BIRTH: The Middle Way Podcast

It is my belief that when women speak, and tell their stories, that we should listen. Throughout my career as a therapist, women’s coach, and birth attendant, if I could tell you one thread that continues to humble me, it’s the absolute potency at the root of being women, and the unique wisdom, medicine, and gifts that we each carry. There is undeniably something SO profound in listening to our si...

This conversation was a long time coming, and a true honour. I am beyond excited to introduce you all to one of the most important women along my path as a birth attendant thus far. Whapio is an Elder who has truly devoted herself to studying the depth of birth, and weaving the wisdom she has absorbed into a women lead model that I feel is truly world changing. It has been nothing short of life ch...

In a world where birth is so frequently viewed through a clinical lens, as though it is a deeply unsafe event that needs constant monitoring and intervention, the personal experiences and wisdom of mothers, as well as birth attendants (who hold less rank than a doctor)… are all too often overlooked. If you believe in the innate wisdom carried in the experiences and stories of women, then this epis...

Join Sami Love for another deep conversation on Bith: The Middle way, with a group of powerful women all walking the path of traditional midwifery! The midwives from Foundational concepts, Sarita Bennett, Rowan Bailey, and Alicia Juarez Meyer bless us all with a very raw and real discussion exploring many topics in the realms of birth, family, informed concept, family care, politics, and much more...

Nathan Riley has truly walked a unique path in the realm of birth. After 14 years spent devoted to the path of becoming an OBGYN, he lost his job for taking his mask off during the pandemic, while supporting a patient who was in the active process of dying. He chose humanity over rules and regulations in that moment… and in that moment, everything changed! One path closed, and another opened. Yet...

ANNOUNCEMENT: Hello Birth: The Middle Way community — I am taking a step back for the next little bit as I integrate my experience within the Guardian’s investigation into the Freebirth Society. My prayer from the beginning has been to find a middle ground between the polarizing beliefs in the birth world. It is not anyones place to judge how a woman chooses to birth — for with every choice, there...

Join Sami and Kiara (two dear friends living and mothering side-by-side in the Sacred Valley of Peru) for this intimate conversation and exploration of all things pregnancy, birth, mothering, and partnership. This episode is a window into the hearts and minds of two mothers who are rooted in presence and devotion, while simultaneously holding the paradoxes, griefs, and mysteries of the motherhood...

Buckle up, as you are in for a treat with this one! Joni Edelman is one of those women who just has a way of bringing all the fuzzy feelings to your heart and soul simply by being in her presence. She radiates a true devotion for the living prayer she carries in the world as a traditional midwife, one that is felt. It was truly a pleasure to sit with her in this conversation as she wove her own bi...

We are excited to introduce you to this beautiful woman and mother in this episode of Birth: The Middle Way. Freya is a mother and multidisciplinary artist who walks the path of seasonal recognition, with a deep connection and reverse for the rhythms of the natural worlds, as her Celtic Ancestors did before her. She is deeply connected to the natural world and draw inspiration for her life from th...

We are truly honoured to welcome the extraordinary Jane Hardwicke-Collings — elder midwife, author, mother, teacher, and wisdom keeper, to this episode of Birth: The Middle Way. With deep reverence for the path she has walked, we are grateful for this opportunity to sit at her feet. It is such a sacred thread woven into the tapestry of womanhood, each time we have the opportunity to learn from our...

Today we are joined by Carly Rae Beaudry, a specialist in Female Physiology, Pelvic Heart Brain Coherence, and everything related to: Fertility, Birth, and Womb Continuum. Known for radically sharing her unfiltered opinions and willingness to stand in the fire of projection, we find ourselves sitting at the feet of Carly Rae. She does not shy away from taboo or triggering conversations and today,...

In keeping with the choosing-to-have-difficult-conversations pillar of Birth: The Middle Way , we are showing up today with a discussion on the assassination of Charlie Kirk. We believe in open dialogue with people who think differently than we do — and so here we are today, standing in that, discussing a man who too embodied the (fallible) art of discussion. So — why is this topic relevant to the...

Today on Birth: The Middle Way we are joined by the beautiful Alessandra Isola who wanted to come on and share the story of her daughter’s birth. Initially Alessandra reached out saying that she had an “ unmedicated physiological hospital birth wasn’t just positive; it was ceremonial, a deeply respected and uninterrupted experience ” and of course we were excited to hear her story. On this dynamic...

What does it ACTUALLY mean to be free and sovereign in this world? Is it just about birthing your baby “outside the system”? Is it about homeschooling, choosing not to vaccinate your children, growing your own food, and swearing off social media forever… or does it go far beyond that? In a world inundated with abuse of power and control, how do we as individuals and families reclaim this radical i...

Your words create your reality — does this apply in the birth space? This week on Birth: The Middle Way we are joined again by the wise and wonderful Catalina Clark, mother, midwife, and sister to birthing women. Our conversation begins with unravelling the phrase “a woman’s birth is a mirror to her inner world” ; the truths woven within these words as well as the potentially problematic layers th...

Well, Kelsey doesn’t have to imagine it — this is the miracle story how her daughter, Willow, came earth-side. Hello everyone and welcome back to Birth: The Middle Way. Today we’ve got a truly wild and beautiful story to offer — Let us introduce to you: Kelsey & Willow. On this episode Kelsey shares her daughters miracle home/free-birth story at just 28 weeks without the knowledge that she was pre...

We talk a lot about birth trauma and problematic protocols in the birth space on this podcast — but what about the positive stories? Is there room for positive birth outcomes in the presence of a woman who has experienced birth trauma? In this episode of Birth: The Middle Way we explore the nuance of women feeling shame for sharing positive birth stories in spaces where mothers who have experience...

You’ve heard the phrase “ birth is a mirror to a woman’s consciousness ” — or maybe, “ birth reflects where a woman is at ”… but what if those statements were not entirely true? Beyond that — what if they were harmful? Imagine this: A woman who has shown up time and time again to therapy, meditates every day, sits in ceremony, practices radical self responsibility, is intentional with what she eat...

Goosebumps on goosebumps on goosebumps in this conversation. Hello beloved BTMW community, Today we have the privilege of sitting down with Midwife and Mother, Catalina Clark for a potent conversation anchoring a grounded perspective on birth keeping. Join us as we explore the realms of free-birth, traditional midwifery, birth protocols in the medical model of care, creating trust with care provid...

Hello community and welcome to this in-depth conversation where we discuss the ways in which we can be in an intentional relationship with the concept of imprinting . This idea is rooted in understanding that our gestational time in the womb, our birth, and our early childhood experience have lasting experiences on our life — knowing this, the questions we can now ask ourselves are: * How can we r...

** DISCLAIMER: Please forgive the lagging on this episode. We hope you are still able to digest today’s conversation & receive all the weavings within our words. If you’ve listened to the full episode, please give us your feedback regarding your experience listening to this episode. We apologize for the lagging on our end and we seek to rectify that for future episodes. However we do feel that the...

In mainstream portrayals of birth, a woman’s water breaking signals an emergency — a frantic rush to the hospital. But what happens when the waters open… and the birth unfolds slowly, with reverence and trust? In this episode, Karina is joined by her midwife, Fadwa, to share the sacred story of a five-day birth journey. Together, we explore the nuanced terrain of risk assessment by both mother and...

In this conversation we approach the topic of Informed Consent — the historical lack of it in the medical system, and how we can show up to IC with awareness, empowerment, curiosity, and humility. Informed Consent is defined as: ‘ a communication process between the clinician and the patient.’ Our definition may look a little more like: ‘a continuous informed and education-based dialogue between p...

Join us as we listen to the beautiful Ali Shaffer tell the birth and death story of her beloved daughter Auzlyn Merry Sky. A mother standing in the threshold between portals shares her beautiful birth story & how we heal after tragedy from life’s greatest losses. Ali is a Naturopathic Doctor, Shamanic Priestess & Sovereign Midwife who believes that all pain can be turned into power and that when w...

In this thoughtful, philosophical, and contemplative episode of BIRTH : The Middle Way, we open with a quote that was shared on instagram by 2 beautiful midwives: “Birth is the mirror to our maturity.” At first glance, this quote may sound insightful—even empowering. But what lies beneath it? How do we define maturity? Does this depict one type of birth as being superior while another remains infe...