Raven Lang Part 2 of 3: Rising as a Leader in the Homebirth Movement

In last week’s episode, Raven shared how she was first called into midwifery. This week, we hear how she rose as a leader during the early homebirth movement in Santa Cruz.Raven describes the study groups, living-room prenatals, and the creation of the Santa Cruz Birth Center. Out of these gatherings came her groundbreaking book, The Birth Book, a collection of women’s stories that carried the movement forward.She also recalls the resistance — public health warnings, phones tapped, and the raid on the birth center. Even under pressure, Raven and her peers kept going, building midwifery from the ground up.This episode marks the moment when Raven stepped from witness to leader, helping shape a new culture of birth.Mentioned in This EpisodeKitty Lakos — RN and midwife, co-founder of the Santa Cruz Birth Center Kate Bowland — early homebirth midwife, part of the Santa Cruz collective Dr. Stuart “Don” Creevy — OB who mentored Raven and supported natural birth Dr. Thomas Brewer — physician known for research on nutrition and hypertension in pregnancy Dr. Marshall Klaus — pediatrician who introduced the concept of bonding between mother and baby Dr. Barry Brazelton — pediatrician and researcher who worked with Klaus on attachment studies Dr. Rebecca Barroso — Cuban-born midwife, later earned a PhD and became a professor at Frontier Nursing UniversityBooks & ResourcesThe Birth Book by Raven Lang — one of the first modern collections of women’s birth stories Manual for Rural Midwives — concise international midwifery text translated into English Writings of Dr. Thomas Brewer — focused on diet, blood pressure, and maternal health Research on bonding and attachment by Marshall Klaus & Barry Brazelton — foundational studies on maternal-infant connectionHerbs, Homeopathy & Hands-on SkillsPalpation and maternal touch — learning through feel and observation Perineal massage — something Raven encouraged for preparing the body for birth, though midwives hold differing opinions on its value Study-group learning — urine dipsticks, blood pressure, and case-by-case pathology Suturing — early skills passed through mentorship and peer supportPharmaceuticals MentionedDemerol — an opioid pain medication widely used in hospital births at the time, often leaving mothers groggy and newborns sedated Pitocin — routinely given in hospitals to induce or speed up laborThank 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.Community Circles (First Thursdays of each month)Podcast Editor: Shea LyonsArchivist and Producer: Blyss YoungInstagram: @TheBridgeMidwivesJoin our Facebook community: The Bridge Midwives Project

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