Carla Viles’ story is one of circling back—through loss and redemption, apprenticeship and partnership, intuition and listening. From snowy nights in Eugene with her children decorating a Christmas tree while she birthed at home, to the weight of responsibility at difficult births, she has carried the thread of midwifery with quiet strength. Now, as she slowly winds her practice down, Carla reflects on the legacy of her work and the wisdom she hopes to pass on. Her path reminds us that wisdom often comes not only through books or training, but through dreams, stories, and the tender act of bearing witness.

Carla Shares:

• Her own birth stories: a traumatic breech cesarean, a redemptive VBAC in Oregon, and the eventual joy of peaceful home births
• Training in Eugene’s early pre-licensure midwifery community
• Why she chose to remain unlicensed in Oregon, holding sacred space for VBACs
• Stories of breech, twins, and the burden—and blessing—of responsibility
• Spiritual midwifery: intuition, dreams, and the unseen guidance at birth
• The power of listening and the healing that comes from knowing a mother’s story
• Reflections on how midwifery has shifted—through licensing debates, changing standards around VBAC, the rise of technology and prenatal testing, the influence of fear in birth culture, and the growing role of doulas in home birth spaces
• What it means to step back, retire, and place family at the center once more

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Daphne Singingtree — A longtime educator in plant medicine and midwifery based in Eugene, Oregon. Daphne founded midwifery schools, authored training guides, and played a key role in shaping direct-entry midwifery and legislation in the state.
• Ina May Gaskin (Spiritual Midwifery) — Known as “the mother of authentic midwifery,” Ina May helped launch The Farm Midwifery Center in Tennessee and revitalized homebirth in the U.S. Her classic Spiritual Midwifery, now in its fourth edition, interweaves birth stories, practical support, and a spiritual vision of natural childbirth.
• Elizabeth Davis (Heart & Hands) — A certified midwife and educator, Davis’s Heart & Hands: A Midwife’s Guide to Pregnancy and Birth (5th ed., 2019) is a foundational resource for birthworkers and parents. It covers physiological birth, hands-on support techniques, pain mediation, postpartum recovery, and breastfeeding.
• Margaret Charles Smith (Listen to Me Good) — An Alabama midwife whose decades of experience yielded unforgettable birth stories. Listen to Me Good: The Life Story of an Alabama Midwife shares her rural midwifery work across shifting medical landscapes. She was inducted into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame.
• Nancy Wainer Cohen & Lois J. Estner (Silent Knife) — Silent Knife: Cesarean Prevention and Vaginal Birth after Cesarean (VBAC) (1983) is a landmark guide for VBAC parents and providers. Cohen was a leader in cesarean-prevention advocacy; Estner was a VBAC mother and breastfeeding counselor.
• Rahima Baldwin Dancy — A pioneering direct-entry midwife since the 1970s, Rahima authored Special Delivery, founded Informed Homebirth, trained in Waldorf early education, co-directed The Birth Center in Michigan, and continues teaching across generations on birth, parenting, and eldercare.
• Exaggerated Sims (position) — A semi-prone, lateral birthing posture used for comfort and fetal repositioning. In this position, the birthing person lies on their side with one leg extended and the upper hip/knee flexed between 90° and more—often helpful for aiding fetal rotation. See an illustration and further details here.
• Castor Oil — A traditional, natural method used for inducing labor via cervical ripening. A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis found that oral castor oil is associated with significantly increased labor induction rates (Relative Risk ≈ 3.27) and higher prevalence of vaginal delivery—without reporting serious adverse effects. You can read the study here.
• Jan Tritten — The founder and longtime editor of Midwifery Today magazine and its conferences. Jan became a home-birth midwife in 1977 after a transformative second birth. She was recently interviewed for this series, and her full episode will be released next week.

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

In this intimate conversation, Blyss sits with Betty Griffith, LDM, a licensed midwife in Salem, Oregon, whose five decades of practice bridge the early days of the home birth revival with today’s changing landscape. From her beginnings as a labor-and-delivery nurse in the 1970s to years of practicing home birth prior to licensure, Betty shares the shifts she’s witnessed—both in women’s bodies and in the culture of birth.

With candor and warmth, Betty reflects on the simplicity of care in earlier times, the complications that arise from fear-based models, and why she believes too much testing can create more problems than it solves. She also opens her medicine bag—offering practical wisdom on prenatal nutrition, balancing energy to encourage optimal fetal position, the “midwife brew,” herbs, prayer, and the subtle art of listening deeply to both women and babies.

This conversation weaves history, philosophy, and practical midwifery into one tapestry—reminding us that birth is, above all, a sacred and natural process.

Betty Shares:

• Betty’s journey from farm girl to nurse to beloved Oregon midwife
• A stark look at obstetric practices in the 1960s and ’70s—and what changed
• How simplicity in care led to excellent outcomes before licensure
• Why fear and over-testing may contribute to complications
• Stories of faith, prayer, and “God births” that defied medical odds
• The midwife’s role as family-centered, bringing children into the process
• Betty’s homemade prenatal vitamins and natural remedies
• Tools for aligning babies in labor—including her unique pelvic-tilt technique
• Reflections on licensure, Medicaid, and the struggle to serve families with integrity

Mentioned in This Episode:

• NARM (North American Registry of Midwives)
• Midwife Brew – a natural induction blend often including:
• Castor oil
• Apricot nectar (sometimes Kern’s brand)
• Lemon verbena tea
• Almond butter
• Water
• Michel Odent — a French obstetrician who pioneered birthing pools, home-like maternity rooms, and the concept of the “fetus-ejection reflex.” He later founded the Primal Health Research Centre in London and authored numerous influential books on physiological birth. Learn more →
• Starwest Botanicals — a trusted source for high-quality organic herbs, teas, and botanicals since 1975. Visit Starwest Botanicals →
• Chlorophyll — for strengthening blood and preventing excessive bleeding
• TXA (Tranexamic Acid) — modern tool for postpartum hemorrhage
• Cayenne & Cinnamon — traditional remedies for hemorrhage
• Activated Charcoal — used for supporting newborns with jaundice

Useful Links & Resources

• Connect with Betty Griffith, LDM: Birth With Love Midwife Services
• Follow us on Instagram @bridge_midwives to see Betty’s tip for helping babies find a good position.
• Learn more about the Bridge Midwives Project: thebridgemidwives.com
• Join our monthly Community Circle: live conversations with elder midwives (first Thursday, 5pm PT).

If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend, leave a review, or consider supporting the Bridge Midwives Project so we can continue archiving and honoring the wisdom of midwives like Betty Griffith, LDM.

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

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.
• 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.

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

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.
• 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.

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

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
• 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

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.
• 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.
• Read on Internet Archive →
• The Scientification of Love by Michel Odent
• Explores the neurohormonal basis of love and birth, and the damage done by unnecessary interference.
• More info →
• Life Magazine on Twilight Sleep
• Referenced as a cultural artifact promoting scopolamine use during birth, separating mothers from babies.
• Context article →

Studies & Legal Precedents

• Placental Resuscitation
• Mercer, J.S. et al. Delayed cord clamping: Providing placental transfusion and more.
• PubMed →
• Bhatt, S. et al. Delaying cord clamping improves cardiovascular function and oxygenation in preterm lambs.
• PubMed →
• Oregon Attorney General Opinion (1970s)
• 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.

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

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

• 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.

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

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.

To explore Kelly’s handcrafted skincare line, visit: naturalfamilybotanicals.com

Mentioned in this episode:

• 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
• 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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.
• The legacy of Ashley Montagu and the concept of uterine envy in book, The Natural Superiority of Women

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.

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Podcast Editor: Shea Lyons

Archivist and Producer: Blyss Young

Instagram: @TheBridgeMidwives

Join our Facebook community: The Bridge Midwives Project