With Woman: A Life of Midwifery and Legislative Legacy with Holly Scholles

In this insightful and candid conversation, Blyss sits at the feet of Holly Scholles, a pioneering midwife, educator, and legislative advocate from Beaverton, Oregon. Raised in Texas and called to healing work from a young age, Holly shares her journey from pre-med student to grassroots birth worker, from founding the Association of Texas Midwives to shaping Oregon’s unique licensure model. With clarity, wit, and deep wisdom, she reflects on the evolution of midwifery, the power of community organizing, and the enduring importance of being truly with woman.

Holly Shares:

• Growing up in a working-class family in Texas and early experiences of intuitive knowing
• Her calling to become a doctor at age three and the pivot to midwifery after a traumatic accident and hospital experience
• Apprenticing with Jehovah’s Witness midwives in Houston in the late 1970s
• Her early births, including the $250 fee, lack of prenatal care, and powerful postpartum reflections
• Founding the Association of Texas Midwives and navigating legislative battles in both Texas and Oregon
• Her role in shaping Oregon’s voluntary licensure model and working to add legend drugs and devices to the midwifery formulary
• Insights on how to engage collaboratively (and strategically) with medical professionals and policymakers—starting with donuts
• The power and necessity of good charting—from memory to protection to professional communication
• Her working definition of midwifery, thoughts on traditional wisdom, and the risks of romanticizing the past
• Her ongoing consulting practice and support for midwives navigating complaints or investigations

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Marla Hicks – Co-founder of the Association of Texas Midwives and longtime advocate for licensing pathways that protect midwives’ autonomy and access.
• Sherri Daniels – An early figure in Texas midwifery advocacy, connected to the movement’s formative years of organizing and legal reform.
• Lee Steward – Co-founder of NAPSAC (National Association of Parents and Professionals for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth), a key figure in early home birth advocacy and the development of midwifery-informed research and policy.
• Betty Griffith – An elder Oregon midwife known for her teachings on energetic presence and the deeper layers of birth work.
• Barbara Katz Rothman – Sociologist and author whose writings on childbirth, reproductive justice, and medicalization deeply influenced the midwifery movement in the 1970s and beyond.

Books & Texts:

• Marie M. Miles’ A Textbook of Midwifery – A classic British midwifery textbook used widely by early apprentices for its clinical depth and grounding in physiological birth.
• Williams Obstetrics, 14th Edition – A standard medical textbook offering a hospital-based, intervention-focused view of birth—often read alongside midwifery texts for contrast.
• Oxorn-Foote Human Labor and Birth – A clinical obstetrics textbook with detailed explanations of the mechanics of labor, referenced in both midwifery and medical circles.
• The Five Standards of Safe Childbearing – Published by NAPSAC, this foundational text laid out principles of informed consent, evidence-based care, and respect for the birthing person’s autonomy.
• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer – A beloved collection of essays blending Indigenous knowledge, botany, and personal reflection. A meditation on reciprocity and relationality. Read more »
• The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance – Kimmerer’s visionary essay on kinship-based, gift-driven economies rooted in nature and mutual care. Read essay »

Organizations, Trainings & Tools:

• Houston Midwife Education – A cooperative of faith-based midwives (many Jehovah’s Witnesses) in 1970s Texas, where Holly apprenticed during the early years of the home birth resurgence.
• Association of Texas Midwives (ATM) – Founded in 1980 to protect and formalize midwifery in Texas, ATM played a crucial role in advocacy, education, and certification efforts.
• NAPSAC (National Association of Parents and Professionals for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth) – A national advocacy group that promoted informed choice, challenged anti-home birth narratives, and published research rebuttals to mainstream obstetrics.
• BoRN (Biodynamic Resuscitation of Newborns) – A newborn resuscitation curriculum developed by Holly Scholles for out-of-hospital settings, rooted in physiologic understanding and practical, field-based skills.
• The Hive – An online education platform for midwives and birth workers. Holly teaches continuing education there, including the BoRN course. Explore »
• NARM (North American Registry of Midwives) – The national credentialing body for CPMs (Certified Professional Midwives), discussed in this episode regarding policy shifts and resuscitation requirements

Herbs & Remedies

• Anise for Morning Sickness – A traditional digestive aid and carminative used to relieve nausea in pregnancy; generally safe in small culinary amounts.
• Goldenseal – A powerful antimicrobial herb. Not recommended in pregnancy due to its uterine-stimulating properties and potential for toxicity.
• Foxglove (Digitalis) – A highly toxic plant once used medicinally for heart conditions. It is unsafe for home herbal use and can be fatal even in small doses.

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