My calling to help pregnant entrepreneurs

Step into the world of childbirth revolutionized by Jutta Wohlrab, the pioneering force behind ElementsofBirth. With over four decades of unparalleled expertise as an internationally acclaimed midwife, Wohlrab is not just transforming childbirth; she’s redefining it. Her visionary approach blends medical knowledge seamlessly with holistic practices like NLP, hypnosis, yoga, and nutrition, propelling her to the forefront of empowering women through their birthing journeys. From New York’s bustling streets to the serene landscapes of Kathmandu, Wohlrab’s journey has enriched her understanding and approach, inspiring an international community of women and healthcare professionals alike. Join us as we delve into the legacy of Jutta Wohlrab, a figure of inspiration in the quest for a more positive, empowered approach to childbirth and women’s health worldwide. Follow her journey on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook as she continues to champion women’s rights and wellbeing.

Can you tell us about a pivotal moment in your four-decade career as a midwife that significantly shaped your approach to childbirth?

Well, I’m honest; I think my approach to childbirth was shaped very much by the moment I decided to become a midwife when I was very young. I think I was 17, and I went to a bookstore and bought a book by a French obstetrician called Frederick Leboyer. The name of the book was Birth without Violence It was the very first book I read about childbirth, and I loved it.

Now, in those days, it was 25 midwifery schools in all of Germany, but only one worked according to this obstetrician, and that was the one that I was taking. So, I learned midwifery and gave birth to a partner dressed in green. We were all crawling through a big double bed, in with candlelight, breathing babies down and out gently into the world, and I think that was something. It felt like a connection to the universe.

Now, I was fortunate. I met Frederick Leboyer twice in my life, and of course, I thought he was old because I was so young, 20 years old, but I liked his approach. Ever since I’ve worked according to his approach. Of course, the next person who impressed me and became my hero was Ina May Gaskins in my first year of being a midwife. I read spiritual midwifery, and I liked that very much, too, so you know I have influenced the right way in the very, very early stages in the beginning. It was my feeling as a humanist and feminist that this was just the right way to look at, like not being delivered but giving birth and babies being born, and a realization that they are true humans from the beginning, from the first moment they are here.

How do you seamlessly integrate holistic practices like NLP, hypnosis, yoga, and nutrition into your childbirth methodology, and what benefits have you observed from this approach?

After, I had been a midwife for a while, and of course, I learned all the medical things. I noticed that there were a few things that didn’t quite work so well, and so I understood quickly.

All the yogis I ever met in the 80s had much better births than some of the other women. It was a question I asked myself: how can I help to make birth a better experience? And so that way, through the years, I trained in many things: homeopathy, Chinese medicine, and hypnosis.

In 2005, I went to the UK to train with a lovely old teacher who was 84 years old because I understood you need the right mindset like an athlete to achieve your goal, but giving birth, of course, works on all an emotional Aet level on a spiritual level, and so is I wanted to improve, and that’s why I integrated everything into my work.

Whether I went to America to train NLP in Germany everywhere, so what’s the benefit of it? You could look at it like a pyramid on the bottom: the body’s nutrition, exercise, alignment of the pelvis, natural hormones, all those things. The second level up is emotions: how do you feel? Are you angry? All of that, and so that is something that can be changed on an emotional level. Then comes, of course, the mindset is, can I do it? I’m afraid I can’t do it. The fear factor can be overruled with NLP hypnosis, and that’s why I became a trainer, only a practitioner, not least, for the ones that spiritually approach anything with that, can it be integrated as well? So, I move up and down this pyramid according to my client’s needs.

What inspired you to take your message and methods beyond your local community and onto the international stage, speaking at major conferences across the globe?

As human beings, we share the same fate of being born and eventually leaving this planet. During my travels around the world, I have been fortunate enough to spread my message and knowledge wherever I go. However, I have noticed that we are currently facing a significant problem. The global C-section rates of 30 to 90% are far too high, and while I understand the necessity of C-sections in certain cases, the ideal rate should be between 11 to 15%.

I am a firm believer in the power of birth and the transformative experience it can be for women. I have seen firsthand how empowering it can be to connect with one’s feminine energy during childbirth. This power can also translate to female leadership, which is why I believe it’s important to discuss this connection. Of course, there are many other topics I cover, including trauma, happiness, and mindset, all of which are relevant to the human experience.

Having worked with people from all over the world, I feel it’s time to take this conversation to a larger platform. I want to talk about these issues on a bigger stage because they affect us all. In 2024, women should be able to have it all – a family and a positive birth experience. Pregnancy and birth should be viewed as an essential part of a woman’s life, one that can provide her with one of the strongest resources for personal growth and development. 

She’s got the power 

In what specific ways do you believe childbirth education and practices need to be transformed to better serve women’s empowerment and overall health?

Childbirth education and practices are in deep need of transformation on a global scale. Despite the abundance of knowledge available today, it’s disheartening to see women still being forced to lie on their backs while delivering a baby, with people yelling instructions at them. This approach is outdated and needs to be replaced with a more comprehensive and inclusive education. This education should cover topics such as how the body and brain work during childbirth, the fight and flight reflex, and how to involve partners, women, midwives, nurses, and doctors to create a better birthing experience. Even in the case of a C-section, it’s possible to make the experience more humane and positive for the mother. It’s high time we bring about this change, with everyone on board.

And we need to stop violence at birth globally 

Could you share a memorable experience from your travels that particularly impacted your understanding of childbirth and women’s health across different cultures?

Well, I could share several memories, for instance, when I started travelling to India in the 90s. I went to small villages as soon as I told women that everyone would bring their small children out and tell us the story of the birth, That is one thing, but of course, what I’ve learned is whenever I go somewhere.

All their birth stories come out, whether it’s in a small store in Nepal, or it’s a husband from Egypt who told me about the C-section of his wife and me explaining everything to him and him wanting me to join a community in Egypt to explain all those things I ever learned in the late 80s when I was in Thailand.

I attended the birth of a woman from Argentina and a German man in a tiny little island hospital in Thailand in an ancient fashion way. So wherever I go, whether it’s to an indigenous tribe in the Philippines, I ask who is responsible for birthing and whether women give birth in a hospital.

How is it all working? people get very excited when I tell them what I do and how long I’ve been doing this, so it still connects us, and I want to tell you a funny story. I went to Costa Rica into the rainforest, and so I ordered a taxi to go to the next village. I don’t speak much Spanish, but the taxi driver gave him an ancient car. He asked me what I was doing. So I told him I was a matrona, and he hit the brakes straight away, took my hand, kissed it, and told me everything about the four births of his children and his wife. So isn’t that a great way to be welcomed in a country question mark?

How do you navigate the balance between advocating for natural, empowering birth experiences and recognizing the necessity of medical intervention in certain situations?

Navigating the balance between naturally empowering birth and the necessity of medical intervention, of course, is very easy for me. I am a medical person.

I’m optimistic, but I’m also realistic, so I combine the best from all worlds and bring this together, but let me point out to you that giving birth is not a disease or sickness. And, of course, I’ve worked in big hospitals, small hospitals, homes, birth centers, everything, and I believe in 2024, we just have to bring the best of ourselves to get the best outcome, and that’s it.

Combining the best knowledge will give the best outcomes. 

As a mentor and coach, what are some common challenges you see women facing in embracing their roles in family, business, and society, and how do you support them in overcoming these challenges?

The topic of birth and female leadership is a fascinating one. Unfortunately, there seems to be a lot of confusion and fear surrounding childbirth, and women still struggle to be heard and represented in the business world. With men holding the majority of CEO positions and dominating as speakers, it’s clear that change is needed. However, if we work together as partners, we can empower women to have it all and bring the unique transformation of motherhood into both business and society. We can look to role models like the Prime Minister of New Zealand and strive for better support systems and more opportunities for female leadership. By combining the best of both worlds, we can create a better future for women in 2024 and beyond.

What strategies do you employ to ensure that your teachings on pregnancy and childbirth resonate with women from diverse cultural backgrounds and healthcare systems?

I have had the opportunity to live in three different countries, namely Japan, New Zealand, and Australia, where I have been fortunate enough to travel extensively around the world. I have visited various countries such as India, Nepal, Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa. This has given me a cosmopolitan outlook and has enabled me to work effectively with expats from all over the world, helping me develop a good intercultural understanding. Right now, I’m Berlin-based, but of course, my clients come from any country; you can just think of any colour. I put all of them into my courses and classes, and I empower them to feel more confident about their bodies and their choices and to ask the right questions. They are from no matter where they will give birth or who they are.

Of course, I understand much about cultures that, in some cultures, men usually don’t come to birth like in India. But here in Europe, of course, they will, and so all of them will become ambassadors for a better birth and a more women-centred birth that includes the partners and changes the picture of how to give birth worldwide.

Can you elaborate on how your belief in the potential of every woman to lead a fulfilled, balanced life informs your mentorship and coaching practices?

As someone who has dedicated over half of my life to working with women, I have come to understand that many women struggle with low self-esteem. They often question their abilities and wonder if they are good enough. If we want to change the world, we must first change ourselves. Just like athletes need coaches to achieve success, we too can benefit from guidance and support. Through my own experiences, I have discovered that sometimes we are too close to our problems to see the solution. Collaborating with someone can help bring clarity and uncover the answers we seek. I take great pleasure in empowering women, as I understand the challenges we face in standing up for our rights and pursuing our dreams. I believe that we can all achieve our goals and live fulfilling lives. My coaching services are designed to help women achieve the life they desire, whether it be in motherhood or other areas of their lives. Let’s work together to create a life that leaves a positive impact on the world.

What do you hope your legacy will be in terms of advancing a more positive and empowered approach to childbirth and women’s health globally?

Well, when I look into the world, I have to say 2/3 of the world is living in poverty in poor health, and so, of course, I wish that women everywhere in the world have access to good care to allow them to birth their babies gently and safe to have someone help them stay healthy and happy.

However, for our group, I wish for other things because that, of course, is something I wish for the whole planet. Here I am, that we move forward in leadership, and that I wish for women to be able to have it all and to understand how to have it all. In 2024, I believe all of this is possible; as my client Laurie said, I had a wild birth, and I never felt so powerful in all my life.

Though, I’m happy to help you achieve this goal. I’m happy to help you overcome all trauma, fears, doubts, and anxieties, and with the power of that, we can create a better birth and, with this, truly a better earth.

Not least, some finishing words knowledge. Know how is empowerment in those forty years? I’ve trained in many things, from Chinese medicine and massage to hypnosis in the UK in 2005, and I started working with hypnosis in 2005 for all the women in my care. I trained in Chinese medicine in 1995 already and used it. I was introduced to water, birth, acupuncture, homeopathy, and hypnosis in a Berlin hospital. I became a hip knob practitioner, and I also became a yoga teacher in Australia, as well as I trained as an NLP trainer in Germany and San. Francisco. I’m also a trained health practitioner with NLP. I’ve done so many things. I published my first book in 2016, which was a best seller. I have been a co-author for free other books. I have shared my knowledge worldwide, from Prague, Germany, Norway, Australia, India, London, Montreal, and Belarus. I’ve spoken at the World Congress of Medical Hypnosis in Montreal about hypnosis in childbirth. I spoke about female entrepreneurship in Belarus. I was the keynote in India, so I’ve done a lot of different things, and I’ve been talking about different topics. My area of expertise revolves around the workings of the human mindset. In addition to that, I also educate yoga practitioners, teachers, and midwives on how to incorporate physical movement to facilitate better childbirth. However, mindset is the crux of my teachings, and I combine relaxation and trauma recovery techniques with nutrition, exercise, and mindset training. This approach sets my work apart and makes it truly unique. 

Over the past 41 years, I have acquired expertise in many domains, and people often ask me how I manage to juggle so many things. My accomplishments include being featured on German television, speaking at conferences, and being invited to podcasts. In the future, I plan to launch a coaching program, “Fabulous 9,” for pregnant entrepreneurs and businesswomen, which is scheduled to run in a few weeks. I love to share knowledge on big stages and conduct extensive workshops. I have grand visions of using my skills and experience to impact the lives of women, babies, and families positively.