Finding Her Own Way: Midwifery, Activism, and the Babies Who Called Her — with Adele Rose

In this rich and soulful conversation, Blyss sits with Adele Rose, a traditional birth attendant whose path has been guided by instinct, a fierce sense of justice, and a deep trust in the body’s wisdom. Her journey winds through counterculture communities, births in unexpected places, and decades of rural care — all anchored in devotion to gentle landings for mothers and babies alike.

Adele Shares:

• The contrasting birth experiences of her mother and aunts — and how cultural attitudes shaped them.
• Her own birth stories — from the harrowing hospital night she calls “The Night of the Iguana” to a dramatic ambulance delivery and the swift, powerful home births that followed.
• Early years attending births with little more than a fetoscope, scissors, and hemostats.
• The role of rural doctors who respected physiological birth and collaborated with midwives.
• Lessons learned from women and babies that shaped her low-intervention, intuition-led practice.
• Returning to midwifery school in her 30s and navigating the clash between medicalized protocols and traditional ways.
• Her belief that constant monitoring and routine procedures can disrupt the altered state essential to labor.

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Valerie Al-Halta – Midwife in Huntington Beach who led community group prenatal gatherings.
• Dr. David Lush – Rural Washington physician known for supporting physiological birth and collaborating with midwives.
• Dr. Roberto Caldeyro-Barcia – Renowned Uruguayan obstetric physiologist (1921–1996), known as the “father of perinatology.” He co-created the universal standard “Montevideo units” to measure uterine contractions and advanced the science of electronic fetal monitoring.
• Dr. Jan Erik Strohl – Swedish-born physician who collaborated with midwives on home and clinic births and also worked in rural Washington corrections.
• Tanya Brooks – ACHI educator and midwifery leader known for home-study training programs.
• Linda Bennett – Retired direct-entry midwife with decades of home- and birth-center practice, champion of VBACs and radical postpartum support. Interviewed earlier this season.
• Barbara Harper – Founder of Waterbirth International and leading advocate for birthing in water.
• Michel Odent – French obstetrician recognized for pioneering gentle birthing environments: dim lighting, minimal intervention, calming birth rooms.
• Suzanne Arms – Author of Immaculate Deception (1975), which catalyzed the modern U.S. home birth and birth reform movements.
• Raven Lang – Home birth pioneer and birth storyteller. Episodes featuring her will be released later this season.

Schools & Organizations:

• Association for Childbirth at Home, International (ACHI) – 1970s-era home-study birth education collective promoting peer support and self-reliance.
• Birthingway College of Midwifery – Where Adele trained. Founded by Holly Scholles, who was interviewed earlier in the season.

Herbs & Remedies

• Blue Cohosh – Traditionally used to stimulate labor.
• Cinnamon – Small doses under the tongue thought to encourage contractions; use with care.
• Cotton Root Bark – Historically used to support labor, placental delivery, and oxytocin release.
• Angelica (dong quai) – A traditional uterine tonic; contraindicated during pregnancy due to potential risks.
• Shepherd’s Purse – Used postpartum to reduce bleeding; not advised during pregnancy.

Thank you to all the elders, donations and volunteers that have made this project possible.

Together, we can preserve the wisdom of elder midwives for generations to come. Give today and be part of this legacy.…please visit bridgemidwives.com for more information on how to donate.

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