The Midwife's Pocketbook

Who's really supposed to be in that birth room? In this episode of the Midwife's Pocketbook Podcast, certified nurse midwife Angelina gets real about one of the most overlooked parts of birth planning — your guest list. Whether you're planning a home birth, birth center birth, or hospital delivery, the energy and people you invite into that space matter more than you think. Midwife Angelina breaks down how to choose your birth guests intentionally, how to give everyone a purpose (yes, even the mother-in-law with the peach cobbler), and why setting boundaries before labor begins is non-negotiable. She shares real stories from her experience — from a beautiful 20-person home birth to the toddler in the tub — and reminds us that there's no one-size-fits-all answer. In this episode: How to decide who truly belongs in your birth space Why every guest needs a job Navigating family expectations and unsolicited invites Understanding hospital, birth center, and home birth policies Setting boundaries around photos, social media, and access Whether your ideal birth has two people or twenty, this episode will help you go in with a clear plan and the confidence to protect your space. Subscribe to the Midwife's Pocketbook Podcast and share with a mama-to-be who needs this!

In this deeply personal episode, Midwife Angelina opens up about her two birth experiences — the first as a scared 17-year-old at Martin Luther King Hospital in Watts, and the second twenty years later as a labor and delivery nurse in midwifery school. She shares the raw emotions, the unexpected complications, the loneliness, and the postpartum depression she didn't recognize until years later. These experiences shaped her mission: to make sure every woman feels heard, informed, and empowered in their birth journey. Whether you're expecting, a birth worker, or simply curious, this episode is a powerful reminder that birth stories — even the hard ones — carry wisdom worth sharing.

Certified Nurse Midwife Angelina introduces the Midwife's Pocketbook podcast, focused on birth, parenting, postpartum life, and issues affecting women, drawing on her home birth and hospital experience and featuring guests like doulas, parents, and her niece Treasure. After noting a previous recording with no sound, she previews topics such as choosing where to give birth, transfers, informed consent, sex in pregnancy, and birthing while Black or Latina. She discusses a local Atlanta incident at Henry Piedmont where two doulas were escorted out of labor and delivery by police after conflict involving a client and provider, describing how removing support can be traumatic. She argues for better communication, informed consent, and "vetting" providers, acknowledging gray areas and calling for solutions to Black maternal mortality disparities.