Mothering the Mother: African American Postpartum Traditions with Shafia Monroe

In this rich and powerful episode, host Augustine is joined by co-host Israel Johnson, Licensed Direct Entry Midwife and Certified Professional Midwife from Oregon, to welcome the legendary Shafia Monroe — midwife, author, cultural historian, and founder of the SMC Full Circle Doula Training, the first Black doula training launched nationally in 2002 in Portland, Oregon.

Shafia has just published her long-awaited book, Mothering the Mother: African American Postpartum Traditions, Recipes and Healing, and this conversation is a celebration of that birth — and so much more.

In this episode we cover:

• Shafia's 11-year journey from journal entry to published book
• Why African American postpartum care has been largely invisible — and why that must change
• The historical trauma Black mothers carry, and the healing power of returning to traditions
• Why anemia may be at the root of more postpartum depression than we realize
• The herbs every postpartum mother should have on hand 
• Shafia's relationship with Erykah Badu, who wrote the foreword and called the book "the postpartum Bible"
• Why more clinical visits is NOT the same as postpartum care
• The ongoing "midwife problem" in America — and why change is urgently needed.
• The critical mass of home birth across US states and what it means for the future of midwifery
• Why we need to retire the word "patient" for pregnant people — and the word BIPOC
• The burnout crisis in midwifery and why we must return to a collective model

Resources & Links:

• 📖 Get the book: Mothering the Mother — Amazon
• 🌐 Learn more about Shafia Monroe: shafiamonroe.com
• 💼 Now Hiring: Clinical Director at New Birth Midwifery, Chaska MN — newbirthmidwifery.com/job-openings
• 🌿 New Course: Plant Medicine Midwife with Tara Compehos — midwiferywisdomcollective.com
• 🏡 Join our community: skool.com/midwiferywisdom