Hope Birth & Beyond LLC

05/01/2026

04/22/2026

Do you follow policy?

Have you heard of twilight birth? Did your grandparents, great grandparents, experience this?

Once upon a time, THIS was normal. Intially, preferred by some women because the ability to birth without pain is appealing. However, the reality wasn't actually birthing without pain, it was birthing without memory.

What was once celebrated as an advancement, shifted to a fight for autonomy in birth.

For those with positive experiences, they simply had no memory of the birth. For others, they woke with marks on their wrists from being restrained. Restraining garments like the one pictured were used to keep women from harming themselves and staff.

Twilight birth wasn't a calm pain free birth. Twilight birth was being restrained because women were blacked out while still moving, having no way to consciously find ways to cope with labor.

Twilight birth meant restraint. It meant no support people. It meant no personal comfort, support or autonomy. Forceps, episiotomies, etc., became necessary and impacted obstetrical practices long after twilight birth ended.

Morphine and scopolamine were used to induce a state of semiconscious, amnesic labor as late as the 1960s.

What does this mean for birthing people today? It's a reminder that it is not just okay but important to ask questions. It's okay to not accept policy or status quo. It is about asking for EVIDENCE-BASED care and practices.

Autonomy in birth matters.

02/21/2026

No delivering for this midwife 🙂 I'm a baby catcher.....if you need me to be ❤

I will also drink your coffee, scavenge your cabinets for a PBJ (if its a long labor) and curl up under your dining room table to nap (if you live in a tiny house

02/04/2026

Jumping on the trend. P.s. I want a coffee mug that says boss witch

02/01/2026

Lots of BIRTHday parties happen here at Hope Birth & Beyond. Now it’s time to celebrate my own this month !!!

01/28/2026

This a reminder to slow down, show patience, and remember that kids are learning how to navigate life just like we are.

Much love,
Ashley

01/13/2026

party on mama 🤣🥳🤱🏼

01/03/2026

The American College of Nurse-Midwives mourns the devastating death of Dr. Janell Green Smith, CNM, who died from complications of childbirth. Dr. Smith was a respected midwife, scholar, and advocate whose life and work reflected a deep commitment to respectful, evidence-based, and equitable care.

That a Black midwife and maternal health expert died after giving birth in the United States is both heartbreaking and unacceptable. Her death underscores the persistent and well-documented reality that Black women—regardless of education, income, or professional expertise—face disproportionate risks during pregnancy and childbirth due to systemic racism and failures in care.

We grieve Dr. Smith’s loss and recognize it as a profound failure of the systems meant to protect birthing people. In her honor, ACNM commits not only to reaffirming our values, but to intensifying our actions to dismantle racial inequities in maternal health, strengthen accountability in care systems, and work alongside Black midwives, clinicians, and communities to prevent future tragedies.

We extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Smith’s family, loved ones, and the midwifery community. We carry her legacy forward with urgency, humility, and resolve.

11/22/2025

Dinner time

11/18/2025

In birthwork and relationships accountability matters.
We show up, we learn, we take responsibility, and we grow.
It’s powerful how often these messages come through right when they’re needed. “Where attention goes, energy flows, where energy flows, life grows.”

The message is about not letting things shake or rattle you, because it is our belief that gives things meaning. Become the guardian of your attention, and decide where it goes, and who gets your energy.