Radical Beginnings: The Midwifery of Linda Bennett

In this full-circle conversation, Blyss sits with elder midwife Linda Bennett—her own midwife during her first birth and a key figure in the resurgence of home birth midwifery in 1970s Santa Cruz.

From attending births alongside Raven Lang to being arrested twice for practicing midwifery without a license, Linda shares stories from a time when birth work was raw, rebellious, and rooted in community.

Together, they reflect on ethics, peer review, licensing debates, and the evolution of birth culture across generations—while revisiting the sacred responsibility of showing up for women on their terms.

Linda shares:

• How the women’s self-help movement helped spark her path into midwifery
• Stories from the early Santa Cruz home birth scene
• The challenges and consequences of being arrested for attending births
• Her candid views on licensing, free birth, and holding birth in integrity
• Reflections on humility, peer review, and generational wisdom
• Memories from Blyss’s first birth, and how it shaped both of their journeys

Further Reading & Support:

Books & Films:

• Human Labor and Birth by Harry Oxorn & William R. Foote – A classic obstetrics text covering the physiology and stages of labor.
• Emergency Childbirth: A Manual by Dr. Gregory J. White – A practical guide for first responders and laypeople attending out-of-hospital births.
• Special Delivery by Rahima Baldwin – An early home birth manual offering natural childbirth support and guidance.
• All My Babies (1953 film) – Documentary on Georgia midwife Mary Francis Hill Coley, used in midwifery training. Watch here »
• Birth in the Squatting Position – A short New Guinea birth film showing a woman giving birth in a squatting position over soft ground, with her baby sliding onto dirt.

Midwives, Activists & Colleagues

• Lorraine Rothman – Feminist health activist and co-creator of the Del‑Em menstrual extraction kit.
• Carol Downer – Reproductive justice activist and pioneer of self-help gynecology.
• Gail Peterson – Birth educator and advocate for holistic childbirth.
• Carla Hearty – Midwife and colleague from Linda’s Santa Cruz practice.
• Genine Walker – Peer midwifery collaborator.
• Raven Lang – Author of Birth Book and midwifery pioneer.
• Tonya Brooks – Founder of ACHI and the Gentle Birth Center in Glendale, CA; co-defendant in birth rights cases.
• Cat Feral – Midwife who practiced with Linda in Tacoma, WA, before relocating to Oregon; passed in 2024.

Physicians & Medical Influencers:

• Dr. Tom Brewer – Developed the Brewer Pregnancy Diet to prevent preeclampsia.
• Dr. Ronald Wu & Dr. Anthony “Tony” Burch – Southern California OBs known for supporting vaginal breech births and collaborative midwifery care.
• Dr. Nial B. Ettinghauser – Drugless practitioner advocating holistic approaches to birth.
• Dr. Joseph T. Anzalone, FACOG – OB-GYN in Santa Cruz noted for working alongside midwives.
• Dr. Howard Marchbanks – Family practitioner from Orange County who supported birth work.

Thank 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.

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Podcast Editor: Shea Lyons

Archivist and Producer: Blyss Young

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