169: Rewriting the Birth Story: Midwifery, Healing, and Self-Mothering with Janina Shorter

In this episode, I speak with Janina Shorter, a professional doula, midwifery student, and passionate advocate for maternal care and healing. Janina shares her powerful journey from childhood loss and foster care to becoming a birth worker dedicated to breaking cycles of generational trauma. Her story is one of perseverance, self-mothering, and finding purpose through supporting others.

We dive into the transformative power of birth work, the realities of maternal health disparities, and the role doulas and midwives play in advocating for birthing people. Janina also discusses her upcoming book, Darkness to Deliverance: A Path from Pain to Purpose, which chronicles her personal healing journey and her mission to empower women through birth and beyond.

You’ll also hear about:

• (02:15) Janina’s journey from childhood trauma to birth work
• (08:47) How discovering doula work changed her life
• (16:22) The importance of self-mothering and healing past wounds
• (22:50) Addressing racial disparities in maternal healthcare
• (34:18) The power of forgiveness in breaking generational cycles
• (45:12) The impact of storytelling and writing on personal healing

Janina’s insights and experiences are a testament to the power of resilience and self-discovery.

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