Happy National Midwifery Week! We are so thankful for and in awe of all midwives do. Great midwives can literally make all the difference. Statistical evidence shows that they can help you have both better birth experiences and outcomes. Meagan and Julie break down the different types of midwives including CNMs, CPM, DEMs, and LPM as well as the settings in which you can find them. They talk about the pros and cons of choosing midwifery care within a hospital or outside of a hospital either at home or in a birth center.  We encourage you to interview all types of providers in all types of settings. You may be surprised where your intuition leads you and where you feel is the safest place for you to rock your birth! Midwifery-led Care in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Evidence-Based Birth Article: The Evidence on Midwives Article: Planning a VBAC with Midwifery Care in Australia The VBAC Link Supportive Provider List Needed Website How to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for Parents Full Transcript under Episode Details  Meagan: Hey, hey, hey. You guys, we’re talking about midwives today, and when I say we, I mean me and Julie. I have Julie on with us today. Hello, my darling.  Julie: Hello! You know, sometimes you’ve just got to unmute yourself.  Meagan: Her headphones were muted, you guys.  Julie: Yeah. That’s amazing.  Meagan: I’m like, “I can’t hear you.”  You guys, guess what? This is our first month at The VBAC Link where I’m bringing a special subject. Every month we are going to have a week and it’s usually going to be the second week of the month where we are going to have a specific topic for those episodes of the week and this is the very first one. It is National Midwives’ Week so I thought it would be really fun this week to talk about midwives. We love midwives. We love them. We love them and we are so grateful for them.  We want to talk more about the impact that they leave when it comes to our overall experience.  Julie: Yes.  Meagan: The overall outcomes and honestly, just how flipping amazing they are. We want to talk more and then we’ll share of course a story with a midwifery birth.  Okay, Julie. You have a review. I’m sticking it to her today to read the review because sometimes I feel like it’s nice to switch it up.  Julie: Yeah. Let’s switch it up. All right, this review– I’m assuming “VBAC Encouragement” is the title of the review.”  Meagan: Yes.  Julie: “VBAC Encouragement”. It says, “My first birth ended in an emergency Cesarean at 29 weeks and I knew as I was being rolled into the OR that I would go for a VBAC with my next baby. Not long after, The VBAC Link started and I was instantly obsessed.” I love to hear that.  “I love the wide range of VBAC and CBAC stories. Listening to the women share honestly and openly was motivating and encouraging. As a doula, this podcast is something that I recommend to my VBAC clients. I’m so thankful for the brave women sharing the good, bad, and ugly of their stories and I’m thankful for Meagan and Julie for holding space for us all.”  Aww, I love that.  Meagan: I do too. I love the title, “VBAC Encouragement.” That is what this podcast is here for– to encourage you along the way no matter what you choose but to bring that encouragement, that empowerment, and the information from women all over the world literally. All over the world because you guys, we are not alone. I know that sometimes we can feel alone. I feel like sometimes VBAC journeys can feel isolating and it sucks. We don’t want you to feel that way so that’s why we started the podcast. That’s why I’m here. That’s why Julie comes on because she misses you and loves you all so much too and we want you to feel that encouragement.  Meagan: Okay, you guys. We are talking about midwives. If you have never been cared for by a midwife, I think this is a really great episode to learn more about that and s