready to unleash your inner entrepreneur as we delve into the journey of Dez, a powerhouse life coach and women’s empowerment advocate. But hold onto your seats because Dez is taking her game to the next level by adding doula offerings to her already impressive repertoire! In this episode, Dez spills the beans with Margo, as they dive headfirst into the nitty-gritty of building a business from…
Join Margo and this sweet mama as they process her first birth, an induction in the hospital where she felt like she was disrespected and not given space to tune into her intuition. Gestational diabetes and hypertension (sort of) also played into her first story. She is preparing for a home birth this time, and is worried about what it might look like if her midwives risk her out but she wants to…
Join Margo and this 2nd trimester mama who had a postpartum hemorrhage with her first home birth, and is looking for ways to refind her confidence going into her second now. They also talk about hyperemesis gravidarum, the emotional aspects of vomiting, anterior cervical lips, coached pushing, placenta birth, and more. In other words, they cover a LOT of ground in this rich session. Margo is…
Join Margo and this mama who has reached her “due window” and is excited to chat with a midwife outside the system about everything from labor preparation as a first time mom, to induction at 41 weeks (and how to not go down that road), to postpartum baby choices like vitamin k, the newborn screen and vaccines. Margo is offering a limited number of free virtual prenatal sessions in exchange for…
Join Margo and this 24 week mama in a session where they talk about the second trimester of pregnancy, the culture of fear and how to step outside of it, blood volume expansion and nutrition, and setting realistic goals for the end of pregnancy (plus Margo’s favorite tip for swelling!) Margo is offering a limited number of free virtual prenatal sessions in exchange for recording them as Well,…
Listen in on Margo’s preconception consultation with a woman who had a full term birth 5 years ago with her first pregnancy, and then had two first trimester miscarriages last year in 2020. We talk about blood work (including the blood work her OB did and didn’t order!), uncovering possible causes, ideas to strengthen her fertility, the emotional and spiritual processing of loss, and the…
Get ready to dive headfirst into Lindsey’s incredible journey as she takes on the world of midwifery! Join us for a captivating conversation where Lindsey spills all the tea on how she seamlessly combines her gig as an apprentice midwife with rocking the doula scene and leading epic prenatal yoga sessions. Expect an unfiltered chat that covers everything from the wild ride of apprenticeship…
In this episode, Margo and Dr. Tina Payne Bryson (co-author of The Whole Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline) have a conversation about her new book Bottom Line for Baby, which covers all the most important baby topics from A to Z, looking at the science and also incorporating story and intuition. Listen in as they talk about baby sleep, the tooth fairy, and everything in between. Learn more about…
In this episode, Margo interviews Etienne Peirsmann about his approach to craniosacral therapy for pregnant and postpartum women, as well as newborns. Listen in as he shares some of his perspective about the energetic importance of respectful placenta care and lotus birth, and how he can tell the difference between these babies and those who have had more mainstream placenta care. Learn more about…
Margo does a live 1:1 coaching session with Zara, a Birth Warrior Project student from New Zealand! They cover quite a lot of ground, including: – overcoming self-doubt and the need for “permission” to do birth education – how to attract the RIGHT clients for consultations – the state of midwifery in New Zealand – educating communities about the value of birth work (and why they should invest in…
Join us while Margo and Stacey talk about Stacey’s business Sacred Body. Stacey is a somatic sex educator and Ayurvedic doula, and we talk about how to blend that all into something approachable for people who may not always know what those things are. We also talk about marketing for online courses, how to get in front of new people (who are the ideal client) , networking and being consistent on…
Listen in on the first of this new series where Margo gives live business coaching advice to birth workers who are feeling stuck on their path. Margo is committed to fuelign the birth revolution through her own work but ALSO by getting more incredible birth workers out into the world, shining bright and kicking ass. Listen to this 1 on 1 birth business coaching session with Margo and her first…
A postpartum, bedside retelling of Alisha’s recent birth of her third baby, a boy named Justus. Alisha was Margo’s first midwifery apprentice, who in 2020 transitioned into serving her community as a midwife. This birth was her “final project” they joke, and what a birth it was! Listen in to hear the story of how Margo missed the birth and how being a midwife impacted Alisha’s birth experience…
On this episode of Well, Actually, Margo talks with Lisa Henrickson-Jack of the Fertility Friday podcast! Fertility Awareness was the way that Margo became interested in women’s health and bodily autonomy, and has the potential to capture the imagination and excitement of a whole new generation of powerful women. Listen in as she and Lisa talk about – the politics of fertility awareness – the…
This time I get to sit down with Jessie Harrold and talk about how the shift into motherhood takes way longer than the typical 6 weeks that we think of in our dominant culture. Join us as we explore – how this looks – what this means for us as mothers – how we can honor this time as a sacred rite of passage – their common interest in ecofeminism – and hear some of Margo’s reflections as she…
Jennifer Summerfeldt, Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP), has nearly two decades of experience in maternal health and psychology. In addition to being a counselor, Jennifer has also been a childbirth advocate, maternal educator, doula, midwifery apprentice, and published writer. As the founder and creator of the Healing After Birth program, Jennifer uses her expertise and pioneering…
In this episode of Well, Actually… Margo talks about self-care from the car!
In this episode of Well, Actually… Margo interviews Kimberly Ann Johnson, author of the newly released book The Fourth Trimester: A Postpartum Guide to Healing Your Body, Balancing Your Emotions, and Restoring Your Vitality.
In this episode of Well, Actually… Margo interviews Keli Garza of Steamy Chick (steamychick.com)
In this episode of Well, Actually… Margo interviews Ijeoma about her unassisted breech homebirth. Download this podcast transcript
In this episode of Well, Actually… Margo interviews Jena la Flamme about instinctual eating in pregnancy, getting in tune with your “female animal” and other sexy stuff! Jena has devoted her life to showing women around the world how to be in tune with the innate wisdom of their bodies and how they too can be at peace with food while feeling great every step of the way. She takes a fierce stand…
In this interview, Ed will share with us his experiences of the births of his four children, ranging from cesarean births, to home births, to an accidentally unassisted home birth. He has great insight for fellow dads who may not be so sure about home birth, but are interested in learning more. I’m so grateful that Ed shared this with us, and think many of you will find it a super useful resource!…
Maria Mengel joins Margo on the podcast to talk about her birth experiences and the lessons she has taken away from them. Maria is a mother of two, wife, music teacher, doula, childbirth educator, placenta specialist, and owner of the newly launched Thrive Birth Services of Delmarva. She began her professional career as a musician at West Virginia University. After college, spent 5 years teaching…
