• BONUS REPLAY: Listener Q&A with Midwife Diane Ortega
    Dec 15 2025
    In this special Q&A episode, I’m answering YOUR biggest questions about pregnancy, birth, postpartum mental health, and how to build a strong support system—even if you’re not a mom! We’ll cover misconceptions about midwifery, how to prepare for birth, recognizing postpartum depression, and the power of sisterhood. If you have a question for a future episode, send it my way on Instagram (@@⁠the.midwife.life.co⁠) or via email (⁠Hello@themidwifelife.co⁠). ✨ Topics Covered: ✔️ The biggest misconceptions about midwifery care ✔️ How to decide if a birth center is right for you ✔️ Preparing for an unmedicated birth ✔️ Recognizing the difference between baby blues & postpartum depression ✔️ How partners can offer better support during pregnancy & postpartum ✔️ How to cultivate strong female friendships & community 📖 Resources Mentioned: Midwifery Care & Birth Outcomes – Sandall J, et al. The Lancet, 2016 Birth Centers & C-section Rates – Stapleton SR, et al. Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 2013 Continuous Labor Support & Doulas – Bohren MA, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev., 2017 Postpartum Depression & Anxiety Screening – Wisner KL, et al. JAMA Psychiatry, 2013 The Science of Female Friendships – Taylor SE, et al. Psychological Review, 2000 📝 Additional Support & Links: Postpartum Support International: ⁠www.postpartum.net⁠ (Call or text "HELP" to 800-944-4773) Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) Screening Tool: ⁠https://perinatology.com/calculators/Edinburgh%20Depression%20Scale.htm⁠ Find a Birth Center Near You: ⁠www.birthcenters.org⁠ 💌 Want More? 👉 Submit Your Questions: DM me on Instagram @themidwifelife or email hello@themidwifelife.co 👉 Sign Up for My Upcoming Workshop: Midwifing Your Life—an immersive experience designed to help women live with more intention, balance, and empowerment. Sign up for details ⁠here⁠! 🎧 Share This Episode! If you loved this episode, please take a moment to leave a review—it helps other women find this podcast! And don’t forget to share this episode with a friend who needs it. 💜 📢 Tag me on Instagram @themidwifelife when you’re listening! I love seeing your takeaways and connecting with you. Until next time, trust your body, trust your intuition, and keep midwifing your life! ✨
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    30 m
  • 45: Postpartum Is Not a Phase — It’s a Transformation: A Conversation with Samantha Davis of NuHealth Placenta
    Dec 8 2025
    Today on The Midwife Life, we’re diving into a topic so many mothers wish someone had prepared them for: what really happens after birth—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. My guest, Samantha Davis, CEO of NuHealth Placenta, is redefining what postpartum support looks and feels like. Through placenta encapsulation and holistic recovery education, Samantha helps mothers restore balance, energy, and peace of mind during one of the most tender, transformative seasons of their lives. This episode is a grounding reminder: Postpartum is not something you “push through.” It’s a coming home to yourself. Whether you’re pregnant, newly postpartum, a seasoned mother, or someone who supports women, this conversation offers truth, permission, and powerful tools for honoring the fourth trimester. IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE: Samantha’s origin story: How her own postpartum experiences sparked a mission to normalize honest conversations about recovery, identity shifts, and healing. The truth about early postpartum: Why slowing down, receiving support, and caring for yourself are essential—not optional. Placenta encapsulation 101: What it is, how it works, and why thousands of women choose this ancient practice for hormone balance, energy, and emotional wellbeing. Bridging holistic + modern motherhood: How to tune into your body, advocate for your needs, and navigate postpartum with more confidence and connection. Rediscovering yourself after birth: Why postpartum isn’t an ending, but the beginning of a profound personal transformation. ABOUT SAMANTHA DAVIS Samantha is the founder and CEO of NuHealth Placenta, a company dedicated to supporting mothers through placenta encapsulation and holistic postpartum education. Her mission is simple and powerful: Help mothers feel seen, supported, and proud of how they care for themselves. You can find her at: Website → NuHealthPlacenta.com Instagram → @nuhealth_placentaencapsulation Samantha is also offering The Midwife Life listeners an exclusive free upgraded package + umbilical cord keepsake. CONNECT WITH DIANE Website → TheMidwifeLife.co Instagram → @the.midwife.life.co If you loved this episode, share it with a friend, tag us on IG, or leave a review. It helps this movement reach more women who are ready to reclaim their power, their wellbeing, and their rebirth.
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    49 m
  • 44: Rebirth — The Missing Phase
    Dec 1 2025
    What if this isn’t burnout? What if it’s rebirth? This episode reframes exhaustion, confusion, and emotional unraveling not as failure, but as a necessary initiation into becoming. Diane unpacks: Why women feel dismantled during identity transitions How this phase mirrors postpartum, wintering, and cocooning The difference between burnout and sacred shedding What happens when we stop resisting the pause How rebirth creates clarity, depth, and inner authority This episode is for you if: You feel disconnected from who you used to be You’re craving slowness but feel guilty You sense a quiet becoming within You know something is shifting but can’t name it yet Reflection Questions: What is being released in this season? What part of me is asking for rest? What would it feel like to trust this pause? Stay close for the next episode as we explore the wisdom of stillness and the power of honoring the in-between. ✨ Continue your Rebirth inside The Rebirth Journey A sacred 12-week experience for women ready to honor their becoming and rise with intention. Learn more → Your Rebirth Begins Here ✨ Join the Rebirth Circle Midwifing the Moment- a soulful email space for women in transition, reflection, and rebirth. Receive sacred reflections, audio notes, and first invitations into The Rebirth Journey. Join here → Stay Updated
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  • 43: Strength, Identity & the Real Postpartum with Meg Pasquel
    Nov 24 2025
    In this episode, Diane sits down with women’s health and fitness coach, community leader, and Willow mama, Meg Pasquel. Together, they explore the identity shift of motherhood, the real postpartum experience, listening to your body, and redefining strength in a season that changes everything. Meg is the founder of Positively Fit Community, host of The FitlittleMeg Experience, and a longtime advocate for women’s wellness. She’s built a seven-figure coaching brand while navigating her own motherhood journey — and in this conversation, she shares openly about what that evolution has looked like behind the scenes. This episode is grounding, honest, and full of reminders every mother needs. In This Episode, We Cover: Meg’s Willow birth story and the moment that stayed with her What the early postpartum weeks actually felt like The mix of beauty and challenge in becoming a mother Reconnecting with your body after birth The myths of “bouncing back” and postpartum fitness culture How motherhood reshaped her identity and leadership Building a business while navigating a new season The softer, deeper version of strength Meg discovered What she wants every woman to know about this transition About Meg Pasquel: Meg is a women’s health and fitness coach, founder of Positively Fit Community, and host of The FitlittleMeg Experience podcast. She’s helped thousands of women transform their health, reconnect with their bodies, and build confidence — all while sharing her own real, honest journey through postpartum and motherhood. Meg lives in Arizona with her family and is a proud Willow mama. Connect with Meg: Instagram: @positivelyfitcommunity Podcast: The FitlittleMeg Experience Additional Resources: The Rebirth Journey — 12-week coaching experience: https://themidwifelife.kit.com/rebirthjourney Get your FREE Fourth Trimester Care Plan: https://willowbirthcenteraz.com/ Join The Rebirth Journey If this conversation stirred something inside you — if you’re in a season of unraveling, remembering, or rising — you’re invited into The Rebirth Journey, Diane’s 12-week coaching experience for women ready to reconnect with themselves on every level. Learn more → If You Loved This Episode… Please rate, review, and share the show. Your support helps us reach more women who deserve conversations like this.
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  • 42: Rewriting the Mother Code: How to Mother Yourself with Dr. Gertrude Lyons
    Nov 17 2025
    What if “being a good mother” has less to do with self-sacrifice…and everything to do with self-actualization? In this powerful episode of The Midwife Life, Diane sits down with Dr. Gertrude Lyons, master coach, speaker, and author of Rewrite the Mother Code: How to Mother Yourself and Others in a Healthy Way, to explore what it really means to rewrite the stories we’ve been handed about motherhood, womanhood, and worth. Together, they unpack the “mother code” most of us inherited—the one rooted in perfectionism, martyrdom, and putting everyone else first—and begin to imagine something different: a version of mothering that honors intuition, choice, and self-mothering as the foundation for how we care for others. Whether you’re pregnant, parenting, child-free by choice, or in a season of caring for aging parents, this conversation will help you see mothering as a lifelong relationship with yourself, your community, and your dreams. In this episode, we explore: What “the Mother Code” really is: How culture, family, and history shape our ideas of what a “good mother” should be—and why those codes need rewriting. From self-sacrifice to self-actualization: The deeply ingrained belief that everyone else should come first, and how tending to yourself actually supports your children, your relationships, and your work. Mothering beyond children: How you “mother” your business, your creativity, your friendships, your community—and why women without children are absolutely part of the mothering landscape. Perfectionism in motherhood: Where the pressure to be a “perfect parent” came from, how social media amplifies it, and why chasing the right way to mother is a no-win game. Rewriting generational patterns: Gertrude’s honest story about her own mother wound, fertility journey, and how doing deep inner work changed the way she conceived, birthed, and parented. Choice, intuition, and birth: Why informed choice in pregnancy and birth matters so much, what happens when women aren’t listened to, and how trusting your intuition can change your birth experience. The PACT for self-mothering: Gertrude’s powerful framework for softening your inner critic and mothering yourself. A simple place to start rewriting your own mother code: One reflective exercise you can do today to begin untangling what you inherited from what you truly desire. Website: drgertrude.com Podcast: Rewrite the Mother Code Instagram: @drgertrudelyons TEDx Talk: “Rewrite the Mother Code” on the TEDx YouTube channel Connect with Dr. Gertrude Lyons: Book: Rewrite the Mother Code: How to Mother Yourself and Others in a Healthy Way – available wherever books are sold (https://amzn.to/4pfpb0E) Website: ⁠https://www.drgertrudelyons.com/ Instagram: ⁠⁠@drgertrudelyons⁠⁠ TEDx Talk: “Rewrite the Mother Code” on the TEDx YouTube channel (https://youtu.be/NZ9ZF8JKIDY⁠https://youtu.be/NZ9ZF8JKIDY⁠) If this episode stirred something in you—if you’re feeling the nudge to rewrite your own stories around motherhood, womanhood, or worth—I’d love to walk with you. 🕊️ Explore The Rebirth Journey, my 12-week coaching experience to help you rest, repair, and rise into your next season. Thank you for listening to The Midwife Life. If this conversation on redefining motherhood and self-mothering resonated, please take a moment to leave a 5-star rating and a short review. Your words help other women find the support and language they didn’t know they needed. 💛
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    56 m
  • 41: Why Rebirth Is the Opposite of Burnout
    Nov 10 2025
    It’s been one year since The Midwife Life began —and what started as a podcast has become a movement. In this special anniversary episode, host Diane Ortega, DNP, CNM shares the story behind her own burnout, the lessons that shaped this year of growth, and the next evolution of The Midwife Life: The Rebirth Journey — a 12-week coaching experience for women ready to rest, repair, and rise into their next season. Burnout isn’t the end — it’s the beginning of something sacred. You’ll Hear: The truth about burnout as a sacred contraction before your next chapter How The Midwife Life evolved into a movement of women in rebirth What’s next: The Rebirth Journey — a 12-week coaching experience How to know if you’re in your own season of rebirth Key Quote: “Rebirth isn’t about starting over — it’s about starting truer. Burnout was never the end. It was the doorway to something sacred.” Join the Rebirth Journey: themidwifelife.co/rebirthjourney 12 weeks of guided transformation with Diane Limited spaces opening soon
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  • 40: You Asked. I Answered: Listener Q&A on Healing, Identity & Rebirth
    Nov 4 2025
    In this special Listener Q&A episode, Diane answers your most vulnerable and powerful questions—on postpartum healing, identity loss and rediscovery, pelvic floor care, and the sacred mess of transformation. From what’s really normal 6 months postpartum to how to know when it’s time to let go of something that no longer fits, this episode is a soft but strong reminder: You’re not broken. You’re becoming. And you don’t have to do it alone. In this episode, we explore: What’s actually normal 6 months after birth How to rebuild your identity after motherhood Why your pelvic floor deserves more than a 6-week checkup The real meaning of “midwifing your life” How to know when it’s time to release something you once loved The most powerful rebirth moment in Diane’s life Ready to Go Deeper? Join Diane for a free live workshop: Midwife Your Life: Cultivating Community & Embracing Transformation 🗓 November 8th | 10am (AZ) 🎟 Free to attend 💛 For women in any season of transition—postpartum, midlife, reinvention ✨ Breathwork, journaling, reflection, and a 3-step clarity map for your next chapter 👉 Sign up here → themidwifelife/workshop And for those ready to go even deeper… Diane will be sharing a special invitation to work with her more closely after the workshop. Stay tuned. 📖 Related: Read the full blog post 💌 Subscribe to the newsletter for bonus prompts + behind the scenes
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    20 m
  • 39: Postpartum Recovery — Healing Your Body After Birth
    Oct 27 2025
    In this heartfelt episode, Diane explores what true postpartum recovery looks like — beyond the six-week checkup. From honoring rest and nourishment to building community and seeking support, you’ll learn how to navigate this sacred season with compassion, confidence, and care. In this episode, we cover: Why the traditional six-week postpartum model isn’t enough How midwifery care nurtures the whole woman — body, mind, and spirit The cultural wisdom of postpartum rest and what modern mothers can learn Practical ways loved ones can support a new mom The importance of emotional and mental health after birth How community care and support groups can transform your recovery Local Listeners: Join our Willow Rooted Postpartum Circles — monthly gatherings at Willow Birth Centers designed to help mothers feel seen, supported, and grounded. Learn more: willowbirthcenteraz.com/wellness Follow us on Instagram: @willowbirthcenteraz Free Workshop — November 8: If you’re craving rest, renewal, and reconnection, join Diane for Midwifing Your Life: Cultivating Community & Embracing Transformation. It’s a free virtual experience where women in every season of life can slow down, reconnect, and rediscover what’s being born within them. Join the free Nov 8 workshop → themidwifelife.co/workshop Go Deeper — The Rebirth Journey Coaching Experience: For those ready to midwife their own transformation — body, mind, and spirit — Diane’s 12-week coaching program, The Rebirth Journey, offers personalized support, guided reflection, and soulful strategy for women navigating major life transitions. Apply or learn more: themidwifelife.co/rebirth Resources for Postpartum Support National & Online Resources: Postpartum Support International (PSI) — Find helplines, therapist directories, and online support groups. Postpartum Progress — A peer-led community raising awareness of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. The Motherhood Center — Online therapy, support groups, and educational resources for postpartum mental health. Seleni Institute — Evidence-based support for maternal mental health and women’s emotional well-being. The Momwell Podcast — Conversations about identity, boundaries, and self-care for modern moms. Arizona-Based Resources: Willow Midwife Center for Birth & Wellness AZ — Comprehensive postpartum care and midwifery services in Mesa and Gilbert. Willow Rooted Circles — Monthly community gatherings for mothers in the fourth trimester. Women’s Health Innovations of Arizona — Counseling and psychiatric services specializing in perinatal mental health. 4th Trimester Arizona AZ Coalition — Providing resources for All families to be embraced by their communities in their transition to parenthood. If this episode resonated with you… Please take a moment to leave a review or share it with a friend who’s in her postpartum season. Your support helps us reach more women who need these conversations.
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    36 m