Anja Farin, LM CPM

10/04/2025

Is there anything sweeter than tiny baby toes?

Maybe not sweeter, but it would be great if you followed me on Substack (), where I am iterating my next phase of work in health coaching. I'll be sharing content on health and well-being, including pregnancy and birth, personal finance, and habit change.

09/27/2025

Slipping from summer to fall always has me contemplative. I celebrate many things in the fall—the birthdays of loved ones, the cooler weather, and the relative lack of mosquitoes. But as the light gentles, I am also more aware of the passing of time and the changes that life brings. In these moments of bittersweet reflection, I am utterly grateful and honored to have served so many over the course of my career in birthwork. I also know that my season of actively midwifing is coming to a close. I will be closing down this page on Friday, October 31st. I would love to continue a connection with you! You can find me on Substack (), where I will be writing about birth-related topics, health and wellness, and personal finance. I hope you will join me there, and I hope this move into the new season brings you joy.

01/16/2025

My favorite time of light.

I’ve been quiet on my professional social media platforms for a long time as I’ve been in the process of reimagining my working life. After nearly two years of change and uncertainty, I find myself back in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I’ve taken a job with the city. I feel blessed to be back near my family and an enormous amount of gratitude for their support in helping me make it happen.

In 2025, I plan to reassess my relationship with midwifery and what role the many years of skill and knowledge building will continue to play in my life. One thing I know for sure is that I’m cheering on my friends, colleagues, former students, and always the beautiful families I’ve served over the years.

I’m gradually moving my social media presence towards platforms that support real journalism, facts, and science. You can find me most often these days on Bluesky .bsky.social, but I’ll give plenty of warning before I leave my professional IG and FB profiles for good.

04/15/2024

Who’s in? I’m looking forward to it! Running with Salem Midwife Collective

Miles for Midwives Oregon

04/04/2024

Er no 🙃😄😂

03/27/2024

If anyone is near Portland or Salem Oregon, this fun run is coming up and might be of interest to mother runners. It’s a fundraiser for Oregon midwives—CNMs, CPMs, and traditional health workers. Proceeds from the day will support the professional midwifery organizations and scholarships for BIPOC student midwives. I’d love to meet you if you’re there!

The Miles for Midwives: Coming Back Together is on Saturday May 4, 2024.

02/22/2024

02/19/2024

Breech birth in a hospital setting💫

A variation of normal, not so common in many places and to many providers.

This mama was planning a home birth, and at 36.5 weeks, the morning she was supposed to have an ECV (external cephalic version) her water broke and labor started.
She headed to the hospital with hopes of finding a provider that would be trained in breech births and would support her. And she was lucky enough to find this doctor .

I met mom and her husband at their hospital room and stayed with them while she labored beautifully and uninterrupted. No IV, no constant monitoring, no medications or restrictions. She was confident and trusted her ability to birth.

When time came, her body started showing all the signs of baby being ready to meet them.
The doctor and other members of the hospital staff stayed close to witness the miracle.
With no one telling her what to do or how to do it, she roared her baby girl, feet first, into this world.
The doctor sat on her hands, supporting without intervening. Encouraging mom while teaching other about this incredible way of being born. When baby was fully out, she passed her to mom while reassuring her that everything was ok.

Baby took some time to transition. She was being stimulated without leaving mom’s side. As a pre term baby, it was common to take a little longer to adapt.

Mom was in control of her birth the whole time. She decided when the cord should be clamped and cut, when the placenta should be born and what interventions should be performed on baby. And the hospital staff respected that at all times.

krrrristaaahhh you are amazing! So determined and strong. You advocated for yourself and readjusted your sails when the wind wasn’t blowing your way.

I hope this becomes the norm for babies that decide to be born differently.

01/24/2024

Come meet the midwives of the Salem Midwife Collective and follow us on IG

Come hang out and chat with the amazing Salem Midwife Collective, get to know them better, and ask away about our offerings!

12/20/2023

"I’d worked hard for this degree, and I was determined to walk with the rest of my class… so I just brought her to graduation with me,” said Grace Szymchack.

12/19/2023

I have long felt that tongue ties have been over diagnosed and over treated. Certainly, some benefit immensely from the diagnosis and procedure, but it’s worthwhile saving a revision for a last resort while other methods of improving feeding are tried.

The article alleges that lactation consultants are all about the money, and that has not at all been my experience. Very few people make their living solely as a lactation consultant. And they are often incredibly helpful for breastfeeding problems. The biggest takeaway for me in the article is to be incredibly judicious about the decision to revise a tongue tie.

Dentists and lactation consultants around the country are pushing “tongue-tie releases” on new mothers struggling to breastfeed.