Midwifery in the ’Sip Launches with a Mission to Preserve Birth Knowledge and Strengthen Maternal Health Across the South
Two Mississippi birth workers are creating space for honest, informed, and culturally grounded conversations about pregnancy, birth, postpartum recovery, and maternal health through their new podcast, Midwifery in the ’Sip.
Hosted by student midwives Francine Anderson and Adriana Hawkins-Smith, the podcast explores the realities of birth work in Mississippi while honoring the traditions, knowledge, and community networks that have supported mothers and babies across generations.
Through conversations rooted in lived experience, education, history, and advocacy, Midwifery in the ’Sip seeks to connect expectant parents, birth workers, healthcare professionals, and community members around the issues shaping maternal and infant health in the South.
Francine Anderson is a student midwife, ceremony guide, postpartum birth worker, southeastern medicine practitioner, educator, and regenerative farmer. Her practice includes traditional Indigenous Southeastern healing practices and specialized postpartum support for women who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss, and other pregnancy-related grief. Through her work, she advocates for community-centered care that honors both mothers and families throughout the reproductive journey.
Adriana Hawkins-Smith, M.S., IBCLC, is a student midwife, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, childbirth educator, prenatal yoga instructor, and community doula serving families throughout Southwest Mississippi and Southeast Louisiana. Since entering birth work in 2020, she has focused on expanding access to quality maternity care in medically underserved communities and supporting families through informed, compassionate care.
Together, Anderson and Hawkins-Smith bring perspectives shaped by apprenticeship, community service, maternal health advocacy, and a shared commitment to preserving birth knowledge for future generations.
“Midwifery has always been about relationships, community, and caring for families,” said the hosts. “Our goal is to create meaningful conversations that educate, inspire, and support both families and birth workers while honoring the people who carried this knowledge before us.”
As Mississippi continues to confront challenges related to maternal health outcomes, healthcare access, and the preservation of community-based birth traditions, Midwifery in the ’Sip offers a platform for dialogue, education, and storytelling centered on mothers, babies, and the people who care for them.
The podcast is designed for expectant parents, postpartum families, midwives, doulas, lactation professionals, healthcare providers, public health advocates, students, and anyone interested in maternal and infant health throughout Mississippi and the broader South.
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