#456: Principalities & Powers & Protecting Traditional Midwifery with Abby Iovine
Birthing Instincts
Dr. Stuart Fischbein + Midwife Blyss Young
4.8 • 692 Ratings
🗓️ 11 March 2026
⏱️ 83 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this week’s episode Blyss and Stu introduce guest Abigail Iovine, a Pennsylvania traditional midwife, and her mission to create legislation to protect traditional midwifery through her organization The National Alliance for Traditional Birth Rights. Iovine discusses how legislation and institutional credentialing can criminalize basic midwifery care and shrink options. This episode outlines harms from siloed maternity care and discusses NARM’s influence.
About Abby Iovine:
Abby is a traditional midwife, mother of ten, and a passionate advocate for medical freedom who was raised with a deep love for God and family. Yes, all ten are hers, and yes, she has given birth ten times, an experience that profoundly shaped the way she approaches birth and care.
Her journey into midwifery began after the birth of her fourth child, and while pregnant with her fifth, she famously searched, “How to NOT have a baby in the hospital?” That question set her on a new path. After welcoming her first homebirth with her fifth baby, she began formally studying midwifery in 2010, later becoming a certified doula in 2013 and attending births soon after.
Trained through a five-year traditional apprenticeship under local elder midwives, she built her foundation in hands-on, relationship-centered care. In 2018, she officially began serving families through Cardinal Birth Midwifery, a family-centered, autonomy-respecting ministry that places real life, children, and family needs at the heart of care.
In 2025, she also founded the National Alliance for Traditional Birth Rights, further expanding her advocacy for family-centered care and the preservation of traditional midwifery.
Facebook: ProtectTraditionalMidwifery / YourBirthMatters
Website: Natbr.org
References:
Attend a Reteach Breech Workshop: birthinginstincts.com/events
ACOG Releases Updated Guidance on Maternal Immunizations
The Highwire Episode 464: STEEP TERRAIN
National Alliance for Traditional Birth Rights (NATBR) Federal Policy Brief
NATBR Petition Demand federal safeguards for traditional midwives and family choice
Discussed in This Episode
Effects of Legislation on Midwifery Investigations
Bill SB507 in Pennsylvania
AMA Influence and Hospital Control
Defining Traditional Midwifery
NARM Critique and Licensing
How Standards of Care Can Be Improved
Eradication of Midwifery and its Impact on Maternal Mortality
“Heritage Care” Brief to Protect Midwifery
Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care
This show is supported by
- WeNatal | Go to WeNatal.com/Birthinginstincts for a free magnesium with any subscription order, or wenatal.com/birthinginstinctswnp for the new Protein + offer.
- Christian Hypnobirthing | Go to christianhypnobirthing.com and use the code BI50 for 50% off the first three months of your monthly subscription.
- Restorative Roots | Go to restorativeroots.com and use code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS to get $20 off
- Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use code INSTINCTS for 15% off
Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss
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- Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
- Email: birthinginstinctspodcast@gmail.com
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Burling Instincts podcast. |
| 0:05.0 | I'm Dr. Stewart Fish Fine, community-based practicing obstetrician and long-time advocate for birth choices. |
| 0:10.0 | And I'm Bliss Young, a licensed midwife. |
| 0:13.0 | Join us in our conversational style podcast where we talk about everything birth. |
| 0:17.0 | Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but we're happy that you're here. So here we go. |
| 0:24.1 | She's ready. |
| 0:26.0 | We're ready. |
| 0:27.8 | I'm ready. |
| 0:29.2 | Good morning. |
| 0:29.6 | Good morning. |
| 0:30.5 | Good morning to you. |
| 0:31.4 | Good morning, everybody. |
| 0:32.2 | Good afternoon. |
| 0:32.8 | Good evening. |
| 0:33.1 | And for loads of you, good middle of the night. |
| 0:36.1 | Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Burthing Instincts podcast, where Bliss and I |
| 0:40.9 | talk about everything, including birth. |
| 0:44.9 | Not just birth, right? |
| 0:47.8 | We're getting a really good feedback about the podcast that came out today with Barbara Harper. |
| 0:54.4 | I saw that. |
| 0:55.5 | Yeah. |
| 0:56.2 | And it was, I mean, I have reflected back on many things that she said. |
... |
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