LIFTS Out Loud: Julianne Denny - Birthwork as Medicine

Guest Bio: Julianne Denny (She/Her) Cree, Ojibway, Mi’kmaq Raised in ceremony, Julianne lives in Montana with her family. She is an Indigenous doula supporting families across rural communities, providing culturally grounded care and guidance through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Julianne's doula work: Episode Description: In this episode, Emily Freeman sits down with Julianne Denny , an Indigenous doula serving families in rural Montana. Julianne shares her personal journey from experiencing a mental health crisis as a new mom to becoming a doula supporting Indigenous families across the state. She discusses the vital role doulas play in Montana—especially in rural areas—offering emotional support, practical help, and culturally informed care. Julianne highlights how birth work can be healing, not only for families but for doulas themselves, and shares her experiences navigating traditional practices, breastfeeding challenges, and healthcare systems. She also talks about the importance of workforce development, including the recent Montana doula bill and training opportunities for Indigenous birth workers. Resources: Read Julianne's story in LIFTS Magazine: HMHB's Native American Initiatives (NAI) - includes download link to Dr. Amy Stiffarm's cultural safety toolkit for hospitals and other medical providers: Information about doulas and indigenous birthworkers in MT: MT Doula Collaborative: Article about MT Senate Bill 319, creating a certification and licensure process for doulas: Enjoying the podcast? We’d love your feedback and ideas for future episodes! Take our LIFTS Podcast Listener Survey at hmhb-mt.org/survey . Connect with Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Website Facebook Instagram For statewide resources to support Montana families in the 0-3 years of parenting, check out the LIFTS online resource guide at

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LIFTS Out Loud: Julianne Denny - Birthwork as Medicine is an episode from Mother Love by Mother Love .

This episode is 21:05 long.

This episode was published on Jan 21, 2026.

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