Mary Harris

Informed consent is a buzzword in birth work—but what does true consent actually look like? This post unpacks why consent isn’t just a legal checkbox, but a lived experience of bodily autonomy, trust, and shared decision-making. It’s about honoring the whole person—not just following procedure. What Makes Consent “True”? Real consent is: Ongoing (not a one-time conversation) Contextual (depends on emotional and physical state) Collaborative (involves both provider and client) Free from...

Most people think midwifery is about catching babies. And yes, sometimes it is. But the heart of midwifery?It’s being present at the threshold—where life begins, ends, shifts, or refuses to go as planned. This month, we explore how grief shows up in the work of birth—whether through miscarriage, medical trauma, unmet expectations, or identity shifts—and what it means to hold space in the in-between. What Kinds of Grief Show Up in the Birth Process? Not all grief is about death. In midwifery...

When people hear the word midwife, they often picture someone who simply “catches babies.” But midwifery is so much more than a single moment in birth. A midwife is a trained healthcare professional who provides comprehensive, relationship-centered care throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Midwives are guardians of normal, healthy physiology and advocates for informed choice, autonomy, and respectful care. We walk beside families, not ahead of them. We listen. We educate....