Best The American Midwife Series Podcasts (2024)

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EP37 Bea | Born in the car! BBA, Fast Second Labour, Long First Birth, Birthing Stool, Birth Centre 46:24

28d ago46:24

46:24

Today's two birth stories are from Beatrice Haines, a fantastic artist living in Wiltshire. Bea has two sons, one of whom was born at a birth centre after a long and exhausting labour, and the other who arrived at the speed of light in the car! Bea's second birth happened in the front seat of her knackered old Honda Jazz just two hours after contra…

1
EP36 Hannah | Long Labour, Water Birth, Medical Gaslighting, Broken Arm, Healing C-Section Birth 1:06:03

6M ago1:06:03

1:06:03

Today’s guest is Hannah, who shares her two births - which could not be more different from each other. Her first son was born when she was 21, and as a young mum Hannah felt she was continually ignored by the medical staff - who denied her pain relief, refused to listen when she said she felt something was wrong with her baby, and left her alone a…

1
EP35 Jo | Fast Labour, Heart Defect, NICU Baby, Necrotising Enterocolitis (NECS), Surgery 1:02:00

6M ago1:02:00

1:02:00

Hello and welcome back to The Real Birth Podcast! This week I chat to Jo, whose daughter was diagnosed with a heart defect at her 20 week scan. This meant she needed surgery very soon after birth, and so Jo and her husband were preparing for an induction in Bristol, where a team of paediatric experts would be on hand. However, Jo's waters broke ear…

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EP34 Mez | Non-Binary Parent, IVF, Induction, Hypnobirthing, Queer Family, Inclusive Midwife 1:02:23

7M ago1:02:23

1:02:23

Hello everyone! This week I'm thrilled to be joined by Mez, who shares the birth story of their son. Mez is a non-binary parent who has 4 older children with their wife - however this pregnancy was the first time Mez had carried and birthed a child themselves. After a successful IVF round, Mez threw themselves into learning everything they could ab…

1
EP33 Jenny | Positive Induction Story, Multiple Miscarriage, Silent Coeliac, Water Birth, Lockdown 46:43

7M ago46:43

46:43

Hello all! This week my guest is Jenny, who shares her two birth stories. Jenny's first birth was many people's ideal experience - a natural delivery in the water, with very little intervention - and so when she was faced with an induction for her second baby's birth she was unsure she could have the same kind of positive experience. But as you wil…

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EP32 Lucy | CBAC, Home Birth Transfer, Back to Back Baby, Miscarriage 1:09:23

8M ago1:09:23

1:09:23

Hello and welcome back to series 4 of The Real Birth Podcast! To mark the start of a new season, and my return from maternity leave, I'll be sharing my own birth story. My second baby arrived in April 2023, and was born by CBAC - caesarean birth after a previous caesarean. I did everything in my power to achieve a HBAC - home birth after caesarean …

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S3BONUS Ashley | High BMI, Induction, 2 caesareans, VBAC, Home Birth, Freebirth, HBAC 1:18:18

1+ y ago1:18:18

1:18:18

Hello everyone! Welcome to this special bonus episode of The Real Birth Podcast. I actually wasn't intending to release something so soon after the last episode, but sometimes an opportunity presents itself and it's just too good to pass on! This special episode features Ashley Winning, the host of the VBAC Home Birth Stories podcast. VBAC stands f…

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EP30 Melissa | Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG), Successful Induction, Arthritis, Miscarriage, Failed Epidural 1:08:58

1+ y ago1:08:58

1:08:58

Today's episode features the lovely Melissa, who shares her two birth stories. Melissa suffers from psoriatic arthritis - a condition which requires her to take a medication not usually compatible with conception, pregnancy or breastfeeding. Melissa talks about how her pregnancies were timed around stints of being off her meds, and how this impacte…

1
EP29 Alice | Birth Centre, High BMI, Gestational Diabetes, TFMR, Twin Loss, Home Birth Transfer 57:39

1+ y ago57:39

57:39

Hello and welcome to The Real Birth Podcast! This week I'm joined by Alice, who talks about the births of her two daughters, both of which were impacted by her diagnosis of borderline gestational diabetes, and high BMI - but which Alice tackled very differently in her second daughter's pregnancy to her first. Alice also shares her story of grief an…

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EP28 Sabina | Post-dates Pregnancy, Long Labour, Induction, Epidural, C-Section, GA 1:01:06

1+ y ago1:01:06

1:01:06

Hello and welcome to The Real Birth Podcast! This week my guest is Sabina, who had her baby by caesarean under general anaesthetic, after a long and difficult labour. Sabina's story is important to acknowledge - as after growing up in a family where natural, unmedicated birth was the norm, she felt huge amounts of grief and anger at her caesarean e…

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EP27 Cassie | Surrogacy, Cervical Cancer, IVF, Stretch and Sweeps, Induction 1:11:06

1+ y ago1:11:06

1:11:06

Hello and welcome to The Real Birth Podcast! This week Cassie shares her story of becoming a mother via surrogacy, after her cancer treatment left her unable to conceive naturally. I am genuinely SO excited to be sharing this episode with you. When she was just 27, Cassie was diagnosed with cervical cancer - the treatment for which meant she would …

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EP26 Catherine | Reduced Movements, Induction, Prolapse, Positive Home Birth, Fast Labours, Miscarriage 1:05:42

1+ y ago1:05:42

1:05:42

Hello and welcome to The Real Birth Podcast! This week my guest is Catherine, who shares her two birth stories. Catherine was induced with her first baby after several episodes of reduced movement. Although she required very little intervention in the end, Catherine’s experience left her struggling physically and mentally. The birth of her second s…

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EP25 Stefanie | Fast Births, Epidural vs No Epidural, Afterpains, Home Birth Transfer, Doula, Hypnobirthing 1:01:14

1+ y ago1:01:14

1:01:14

Hello and welcome back to The Real Birth Podcast! This week to start the New Year right, my guest is Stefanie, a mother of three from Canada. Stefanie has been a Lamaze® Educator and doula since 2002. After the birth of her second son, Stefanie saw just how valuable it is to be prepared for birth and to have good support around you. Stefanie traine…

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EP24 Hannah | Coeliac's Disease, Anemia, Breech Baby, ECV, Induction, Epidural, Forceps 47:19

1+ y ago47:19

47:19

Hello and welcome back to The Real Birth Podcast! This week our birth story comes from Hannah, who discovered during her first pregnancy that she has coeliac’s disease. Hannah’s condition presented with almost no symptoms but the implications of having coeliac disease during pregnancy are far more serious than I knew. As well as managing a brand ne…

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EP23 Laura | Miscarriage, Induction, Epidural, Heath Anxiety, Forceps, Jaundice 1:00:09

1+ y ago1:00:09

1:00:09

Hello and welcome back to The Real Birth Podcast! This week my guest is Laura, who shares the birth story of her son after two heartbreaking miscarriages. Just so you know, Laura and I talk about these losses in depth at the start of the episode, so you can skip a little ahead if you’re not feeling in the right place to listen just now. Laura was e…

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EP22 Maha | 5 years TTC, Home Birth Aged 46, Natural Term Breastfeeding, Separation From Mother, Childbirth Educator 54:39

1+ y ago54:39

54:39

This week I interview Maha Al Musa, a childbirth educator, mother and birth activist living in Australia. Maha is the founder of EMBODYBIRTH and has been sharing her wisdom surrounding the physiology of birth for almost three decades. Maha shares her three birth stories - including a home birth with midwives at the age of 46. We also talk about cul…

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EP21 Emma | Unexplained Infertility, Cervical Stitch, No Epidural Available, GBS Positive, Breastfeeding Struggles 1:20:38

1+ y ago1:20:38

1:20:38

Welcome back to series 3 of The Real Birth Podcast! Kicking off the series is an interview with my good friend Emma, who gave birth to her son in 2016. Emma is a teacher and a single mum to her son Wren. She and her partner at the time struggled with unexplained infertility, but eventually did fall pregnant after trying for several years. Emma has …

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EP20 Cat | TTC, IVF, Twin Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Induction, Pregnancy Over 40 58:12

2y ago58:12

58:12

This episode is the final episode of season 2! Thank you to everyone who has listened and supported me this series, it's been an incredible time and the stories I've been able to share have been amazing. To mark the season finale, I'm thrilled to have interviewed Cat Strawbridge, who you may know if you're on instagram in the TTC/IVF/pregnancy afte…

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EP19 Oona | Home Birth Transfer, Meconium, Postpartum Haemorrhage PPH, Independent Midwife, Birth Centre Birth 1:07:08

2y ago1:07:08

1:07:08

This week my guest is Oona, who shares two very different birth stories. Oona planned home births for both her babies, but was transferred to hospital with her first daughter for suspected meconium (that's baby poo!) in her waters, and with her second daughter Oona was admitted to the birth centre for having a rare antibody show up in her blood tes…

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EP18 Andrea | Stillbirth, Endometriosis, Polyhydramnios, Breast Milk Donation, IVF 1:16:28

2y ago1:16:28

1:16:28

This week's guest is Andrea, whose son Bodhi was stillborn at 30 weeks. Andrea suffers from endometriosis, and after two failed rounds of IVF, Andrea and her husband Sam found themselves unexpectedly pregnant naturally. At just over 29 weeks, Andrea noticed Bodhi had stopped moving, and immediately knew something wasn't right. It is every parent's …

1
EP17 Tara | Pregnancy Loss, Suspected Big Baby, Planned Caesarean, Breastfeeding Struggles 43:18

2y ago43:18

43:18

This week I interview Tara, who had her daughter after two pregnancy losses. Tara and her partners had actually stopped trying to conceive when she found herself pregnant unexpectedly - much to their delight! Tara's baby measured big throughout her pregnancy and she was offered additional growth scans to track her size. She was placed under consult…

1
EP16 Jo | Surprise Pregnancy, Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Induction, Episiotomy, 1:09:41

2y ago1:09:41

1:09:41

Today I interview Jo, who had her baby in 2021. Jo has Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which affects her joints and ligaments. This was an extra consideration during pregnancy and when planning for her birth. After speaking to a consultant, Jo decided to birth in hospital, and after several episodes of protein in her urine and feeling unwell, o…

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EP15 Maggie | Miscarriage, Home Birth, Undiagnosed Breech, Freebirth, Unassisted Birth 1:02:32

2y ago1:02:32

1:02:32

This week my guest is Maggie, who joins me all the way from Texas, USA. Maggie's first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, and she was understandably nervous about falling pregnant again. When she did conceive, she planned a home birth with a midwife, which is unusual for her area in Texas. Despite being a positive birth at home (with an undiagnosed …

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EP14 Rosie | Home Birth Transfer, Long Labour, Perineal Massage, Mastitis, Extended Breastfeeding 50:40

2y ago50:40

50:40

In this episode, Rosie shares the birth story of her first baby. Rosie planned a home birth and was supported by a continuity of care midwife whom she saw for every appointment. After a long labour at home, Rosie decided to transfer to hospital due to exhaustion - but realised when she arrived at hospital her baby was imminent! Two weeks after her …

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EP13 Sarah | 2 Fast Labours, Overdue Baby, Fertility Awareness Method, Painless Contractions 1:07:40

2y ago1:07:40

1:07:40

In today's episode I meet Sarah, who had two very fast labour and births. Her husband was more keen to have a baby than she was, and so she was surprised when she stopped taking the pill and discovered she was pregnant before she'd even had a period. Sarah's first pregnancy was discovered late, and her exact dates were unknown - but all suspected h…

1
EP12 Holly | Congenital Heart Defect, Planned C-Section, Newborn Surgery, NICU Stays 50:58

2y ago50:58

50:58

Welcome to another episode of TRBP. Today's guest is Holly, who shares her two birth stories and her experience of NICU stays. At her 20 week scan, Holly and her husband Mark were told that their daughter Ivy had a heart abnormality known as Transposition of the Great Arteries (or TGA). In essence, Ivy's two main heart arteries had grown around the…

1
EP11 Grace | Birth Centre Transfer, Episiotomy, Single Motherhood, Sister Support 1:06:47

2y ago1:06:47

1:06:47

Welcome back to Series 2 of The Real Birth Podcast! In this episode, Grace shares her birth story. Shortly after finding out she was pregnant, Grace's relationship with her partner at the time broke down and she embarked upon motherhood as part of a co-parenting team. Grace's labour progressed quickly and she used hypnobirthing techniques to help h…

1
EP10 Rhiannon | Induction, Hyperstimulation, Walking Epidural, Unplanned Caesarean, Exclusive Pumping 1:08:00

2+ y ago1:08:00

1:08:00

In the final episode of season 1, I speak to Rhiannon, who is a midwife and hypnobirthing teacher. Rhiannon planned a calm home birth with her colleagues from the community midwife team to support her. However, her pregnancy was difficult and at around 42 weeks she opted for an outpatient induction. Rhiannon experienced hyperstimulation and was con…

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EP9 Lisa | Elective Caesarean, Birth Rights, Anxiety, Miscarriage, Breastfeeding Struggles 52:44

2+ y ago52:44

52:44

This week I interview Lisa, who suffered two pregnancy losses before her son was born. This led to extreme anxiety, which meant Lisa felt her most appropriate birth choice was an elective c-section. The night before her planned caesarean, Lisa's water broke and she went into spontaneous labour! Lisa talks openly about the huge transition into paren…

1
EP8 Emma | Home Birth Transfer, Oxygen Deprivation, Cerebral Palsy, NICU Stay, Healing Second Birth, Hypnobirthing, Water Birth 1:06:41

2+ y ago1:06:41

1:06:41

In today's episode, Emma shares her two very different birth stories. Emma's baby boy Ted was born nine years ago, and suffered oxygen deprivation during his delivery - which resulted in a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. Emma and her husband were shocked to learn that the hospital trust admitted full responsibility for Ted's brain damage and said this…

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EP7 Kate | Home Birth Transfer, Cystic Fibrosis, Tongue Tie, Fast Labour, Thyroid Issue 1:10:56

2+ y ago1:10:56

1:10:56

In this week's episode, Kate shares her two birth stories. Her first birth was a long, slow labour which resulted in a hospital transfer due to exhaustion. Kate's second birth was just six months ago, and was a very fast labour and successful home birth. She was supported by community midwives, her partner, her mum and a birth photographer. Kate te…

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EP6 Jade | 2 Big Babies, 1 Waterbirth, 1 Emergency Caesarean, Induction, Cord Prolapse 53:57

2+ y ago53:57

53:57

In today's episode, Jade shares her two birth stories. Her first birth was a natural water birth with only gas and air, in a midwife led unit. She gave birth in the pool and says it was an amazing experience. Her second birth took place on Labour Ward as Jade was induced due to her baby measuring big. Her waters were broken artificially and her bab…

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EP5 Jackie | Home Birth, Third Baby, Husband's Birth Preparation, Student Midwife Support 43:52

2+ y ago43:52

43:52

Jackie is a family and wedding photographer, and is married to Joe. She has three biological children and two step-children, so her home is a busy one! Jackie had a drug-free home birth 'on land' - i.e. not in water! - just 12 weeks ago with her little baby Otto. After two previous births, one on a midwife led unit and another at home, Jackie knew …

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EP4 Deanna | Didn't Know I Was Pregnant! PCOS, Premature Baby, NICU, Postnatal Depression 1:01:36

2+ y ago1:01:36

1:01:36

Deanna is a body piercer from Newbury, UK, who had a complete - and we mean *complete* -surprise pregnancy with her daughter. We've all heard those mythical playground tales of women not knowing they were expecting until a baby literally came out of them, right? Well, it can happen - and it did happen to this week's guest, Deanna. Dee shares her in…

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EP3 Sarah | Drug-Free Home Birth, Water Birth, Solo Mothering, Birth in USA 43:04

2+ y ago43:04

43:04

Sarah is a birth and postnatal doula working in Somerset. She is also a birth photographer and captures incredible images of pregnancy , birth and the postnatal period. You can see her work at www.doulasarah.co.uk or on her Instagram page. Sarah was living and working as a nanny in LA when she made an intentional choice to have her baby on her own.…

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EP2 Leanne | IVF, Placenta Previa, OHSS, Planned Caesarean, Bleeding In Pregnancy 59:58

2+ y ago59:58

59:58

Leanne and her partner underwent IVF treatment to have their son who is now 2 and a half years old. During treatment, Leanne developed an extreme reaction to the stimulating IVF drugs, known as OHSS (ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome). Her pregnancy was difficult as she bled throughout, and was diagnosed with complete placenta previa. This meant he…

1
EP1 Lucy | Home Birth Transfer, Undiagnosed Breech, Caesarean Birth, Doula Support 1:02:57

2+ y ago1:02:57

1:02:57

Lucy Hill is the founder of The Real Birth Podcast, and in episode 1 she shares her birth story. Lucy and her husband Mike suffered a miscarriage before falling pregnant with their son, Rufus. In preparation for their birth, they chose to take a hypnobirthing course, hire a doula and also decided on a home birth. After going into labour spontaneous…

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Welcome to The Real Birth Podcast! 6:08

2+ y ago6:08

6:08

Welcome to The Real Birth Podcast. In this short trailer episode, you can find out more about your host Lucy Hill, how TRBP came to be, and why everyone should be listening to real birth stories! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy Lucy Hill

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S1 Ep7: Amber Wilson, CNM, DNP in Hampton, Virginia 1:17:38

4y ago1:17:38

1:17:38

Today I’m speaking with Amber Wilson, a certified Nurse Midwife in Virginia with her Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Amber knew she wanted to become a midwife after receiving prenatal care from a midwife during her first pregnancy. Amber’s journey to midwifery includes working as a pediatric nurse and a labor and delivery nurse for a number of years…

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S1 Ep6: Afua Hassan, LM in Houston, Texas 1:28:49

4+ y ago1:28:49

1:28:49

In today’s episode I’m talking with Ms. Afua Hassan, a community midwife in Houston Texas, with 37 years of experience and more than 2,000 births under her belt. Ms. Afua graduated from Brown University with a degree in African American Studies. She was on the path to becoming an obstetrician, but found her calling after a chance meeting with a mid…

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S1 Ep5: MEAC accredited midwifery schools + Applying to Bastyr University 54:27

4+ y ago54:27

54:27

This episode is about how you can locate a MEAC-accredited midwifery school, what MEAC accreditation means, and how to present yourself as an ideal midwifery school applicant at Bastyr University. This is all based on my personal experience and is not at all affiliated with Bastyr University or its staff in any way. In this episode I'm joined by my…

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S1 Ep4: Shafia Monroe, DEM, CDT, MPH in Portland, Oregon 1:11:48

4+ y ago1:11:48

1:11:48

Shafia Monroe is a legendary midwife of more than 36 years, a wife, mother of 7, author, President of Doula Ready, LLC, Shafia Monroe Consulting, and founder of ICTC (International Center for Traditional Childbearing), now NAABB (National Association to Advance Black Birth). Ms. Shafia has been a midwife since 1978, walking alongside thousands of f…

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#17 Actress and Audiobook Narrator Emma Wilder on THE ROMANCE SHOW with Vanessa Fewings 32:22

5y ago32:22

32:22

Episode # 17Actress and audiobook narrator Emma Wilder visits Vanessa on the Romance Show Podcast. Emma shares her experience and many of her secrets of working as one of the most popular and sought after narrators. She also shares how she got her start in the industry, and delves deeper into what it's really like to perform for some of the romance…

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#16 Author Tif Marcelo on THE ROMANCE SHOW with Vanessa Fewings 34:13

5y ago34:13

34:13

Episode # 16Romance Author Tif Marcelo shares with Vanessa Fewings what it was like serving in the American Army as a nurse, bonding with other Army wives, and her love of travel. They talk about her new novel from Gallery Books THE KEY TO HAPPILY EVER AFTER, and what inspired her to write it. Listen to the lively conversation where Vanessa and Tif…

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#15 Author Lauren Layne on The ROMANCE SHOW with Vanessa Fewings 26:31

5y ago26:31

26:31

Episode #15Lauren Layne is a New York Times and USA TODAY Bestselling Author. She’s been featured on Inside Edition, Publishers Weekly, Glamour, and The Wall Street Journal. She chatted with Vanessa about her passion for New York, her popular romance books that are filled with sassy, smart characters who we can all relate to, and her fabulous advic…

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#14 Author Mary Catherine Gebhard on The ROMANCE SHOW with Vanessa Fewings 27:06

5+ y ago27:06

27:06

Episode #14Author Mary Catherine Gebhard joined Vanessa Fewings on the Romance Show to chat about her new novel Skater Boy, which is already receiving rave reviews! She shared her advice for authors wanting to write more than one book at a time, her love for travel, and her passion for writing. A proud part of the Authors on the Air Global Radio Ne…

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#13 Author Pepper Winters on The ROMANCE SHOW with Vanessa Fewings 28:48

5+ y ago28:48

28:48

Episode #13NYT and USA Today Bestselling author Pepper Winters is best known for her dark romance, contemporary, romantic suspense, and erotica thrillers. She joined Vanessa on the podcast to talk about her early writing career, including TEARS of TESS, her latest RIBBON DUET, and what she's working on now. Pepper also shared some sound writing adv…

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S1 Ep3: Rosemary Loperena, Certified Professional Midwife in Puerto Rico & Portland, OR 1:18:40

5+ y ago1:18:40

1:18:40

In this episode I chat with Rosemary Loperena, a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) from Aguadilla, PR. Rosemary attended and graduated from Birthingway College of Midwifery in Portland, OR after first spending 10 years working as an Industrial Engineer. She felt her call to Midwifery while completing her training to become a Licensed Massage The…

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S1 Ep2 Tinneca Fortin, Licensed Midwife in Tacoma, Washington 1:05:25

5+ y ago1:05:25

1:05:25

In this episode Anjelica talks with Tinneca Fortin, CPM, LM, and SOMA practitioner. Tinneca shares how her first childbirth experience at 18 influenced her desire to become a midwife. Tinneca trained and graduated from Midwives College of Utah. She also spent time apprenticing alongside Toni Erickson, and then with a group of diverse midwives at Ca…

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#12 Author JA Huss on The ROMANCE SHOW with Vanessa Fewings 29:53

5+ y ago29:53

29:53

Episode #12 NY Times Bestselling Author JA Huss wows Vanessa with her compelling storytelling that's edgy and addictive. Julie talks about her super sexy Turning Series, her co-authorship with Johnathan McClain, and the YouTube series she designed for authors called The Perfect Year! THE ROMANCE SHOW is a podcast hosted by Author Vanessa Fewings wh…

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The American Midwife Series Podcasts

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