The Midwives' Cauldron

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In this episode, we have the absolute delight of interviewing Jane Hardwicke Collings about women's rites of passage and how they shape our lives. We pay particular attention to the peri-menopause and the role of Autumn Women as leaders and change agents in the maternity system. This episode is jam-packed with intelligent, jaw-dropping and wonderful insights into womanhood.
Let us introduce Jane...
Jane Hardwicke Collings is a post menopausal grandmother. She was an intensive care and operating theatre nurse, and then a homebirth midwife for 30 years. Now her work focuses on teaching the Women’s Mysteries and writing about them. She gives workshops on mother and daughter preparation for menstruation, the spiritual practice of menstruation, and the sacred and shamanic dimensions of pregnancy, birth and menopause. Jane founded and runs The School of Shamanic Womancraft, an international Women’s Mystery School.
Links:
More about Jane

• Jane Hardwicke Collings
• School of Shamanic Womancraft
• Jane's forthcoming online courses:
  Autumn women, harvest queen
  Snake medicine: shedding menstrual shame

Mentioned in the podcast

• About Bloody Time by Karen Pickering & Jane Bennett:
• Dr. Christiane Northrup
• More about the slang use of 'Karen'

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Support the show

• Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee
• MERCH here!
• Music Joseph McDade

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Disclaimer
The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.
The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness.
The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

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In this episode, we take a step back in time and a short but deep dive into history from a female perspective. We explore how ideas about women and their bodies have led to the birthing practices we see today. We visit the world of Goddesses, vulva art, and how women were once revered for their ability to create life. Then we move on through the times into a world where women were seen as dirty malfunctioning versions of men, whose primary role was to reproduce. We also talk about how science and the mechanisation of the world resulted in our bodies being viewed as machines. On this whistlestop tour of history... or should I say herstory, you will hear about the gossips (you definitely want to listen to this), the closing off of keyholes during birth, and of course some fun along the way. You also get a sneak peek into the vulva art that one of us loves to make!

Show LINKS:
Jane Hardwick Collins: https://janehardwickecollings.com/
Marilyn French : https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14160.Marilyn_French
Adrian Wilson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18183261-ritual-and-conflict
Layne Redmond: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/910443.When_the_Drummers_Were_Women
Music by: Joesph McDade
Production: Katie James
Editing: Katie James and Jannis Piekarek

Want to listen to the new podcast 'The Feeding Couch'? Find it here or on all good podcast hosting platforms!

Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout.

Support the show

• Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee
• MERCH here!
• Music Joseph McDade

Like this podcast? Leave us a review here
Want more from Katie and Rachel?
Katie's website
Rachel's website
Disclaimer
The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.
The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness.
The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

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In this episode Katie interviews Rachel Reed on her new book 'Reclaiming childbirth as a rite of passage'; from conception to birthing, including tea and toast at the end!
LINKS:
https://rachel-reed.website/reclaiming-childbirth-as-a-rite-of-passage/
Chapters

Part One: The Weft

1. Herstory: an overview of the herstory of childbirth from early humans to the emergence of modern maternity systems.
2. The legacy: how the legacy of herstory continues to influence the modern cultural landscape of childbirth.
3. Blood mysteries: an exploration of women’s bodily rites of passage and how they are interrelated with the childbirth experience.
4. Childbirth as a rite of passage: key elements of childbirth as a rite of passage and the role of care providers (setting the scene for Part Two).

Part Two: The Weave

1. Preparation: pregnancy and cultivating self-trust for birth
2. Separation: early labour and releasing the external world
3. Liminality: labour, betwixt and between, and transition
4. Emergence: birthing the baby and witnessing body wisdom
5. Integration: birthing the placenta and mother-baby enchantment
6. Medical birth rites: how to centre the woman when her childbirth rite of passage includes medical intervention.

Want to listen to the new podcast 'The Feeding Couch'? Find it here or on all good podcast hosting platforms!

Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout.

Support the show

• Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee
• MERCH here!
• Music Joseph McDade

Like this podcast? Leave us a review here
Want more from Katie and Rachel?
Katie's website
Rachel's website
Disclaimer
The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.
The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness.
The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?

Rhea is a former PE teacher turned childbirth educator, and counsellor and feels privileged to have attended more than a thousand births in hospitals and home settings as a birth attendant as well as connecting with many more women, their partners and support people during birth preparation workshops and personal birth counselling sessions.

Rhea has spoken extensively around Australia and internationally and is the author of two books – ‘Birth with Confidence: savvy choices for normal birth’ and the most recent ‘Beyond the Birth Plan: getting real about pain and power’.

Rheas thoughtful, gentle voice takes us on a look back over the world of birth from the past 40 years from England to Australia.

How Rheas home births led to her passion into childbirth education and birth attendant work.

How home births were parties back in the days!

Rhea talks with us about how sadly, in more than forty years of birth work, she’s witnessed an unprecedented rise in unnecessary medical interventions and the development of a culture that, rather than supporting women to birth naturally – physiologically -, is actually undermining them.

We discuss the f&@k1ng epidural, as Rhea terms it, and how she feels it has hijacked what labour and birth discomfort means. The ‘thank goodness births’ and what this means for society.

And we discuss the importance of what it is we ‘choose’ to focus on when providing childbirth education. Attachment styles and how that impacts how we go into birth. How shame plays a role in how we may or may not ask for help.

Rhea leaves us with an oxytocin fuelled story from her book and makes Katie cry!

LINKS
Rhea Dempsey website, c

Want to listen to the new podcast 'The Feeding Couch'? Find it here or on all good podcast hosting platforms!

Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout.

Support the show

• Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee
• MERCH here!
• Music Joseph McDade

Like this podcast? Leave us a review here
Want more from Katie and Rachel?
Katie's website
Rachel's website
Disclaimer
The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.
The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness.
The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.

Want to send us a message? Fan mail? Thoughts on the episode?

In this episode, Rachel and Katie take a look at the evidence surrounding the pushing phase of labour. Rachel discusses the reasoning behind why we need to stop talking about labour in stages and we delve into the cervical lip and how best to deal with it. And of course along the way we have some fun. Join us in this episode of The Midwives Cauldron to learn while you laugh.
LINKS:
Research mentioned:

• Dahlen et al. (2013) Vaginal examinations during normal labor: routine examination or routine intervention: https://connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrijc/3/3/142?implicit-login=true

Midwife thinking blog posts:

• The anterior cervical lip: how to ruin a perfectly good birth: https://midwifethinking.com/2016/06/15/the-anterior-cervical-lip-how-to-ruin-a-perfectly-good-birth/
• Pushing: leave it to the experts: https://midwifethinking.com/tag/cervical-lip/

Disclaimer:
The information and provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.
The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness.
All liability with respect to actions taken or not taken based on the content of the podcast are hereby expressly disclaimed. Your use of content contained in or linked to this podcast is entirely at your own risk. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or relia

Want to listen to the new podcast 'The Feeding Couch'? Find it here or on all good podcast hosting platforms!

Get 10% off Katie's Breastfeeding & Lactation: the fundamentals online course today with code POD10 at checkout.

Support the show

• Please support the show via Patreon or BuyMeACoffee
• MERCH here!
• Music Joseph McDade

Like this podcast? Leave us a review here
Want more from Katie and Rachel?
Katie's website
Rachel's website
Disclaimer
The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute medical or legal advice; instead, all information available on this site are for general informational purposes only. The Midwives' Cauldron podcast reserves the right to supplement, change or delete any information at any time.
The information and materials on the podcast is provided "as is"; no representations are made that the content is error-free. Whilst we have tried to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information we do not warrant or guarantee the accurateness.
The podcast accepts no liability for any loss or damage howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content.