The birth world can be overwhelming for parents and practitioners alike. Dr. Stuart Fischbein and Midwife Blyss Young and their combined 55+ years of experience are here to support you in this beautiful rite of passage.Join the weekly conversation as we blend wisdom and humor in discussing our recent births, the latest research, traditional healing, and instinctual birth.
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#376 Two Birth Nerds go to a Conference
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Blyss and Stu are back from the Born Free Breech and Twins conference in Kentucky and excited to share about everything they learned. They delve into the critical and often overlooked topics discussed at the conference, like the urgent need for proper breech birth training for obstetricians and the myths surrounding twin births. Through powerful do…
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#375 The Courage & Wisdom of Andy Wakefield
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Doctor, author & filmmaker, Andy Wakefield and doula and actress, Emmy Robbin join Dr. Stu in a conversation about the corruption of research, the media and the medical industry. We talk about the harm that is done and why they keep doing it. The director of Vaxxed and the new film, Protocol 7 shares his backstory, the lies then that are still bein…
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So many good listener questions on this topic inspired us to look into the pharmacologic options laboring women have for relief when needed. We talk about nitrous oxide in detail and in relation to MTHFR. Opiates and epidurals and their pros and cons are discussed. We answer the question, does epidural fentanyl cross the placenta? In an upcoming Pa…
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#373 BI Podcast Special Edition: A 90's Triplet Story
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To honor a gathering of birth workers at the Born Free Twins-Breech Conference in Kentucky, Dr. Stu travels back in time to 1998 and reminisces with triplet mom and former client, Laureen Mgrdichian, about her journey and hospital vaginal delivery. Listen in for some good old storytelling. With Blyss traveling, Dr. Stu goes solo to talk about multi…
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#372 The Christiane Northrup Episode
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"The cycle responsible for all human life on earth is associated with this degree of suffering? No!" Visionary super soul, Dr. Christiane Northrup, joins the podcast today to talk about the menstrual cycle, menopause & hormones, the perception of aging and so much more. We explore the Western medical perspective versus more empowering cultural view…
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#371 The Ever Changing Definitions Of Fetal Growth Restriction
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Responding to listener questions we address the question of “What is IUGR?” Before we get there Blyss waits on a birth and listens to Dr. Stu’s concerns about entropy winning and way too much idiocy, fear and hyperbole being shoveled around out there. We discuss critical women's health topics, questioning the necessity of C-sections for lupus patie…
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Two of the four co-creators, Jerusha Sutton and Jo Hunter join us to discuss the backstory and making of their film and what is happening with birth in Australia. Blyss and Dr. Stu loved the film and share their insights with the filmmakers on what would it take for all women to emerge from their births physically well and emotionally safe. About J…
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#369 Phases, Not Stages, of Labor - The Wisdom of Dr. Rachel Reed
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A special treat today as Blyss and Dr. Stu chat with author, former midwife and wise woman, Rachel Reed, on reclaiming physiologic childbirth for those willing to listen. She recounts a bit of the history of what happened to diminish midwives, the original birth-keepers, and the medicalized takeover by those with no connection to tradition. She rem…
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#368 Boys to Men: The Importance of Masculinity
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Culture and society may have erred when they decided we don't need strong men and fathers. Ashley Mariani, MSW joins Blyss and Dr. Stu to discuss the role of the male partner in pregnancy and equipping them with the skills to navigate medical settings confidently in support of their partner. Male participation in the birth process can lead to deepe…
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#367 It's Not Simple: MTHFR Explained
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What if understanding one gene could significantly change your approach to fertility and pregnancy? Join us as we catch up with Dr. Ben Lynch, a pioneer in the field of epigenetics and naturopathic medicine, who sheds light on the powerful MTHFR gene and its wide-ranging implications. Dr. Lynch takes us on a journey from his traditional medical roo…
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#366 Placentas: Way More Sacred Than a Biohazard
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Join us for an eye-opening episode as we welcome Kimberly Denitz-Zuleger, a passionate doula and maternal health activist from Southern California. With a wealth of experience encapsulating over 400 placentas since 2015, Kim shares her profound knowledge on the multifaceted roles and cultural symbolism of the placenta. We traverse the spiritual and…
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#365 A Neonatal Doctor Making A Difference
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At a time of great anxiety, Neonatologist and NICU specialist Priyush Patel, MD shares his humanistic approach to care. While Blyss is busy birthing, Midwife Lindsey Meehleis shares a birth story leading to the Serendipitous meeting in the NICU. But don’t worry, there is still plenty of wobbly healthcare systems and dumb doctor dogma going around a…
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Today we have midwife and mom, Catalina Clark, as our guest to share her journey as we discuss freebirthing from all angles. About Catalina Clark: I am a woman, mother, daughter, sister, midwife and student on the healing path. With 10 years experience in birth, I have found my way home to supporting women in alignment with the natural world and th…
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#363 The Significance of Integrating Reflexes, Who Knew?
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Such an important conversation with our guests, Emily Roper, ( Neuro-Developmental Delay Therapist) & Beth Shayler, (Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant), on looking for the root causes and alternative approaches to developmental delays and the mental health of babies and children. Why is something so basic so unknown to the allopathic medical…
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#362 Studies Are Just Pieces Of Evidence with Dr. Emiliano Chavira
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Interpreting the value of a study can be difficult. With Blyss taking some healing time, Dr. Stu interviews Dr. Emiliano Chavira, MD, MPH, FACOG and MFM sub-specialist who shares his expertise on this subject. From randomized trials to meta-analyses we learn that a study is never definitive. Working within the "high risk" system, Dr. C has insight …
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#361 Congenital Uterine Alternatives
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The uterus is a miraculous creation but sometimes it doesn't follow nature's blueprint. Today on the podcast we discuss these fairly common blips (AKA anomalies or abnormalities) and their significance. With awareness and empathy, we weave through personal stories and clinical presentations, highlighting the profound impact these uterine anomalies …
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#360 Some Clarity To The Confusion of Rashes In Pregnancy
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Skin disorders exclusive to pregnant women have always been puzzling to Blyss & Dr. Stu. How do we know one from the other? Today we look at the dermatoses of pregnancy and differentiate the physiologic from the pathologic. You'll hear us dissect the five major types of rashes that can puzzle even seasoned healthcare professionals, the challenges o…
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#359 Unraveling the Legal Wrangling & Strangling of Midwifery
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Blyss returns only a week post op! She is a Goddess! Today's guests, Lenny Sue Tinseth & Corinne Flatt, OG Nevada midwives share their thoughts on the laws of Nevada, California and the state of midwifery. So much wisdom, so few diplomas! About Lenny Sue Tinseth: Lenny Sue is a Licensed California Midwife, a Certified Professional Midwife and a Cer…
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#358 Homebirth Safety: What to Believe?
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The two authors who despise home birth are at it again with a new pre-print on the "Enduring Safety Concerns" of community birthing. Does their evidence hold water? The disconnect of priorities by organized medicine continues. Dr. Stu is joined by guest co-host Lindsey Meehleis, to break down the data. Together, Dr. Stu and Lindsey dissect this pap…
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#357 "Born At Home", A New Documentary
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Today on the podcast Blyss & Dr. Stu chat with the creators of a new film exploring home birth. The film explores the empowering journey of home birth and combines the wisdom of families, midwives, doulas, and some of our favorite people in the birth world. We also discuss the importance of how babies enter this world and, of course, catch up and r…
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#356 A Look Back at the History of U.S. Childbirth
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Blyss responds to a comment about safety and mortality. There will always be disputes about what safety means and to know where we are we need to know where we were. Today Blyss & Dr. Stu look back at childbirth in America over the last 300 years and try to sort through the accomplishments and clarify the statistics. In an episode that's both a his…
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#355 Letters & Twins & Breeches, Oh My
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While it's not yellow brick, Dr. Stu is on the road teaching breech and twins and renewing family ties in California. Blyss joins in to share stories and wisdom and sanity, as usual. Echoing the dedication of mothers and birth workers, we dive into stories that underscore the triumphs of natural birth, like a listener's VBAC victory over early indu…
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#354 SSRI Mythology: Bundling or Bungling
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Academia just can't stop meddling with nature especially when profit is involved. Today Blyss & Dr. Stu explore another likely fallacy of "Big Medicine" - the Chemical imbalance Theory of Depression. Even feral cats get it. Why can't they? We delve into the complexities of managing low platelet counts during pregnancy and the importance of respecti…
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#353 Is There An Ideal Interpregnancy Interval?
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Trying to clarify the questions about child spacing, Blyss & Dr. Stu discover nature is pretty wise. What are the medical recommendations and how do they compare? We review some of the guidelines and share our opinions. We discuss the rhythm of natural child spacing through ecological breastfeeding and contrast it with the rigidity of medical guide…
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#352 Regulatory Overreach & What Is Going On In Hawaii
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Our guest today is "Birth Attendant", Jaymie Lewis who shares her insight into Hawaii's birthing world. Blyss & Dr. Stu chime in on the creeping blob that is the administrative state and wonder when the last time a regulation made things better. About Jaymie Lewis: Jaymie is a mother of three children all born at her residence In Hawaii. The birth …
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#351 The Second Stage: Immediate or Delayed Pushing
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Time seems to be on Blyss & Dr. Stu's mind and a moment of insight is a fortune. Should we redefine "Second Stage"? We address the medical data behind active coaching vs. laboring down and then apply some common sense. We unravel the nuances of research in the birth field, advocating for a discerning approach to medical studies and the impact they …
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#350 A Sustainable Life & Natural Fertility with Aleks Evanguelidi
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Old friend and midwife, Aleks Evanguelidi joins us to share her wisdom about healing our bodies naturally and restoring our innate bodily systems. As we swapped tales of unexpected birth work requests and the impact of dietary choices, Alex's holistic approach shines a light on the path to wellness. Her insights, grounded in her dual expertise, off…
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#349 Home Birth with Type 1 Diabetes
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Thinking out of the box and individualizing care should not be rare. Join our conversation as Blyss & Dr. Stu host midwife Lindsey Meehleis & Home Birth x 2, Diabetic Mom and Naturopathic Physician, Gina Cummins. We unfold the layers of managing diabetes during pregnancy, where technology and personal determination intersect to create successful bi…
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#348 A Conversation with NAPRO Obstetrician Naomi Whittaker
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Blyss is in a birth whirlwind and Dr. Stu shares some great breech stories. Dr. Stu is especially excited to talk with our guest, Dr. Whittaker, a NAPRO doctor specializing in the Creighton Method and restorative reproductive medicine. We have a fascinating conversation about her journey to understanding alternative ways of viewing the menstrual cy…
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ACOG states the hospital is the safest place to give birth and many families are convinced the hospital saved their baby. Sometimes it is true. Today Blyss and Dr. Stu talk about that and why much of the time it may not be and about the shaping of those perceptions. ACOG is still pushing untested jabs in pregnancy and do pediatricians take bonuses …
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Question: How do obstetricians do in 10 minutes what midwives do in an hour? Answer: They don't! Blyss and Dr. Stu discuss the differences in models and share what a midwife prenatal visit looks like. We unpack the intricate layers of birthing options, from the empowering choice of vaginal breech delivery to the complex dance between a midwife's gu…
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#345 Hard Truths About Placental Abruption
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Today on the podcast, Blyss & Dr. Stu respond to fellow travelers' stories and take a hard look at a serious disorder. This episode is a deep exploration of the complex and often urgent medical scenarios that can arise during childbirth, such as placental abruption and uterine rupture. From understanding the different classifications of placental a…
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#344 The Cervix May Be Insufficient But Incompetence Is Everywhere
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Blyss is back to discuss all things cervix and the lack of reverence for the birth process while Dr. Stu shares some silly rules from around the world. We raise our voices against the defensive jargon and standardized procedures that fail to honor each woman's unique journey through pregnancy and birth. We wade through a mother's right to personali…
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We are re-releasing episode 261 and it is timely and ever-important! In this episode, Dr. Stu and Blyss take a glance into the past to inform the present. Dr. Stu reads a chapter about the history of whooping cough from a book he’s been reading titled, “Dissolving Illusions: Disease, Vaccines, and The Forgotten History”. Although the book was publi…
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#342 Dr. Stu's End of the Year Leftovers
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While Blyss is away, Dr Stu goes solo and shares some holiday leftovers from his mind attic. Twins, breech, artificial intelligence, and more interventions. What can we hope for and what can we avoid in 2024. Dr. Stu discusses the vital role of personal touch in childbirth and ponders the pushback received when challenging conventional medical narr…
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#341 Overcoming Obstacles: A Twin Birth Story
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With Blyss away, Dr. Stu has the good fortune to talk with twin parents, Anna & Jorge, and Midwife Nancy Pol about their journey with mono-di twins. Navigating the fear-filled medical system and traveling across state lines led them on another path to the birth they desired for their identical baby girls. Twin pregnancies often come with a cloud of…
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Understanding the different types of genetic screening can be confusing. Blyss and Dr. Stu try to make sense of this important topic. We catch up on Dr. Stu's appearance on the Daily Show, and Blyss makes a rookie mistake. We also highlight the unpredictable nature of birth and the necessity of surrendering to the process. Sharing a birth experienc…
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After a family weekend, Dr. Stu drives up to Santa Barbara for an in-person visit with Blyss. We catch up on smiles and laughter before exploring the sadness that is early pregnancy loss and what you should know. We explore the profound impact this unfortunate event has on women, and discuss the power of language in shaping perspectives and fosteri…
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#338 Breech Birth Finally Explained
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Listener questions on breech prompted Blyss & Dr. Stu to discuss one of our favorite topics in detail. Vaccine hesitancy is on the rise. Experts still wonder why. We share what we are thankful for as the holidays are just around the corner. Ever wondered why breech birth is widely feared and misunderstood? We unravel the complexities around breech …
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We give some theory and new science on epidurals. These are things you ought to know. Blyss tells a tale of two births while Dr. Stu spreads real information around the globe. First up, we reflect on our recent webinar on home birth hesitancy, discussing fear-inducing tactics used by the medical industry. We question scientific experiments and disc…
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#336 Support & Sanctity of the Birth Space
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British osteopath, Doula & Birth Mentor, Shellie Poulter shares her insight and experience with coercion in the birth space and solutions for its betterment. We discuss how mistreatment in the hospital system is not limited to patients and families. A jet-lagged Dr. Stu shares the tale of his time teaching in the U.K. while Blyss dealt with a tough…
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#335 Faith Filled Birth: An interview with Tara Menzies
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While Dr Stu is teaching and playing abroad, Blyss sits with Tara, founder and voice of the Christian Hypnobirthing movement, to discuss her personal birth stories and how these experiences, her faith, tenacity, and curiosity led her to creating this popular app that tens of thousands of women have used to support their birth journeys. Tara's app s…
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#334 Transcending the Surface, the Benefits of Meditation
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Dr. Stu checks in with Blyss from teaching and enjoying Ireland and they are joined by Vedic Meditation Teacher, Doula and Mom, Patti Quintero to discuss the great necessity of mind and soul maintenance and the expansion of self in a world of stress. We traverse the globe from Ireland to New York, then Los Angeles, discussing cultural nuances aroun…
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#333 "Erring on the Side of Caution" - Trick or Treat?
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In their somewhat erratic Halloween tradition, Blyss & Dr. Stu share some scary stories and a lot of dumb doctor dogma. We also introduce our upcoming Webinar, "Bringing The Homebirth Hesitant on Board" debuting in November. This episode brings to light the complex connections between nature, healthcare, and risk assessment. We reflect on how our u…
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#332 Influenza & Pregnancy, Data vs. Dogma
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Autumn is here and beside the display of nature's splendor comes the inevitable cold and flu season with all it's precautions and warnings. Blyss & Dr. Stu refuse to blindly accept the standard recommendations offered by organized medicine. Together they dive into what is known about influenza in pregnancy and share their wisdom and typically stron…
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Today we have as our guest spiritual midwife, Anna Lundqvist, who chose defiance and de-registering rather than submit to the bloody shit show that is the increasingly regulated and medicalized world of midwifery. Her story and wisdom are compelling. Blyss launches The Bridge Midwives and Dr. Stu speaks out on some new platforms. This conversation …
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#330 The Time To End The Emphasis On Due Dates Is Overdue
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In today's episode, we discuss the origins and question the usefulness of estimated due dates. Blyss gets back to birthing and Dr. Stu is gaining media exposure to spread the word. Digging a deeper hole of mistrust, ACOG unequivocally supports the RSV vaccine for pregnant women. Once again, the math and ethics do not line up for them. We question A…
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The Remembering: Debut Episode of At Her Feet
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Unearth the rich and mesmerizing traditions of midwifery as Blyss announces her new podcast, At Her Feet, with her co host Lindsey. This episode is a homage to midwives across the globe, their vibrant cultures, and the pivotal role they play in the birthing process. Settle in as Blyss and Lindsey share their journey from a transformative retreat in…
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#329 The Common Denominator is Isolation
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Postpartum mental health is the focus of today’s podcast with guest, Cynthia Overgard of the Down to Birth podcast. We dive into this often-overlooked topic and the importance of a strong support system. Dr. Stu returns from teaching in Wisconsin and Blyss is back home on birth watch. This critical conversation with Cynthia takes us inside the esca…
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#328 Dear Hospitals, When We Need You, Where Are You?
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Working for women and not the law, traditional midwife, Rebecca Walker joins the show to discuss birthing in a maternity care desert. Dr. Stu reviews hospital rankings with suspicion and Blyss reads an impassioned letter from a Scottish doula in despair. This episode uncovers the harsh realities faced by women in rural areas seeking maternity care.…
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