Legacy Mentor Series: Jenny West on Trusting Your Voice  and Not Getting Stuck in Your Training

In this Legacy Mentor episode, I welcome midwife Jenny West, who was one of my first mentors as I came into teaching Hypnobirthing and practicing as a doula. Jenny adds so much good advice for student midwives and parents in this episode.

We talk about how different the midwifery model of care can look in home birth versus hospital settings, and why parents need to do their homework and practice using their voice—including saying no or asking to wait. Jenny shares how an early client request led her to become a water birth midwife after witnessing a confident 10 lb 6 oz water birth, and she challenges birth workers not to get stuck in their training. Lots of education comes from what you witness in the birth room in real time and your clients become your best teachers of what “can be” in birth.

One of Jenny’s mentors, Elizabeth Gilmore’s words also fall into this episode about trusting birth while also trusting your skills. Jenny adds some information for student midwives on practicing critical emergency skills until they’re second nature, and also navigating the gray areas of decision-making and when to transfer a birth to the hospital. Jenny emphasizes mentorship, peer review, and timely debriefing to reduce trauma, stay present, and help birth workers remain in practice.

Let’s connect: Have questions or comments for this episode?

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