In this episode of the Midwifery Wisdom Podcast, host Shiphrah Israel sits down with Satori Shakoor - a master storyteller, story director, and coach whose gift for weaving words was born from generations of Black women in the Jim Crow South. Raised listening to her Alabama and Mississippi elders transform everyday events into epic tales, Satori learned to speak the language of storytelling with the power to teach, warn, entertain, and inspire.

Satori brings that same storytelling magic to a topic too often shrouded in silence: menopause. From her acclaimed film Confessions of a Menopausal Femme Fatale to her advocacy with the Michigan Women’s Commission, she shares her deeply personal journey through perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause—illuminating the emotional, physical, and societal challenges along the way.

This conversation explores the gaps in medical training that leave women unsupported, and the transformative self-discovery that can emerge in this life stage. With humor, heart, and unflinching honesty, Satori reframes menopause not as an ending, but as an opening to deeper self-awareness and freedom.

🎧 Listen now to discover:

• Why most doctors get only one hour of menopause training—and what that means for women’s health
• The emotional and physical realities of perimenopause and menopause
• How storytelling can break stigma and build community
• The urgent need for advocacy, awareness, and accessible care

Resources & Links:

• Watch Confessions of a Menopausal Femme Fatale on Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, or Google Play
• Learn more about Satori on her website www.satorishakoor.com

This week on the Midwifery Wisdom Podcast, we welcome the founder of Flower Girl, a radical period underwear brand born from one woman’s frustration with toxic menstrual products—and her deep desire to care for the bleeding body differently.

As a former e-commerce strategist turned slow fashion entrepreneur, she brings both science and soul to this powerful conversation about conscious menstruation, cycle care, and body literacy. Together, we explore:

• Why midwives and birthworkers should care about what clients use post-birth and beyond
• How period underwear is reshaping not just menstruation, but postpartum recovery
• What it means to create a product that actually honors the female body

🔗 Learn more: flowergirl.co
📲 Follow on Instagram: @flowergirl.co_

💬 Share with a postpartum doula or cycle educator or anyone in your life who needs to hear this!

In this week’s episode, Augustine connects with fellow midwife and world traveler, Allison, for a deep and expansive conversation about what it really means to live at the edge of reality—whether supporting births or crossing oceans. From an unexpected career shift out of accounting to midwifery school in New Zealand, and from practicing in Canada to captaining a sailboat across the Pacific, Alison shares how curiosity, courage, and midwifery magic have shaped her wild and winding path.

This conversation is part of a larger theme we’ve been exploring this month in our ongoing webinar series Midwifery on the Move where we explore what it really means to live a mobile midwifery lifestyle. We’ve been talking about the beauty, the complexity, the ethics, and the practical steps to working around the world.

✨ If this episode sparks something in you, know that it’s not too late to join the webinar and explore what traveling midwife life might look for you. Sign up today on our website www.midwiferywisdom.com

Longtime midwife turned somatic trauma healing coach, Christie Davis talks about what it really takes to stay whole in the world of birth work. After over 20 years of attending births and running a private midwifery practice, Christie now supports midwives and birth professionals through the emotional aftermath of traumatic births, burnout, and the heavy expectations of the profession.

Together, we unpack the somatic foundations of trauma, how nervous systems get "stuck," and what real healing can look like. We also talk boundaries (the kind that keep you and your clients safe), deconstruct the martyrdom baked into midwifery culture, and explore how to build more sustainable careers in birth work—without abandoning your heart.

Whether you're a seasoned provider or a student midwife just entering the field, this is an honest, compassionate conversation you need to hear.

🔗 Show Notes:
Learn more about Christie Davis and her somatic healing work for birth professionals at https://www.perinataltraumacenter.com/about
Check out our Boundaries for Birthworkers course on our website www.midwiferywisdom.com

In this special episode, we’re stepping beyond borders — and beyond our usual programming — to bring you a snippet from our Midwifery on the Move webinar series.

Host Augustine Colebrook is joined by two extraordinary traveling midwives: Katrina, a licensed midwife and educator who began her international work in India, and Jata, a neurodivergent advocate and researcher who has practiced in Tanzania, the UK, Australia, and more.

This series explores what it really means to bring midwifery across cultures:

• The beauty and challenge of practicing globally
• Cultural humility vs. cultural competence
• How travel shapes us personally and professionally
• Navigating ethics, expectations, and impact

If you’ve ever dreamed of taking your midwifery work on the road — or you’re just curious about what’s possible — this conversation will inspire, challenge, and expand your view.

Want more? This episode is just a taste of our four-part Midwifery on the Move (8 CEU) webinar. Sign up now to get the full recordings, handouts, and join us live on August 6 and 11, 2025 for the final sessions.

Links:
🎧 Learn more & register for the webinar → https://midwiferyonthemovewebinar.eventbrite.com
📌 Follow us on Instagram → www.instagram.com/midwiferywisdom

Host Shiphrah sits down with Kavita Sahai, founder of Vibes Tribe, to explore her journey from burnout and brain fog to vibrant health and grounded purpose. She shares how a simple shift in mindset—prioritizing wellness over hustle—led her from finance to natural wellness.

We talk about the power of small daily practices, why midlife is such a profound (and often overlooked) period of transition for women, and how stacking five-minute habits can change everything. From meal planning to hormone shifts, from fiber to essential oils—this is a candid, practical, and empowering conversation for anyone seeking a more vibrant life.

Whether you're in your 30s, 50s, or simply feeling the need for change, this episode reminds us: your well-being is a worthy goal—and you're not alone in the journey.

Feeling burnt out from birthwork? You need to take our Boundaries for Birthworkers class online!
Access the community at vibestribe.co

In this episode, newly graduated midwife Adilah Yelton joins host Shiphrah Israel to reflect on her journey from student to practicing midwife. She shares openly about the complexities of shifting from student to colleague, navigating preceptor relationships, and the deep need for self-care, community, and nervous system regulation along the way.

Adilah also recounts the unexpected discovery of a brain tumor just as she was preparing for her NARM exam—and how rest, community support, and cultural postpartum traditions helped her recover and slowly return to practice.

Based in Houston, Texas, Adilah provides culturally rooted postpartum care through Malay Postpartum Spa and Wellness, alongside her midwifery work with Tulip Midwifery.

🎧 Looking for a preceptor? Download our free Ultimate Preceptor Match Checklist at www.midwiferywisdom.com to help you find the right fit on your midwifery journey.

In this week’s episode of the Midwifery Wisdom Podcast, Augustine Colebrook sits down with Indie McDowell—a classically trained anthropologist and clinically trained midwife with a truly global journey.

Indie began her career working with UNICEF’s Maternal and Neonatal Health Team in Kyrgyzstan before returning to the UK to complete her midwifery training. From there, her path led her to clinical work in Cambodia and Malawi, ultimately drawing her to Ethiopia.

After a year and a half leading neonatal services and emergency obstetric care at a busy referral hospital in rural southwest Ethiopia alongside her colleague Atsede Kidane, the two chose to build something different: their own clinic, rooted in compassion and centered on women’s needs.

Stories from their work in Ethiopia is beautifully captured in the book With Two Souls, co-written by Indie McDowell and Atsede Kidane.

We also dive into what it means to truly commit to place, community, and long-term impact in global birth work.

Are you a midwife called to work beyond borders?

Join us for our upcoming Traveling Midwife Webinar —a 4-part, 8-hour CEU event designed for aspiring and experienced birthworkers who are exploring midwifery on the move.

Led by Augustine Colebrook, and guest traveling midwives, this immersive series will cover legalities, logistics, and cultural considerations of traveling birth work—both international and domestic.

🗓️ Part 1: July 3rd & 9th | 7–9PM EST
🗓️ Part 2: August 6th & 11th | 7–9PM EST

✅ 8 MEAC-approved CEUs

Register now on https://tinyurl.com/travelingmidwife