Privacy Policy - Dream Midwifery

1. Introduction

Dream Midwifery (”we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you subscribe to and use our Substack publication.

Dream Midwifery is operated by Jennifer Murphy and Sarah Richardson and is hosted on the Substack platform. This policy should be read in conjunction with Substack’s Privacy Policy, which governs the technical aspects of data collection and processing on their platform.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you subscribe to Dream Midwifery, we collect:

• Name: Your first and last name (or the name you choose to provide)

• Email Address: Required for subscription and communication

• Payment Information: Processed and stored by Substack (we do not have access to your full payment details)

• Profile Information: Any information you choose to add to your Substack profile

• Communications: Content of any emails, comments, or messages you send to us

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you interact with our Publication, the following information may be collected automatically through Substack’s platform:

• Usage Data: Which posts you read, open rates, click rates, and time spent reading

• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, IP address

• Location Data: General geographic location based on IP address

• Engagement Metrics: Comments posted, likes, shares, and community participation

2.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Substack uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience. For detailed information about Substack’s use of cookies, please refer to Substack’s Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

3.1 Provide Our Services

• Deliver newsletter content and podcast episodes to your email

• Process your subscription and payments (handled by Substack)

• Send you content updates and publication announcements

• Respond to your enquiries and communications

3.2 Improve Our Content

• Understand which topics and content resonate with our audience

• Analyse engagement patterns to improve content quality

• Develop new offerings based on subscriber interests

• Personalise content recommendations

3.3 Community Management

• Facilitate community discussions and comments

• Moderate content and enforce community guidelines

• Maintain a safe and respectful environment

3.4 Communication

• Send you important updates about our Publication

• Notify you of new posts, podcast episodes, and special offerings

• Respond to your questions and feedback

• Share information about programmes, retreats, or offerings that may interest you

3.5 Legal Compliance

• Comply with applicable laws and regulations

• Enforce our Terms and Conditions

• Protect our rights and the rights of our subscribers

4. How We Share Your Information

We respect your privacy and do not sell your personal information to third parties.

4.1 Substack Platform

Your information is processed through Substack’s platform. Substack has access to your subscription data as necessary to provide their services. Please review Substack’s Privacy Policy for details on how they handle your information.

4.2 Service Providers

We may share your information with trusted service providers who assist us in operating our Publication, such as:

• Email service providers (if we use additional services beyond Substack)

• Analytics services to understand content performance

• Payment processors (handled by Substack)

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to:

• Court orders or legal processes

• Requests from government authorities

• Protection of our legal rights

• Prevention of fraud or illegal activity

4.4 Business Transfers

If Dream Midwifery is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email of any such change.

4.5 With Your Consent

We may share your information with third parties when you have given us explicit consent to do so.

5. Community and Public Information

5.1 Comments and Public Participation

When you post comments or participate in community discussions on Dream Midwifery:

• Your comments are publicly visible to all subscribers and potentially to the public if posts are not paywalled

• Your Substack username and profile information (if provided) will be displayed

• Other subscribers may see your participation and engagement

5.2 Recommendations

Please do not share sensitive personal information in public comments or community spaces.

6. Your Data Protection Rights

Under applicable data protection laws, you have the following rights:

6.1 Right to Access

You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

6.2 Right to Rectification

You can request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information about you.

6.3 Right to Erasure

You can request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions.

6.4 Right to Restrict Processing

You can request that we limit how we use your information in certain circumstances.

6.5 Right to Data Portability

You can request a copy of your information in a structured, commonly used format.

6.6 Right to Object

You can object to our processing of your information for certain purposes.

6.7 Right to Withdraw Consent

Where we rely on your consent to process your information, you can withdraw that consent at any time.

6.8 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [your contact email]. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

You can also manage many aspects of your data directly through your Substack account settings, including updating your profile information and unsubscribing from emails.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide you with our services

• Comply with legal obligations

• Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements

Subscription Data: Retained for the duration of your subscription and for a reasonable period afterwards for business and legal purposes.

Communications: Retained for as long as necessary to respond to enquiries and maintain records.

Usage Data: May be retained in aggregated, anonymised form for analytical purposes.

When you cancel your subscription or request deletion of your account, we will delete or anonymise your information in accordance with our data retention schedule and legal requirements.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

However, please note:

• No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure

• No electronic storage system is completely secure

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials

If we become aware of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.

9. International Data Transfers

Dream Midwifery is based in Ireland. Substack, Inc. is based in the United States. By subscribing to our Publication, you acknowledge that your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States and other countries where Substack operates.

Substack complies with applicable data protection laws regarding international transfers. For more information, please review Substack’s Privacy Policy.

10. Children’s Privacy

Dream Midwifery is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

11. Marketing Communications

11.1 Subscription Emails

When you subscribe to Dream Midwifery, you will receive:

• Email notifications of new posts and podcast episodes

• Publication updates and announcements

• Information about programmes, offerings, and events

11.2 Unsubscribing

You can unsubscribe from publication emails at any time by:

• Clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any email

• Managing your subscription settings in your Substack account

• Contacting us directly

Please note that even if you unsubscribe from marketing emails, we may still send you important account-related communications.

12. Third-Party Links

Our Publication may contain links to third-party websites, resources, or services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites.

13. Cookies and Tracking

Substack uses cookies and similar technologies to provide and improve their services. You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences.

Types of cookies that may be used:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly

• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how you interact with our content

• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences

For detailed information about cookies used by Substack, please refer to Substack’s Cookie Policy.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons.

When we make changes:

• We will update the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy

• Material changes will be communicated to subscribers via email or publication announcement

• Continued use of the Publication after changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

15. Your California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Please contact us for more information about exercising these rights.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at dreammidwifery@gmail.com

17. Substack’s Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is supplementary to Substack’s Privacy Policy. For comprehensive information about how Substack collects, uses, and protects your data, please review Substack’s Privacy Policy at: https://substack.com/privacy