Raven Lang : The Birth Book and the Reawakening Part 1

In this first of a three-part series, Blyss sits with Raven Lang — one of the most influential midwives in America and author of The Birth Book (1972). Often credited with sparking the home birth revival on the West Coast, Raven’s voice and vision helped lay the foundation for modern midwifery in the United States. Her groundbreaking Birth Book became a touchstone for countless families and midwives seeking alternatives to hospital birth, and her ideas on imprinting and the formation of motherly love changed how generations would understand the postpartum bond.This episode sets the stage for the next two parts of Raven’s remarkable story.Raven SharesShe shares about her upbringing in San Francisco’s North Beach,her struggles with childhood illness and Catholic schooling, andthe fierce independence that shaped her feminist awakening.Raven reflects on her first birth at Stanford in 1968 — an experience both empowering and unsettling — that propelled her into childbirth education, goat-keeping, and eventually attending births in Santa Cruz.Mentioned in this EpisodeThe Birth Book by Raven LangImmaculate Deception by Suzanne ArmsChildbirth Without Fear by Grantly Dick-ReadPainless Childbirth by Fernand LamazePeter Nash – California physician who briefly attended home birthsThank 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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