Author Archives: Geradine Simkins

I slipped away from my blog for what seemed to be a minute or two. In a blink of the eye so much happened. I started the year with a big surprise—I got engaged to my old lover from 20 years ago, dear friend, and very talented and sweet man, Fred Heltenen. We built a babyContinue reading “The whirlwind adventures of 2013”

As seasoned midwives, each of us has stories to tell. Our years are filled with tales worth telling, and they will perish with us if they go untold. That is why I offered an invitation to these remarkable women to tell their stories in Into These Hands, Wisdom from Midwives about walking through the worldContinue reading “Telling Our Stories”

In the Afterward of Into These Hands, I identified common themes in the memoirs by analyzing “what matters?” to each of these midwives. I discerned 13 identifiable themes.             What Matters to Women, Matters to Midwives – 13 Essentials © 1. Context Matters CONTEXT is the circumstance in which events occur that will, to a largeContinue reading “What Matters to Women, Matters to Midwives – 13 Essentials”

This year my nephew Sam (whom I caught when he was born) married his love, Vanessa, and they gave my brother & sister-in-law their first grand baby, and my mother her first great grand baby. Her name is Lyla, and she was born at home with midwives, as was her daddy and most of hisContinue reading “New Life, New Family”

It’s been a wild and crazy summer. I have been traveling in the air, on the ground, and across the waterways of the Great Lakes. It is that time now, however, that we in the North woods think about settling down and tucking in for the winter, and gathering the resources we need for the short days andContinue reading “Been Gone, I’m Back”

I have been told I am a captivating public speaker, and certainly, I have enjoyed going on the road, presenting at national and international professional meetings and conferences. I have delighted in designing a presentation detailing my work as editor of the Into These Hands, Wisdom from Midwives anthology and sharing the wisdom contained. I’ve structuredContinue reading “On the road with my book!”

I met one of my activist heros at the 2nd International Indigenous Women’s Health Conference held in Albuquerque last month. Buffy Sainte-Marie made history with her song—Universal Soldier—during the Vietnam War era. The song was actually about the individual responsibility we all share for war, for making, financing or sustaining wars. Her song won herContinue reading “Activism Has Many Faces”

After the long and tedious four-year cycle of conception, gestation, growth, and birth, my first book—Into These Hands, Wisdom From Midwives—was finally published in Spring 2011.  As it turned out, the first people to see it in print were the Board of Directors of the Midwives Alliance. Our spring board meeting was held in OhioContinue reading “My Beloved Friend Abby Died Today”

In 2000, at the turn of the millennium, my music-savvy son Sean turned me on to Erykah Badu. Since I grew up in Detroit during the Motown Era, Sean thought I would appreciate the eccentric neo-soul, hip-hop jazz sound of the Queen of Neo. He was right—I loved her music. And Erykah’s unique sense ofContinue reading “Geradine the Queen Meets Queen of Neo”

The Three Pillars for Global Midwifery In the triennium between 2008-2011, the ICM developed a group of essential documents through hard work by the Board, guidance from consultants who directed expert task forces, and support and participation by ICM member associations. These documents describe the “Three Pillars” of midwifery, which are education, regulation and association—E.R.A.Continue reading “The Three Pillars for Global Midwifery”