The Midwife, Women’s Health Issues, and Writing - How Do These Connect?

Midwife, author, and activist, Patricia Harman has done it all. After living in rural communes during the 60s and 70s, Patricia, or Patsy as her friends call her, moved to the east and settled in Virginia. While living in Virginia she was asked many times to help birth the babies in her community. She soon realized she had a love for helping women and went to school to officially become a nurse-midwife. 

She has since spent the past thirty years caring for women as they go through the process and transformation that is childbirth. In an effort to document and memorialize some of her patients’ journeys, she began writing her first memoir, The Blue Cotton Gown: A Midwife’s Memoir. After her second memoir, she realized that she wanted to tell a different kind of story and began writing fiction.

My conversation with Patricia was an amazing look into midwifery and modern healthcare practices for women, along with the ins and outs of the publishing world. Patsy definitely has a way with words and she paints a vivid picture of her life and her inspiration for starting her writing career. Listen in to gain insights on some amazing topics from the font of knowledge that is Patricia Harman. 

Show Notes:

• [01:08] Thank you for listening and elevating the stories of our guests.
• [01:48] Learn more about Patricia “Patsy” Harman, my guest for this episode.
• [03:01] Patsy shares more about her backstory and midwifery.
• [05:43] We dig deeper into whether or not high-risk pregnancies can deliver with a midwife.
• [07:41] Midwives are more than medical caretakers.
• [08:42] Are more people opting for midwives for delivery? 
• [09:32] Why did Patsy transition to writing? 
• [13:38] Was Patsy’s first heroine based on her and her life? 
• [14:45] Learn more about the world of publishing and Patsy’s process for writing/publishing.
• [15:58] What did the publishing process feel like? 
• [19:34] Why is feedback a gift? 
• [22:27] What challenges did Patsy face in running her practice with her husband?
• [24:06] Always make sure your accountant is a CPA! 
• [25:05] Patsy’s tips for overcoming writer’s block.
• [27:22] What moments stand out for Patsy from her life’s journey?
• [31:20] Patsy shares her final bit of advice for our listeners.
• [32:18] Connect with Patsy and find her books.

Links and Resources:

Patricia Harman’s Website

Patricia on Facebook

Patricia’s Amazon Author Profile

Episode’s Sponsor: Routledge