Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
-What if the most powerful tool in a birth worker's kit isn't a doppler or a suture kit — it's a story?
In this episode, Augustine sits down with Kayla Branstetter — English instructor, TEDx speaker, doctoral candidate in healthcare education, and author of the forthcoming book Don't Be an Athena — to explore the world of narrative medicine and why it matters so deeply for midwives, birth workers, and the women they serve.
Kayla's research is rooted in her own lived experience — a mother who navigated teen pregnancy in 1980s Missouri, her own journey through infertility and miscarriage, and the stories of women who came to her simply because they needed to feel heard.
This one is for every birth worker who has ever sat with a woman after a traumatic outcome and wondered — what do I do now?
In this episode:
-What narrative medicine is and why it's more relevant now than ever
-How providers can support clients through reproductive trauma — including the power of writing
-What patients can actually do after obstetric violence — documenting, filing grievances, amending records
-Vicarious trauma in providers and how narrative medicine workshops help
-The myth of Medusa and Athena — and the book that reframes the story of women's suffering
-Why medical humanities is on the rise and what it means for the future of care
📖 Pre-order Don't Be an Athena — available July 20th
🌿 Midwifery Wisdom Collective: midwiferywisdomcollective.com
🏡 Join our Skool community: skool.com/midwiferywisdom
-What if the most powerful tool in a birth worker's kit isn't a doppler or a suture kit — it's a story?
In this episode, Augustine sits down with Kayla Branstetter — English instructor, TEDx speaker, doctoral candidate in healthcare education, and author of the forthcoming book Don't Be an Athena — to explore the world of narrative medicine and why it matters so deeply for midwives, birth workers, and the women they serve.
Kayla's research is rooted in her own lived experience — a mother who navigated teen pregnancy in 1980s Missouri, her own journey through infertility and miscarriage, and the stories of women who came to her simply because they needed to feel heard.
This one is for every birth worker who has ever sat with a woman after a traumatic outcome and wondered — what do I do now?
In this episode:
-What narrative medicine is and why it's more relevant now than ever
-How providers can support clients through reproductive trauma — including the power of writing
-What patients can actually do after obstetric violence — documenting, filing grievances, amending records
-Vicarious trauma in providers and how narrative medicine workshops help
-The myth of Medusa and Athena — and the book that reframes the story of women's suffering
-Why medical humanities is on the rise and what it means for the future of care
📖 Pre-order Don't Be an Athena — available July 20th
🌿 Midwifery Wisdom Collective: midwiferywisdomcollective.com
🏡 Join our Skool community: skool.com/midwiferywisdom
