Discover Midwives

American College of Nurse-Midwives
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Medicine
  • Updated Semiweekly

The Discover Midwives Podcast was created to empower you with accurate, compassionate, and evidence-informed answers to your most pressing questions about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and women’s health—delivered from a uniquiely midwifery perspective. Our goals are to normalize conversations about reproductive health, offer clarity in a landscape saturated with misinformation, and build public trust in midwifery care!

  1. Aug 10

    Listening to Labor: Understanding Intermittent Auscultation and Why It Matters

    In this episode of Discover Midwives, we dive into birth innovation, patient engagement, and evidence-based care with Amy Romano, midwife, healthcare leader, and founder of Primary Maternity Care.Amy shares her 22-year journey in maternal health. From her clinical practice to co-authoring Optimal Care in Childbirth, she breaks down how systemic incentives and clinical choices impact the birthing experience. Together, we explore the crucial differences between routine electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) and intermittent auscultation (IA), examining how less invasive monitoring techniques can safely preserve freedom of movement, reduce unnecessary interventions, and support natural physiologic birth.In this episode, you’ll learn:The Shift to Human-Centered Care: How system design, funding, and clinical innovation can improve maternity outcomes and birth equity. Intermittent Auscultation (IA) vs. Electronic Fetal Monitoring (EFM): Why continuous EFM isn't always better for low-risk births and how it can lead to unnecessary C-sections. Preserving Freedom of Movement: How low-intervention monitoring allows birthing individuals to listen to their bodies and move freely during labor. Advocating for Choice: Tips for navigating birth settings and advocating for evidence-based monitoring options. "When we replace hands-on care and presence with continuous technology, we often trade true physiological safety for a false sense of certainty."Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Discover Midwives, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with friends, clients, or healthcare providers looking to humanize maternal care!

  2. Jul 27

    More Than Birth: How Midwives Care for Newborns

    Did you know that midwifery care extends well beyond pregnancy and childbirth? In this episode of Discover Midwives, we dive into a core yet often overlooked aspect of midwifery training and practice: caring for healthy newborns.We are joined by Dr. Michelle Palmer (PhD, CNM), a passionate advocate for physiologic birth and Specialty Director at the Yale School of Nursing. Dr. Palmer shares her extensive clinical expertise on the critical first hours and days of a baby’s life.In this episode, you’ll learn:The Magic of the "Golden Hour": Why skin-to-skin contact, quiet environments, and sensory transition matter so deeply for a newborn's nervous system and development. Essential Newborn Screenings: What midwives look for during early clinical evaluations, including jaundice, blood sugar levels, pulse oximetry, and metabolic screenings. Navigating Red Flags: How midwives distinguish normal newborn behavior from warning signs that require pediatric or specialist intervention. Postpartum & Feeding Support: The role midwives play in supporting parents through the trials and triumphs of early infant feeding and transition. Enjoyed this episode? Don't forget to subscribe, leave a 5-star rating, and share Discover Midwives with expecting parents and birth workers!

  3. Jul 13

    The Power of Choice: Shared Decision Making in Maternity Care

    What does it mean to have a voice in your birth? Far too often, "informed consent" is treated as just a checkbox. In this episode of the Discover Midwives Podcast, we sit down with Alison Shorten, PhD, RN, RM, a distinguished researcher, innovative educator, and Senior Associate Dean at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, with over 35 years of experience in nursing and midwifery. Alison dives deep into her pioneering research on Shared Decision Making (SDM) and the implementation of midwifery models of care. We explore how her work has shaped international evidence-based clinical guidelines, why a strong relationship between providers and families is the foundation of a safe birth, and how true shared decision-making can dramatically reduce unnecessary interventions and lower cesarean rates. Whether you are an expecting parent navigating options like VBAC or a birth worker striving to improve maternal outcomes, Alison’s insights offer a masterclass on shifting maternity care toward a truly collaborative, respectful, and relationship-driven model.

  4. Jun 29

    Birth Centers with Trinisha Williams

    What does it truly look like to be an active, empowered partner in your own birthing experience?In this episode of Discover Midwives, the host sits down with fellow Brooklyn native, Tranisha Williams, MPH, CM. With over 20 years of experience as a certified midwife and more than a thousand births attended across hospital, home, and birth center settings, Tranisha brings a wealth of hands-on knowledge to the conversation. Today, she serves as the board president of the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC). Tranisha shares her personal journey into midwifery, which was sparked by witnessing her sister's empowering young pregnancy and birth. She unpacks the unique beauty, fidelity, and safety of the midwifery model of care in community-based settings. In this episode, we discuss: The Birth Center Advantage: Why birth centers offer an ideal, personalized environment where low-risk families can experience minimal interventions while letting the facility handle the logistics. -Home vs. Birth Center: Navigating the environmental differences, from the deep intimacy of birthing in your own curated space to opting for a simulated home-like environment. -Who is a Candidate?: A clear breakdown of the criteria for a birth center birth, including low-risk pregnancies, head-first baby positioning, and normal blood pressure. -Safety & Voluntary Accreditation: How the AABC and the Commission for Accreditation of Birth Centers set evidence-based standards, monitor strict protocols, and review outcomes to keep families safe. -How birth centers navigate hospital transfers. The reality of non-emergent hospital transfers for stalled labor or pain management, and how to mentally prepare for shifting from a birth plan to continuous monitoring or higher-level interventions. -Busting Midwifery Myths: Tranisha hilariously debunks misconceptions and clarifies the rigorous clinical, gynecological, and primary care training that separates midwives from doulas. - The Future of Maternity Access: An introduction to the bold "Beloved Birth 50 by 50" national initiative, aiming to grant 50% of birthing people access to midwifery-led care by the year 2050 to combat growing maternity care deserts. -Listen to the full episode now on your favorite streaming platforms to discover what respectful, relationship-centered maternity care can look like for you! Don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with an expecting family.

  5. Jun 15

    Creating Choices: Nikia Grayson on Birth Justice & Community Care

    In this inspiring episode of Discover Midwives, host Jessica Brumley sits down with Dr. Nikkia Grayson, a nationally recognized Certified Nurse-Midwife, Family Nurse Practitioner, educator, and reproductive justice leader. As Chief Clinical Officer of Choices Center for Reproductive Health in Memphis, Tennessee, Dr. Grayson has helped build one of the nation's most innovative Black midwifery-led models of care, where they offer birth center services, reproductive healthcare, abortion care, primary care, and community support all under one roof. Dr. Grayson shares her journey into midwifery and her vision for restoring community-centered care. Together, she and Jessica explore what "full-spectrum reproductive healthcare" really means, why relationship-based care matters, and how midwives are helping address the maternal health crisis, especially in underserved communities. You'll also hear an honest conversation about the realities of birth work, the importance of emergency preparedness, and why midwifery is both deeply compassionate and highly skilled clinical care. Whether you're pregnant, planning a family, seeking reproductive healthcare, or simply curious about what midwives do, this episode offers a powerful look at a model of care built on dignity, respect, and trust. Listen now and discover how midwives are transforming healthcare, one relationship at a time. About Discover Midwives Discover Midwives, presented by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM), introduces listeners to the people, stories, and evidence behind midwifery care. Through conversations with midwives and healthcare leaders, the podcast helps consumers better understand their healthcare options and the benefits of the midwifery model of care

  6. Jun 1

    More than Birth: Reimagining Postpartum Care

    What if postpartum care didn't end at six weeks? What if new parents received the support, community, and care they truly needed after bringing home a baby?In this inspiring episode of Discover Midwives, our host Jessica Brumley, PhD CNM, interviews one of the nation's most influential midwifery leaders, Dr. Ebony Marcelle, Director of Midwifery at Community of Hope and the Family Health and Birth Center.Dr. Marcelle shares her remarkable journey into midwifery, from a life-changing gynecology visit to becoming a nationally recognized advocate for reproductive justice and maternal health equity. Together, Jessica and Ebony explore how racism, chronic stress, and systemic barriers contribute to disparities in maternal and infant outcomes, and how innovative, community-centered care can help change the story.You'll learn:• Why the postpartum period deserves far more attention than it receives• How Community of Hope has built a groundbreaking model of care that includes home visits, integrated mental health services, peer support, and year-long postpartum engagement• Practical ways families can prepare for life after birth during pregnancy• What friends and loved ones can do to support a new parent• Warning signs in the postpartum period that should never be ignored• Why community, continuity, and listening to families are essential ingredients for healthier outcomesWhether you're expecting a baby, supporting someone who is, or simply passionate about improving maternity care, this conversation offers wisdom, hope, and actionable insights from one of midwifery's most powerful voices.Because birth is only the beginning, and we believe every family deserves support long after the baby arrives.

  7. May 18

    Power, Pain & Choice

    Understanding Labor Pain vs. Suffering In this episode of Discover Midwives, we tackle one of the most discussed and often misunderstood topics of the third trimester: pain in labor. In a culture that teaches us to fear the intensity of childbirth, we shift the perspective toward understanding the physiological purpose of labor and how to navigate it with confidence. What’s Inside: Pain vs. Suffering: Explore the critical distinction between the physical intensity of labor and the emotional experience of suffering, and why the two don't have to go hand-in-hand. The Midwifery Edge: How the midwifery model of care provides the education, advocacy, and hands-on support needed to transform the labor experience. Beyond Survival: We discuss why "surviving" birth shouldn't be the goal—feeling safe, respected, and supported should be the baseline expectation for every birthing person. Building Your Team: Practical advice on choosing your support system, from doulas to midwives, to ensure you emerge from your birth feeling stronger, wiser, and transformed from your experience. Key Takeaway: You deserve care that listens to you and includes you in every decision about your body. Tune in to learn how to move from a place of fear to a place of informed power. Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe and share this with someone in their third trimester to help them prepare for a respectful and supported birth experience.

  8. May 4

    Midwives & Prenatal Care: More Than Checkups

    More Than Checkups: What Prenatal Care Is Really About Are prenatal visits just “check-the-box” appointments… or something more? In this episode of Discover Midwives, Jessica breaks down what prenatal care actually looks like, and why it’s so much more than quick checkups. From your very first visit to those final weeks before birth, you’ll learn what’s happening behind the scenes, what tests are offered (and why), and how your care can and should be tailored to your needs. She provides insight into the midwifery approach to prenatal care. Great prenatal care isn’t just about labs and ultrasounds. It’s about building a relationship with someone you trust, someone who listens, supports you, and helps you feel safe throughout your pregnancy. Inside this episode, you’ll discover: What really happens at your first prenatal visit. Which labs, screenings, and ultrasounds are offered (and your choices around them)How often you actually need to go, and why it can be flexible. The difference between home, birth center, and hospital-based careWhy bringing your questions (and your support people!) matters more than you think How feeling safe and respected in care can impact your birth experience

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Trailer

5
out of 5
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About

The Discover Midwives Podcast was created to empower you with accurate, compassionate, and evidence-informed answers to your most pressing questions about pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and women’s health—delivered from a uniquiely midwifery perspective. Our goals are to normalize conversations about reproductive health, offer clarity in a landscape saturated with misinformation, and build public trust in midwifery care!

Information

  • Creator
    American College of Nurse-Midwives
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © American College of Nurse-Midwives
  • Show Website
    Discover Midwives

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