In this wide-ranging and utterly fascinating episode, host Augustine sits down with Vandana — doctor, public health expert, MBA, entrepreneur, beekeeper, candle maker, and one of the most multi-dimensional humans to ever grace this podcast. Born and raised in Bangalore, India, now based on Long Island, New York, Vandana has spent over two decades working across 13 countries in disaster zones, war zones, and underserved communities — always following the woman, always asking: what does she actually need to thrive?

This conversation moves from the villages of rural India to the boardrooms of global philanthropy, from beehives in Brooklyn to the operating table, and from the burnout of nonprofit founderitis to the liberating power of learning to ask. There is so much in this episode for midwives, birth workers, nonprofit founders, and anyone who has ever built something from scratch and wondered why it won't grow.

Resources & Links:

🌐 Learn more about Komselj: https://www.komselj.com/
🏡 Join our Skool community: skool.com/midwiferywisdom
🌿 Midwifery Wisdom Collective: midwiferywisdomcollective.com

In today's episode, host Augustine sits down with Kayla Branstetter — English instructor, TEDx speaker, doctoral candidate in healthcare education, and author of the forthcoming book Don't Be an Athena — for a conversation that sits right at the intersection of storytelling, reproductive trauma, and the future of patient-centered care.

Kayla's work in narrative medicine is a beautiful reminder that behind every chart, every lab result, and every clinical encounter is a human being with a story that deserves to be heard. And for midwives and birth workers who already know this in their bones — this episode gives you the language, the research, and the tools to do it even better.

In this episode we cover:

• What narrative medicine actually is — and why it's been around for centuries, we're just now naming it
• Kayla's personal journey through her mother's teen pregnancy, her own infertility and miscarriage, and how storytelling found her
• How a patient's chart tells a story — and what we miss when we only look at the numbers
• The growing mistrust between the medical community and patients — and what narrative medicine offers as a bridge
• How providers can support traumatized clients after unwished-for birth outcomes — including the power of offering writing as an alternative to talking
• Obstetric violence, medical gaslighting, and what patients can actually do — from documenting their experience to filing grievances and amending their own medical records
• How a midwife or doula can be a powerful patient advocate in the aftermath of trauma
• Vicarious and secondary trauma in providers — and how narrative medicine workshops create space for clinicians to reflect and heal
• The myth of Medusa and Athena — and why Kayla's book asks us to stop turning survivors into monsters
• Why medical humanities is on the rise — and the medical school built next to an art museum that's changing how future doctors are trained

Resources & Links:

📖 Pre-order Don't Be an Athena by Kayla Branstetter — available July 20th on Amazon and in independent bookstores
🌐 Follow Kayla: Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn — search Kayla Branstetter
🎤 Watch Kayla's TEDx Talk on narrative medicine and reproductive trauma
🏡 Join our community: skool.com/midwiferywisdom

This episode of the Midwifery Wisdom Podcast is a beautiful, globe-spanning conversation about what happens when birth workers step out of their comfort zones. Host Chetana sits down with Brooke, a US-based midwife, and Johanna, the founder of a birthing clinic in India, to discuss the "sisterhood of midwives," cultural humility, and the universal language of birth.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• From Opera and Animals to Midwifery: The unconventional paths that led Brooke (a former vet tech) and Johanna (a former opera singer) to birth work.
• Navigating the Indian Medical System: Johanna discusses the challenges of running Jeevalaya Birthing Home and the "diplomacy" required to advocate for gentle birth in a rigid obstetric environment.
• A Journey to Papua, Indonesia: Chetna shares her experience volunteering at a remote, non-profit birth center and the differences between physiologic birth and the mainstream medical model in Indonesia.
• The Global Epidemic of Anemia: A clinical discussion on why low hemoglobin is a worldwide challenge and how different systems address it.
• Cultural Competency vs. Connection: Brooke shares a moving story about attending a twin breech birth for a Ukrainian refugee family without a common language, proving that being "with woman" transcends words.
• High-Tech Solutions: A look at how real-time translation earbuds are changing the game for international midwifery care.

Key Takeaways

• Midwifery is a Versatile Species: Whether it's navigating "midwifery deserts" or adjusting to spicy local diets, midwives are uniquely equipped to blend into and serve diverse communities.

• The Power of Presence: In many cultures, the most radical intervention a midwife can offer is simply holding a hand, looking into a mother's eyes, and returning her agency.

• Bridging the Gap: International collaboration isn't just about sharing clinical skills; it's about providing the emotional support and "sisterhood" that keeps birth workers sustainable.

Resources Mentioned

• Jeevalaya Birthing Home: Johanna’s clinic providing care to marginalized women in India.
• Timekettle Translation Earbuds: The tech Brooke uses to communicate with her Slavic-speaking clients in real-time.

Midwifery Travel Experience August 2026

This 2-week experience takes you to Angel Hiromi Bhumi Sehat (AHBS), the only midwife-led birth center in Papua, Indonesia. Set near the stunning Lake Sentani, AHBS serves indigenous families who often travel long distances to access respectful, midwifery-centered care.