Post Capitalist Parenting Pt. 4: Midwifery and Birthing w/ Robina Khalid

Sep 9, 2025

Robina Khalid, a mother of four, midwife, writer, and activist, discusses the history of midwifery and obstetrics. She highlights how capitalism and systemic oppression have reshaped birthing practices, advocating for a return to home births and midwifery. The conversation also touches on the contradictions of modern medicine, reflecting on both its benefits and injustices. Robina envisions a post-capitalist approach to childbirth that emphasizes care and community, encouraging a transformative understanding of birth and parenting.

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ADVICE

Know Midwife Versus Doula Roles

Learn the difference between midwives and doulas before making birth decisions.
Midwives are licensed clinical providers; doulas provide non-clinical emotional and physical support.

ANECDOTE

From Scholar To Midwife After Radicalizing Birth

Robina left academia after radicalizing birth experiences and trained as a midwife later in life.
She practiced in public hospitals, felt morally injured by obstetric harm, and opened a home-birth practice.

INSIGHT

Obstetric Harm Produces Lasting Trauma

Many births are traumatic because of obstetric mistreatment rather than clinical emergencies.
Trauma from birth can persist and wrongly become internalized as personal failure.

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In this episode, Part 4 of our ongoing Post Capitalist Parenting series, Robina Khalid joins us to talk about the process of birthing from the perspective of a midwife.

Robina is a mother of four, a writer, former academic, and activist. In this conversation, Robina shares with us the fascinating history of the field of obstetrics and its white supremacist, colonialist, and capitalist roots. We explore what midwifery is, the role it has traditionally played in society, and how capitalism's devaluing of this important health science and profession has negatively impacted the birthing experience in the contemporary world. Additionally, in this episode, Della shares about her recent birthing experience and Robina describes how we can simultaneously hold an appreciation for modern medicine while being critical of Western medicine under capitalism. Finally, Robina shares with us her vision of what post capitalist birthing could look and feel like and provides some invitations for everyone listening.

Further resources:

Related episodes:

Listen to our ongoing Post Capitalist Parenting series
A Socialist Perspective on Abortion with Diana Moreno & Jenny Brown
Decolonizing Medicine with Rupa Marya and Raj Patel
Post Capitalism w/ Alnoor Ladha

Intermission music: "Labour of Love" by Carsie Blanton

Covert art: Palestine Poster Project, Naim 1975

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