Birth, Ceremony & the Placenta: Midwifery in Mexico with Miriam Avalos.

What can traditional midwifery teach us about honoring birth as more than a medical event? In this episode of the Wombs of the World Podcast, Charlotte sits down with Miriam Avalos for a beautiful exploration of traditional midwifery in Mexico, the ceremonies surrounding pregnancy and birth, and the cultural significance of the placenta. Miriam shares how traditional midwifery practices vary across Mexico, with knowledge, rituals, and traditions deeply connected to individual regions and communities. Together, they explore blessings, naming ceremonies, temazcal, rites of passage, and the many ways the placenta may be honored after birth. Their conversation also opens a larger discussion about preserving and sharing traditional knowledge, learning across cultures, and navigating the important questions surrounding cultural appreciation and appropriation. In this episode, we explore:Traditional midwifery across MexicoBirth ceremonies, blessings, and rites of passageThe significance of the placenta in Mexican midwiferyPlacenta ceremonies, preservation, and traditionsHow placenta practices differ across culturesBirth as a physical, spiritual, and cultural transitionPreserving generational and traditional knowledgeCultural appropriation, appreciation, and the sharing of knowledgeAt its heart, this conversation is an invitation to look beyond birth as simply a clinical event and consider the ceremony, ancestry, community, and meaning that cultures around the world have woven into this transition for generations.Connect with Miriam Instagram: @GuardianasdelavidaBecome a Full Spectrum DoulaCurious about birth practices around the world and feeling called to support families through these transformative experiences?Explore the Wombs of the World Full Spectrum Doula Training, where we approach birth work through a global, culturally curious, full-spectrum lens.Learn more: https://www.wombsoftheworld.com/doulatrainingIf you enjoyed this conversation, follow or subscribe to the Wombs of the World Podcast wherever you're listening and share this episode with a birth worker, midwife, doula, or someone who loves learning about birth traditions around the world.Follow Wombs of the World: @wombsoftheworld Explore more: https://www.wombsoftheworld.com