Ep. 2 Legacy, Liberation & Loving Care — A Conversation with Nicolle Maldonado

💬 Episode SummaryIn this powerful conversation, Ana sits down with Licensed Midwife and community advocate Nicolle Maldonado, founder of Mother of Thousands Midwifery and Clinical Consultant of the Central Florida Birth Network.Nicolle shares the deeply personal and systemic experiences that shaped her path into midwifery—from witnessing medical racism firsthand, to honoring the ancestral calling passed down from her great-great-grandmother, a traditional Puerto Rican midwife.This episode is a reclamation, a reminder, and a radical invitation: birth can belong to us again.🌟 In This Episode:The birth that lit the fire: how supporting a Black mother through a traumatic experience led Nicolle to midwiferyThe history we’re not taught: the erasure of Black midwives and how systemic racism shaped the modern birth worldWhy Nicolle only does home visits—and how it transforms family careThe realities of being the only Latina in her graduating classHonoring lineage: discovering her great-great-grandmother was a midwifeA passionate encouragement: everyone needs a doulaThe body never lies: how systemic injustice lives in the bodies of Black birthing people (Referenced paper: Birthing Blackness in the Body)👣 Connect with Nicolle:Instagram → @motherofthousandsmidwifery Website →https://www.motmidwifery.com/🖤 Why This Episode MattersMidwifery isn’t just about birth—it’s about liberation, lineage, and being seen. Nicolle is doing more than catching babies—she’s catching entire families in a web of care and cultural restoration.🎧 Listen, Subscribe & ReviewThis story deserves to be heard.Help us connect more hearts to this movement:→ Rate & review on Apple or Spotify → Follow @centralflbirthnetwork for more episodes and updates → Comment, share, and tag a birthworker who needs to hear this