In this first episode I’m lucky enough to interview Jacky Bloemraad de Boer, my midwife for both my children’s births! She is a woman of wisdom and has immersed herself in all things Birth for decades. I am so thrilled that I was able to have her share with the Mum’s The Word listeners

We discuss in this episode;

• The role of a Midwife
• The benefits of a midwife led birth
• Midwife mindset
• De-medicalizing Birth
• Research around home birth and natural birth

Jacky Bloemraad de Boer is a mother, a wife, the Director of Education for Birth Institute, CPM (Certified Professional Midwife), a Doula, a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, a Nutritionist, Herbalist & a Doula Trainer. She lives in both Amsterdam and Cape Town.

Jacky is passionate about fertility, pregnancy, childbirth and women’s health and is continually exploring the various aspects of global maternal health and in particular midwifery care and the continuum of care.  Midwifery care can improve maternal outcomes because experience and research has clearly shown that pregnancy and childbirth care which has been de-medicalized and restores dignity and humanity to the process of childbirth by returning the control to the birthing woman has proven to be the safest approach.

Jacky is dedicated to educating midwives, the world needs more midwives and as Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Jacky has also published a book: A-Z for a Healthy Pregnancy and Natural Childbirth, ISBN: 978-1-4343-2832-8.

“My top priority is for people to understand that they have the power to change things themselves.”

~ Aung San Suu Kyi

 “The education and empowerment of women throughout the world cannot fail to result in a more caring, tolerant, just and peaceful life for all.”

~ Aung San Suu Kyi

A healthy woman who labours and births spontaneously performs a job that cannot be improved upon.

~ Sarah Buckley

Jacky’s book: A-Z for a Healthy Pregnancy and Natural Childbirth, ISBN: 978-1-4343-2832-8.

Resources mentioned in the conversation:

Ina May Gaskin Spiritural Midwifery and More of her book titles

Dr Sarah Buckley

Michel Odent (Obstetrician)

Marsden Wagner

Marianne Littlejohn

Evidence Based Research http://www.childbirthconnection.org

Film – The Business of Being Born

Film Orgasmic Birth

Film The Face of Birth

Dr Rachael Reed’s Midwife Thinking

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