Mothering The Mother with Shafia Monroe

Mothering the Mother: African American Postpartum Traditions with Shafia MonroeIn this rich and powerful episode, host Augustine is joined by co-host Israel Johnson, Licensed Direct Entry Midwife and Certified Professional Midwife from Oregon, to welcome the legendary Shafia Monroe — midwife, author, cultural historian, and founder of the SMC Full Circle Doula Training, the first Black doula training launched nationally in 2002 in Portland, Oregon.Shafia has just published her long-awaited book, Mothering the Mother: African American Postpartum Traditions, Recipes and Healing, and this conversation is a celebration of that birth — and so much more.In this episode we cover:Shafia's 11-year journey from journal entry to published bookWhy African American postpartum care has been largely invisible — and why that must changeThe historical trauma Black mothers carry, and the healing power of returning to traditionsWhy anemia may be at the root of more postpartum depression than we realizeThe herbs every postpartum mother should have on hand Shafia's relationship with Erykah Badu, who wrote the foreword and called the book "the postpartum Bible"Why more clinical visits is NOT the same as postpartum careThe ongoing "midwife problem" in America — and why change is urgently needed.The critical mass of home birth across US states and what it means for the future of midwiferyWhy we need to retire the word "patient" for pregnant people — and the word BIPOCThe burnout crisis in midwifery and why we must return to a collective modelResources & Links:📖 Get the book: Mothering the Mother — Amazon🌐 Learn more about Shafia Monroe: shafiamonroe.com💼 Now Hiring: Clinical Director at New Birth Midwifery, Chaska MN — newbirthmidwifery.com/job-openings🌿 New Course: Plant Medicine Midwife with Tara Compehos — midwiferywisdomcollective.com🏡 Join our community: skool.com/midwiferywisdom