Hawaii Holistic Midwifery

08/23/2025

Honoring the loss of a natural birth pioneer and an inspiration to the world of CST.
Dr. Michel Odent's family shared he has passed away on August 19th after a brief illness.
His legacy includes numerous books, advocating for de-medicalizing birth, encouraging instinctual birthing methods including pools and early initiation of breastfeeding.

08/21/2025

This man brought so much wisdom & grace though his teachings. Thank you

We are so sorry to hear this news from Michel Odent's family.

"It is with great sorrow that the family of Dr Michel Odent announce his death at the age of 95. Dr Odent was born July 7, 1930, in Bresles, France. He died peacefully in London, England, on August 19, 2025 following a brief illness.

Dr Odent trained as a general surgeon in Paris, and advocated for the demedicalisation of birth whilst in charge of Pithiviers Hospital. In later life, he founded the Primal Health Research Centre in London, and published extensively on topics related to childbirth and early breastfeeding.

He is survived by many loved ones, including his partner Liliana, and children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. His family wishes to express their thanks to the doctors, nurses, and staff of St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to La Leche League. Dr Odent will be cremated in a private family service with a public memorial to follow in several weeks."

07/23/2025

Keep your hair if you’d like. It’s always up to you!

Removing p***c hair is not a pre-requisite for birth!

P***c hair is normal, natural, healthy and beneficial.

There’s lots of pressure to shave/wax for birth.

Most people consider hairless to be “clean” but removing hair actually creates and more bacteria and problems.

✅ P***c hair provides a cushion against friction that can cause abrasion and skin injury.
✅ It provides protection from bacteria and other unwanted pathogens especially with vaginal exams, hands, and tools involved, this barrier can help reduce exposure and lower infection risk
✅ It can help prevent chafing or skin irritation during long hours in labor positions.
✅ The presence of p***c hair helps maintain the natural balance of good bacteria around the v***a and vaginal opening, critical in birth when your body is working hard to protect both you and baby.
✅ During crowning, stretching, and the intensity of pushing, p***c hair provides a slight buffer for the sensitive skin around the l***a and mons. It’s not about vanity, it’s about support.
✅ Keeping your p***c hair is an act of self-trust and body sovereignty. You don’t owe anyone grooming, shaving, or altering your body to give birth.
It’s your body, your birth, your boundaries, down to the hair you choose to keep.

❌ Removing p***c hair irritates and inflames the hair follicles left behind.
❌ Removing p***c hair leaves microscopic open wounds.
❌ When that irritation is combined with the warm moist environment of the ge****ls, it becomes a happy culture medium for some of the nastiest of bacterial pathogens, like group A streptococcus Staphylococcus aureus and its recently mutated cousin MRSA.
❌ Removing it increases risk of staph boils, abscesses, pustules, cellulitis and herpes infections.

Your p***c hair isn’t “gross.”

It’s protective, functional, and perfectly designed for the work of labor and birth.

Choosing to keep it isn’t just safer, it’s liberation from a system that profits off your discomfort with your natural body.

-Love,
Flor Cruz
Badassmotherbirther

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞, & 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭!
Nacer Ancenstral

07/23/2025

Piko Program 2.0 is a 3-day immersive workshop for birth preparation, empowerment, and practical tools for safety in birth. This workshop is brought to you by our partners at Shine Sisterhood Initiative - a diverse collective of birth workers who perpetuate decolonized and embodied practices to increase safety for marginalized birthing people.

This is a free workshop for pregnant people who identify as low income, rural, BIPOC, or displaced by the Lahaina Wildfire; however we are collecting a small refundable deposit to help ensure mutual commitment. Participants should expect to attend all 3 sessions, Friday, August 29th through Sunday, August 31st, from 10am-4pm. A more detailed schedule will be provided after registration. If you would like to attend but the deposit is a barrier, please contact shinesisterhoodinitiative@gmail.com - we are happy to consider waiving the deposit to ensure access to all.

07/14/2025

La báscula que usan las parteras es una herramienta esencial, práctica y simbólica en el acompañamiento de nacimientos. A diferencia de las básculas hospitalarias, suele ser una báscula de resorte tipo gancho, liviana y portátil, diseñada para ser usada en cualquier espacio: una casa, un centro de salud, una comunidad rural o incluso al aire libre.

Se cuelga con facilidad de un soporte o se sostiene con la mano. El o la recién nacida se coloca en una especie de hamaca o rebozo, suave y envolvente, lo que permite que el pesaje ocurra sin brusquedades, sin frío, sin separación abrupta del cuerpo materno o del espacio íntimo del parto.

Estas básculas suelen tener una capacidad de hasta 20 kg y una precisión de 10 a 50 gramos, lo que permite registrar el peso con exactitud sin interferir en el momento sagrado del nacimiento. Hay modelos analógicos (de resorte) y digitales, pero muchas parteras eligen los analógicos por su durabilidad, su independencia de baterías y su facilidad de uso en cualquier contexto.

Más allá del dato numérico, pesar a un bebé en este contexto es un acto profundamente humano. Es parte del monitoreo del bienestar, sí, pero también una forma de cuidar sin interrumpir, de intervenir sin invadir. Una manera de reconocer que la vida recién llegada merece ser recibida con respeto, con calidez y con la certeza de que el primer contacto debe ser amoroso, no clínico.

El uso de esta báscula es solo un ejemplo del modelo de atención que ofrecen muchas parteras: un modelo centrado en las personas, en la escucha, en la confianza y en la sabiduría del cuerpo. Porque en cada nacimiento que acompañan, las parteras sostienen mucho más que el peso de un bebé: sostienen una historia, una transformación, una vida que empieza.

Grecia Avalos

Imagen con fines ilustrativos de Doula Partera Novack

02/23/2025

The CDC was ordered to stop running certain vaccine promotion campaigns, including the "Wild to Mild" flu vaccine campaign, following a directive from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). According to sources, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. requested that vaccine advertisements instead emphasize "informed consent," a principle requiring disclosure of both risks and benefits of medical interventions.

This type of action could continue to take place over the course of time as RFK Jr looks to reduce Pharma adverts and use government health services in a way that is more transparent and honest.