Ep 92 Hannah Dahlen on the path of a feminist midwife championing change and a sustainable research future

Ep 92 (http://ibit.ly/Re5V) Hannah Dahlen on the path of a feminist midwife championing change and a sustainable research future

@PhDMidwives #research #midwifery  #education @westernsydneyu #bigdata #Yemen #sustainability #perinealwarmpacks #leadership

research link - ibit.ly/Y58ML

From seeing her first baby born as a child in Yemen to becoming a Professor of Midwifery at Western Sydney University, Hannah's journey illuminates the evolution of modern midwifery practice, research, and leadership in Australia.

Hannah's story begins in the clinics of Yemen where her mother practiced midwifery, instilling in her a powerful feminist perspective that has guided her entire career. After training in the UK, Hannah returned to Australia in 1991 to find a healthcare system dominated by medical authority where midwives struggled for autonomy. Rather than accepting this status quo, she channeled her experiences into advocacy, rising through the ranks of professional organizations while conducting groundbreaking research. Her world-renowned study on perineal warm packs transformed an "old wives' tale" into level-one evidence now recommended in clinical guidelines worldwide.

Throughout our conversation, Hannah weaves together personal experience with professional insights about leading change in healthcare. She shares wisdom about building movements rather than seeking individual recognition, the importance of mentoring future leaders, and how academic research has empowered midwifery's professional standing. Her recent work on birth trauma through the Birth Experience Study (BEST) has gathered responses from over 8,800 Australian women and is now being replicated in fourteen countries, challenging systemic issues in maternity care.

Perhaps most compelling is Hannah's reflection on sustainability in leadership and the personal costs of advocacy. As she approaches her sixtieth birthday, she speaks candidly about learning to say no, finding balance, and encouraging a new generation to move midwifery from "surviving to thriving to transformation." Listen for powerful insights on leadership, research, and creating change that lasts generations, not just moments.

Chapters

• 0:52 Hannah Darling's Introduction
• 1:32 Early Midwifery Foundations in Yemen
• 4:41 Feminism and Midwifery Connection
• 7:11 Educational Journey in Australia
• 13:05 Building Leadership in Midwifery
• 21:42 From Practice to Academia
• 31:41 The Perineal Warm Pack Trial
• 38:27 Advancing Midwifery Research
• 45:31 Birth Trauma and Respectful Care
• 51:01 Balancing Life and Leadership