Hadhee Jah: Traditional midwifery is losing ground, a conversation with The Last Birthkeeper

Hadhee Jah is an Ayurvedic postpartum doula and birth sovereignty advocate originally from the Maldives, whose work bridges ancestral wisdom with the modern experience of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery. Rooted deeply in her Maldivian heritage, she has dedicated her life to reclaiming traditional approaches to motherhood and postnatal care.Hadhee’s path into birth work was profoundly shaped by her own birth story. During her labor, she experienced a deep spiritual connection with her grandmother — a transformative moment that awakened her commitment to honoring the wisdom carried across generations. That personal experience, along with the challenges she navigated in her own postpartum journey, became the foundation for her calling.Drawing on Ayurvedic principles and Maldivian communal birth traditions, Hadhee champions practices such as warm oil massage, belly binding, and nurturing postpartum rituals that prioritize the full recovery and emotional wellbeing of new mothers. Central to her philosophy is the belief that the postpartum period is not merely a brief recovery phase, but a sacred, lifelong journey — a perspective she describes as “birth sovereignty,” guiding women to birth and mother with fierce self-trust.Hadhee has spoken extensively on the importance of community-based, grassroots maternal care, advocating for mothers to reclaim their autonomy within healthcare systems. She advises women on choosing the right midwife and navigating hospital environments to create empowering, personalized birth experiences.She is the author of the book, Postpartum Is Forever, in which she draws on her Maldivian heritage to present a vision of postnatal care rooted in ancestral wisdom and Ayurvedic tradition. The book argues for viewing postpartum not as a medical milestone to complete, but as an ongoing dimension of a woman’s identity and health.Connect with Hadhee through her website, Instagram, and Youtube. Purchase her book HERE.

00:06:45 - Birth is completely medicalized in the Maldives, but there used to be a rich history of traditional midwifery. Traditionally, it was typical to “warm” the women postpartum for 40 days. This wisdom is still being passed on secondarily, “the wisdom wants to find somebody to carry it forward”.00:12:36 - What did traditional midwifery used to look like in the Maldives? The way in which babies come into the world holds great import for the future of the world. You are gifted with the experience of giving birth!00:23:28 - What was the impulse that provoked policy change around midwifery in the Maldives and what lessons might be learn for the future of midwifery care in the United States?00:27:55 - Hadhee’s free birth, and why she ended up in the hospital despite her baby being born happy and healthy00:43:00 - What are the detriments to childbirth of a woman feeling watched or observed?00:47:02 - Ayurveda, belly binding, and yoni steamingConnect with Hadhee through her website, Instagram, and Youtube. Purchase her book HERE.

References from the conversation:

* The Last Birthkeeper (Hadhee’s 10-minute documentary)

* Train with Hadhee’s teacher to become an Ayurvedic postpartum doula

Related episodes:

* Carol Gautschi: Confronting Fear (and the Law) in Midwifery

* Who Holds the Wisdom? Learning to Transgress Hegemony in Midwifery and Maternity Care

* In the Waters of Rememberance: Honoring an Obstetrics Hero

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