The Spirit of True Midwifery with Traditional Midwife Joni Edelman

The Real Talk of Midwifery TodayTogether, Joni and I opened up a raw and honest dialogue about Midwifery today, including the beauty, the heartbreak, the dissonance and the places where Truth rubs up against the medicalization and fear imprinted upon the Art of Midwifery.We spoke of the myth of informed consent, of the ways Birth has been co-opted by systems that fear women’s power and of the deep call rising in so many woman and families to return to the roots of Self Sovereignty as our Birthright.And we did not shy away from the Truth and the reality that there are many moments when this path feels incredibly f*cked up… Living inside this current system… Trying to practice real Midwifery in a world that mistrusts everything… In a world where safety is defined by putting your life and your baby’s life into the hands of someone else… Trying to hold the line of autonomy when so many forces are pulling against it…It is A LOT.As we wove through the levels and layers of modern Midwifery, the loss of trust, the spiritual calling, the responsibility of witnessing Human Consciousness, Joni offered one of the most unexpected and potent gifts of the entire episode, a spontaneous Human Design reading.It was a moment of remembrance for me, and a blueprint for all of us. Through this offering, Joni reminded me of something MOST essential:Before we can meet the needs of women, families and communities… We must know who we are.We must Midwife OURSELVES first.We must understand our own energy, essence, patterns and needs because our frequency shapes Birth outcomes. Our nervous system sets the tone of the room and our self-knowledge is the foundation of our Integrity.This is the Spirit of True Midwifery.For me, this is the heart of real Midwifery, not performance or perfection, but devotion to ongoing self-mastery. Not as some sort of badge of honor, but as a life-long living prayer.About Joni: Joni M. Edelman is a retired Registered Nurse, longtime childbirth educator, holistic birth companion, and full-spectrum doula behind 13 Moons Birthwork. With over 30 years of experience attending births in every setting — home, hospital, unmedicated, medicated, vaginal and cesarean — Joni carries the wisdom of hundreds upon hundreds of first breaths in her hands and heart.A mother of six and grandmother of one, Joni is lovingly stepping into her wise-woman era, offering guidance rooted in intuition, physiology, and deep reverence for the sacredness of birth. Her philosophy is simple and powerful: the pregnant woman is the expert of her own pregnancy, and her role is not authority, but wise companion — protecting privacy, supporting physiology, and honoring the innate capability of every woman to grow, birth, and mother her child.In addition to her birthwork, Joni also supports women and caregivers through Healing Through Human Design, where she offers readings that help people understand their energetic blueprint, meet themselves with compassion, and tend their own needs before tending the needs of others.Connect with Joni:🌙 Birthwork Website: https://www.13moonsbirthwork.com/about✨ Human Design: https://www.healingthroughhumandesign.com/about-joni📸 Instagram: @thirteenmoonsbirthConnect with Catalina:📸 Instagram → @catalina.clark🌐 Website → catalinaclarkbirth.com👉 Email → [email protected] up for my newsletter to receive upcoming information and offerings. ✨Listen to the Midwife of Healing Podcast:🎧 Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.Experience Quantum Birth Breathwork:✨ Download the Quantum Birth Breathwork SessionWork with Catalina:📍 Practicing Home Birth Midwife in West Sonoma County, CaliforniaBook an individualized 1:1 session to awaken to yourself and the remembrance of your own healing power* Virtual Prenatal Visits* Birth Preparation* Birth Partner Support* Midwife and Doula Mentorship* Postpartum Planning* Birth Story Integration* Ceremonial BreathworkThank you for being here. It is an honor to walk this path with you. May we continue to remember these ancient and future ways together. 🤍 Get full access to Catalina’s Substack at midwifeofhealing.substack.com/subscribe