Join the Bridge Midwives as they pull up a chair at the feet of elder midwives—from communities around the world—for heartfelt conversations about birth, memory, tradition, and transformation. Each episode unfolds stories rooted in lived experience, weaving personal narrative with the urgent need to preserve ancestral wisdom and bridge traditional knowledge with modern midwifery. With reverence and soul, this podcast honors midwives whose hands have shaped generations, listens deeply, and ensures their teachings continue to guide and inspire.
In the photo: Marina Alzugaray and Tanya Walker
Photo taken by: Kimberly Summer Zuleger
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The Call to Remember: Midwifery, a Journey, and the Birth of a Podcast
Season 1 · Episode 1
Thursday, June 12, 2025 • Duration 18:07
In this deeply personal first episode, host Blyss Young shares the story behind At Her Feet, The Bridge Midwives inaugural podcast. From the awe of witnessing her niece’s birth as a teenager to the running of a birth center whose midwifery students seemed increasingly clinical, to then becoming a midwife herself, Blyss traces the quiet call that led her to the wisdom of the elders. This is the origin of The Bridge Midwives Project—a devotion to remembering what was nearly lost, to honoring the wisdom that lives in hands and stories, and to reconnecting a lineage that predates textbooks and licensure.
In This Episode:
Meet your host, Blyss Young, a licensed midwife and founder of The Bridge Midwives Project.
Learn the inspiration behind At Her Feet—a podcast devoted to archiving and reviving traditional midwifery wisdom.
Hear how Blyss’ own path—from birthing mother to midwife to grief-stricken mother and wandering seeker—shaped this offering.
Preview the voices to come: 15 elder midwives from Northern California and Oregon, each holding pieces of a wisdom tradition nearly erased.
Explore words like “traditional” and "deliver" —and how listening with reverence can help us uncover the wisdom beneath the language.
Acknowledge how colonization and professional gatekeeping contributed to the erasure of many Black, Indigenous, immigrant, and rural midwives
An invitation to listen not with urgency, but with humility, presence, and care.
Thank you to all the elders, donations and volunteers that have made this project possible.
Together, we can preserve the wisdom of elder midwives for generations to come. Give today and be part of this legacy…please visit bridgemidwives.com for more information on how to donate.
In this episode, we sit down with Brenda Capps, the first elder midwife to speak her truth for this project. It’s the story of a life woven with loss, love, and deep faith.
Brenda shares:
Growing up in the South, surrounded by church and early memories of Black granny midwives who showed her the sacred power of birth
Her own fast and instinctive births—some caught by her husband, some arriving so quickly there was no time for pain
How midwifery found her, not through licenses but through prayer, mentorship, and unwavering devotion
Serving under religious exemption, traveling far and wide to be with families, and the calling she’s always followed as a “traveling midwife”
The betrayal of a student she once trusted, the investigation that followed, and the arrest that tried to silence her story
What she’s learned from loss—attending stillbirths, grieving her husband and son, and how faith has carried her through every heartbreak
Why she believes no piece of paper should decide who can walk with birthing women
Her plea to future midwives: keep the work sacred, and never lose the wonder
Brenda’s voice is both tender and fierce, wise and raw. Her story is a window into a way of midwifery that’s slipping away—and a reminder to honor the faith and fire that have always kept it alive.
Thank you to all the elders, donations and volunteers that have made this project possible.
"The Art of Midwifery Is Being Lost": Yelena Kolodji, LM, CNM
Season 1 · Episode 3
Thursday, June 26, 2025 • Duration 41:36
In this moving episode, midwife Shannon Staloch sits down with Yelena Kolodji—an elder midwife whose roots in California midwifery stretch back to the early 1970s. From her humble beginnings on a Minnesota dairy farm to catching over 1,600 babies, Yelena shares a vivid, powerful reflection on what it means to truly be with woman. This conversation touches on the soul of midwifery, the loss of trust in birth, the dangers of over-medicalization, and the quiet wisdom that arises from decades of hands-on experience. She reminds us that to hold space is an art form—and one we must fight to preserve.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
Yelena’s origin story—from Minnesota farm life to catching her first glimpse of birth in 1971
Sneaking into hospital births dressed as a nurse and witnessing a solo breech delivery by an intern
Her apprenticeship with June and becoming a CNM while continuing home birth practice
What was in her birth kit then (and now)—including herbs, homeopathics, and a simple trust in birth
The shift from intuitive, soul-based care to technology-dominated practice
Why birth stories matter, even (and especially) when they’re painful
How our culture’s disregard for elders mirrors our treatment of birth
Her critique of modern midwifery education and the lack of home birth exposure
Reflections on the systemic rise of fear-based obstetrics and 40% C-section rates
The emotional, psychological, and spiritual impact of birth on babies, mothers, and families
Why the preservation of oral storytelling and hands-on wisdom is essential for future midwives
The decline of home birth training in CNM education
Special thanks to:
Shannon Staloch for conducting this intimate conversation, and Yelena Kolodji for opening her home, her story, and her heart.
Mentioned in This Episode:
UCSF Midwifery Program
Yunnan Baiyao for postpartum bleeding
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a mineral-rich, deeply nourishing herb traditionally used by midwives to support pregnant and postpartum mothers. High in vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as calcium, magnesium, and iron, alfalfa has long been valued for building and replenishing the blood, especially in the third trimester to help prepare for birth and prevent postpartum hemorrhage. Its high vitamin K content is particularly significant in promoting healthy blood clotting. Midwives also use alfalfa to support milk production and overall vitality in the postpartum period. Typically taken as a tea, tincture, or in capsule form, alfalfa is one of the gentle green allies that helps fortify the birthing body from the inside out.
Radical Beginnings: The Midwifery of Linda Bennett
Season 1 · Episode 6
Thursday, July 17, 2025 • Duration 01:45:26
In this full-circle conversation, Blyss sits with elder midwife Linda Bennett—her own midwife during her first birth and a key figure in the resurgence of home birth midwifery in 1970s Santa Cruz.
From attending births alongside Raven Lang to being arrested twice for practicing midwifery without a license, Linda shares stories from a time when birth work was raw, rebellious, and rooted in community.
Together, they reflect on ethics, peer review, licensing debates, and the evolution of birth culture across generations—while revisiting the sacred responsibility of showing up for women on their terms.
Linda shares:
How the women’s self-help movement helped spark her path into midwifery
Stories from the early Santa Cruz home birth scene
The challenges and consequences of being arrested for attending births
Her candid views on licensing, free birth, and holding birth in integrity
Reflections on humility, peer review, and generational wisdom
Memories from Blyss’s first birth, and how it shaped both of their journeys
Further Reading & Support:
Books & Films:
Human Labor and Birth by Harry Oxorn & William R. Foote – A classic obstetrics text covering the physiology and stages of labor.
Emergency Childbirth: A Manual by Dr. Gregory J. White – A practical guide for first responders and laypeople attending out-of-hospital births.
Special Delivery by Rahima Baldwin – An early home birth manual offering natural childbirth support and guidance.
All My Babies (1953 film) – Documentary on Georgia midwife Mary Francis Hill Coley, used in midwifery training. Watch here »
Birth in the Squatting Position – A short New Guinea birth film showing a woman giving birth in a squatting position over soft ground, with her baby sliding onto dirt.
Midwives, Activists & Colleagues
The Simplicity of Trust: Kelly Frohnauer, Traditional Midwife
Season 1 · Episode 5
Thursday, July 10, 2025 • Duration 42:45
In this gentle and grounded episode, Blyss sits with Kelly Frohnauer, a retired traditional midwife from Merlin, Oregon. Kelly’s story is one of trust—in birth, in women, and in the quiet power of simplicity. She shares how her path unfolded outside the bounds of licensure, guided instead by elder midwives, spiritual conviction, and hands-on learning.
Kelly shares:
Practicing outside licensure in pre-regulation Oregon
How a postpartum hemorrhage reshaped her herbal approach
Her signature use of hot ginger towels for pain relief during labor
Why more women are turning to free birth
The midwife as “birth guardian,” grounded in presence and prayer
Her transition from midwifery into natural skincare and art
Kelly’s presence is a reminder that birth can still be a sacred, sovereign experience—free from fear, rich with faith, and rooted in trust.
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea – used during pregnancy to tone the uterus and support gentle labor
Shepherd’s Purse – a hemostatic herb Kelly no longer recommends postpartum due to clotting concerns
Alfalfa – taken during pregnancy to build blood volume and prevent hemorrhage
Cinnamon – used in tincture form to stop postpartum bleeding
Cayenne Pepper – given to redirect blood flow during hemorrhage and buy time for other herbs to work
Angelica & Dong Quai – used to encourage delivery of a retained placenta
Further Reading & Support:
Special Delivery by Rahima Baldwin – the book and educator who certified Kelly in childbirth education
Surja Johnson – a Santa Cruz midwife who mentored Kelly in her early apprenticeship
All There Is, Is Love: The Midwifery of Anita Rojas
Season 1 · Episode 4
Thursday, July 3, 2025 • Duration 01:50:24
In this radiant conversation, Blyss sits with beloved elder midwife Anita Rojas, whose story spans from milking cows in the remote mountains of Nayarit, Mexico to nearly four decades of midwifery in Oregon. Anita shares her early life in a self-sustaining village, the traumatic hospital birth of her twins that awakened her calling, and the path that led her to serve families with reverence, faith, and fierce love.
Her wisdom is steeped in generations of traditional knowledge, spirit guidance, and deep personal healing. She speaks of her evolution from a self-taught midwife to a Tao Hands healer, her years running a busy birth center, her decision to walk away from licensure, and the power of presence and love in the birth room.
Anita shares:
Stories of the ancestral midwives in her family
Memories of growing up without electricity, hospitals, or stores
How a traumatic hospital birth became the catalyst for her calling
What it meant to be self-taught through direct experience and community learning
Her years running a busy birth center — and why she chose to walk away
Why she gave up her license to practice as a traditional midwife
Her nuanced reflections on what “traditional midwife” really means
How trauma, intuition, and spiritual guidance shape her practice
The breathwork she teaches to help mothers come back into their bodies
How she reclaimed her ability to attend breech births through deep personal healing
What she believes midwifery is really about — and why it all comes back to love
“Love is going to heal — and it starts with birth.”
Mentioned in this episode:
Black & Blue Cohosh + Cotton Root Bark for Labor Induction
We explore the traditional use of black cohosh, blue cohosh, and cotton root bark to support the onset of labor. These herbs have long been part of the midwifery toolkit — used to encourage contractions, ripen the cervix, and gently stimulate the uterus when labor feels close but isn’t progressing.
"We Knew What Was Normal": Midwifery and the Long View with Gail Hart
Season 1 · Episode 7
Thursday, July 24, 2025 • Duration 01:48:10
In this powerful and unfiltered conversation, elder midwife Gail Hart reflects on a lifetime of birth work shaped by lived experience, deep physiology, and a fierce commitment to women’s autonomy. From her early exposure to home birth in a religious commune, to a traumatic hospital delivery that changed everything, to helping shape Oregon’s midwifery culture, Gail shares the kind of perspective only decades of hands-on midwifery can offer. She reminds us that fear is not the foundation for wise care—and that true knowing comes from touch, time, and trust.
Gail shares:
Her peripatetic childhood in Hawai‘i and California, and her early political awakening
Discovering midwifery in a communal religious group through apprenticeship and hands-on learning
Her own traumatic hospital birth and how it galvanized her path
Attending the Northwest School of Practical Midwifery and launching into community practice
The cooperative, peer-led model of early Oregon midwifery—and what was lost with formal licensure
How licensing systems shifted midwifery away from intuition and toward liability-driven care
The risks of book-heavy midwifery education that lacks embodied learning
What she believes causes the rise in interventions, fear-based care, and “emergencies” that aren’t
The physiological wisdom of waiting—on shoulders, placentas, and newborn breath
Why she believes peaceful people often begin with peaceful births
Further Reading & Support:
People & Midwives
Carla Hartley – Founder of Ancient Art Midwifery Institute; a vocal advocate for traditional midwifery outside licensure models.
Margaret Miles – Author of A Textbook for Midwives, emphasizing non-interventionist, woman-centered care.
Michel Odent – French obstetrician who pioneered water birth and promoted undisturbed, hormonally intact birth.
Pat Edmonds – Midwife known for grounding her practice in normal physiology and calm presence.
Dr. Max Miracle – Adventist doctor who supported natural childbirth after witnessing robust outcomes in rural South America.
“God Is in Control”: A Midwife’s Faithful Journey with Mary Lothman
Season 1 · Episode 8
Thursday, July 31, 2025 • Duration 01:52:46
In this warm and spirited conversation, Blyss sits at the feet of retired traditional midwife Mary Lothman of Portland, Oregon. Raised in Denver during the cultural upheaval of the 60s, Mary shares her path from rebellion to faith, from commune life to motherhood, and ultimately to midwifery. Her story is infused with humor, honesty, and devotion—to birth, to women, and to God.
Mary recounts how her early hospital births—with separation, institutional indifference, and a lack of autonomy—propelled her toward a radical trust in birth and a calling to serve other mothers. We trace her journey through La Leche League, early home births with Jan Tritten, and her unexpected entry into a community of Christian midwives in Portland.
Throughout the episode, Mary reflects on the spiritual dimensions of birth, the lessons she learned kneeling beside toilets and praying for wisdom, and the evolving tension between licensure, autonomy, and traditional care. With over a thousand births behind her, Mary brings fierce faith, grounded wisdom, and a reverence for birth that transcends fear and honors mystery.
Mary shares:
Her journey from commune life to Christian faith
How La Leche League shaped her early ideas of mothering and breastfeeding
The transformative home birth she had with Jan Tritten, and how it led her to midwifery
Practicing alongside a network of Christian midwives in Portland
Lessons from peer review, loss, and sacred moments of grief
Her reflections on free birth, maternal autonomy, and woman-to-woman support
The Oregon licensure experience—and why she ultimately let it go
Why she believes “God is in control” in every birth
Mentioned in This Episode:
Jan Tritten – Midwife who attended Mary’s first home birth and helped inspire her midwifery path; later founded Midwifery Today magazine to uplift global midwifery wisdom
La Leche League – Breastfeeding support group that shaped Mary’s views on mothering
With Woman: A Life of Midwifery and Legislative Legacy with Holly Scholles
Season 1 · Episode 9
Thursday, August 7, 2025 • Duration 02:26:43
In this insightful and candid conversation, Blyss sits at the feet of Holly Scholles, a pioneering midwife, educator, and legislative advocate from Beaverton, Oregon. Raised in Texas and called to healing work from a young age, Holly shares her journey from pre-med student to grassroots birth worker, from founding the Association of Texas Midwives to shaping Oregon’s unique licensure model. With clarity, wit, and deep wisdom, she reflects on the evolution of midwifery, the power of community organizing, and the enduring importance of being truly with woman.
Holly Shares:
Growing up in a working-class family in Texas and early experiences of intuitive knowing
Her calling to become a doctor at age three and the pivot to midwifery after a traumatic accident and hospital experience
Apprenticing with Jehovah’s Witness midwives in Houston in the late 1970s
Her early births, including the $250 fee, lack of prenatal care, and powerful postpartum reflections
Founding the Association of Texas Midwives and navigating legislative battles in both Texas and Oregon
Her role in shaping Oregon’s voluntary licensure model and working to add legend drugs and devices to the midwifery formulary
Insights on how to engage collaboratively (and strategically) with medical professionals and policymakers—starting with donuts
The power and necessity of good charting—from memory to protection to professional communication
Her working definition of midwifery, thoughts on traditional wisdom, and the risks of romanticizing the past
Her ongoing consulting practice and support for midwives navigating complaints or investigations
Mentioned in This Episode:
Marla Hicks – Co-founder of the Association of Texas Midwives and longtime advocate for licensing pathways that protect midwives’ autonomy and access.
Sherri Daniels – An early figure in Texas midwifery advocacy, connected to the movement’s formative years of organizing and legal reform.
Lee Steward – Co-founder of NAPSAC (National Association of Parents and Professionals for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth), a key figure in early home birth advocacy and the development of midwifery-informed research and policy.
Finding Her Own Way: Midwifery, Activism, and the Babies Who Called Her — with Adele Rose
Season 1 · Episode 10
Thursday, August 14, 2025 • Duration 02:03:37
In this rich and soulful conversation, Blyss sits with Adele Rose, a traditional birth attendant whose path has been guided by instinct, a fierce sense of justice, and a deep trust in the body’s wisdom. Her journey winds through counterculture communities, births in unexpected places, and decades of rural care — all anchored in devotion to gentle landings for mothers and babies alike.
Adele Shares:
The contrasting birth experiences of her mother and aunts — and how cultural attitudes shaped them.
Her own birth stories — from the harrowing hospital night she calls “The Night of the Iguana” to a dramatic ambulance delivery and the swift, powerful home births that followed.
Early years attending births with little more than a fetoscope, scissors, and hemostats.
The role of rural doctors who respected physiological birth and collaborated with midwives.
Lessons learned from women and babies that shaped her low-intervention, intuition-led practice.
Returning to midwifery school in her 30s and navigating the clash between medicalized protocols and traditional ways.
Her belief that constant monitoring and routine procedures can disrupt the altered state essential to labor.
Mentioned in This Episode:
Valerie Al-Halta – Midwife in Huntington Beach who led community group prenatal gatherings.
Dr. David Lush – Rural Washington physician known for supporting physiological birth and collaborating with midwives.
Dr. Roberto Caldeyro-Barcia – Renowned Uruguayan obstetric physiologist (1921–1996), known as the “father of perinatology.” He co-created the universal standard “Montevideo units” to measure uterine contractions and advanced the science of electronic fetal monitoring.
Dr. Jan Erik Strohl – Swedish-born physician who collaborated with midwives on home and clinic births and also worked in rural Washington corrections.
Tanya Brooks – ACHI educator and midwifery leader known for home-study training programs.
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Together, we can preserve the wisdom of elder midwives for generations to come. Give today and be part of this legacy.…please visit bridgemidwives.com for more information on how to donate.
Thank you to all the elders, donations and volunteers that have made this project possible.
Together, we can preserve the wisdom of elder midwives for generations to come. Give today and be part of this legacy.…please visit bridgemidwives.com for more information on how to donate.
Lorraine Rothman – Feminist health activist and co-creator of the Del‑Em menstrual extraction kit.
Carol Downer – Reproductive justice activist and pioneer of self-help gynecology.
Gail Peterson – Birth educator and advocate for holistic childbirth.
Carla Hearty – Midwife and colleague from Linda’s Santa Cruz practice.
Genine Walker – Peer midwifery collaborator.
Raven Lang – Author of Birth Book and midwifery pioneer.
Tonya Brooks – Founder of ACHI and the Gentle Birth Center in Glendale, CA; co-defendant in birth rights cases.
Cat Feral – Midwife who practiced with Linda in Tacoma, WA, before relocating to Oregon; passed in 2024.
Physicians & Medical Influencers:
Dr. Tom Brewer – Developed the Brewer Pregnancy Diet to prevent preeclampsia.
Dr. Ronald Wu & Dr. Anthony “Tony” Burch – Southern California OBs known for supporting vaginal breech births and collaborative midwifery care.
Dr. Nial B. Ettinghauser – Drugless practitioner advocating holistic approaches to birth.
Dr. Joseph T. Anzalone, FACOG – OB-GYN in Santa Cruz noted for working alongside midwives.
Dr. Howard Marchbanks – Family practitioner from Orange County who supported birth work.
Thank you to all the elders, donations and volunteers that have made this project possible.
Together, we can preserve the wisdom of elder midwives for generations to come. Give today and be part of this legacy.…please visit bridgemidwives.com for more information on how to donate.
Penny Simkin – beloved birth educator known for her pain-relief techniques, though Kelly’s hot towel method came through a different lineage
Thank you to all the elders, donations and volunteers that have made this project possible.
Together, we can preserve the wisdom of elder midwives for generations to come. Give today and be part of this legacy.…please visit bridgemidwives.com for more information on how to donate.
Disclaimer: This is not medical advice. We share this for educational and historical purposes only. Always consult trusted resources and experienced practitioners when considering the use of herbal allies in labor.
Elizabeth Davis
Elizabeth Davis is a Certified Professional Midwife, educator, and author of Heart & Hands: A Midwife’s Guide to Pregnancy and Birth. A pioneer in the modern midwifery movement, she’s spent over four decades advocating for holistic, woman-centered care and training generations of midwives through her teaching and the National Midwifery Institute.
Further Reading & Support:
Herbal for the Childbearing Year by Susun Weed
Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar
Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year
Consultations with elder midwives or lineage-based herbalists
Thank you to all the elders, donations and volunteers that have made this project possible.
Together, we can preserve the wisdom of elder midwives for generations to come. Give today and be part of this legacy.…please visit bridgemidwives.com for more information on how to donate.
Frédérick Leboyer & Fernand Lamaze – Influential figures in natural birth reform; Lamaze popularized structured breathing, while Leboyer advocated for gentle, sensory-safe birth.
The McMenamin Brothers – Oregon hoteliers who restored the Edgefield Hotel, where this interview was recorded.
Northwest School of Practical Midwifery – A hands-on Oregon midwifery school co-led by naturopaths and chiropractors that operated in the late 1970s, eventually closing as licensure models took hold. It helped launch Portland’s first Birth Center and emphasized clinical experience rooted in physiology.
Books & Resources
A Textbook for Midwives by Margaret Miles
A foundational manual blending common-sense midwifery with practical instruction grounded in normal physiology.
(Out of print; available via libraries and resale platforms.)
Birth Without Violence by Frédérick Leboyer
A poetic call to treat birth as sacred—quiet, gentle, and baby-centered.
Affirmed that attending normal birth is not the practice of medicine when no drugs or surgery are involved.
(Not publicly archived; cited in Oregon midwifery legal records.)
Thank you to all the elders, donations and volunteers that have made this project possible.
Together, we can preserve the wisdom of elder midwives for generations to come. Give today and be part of this legacy.…please visit bridgemidwives.com for more information on how to donate.
Linda Shellhammer – Portland-based Christian midwife who mentored Mary
Hazel Woodward – Hosted early Portland midwifery gatherings
Angelica tincture – Used for retained placenta
Peppermint essential oil – A few drops in the toilet can gently stimulate postpartum urination
Otoscope – Mary learned to assess her children’s ear infections at home
The Oregon Midwifery Council – The group that eventually led the shift toward licensure
Thank you to all the elders, donations and volunteers that have made this project possible.
Together, we can preserve the wisdom of elder midwives for generations to come. Give today and be part of this legacy.…please visit bridgemidwives.com for more information on how to donate.
Community Circles (First Thursdays of each month)
Podcast Editor: Shea Lyons
Archivist and Producer: Blyss Young
Instagram: @TheBridgeMidwives
Join our Facebook community: The Bridge Midwives Project
Betty Griffith – An elder Oregon midwife known for her teachings on energetic presence and the deeper layers of birth work.
Barbara Katz Rothman – Sociologist and author whose writings on childbirth, reproductive justice, and medicalization deeply influenced the midwifery movement in the 1970s and beyond.
Books & Texts:
Marie M. Miles’ A Textbook of Midwifery – A classic British midwifery textbook used widely by early apprentices for its clinical depth and grounding in physiological birth.
Williams Obstetrics, 14th Edition – A standard medical textbook offering a hospital-based, intervention-focused view of birth—often read alongside midwifery texts for contrast.
Oxorn-Foote Human Labor and Birth – A clinical obstetrics textbook with detailed explanations of the mechanics of labor, referenced in both midwifery and medical circles.
The Five Standards of Safe Childbearing – Published by NAPSAC, this foundational text laid out principles of informed consent, evidence-based care, and respect for the birthing person’s autonomy.
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer – A beloved collection of essays blending Indigenous knowledge, botany, and personal reflection. A meditation on reciprocity and relationality. Read more »
The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance – Kimmerer’s visionary essay on kinship-based, gift-driven economies rooted in nature and mutual care. Read essay »
Organizations, Trainings & Tools:
Houston Midwife Education – A cooperative of faith-based midwives (many Jehovah’s Witnesses) in 1970s Texas, where Holly apprenticed during the early years of the home birth resurgence.
Association of Texas Midwives (ATM) – Founded in 1980 to protect and formalize midwifery in Texas, ATM played a crucial role in advocacy, education, and certification efforts.
NAPSAC (National Association of Parents and Professionals for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth) – A national advocacy group that promoted informed choice, challenged anti-home birth narratives, and published research rebuttals to mainstream obstetrics.
BoRN (Biodynamic Resuscitation of Newborns) – A newborn resuscitation curriculum developed by Holly Scholles for out-of-hospital settings, rooted in physiologic understanding and practical, field-based skills.
The Hive – An online education platform for midwives and birth workers. Holly teaches continuing education there, including the BoRN course. Explore »
NARM (North American Registry of Midwives) – The national credentialing body for CPMs (Certified Professional Midwives), discussed in this episode regarding policy shifts and resuscitation requirements
Herbs & Remedies
Anise for Morning Sickness – A traditional digestive aid and carminative used to relieve nausea in pregnancy; generally safe in small culinary amounts.
Goldenseal – A powerful antimicrobial herb. Not recommended in pregnancy due to its uterine-stimulating properties and potential for toxicity.
Foxglove (Digitalis) – A highly toxic plant once used medicinally for heart conditions. It is unsafe for home herbal use and can be fatal even in small doses.
Thank you to all the elders, donations and volunteers that have made this project possible.
Together, we can preserve the wisdom of elder midwives for generations to come. Give today and be part of this legacy.…please visit bridgemidwives.com for more information on how to donate.
Linda Bennett – Retired direct-entry midwife with decades of home- and birth-center practice, champion of VBACs and radical postpartum support. Interviewed earlier this season.
Barbara Harper – Founder of Waterbirth International and leading advocate for birthing in water.
Michel Odent – French obstetrician recognized for pioneering gentle birthing environments: dim lighting, minimal intervention, calming birth rooms.
Suzanne Arms – Author of Immaculate Deception (1975), which catalyzed the modern U.S. home birth and birth reform movements.
Raven Lang – Home birth pioneer and birth storyteller. Episodes featuring her will be released later this season.
Schools & Organizations:
Association for Childbirth at Home, International (ACHI) – 1970s-era home-study birth education collective promoting peer support and self-reliance.
Birthingway College of Midwifery – Where Adele trained. Founded by Holly Scholles, who was interviewed earlier in the season.
Herbs & Remedies
Blue Cohosh – Traditionally used to stimulate labor.
Cinnamon – Small doses under the tongue thought to encourage contractions; use with care.
Cotton Root Bark – Historically used to support labor, placental delivery, and oxytocin release.
Angelica (dong quai) – A traditional uterine tonic; contraindicated during pregnancy due to potential risks.
Shepherd’s Purse – Used postpartum to reduce bleeding; not advised during pregnancy.
Thank you to all the elders, donations and volunteers that have made this project possible.
Together, we can preserve the wisdom of elder midwives for generations to come. Give today and be part of this legacy.…please visit bridgemidwives.com for more information on how to donate.
