Podcast appearances and mentions of stuart fischbein

Today, I have an incredible guest joining me for a second time—someone who has been a true pioneer in the world of birth, especially when it comes to breech birth and challenging the status quo of modern obstetrics.   Dr. Stuart Fischbein is an OBGYN with nearly 40 years of experience, specializing in supporting women who choose to birth outside the hospital system. He's co-host of the Birthing Instincts Podcast with homebirth midwife Blyss, and he's dedicated his career to helping women reclaim their autonomy in birth. He's was also here just a couple weekends ago in person, for the Reteach Breech Workshop—which we'll talk about later in the episode!   But first, we're going to kick things off by talking about the predicament doctors are in that prevents them from learning skills like breech birth, his story on how he was pulled into the Homebirth world and the problem with Stage 1 thinking and why this is the only way the Medical system thinks. Dr. Stu has seen it all, and I can't wait for you to hear his perspective.   We'll also be diving into: A behind the scenes look at his experience at the Maha ball. Who'd he talk to, what'd they talk about and so much more… How government policies impact birth culture in America Why homebirth increased 40% over covid and why the culture is so indoctrinated to believe that birth belongs in the hospital And finally, Dr. Stu's best advice for first-time moms considering homebirth Ep 68 Dr. Stu's first Peaceful Homebirth appearance Click to fill out an Application for the Peaceful Homebirth Collective   Connect with Dr. Stu: www.birthinginstincts.com IG- @birthinginstincts  The Birthing Instincts Podcast   Connect with Aly: IG- @peacefulhomebirth FB Group- www.facebook.com/groups/peacefulhomebirth

Originally aired in June 2019 as our 73rd episode, we still often think back to this amazing first conversation we had with Dr. Stuart Fischbein and Midwife Blyss Young!Now, almost 6 years later, the information is just as relevant and impactful as it was then. This episode was a Q&A from our Facebook followers and touches on topics like statistics surrounding VBAC, uterine rupture, uterine abnormalities, insurance companies, breech vaginal delivery, high-risk pregnancies, and a powerful analogy about VBACs and weddings!Birthing Instincts PatreonBirthing BlyssNeeded WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Hey, guys. This is one of our re-broadcasted episodes. This is an episode that, in my opinion, is a little gem in the podcast world of The VBAC Link. I really have loved this podcast ever since the date we recorded it. I am a huge fan of Dr. Stu Fischbein and Midwife Blyss and have been since the moment I knew that they existed. I absolutely love listening to their podcast and just all of the amazing things that they have and that they offer. So I wanted to rebroadcast this episode because it was quite down there. It was like our 73rd episode or something like that. And yeah, I love it so much. This week is OB week, and so I thought it'd be fun to kick-off the week with one of my favorite OB doctor's, Stuart Fischbein. So, a little recap of what this episode covers. We go over a lot. We asked for our community to ask questions for these guys, and we went through them. We didn't get to everything, so that was a bummer, but we did get to quite a bit. We talked about things like the chances of VBAC. We talked about the chances of uterine rupture and the signs of uterine rupture. We talked about inducing VBAC. We talked about uterine abnormalities, the desire of where you want to birth and figuring that out. And also, Blyss had a really great analogy to talk about what to do and how we're letting the medical world and insurance and things like that really contemplate where we or dictate where we are birthing. I love that analogy. You guys, seriously, so many questions. It's an episode that you'll probably want to put on repeat because it really is so great to listen to them, and they just speak so directly. I can't get enough of it. So I'm really excited for you guys to dive in today on this. However, I wanted to bring to your attention a couple of the new things that they've had since we recorded this way back when. I also wanted to point out that we will have updated notes in the show notes or updated links in the show notes so you can go check, them out. But one of the first things I wanted to mention was their Patreon. They have a Patreon these days, and I think that it just sounds dreamy. I think you should definitely go find in their Patreon their community through their Patreon. You can check it out at patreon.com, birthinginsinctspodcast.com and of course, you can find them on social media. You can find Dr. Stu at Birthing Instincts or his website at birthinginsincts.com. You can find Blyss and that is B-L-Y-S-S if you are looking for her at birthingblyss on Instagram or birthinblyss.com, and then of course, you can email them. They do take emails with questions and sometimes they even talk about it on their podcast. Their podcast is birthinginsinctspodcast.com, and then you can email them at birthinginsinctspodcast@gmail.com, so definitely check them out. Also, Dr. Stu offers some classes and workshops and things like that throughout the years on the topic of breech. You guys, I love them and really can't wait for you to listen to today's episode.Ladies, I cannot tell you how giddy and excited I have been for the last couple weeks since we knew that these guys were going to record with us. But we have some amazing, special guests today. We have Dr. Stuart Fischbein and Midwife Blyss Young, and we want to share a little bit about them before we get into the questions that all of you guys have asked on our social media platforms.Julie: Absolutely. And when Meagan says we're excited, we are really excited.Meagan: My face is hot right now because I'm so excited.Julie: I'm so excited. Meagan was texting me last night at 11:00 in all caps totally fan-girling out over here. So Dr. Stu and midwife Blyss are pretty amazing and we know that you are going to love them just as much as we do. But before we get into it, and like Meagan said, I'm just going to read their bios so you can know just how legit they really are. First, up. Dr. Stuart Fischbein, MD is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and how much we love ACOG over here at The VBAC Link He's a published author of the book Fearless Pregnancy: Wisdom and Reassurance from a Doctor, a Midwife, and a Mom. He has peer-reviewed papers Home Birth with an Obstetrician, A Series of 135 Out-of-Hospital Births and Breech Births at Home, Outcomes of 60 Breech and 109 Cephalic Planned Home and Birth Center Births. Dr. Stu is a lecturer and advocate who now works directly with home birthing midwives. His website is www.birthinginsincts.com, and his podcast is Dr. Stu's Podcast. Seriously guys, you need to subscribe.Meagan: Go subscribe right now to their podcast.Yeah. The website for his podcast is drstuspodcast.com. He has an international following. He offers hope for women who cannot find supportive practitioners for VBAC and twin and breech deliveries. Guys, this is the home birth OB. He is located in California. So if you are in California hoping for VBAC, especially if you have any special circumstance like after multiple Cesareans, twins or breech presentation, run to him. Run. Go find him. He will help you. Go to that website. Blyss, Midwife Blyss. We really love them. If you haven't had a chance to hear their podcast guys, really go and give them a listen because this duo is on point. They are on fire, and they talk about all of the real topics in birth. So his partner on the podcast is Blyss Young, and she is an LM and CPM. She has been involved in the natural birth world since the birth of her first son in 1992, first as an advocate, and then as an educator. She is a mother of three children, and all of her pregnancies were supported by midwives, two of which were triumphant, empowering home births. In 2006, Blyss co-founded the Sanctuary Birth and Family Wellness Center. This was the culmination of all of her previous experience as a natural birth advocate, educator and environmentalist. The Sanctuary was the first of its kind, a full-spectrum center where midwives, doctors, and other holistic practitioners collaborated to provide thousands of Los Angeles families care during their prenatal and postpartum periods. Blyss closed the Sanctuary in 2015 to pursue her long-held dream of becoming a midwife and care for her clients in an intimate home birth practice similar to the way she was cared for during her pregnancies. I think that's , why Meagan and I both became doulas. Meagan: That's exactly why I'm a doula. Julie: We needed to provide that care just like we had been cared for. Anyway, going on. Currently, Blyss, AKA Birthing Blyss, supports families on their journey as a birth center educator, placenta encapsulator and a natural birth and family consultant and home birth midwife. She is also co-founder of Just Placentas, a company servicing all of Southern California and placenta encapsulation and other postpartum services. And as ,, she's a co-host on Dr. Stu's Podcast. Meagan: And she has a class. Don't you have a class that you're doing? Don't you have a class? Midwife Blyss: Yeah. Meagan: Yeah. She has a class that she's doing. I want to just fly out because I know you're not doing it online and everything. I just want to fly there just to take your class.Midwife Blyss: Yeah, it's coming online.Meagan: It is? Yay! Great. Well, I'll be one of those first registering. Oh, did you put it in there?Julie: No, there's a little bit more.Meagan: Oh, well, I'm just getting ahead.Julie: I just want to read more of Blyss over here because I love this and I think it's so important. At the heart of all Blyss's work is a deep-rooted belief in the brilliant design of our bodies, the symbiotic relationship between baby and mother, the power of the human spirit and the richness that honoring birth as the rite of passage and resurrecting lost traditions can bring to our high-tech, low-touch lives. And isn't that true love? I love that language. It is so beautiful. If I'm not mistaken, Midwife Blyss's website is birthingblyss.com.Is that right? And Blyss is spelled with a Y. So B-L-Y-S-S, birthingblyss.com, and that's where you can find her.Midwife Blyss: Just to make it more complicated, I had to put a Y in there.Julie: Hey. I love it.Meagan: That's okay.Julie: We're in Utah so we have all sorts of weird names over here.Meagan: Yep. I love it. You're unique. Awesome. Well, we will get started.Midwife Blyss: I did read through these questions, and one of the things that I wanted to say that I thought we could let people know is that of course there's a little bit more that we need to take into consideration when we have a uterus that's already had a scar.There's a small percentage of a uterine rupture that we need to be aware of, and we need to know what are the signs and symptoms that we would need to take a different course of action. But besides that, I believe that, and Dr. Stu can speak for himself because we don't always practice together. I believe that we treat VBAC just like any other mom who's laboring. So a lot of these questions could go into a category that you could ask about a woman who is having her first baby. I don't really think that we need to differentiate between those.Meagan: I love it. Midwife Blyss: But I do think that in terms of preparation, there are some special considerations for moms who have had a previous Cesarean, and probably the biggest one that I would point to is the trauma.Julie: Yes.Midwife Blyss: And giving space to and processing the trauma and really helping these moms have a provider that really believes in them, I think is one of the biggest factors to them having success. Meagan: Absolutely. Midwife Blyss: So that's one I wanted to say before you started down the question.Meagan: Absolutely. We have an online class that we provide for VBAC prep, and that's the very first section. It's mentally preparing and physically preparing because there's so much that goes into that. So I love that you started out with that.Julie: Yeah. A lot of these women who come searching for VBAC and realize that there's another way besides a repeat Cesarean are processing a lot of trauma, and a lot of them realized that their Cesarean might have been prevented had they known better, had a different provider, prepared differently, and things like that. Processing that and realizing that is heavy, and it's really important to do before getting into anything else, preparation-wise.Meagan: Yeah.Midwife Blyss: One of the best things I ever had that was a distinction that one of my VBAC moms made for me, and I passed it on as I've cared for other VBAC mom is for her, the justification, or I can't find the right word for it, but she basically said that that statement that we hear so often of, "Yeah, you have trauma from this, or you're not happy about how your birth went, but thank God your baby is healthy." And she said it felt so invalidating for her because, yes, she also was happy, of course, that her baby was safe, but at the same time, she had this experience and this trauma that wasn't being acknowledged, and she felt like it was just really being brushed away.Julie: Ah, yeah.Midwife Blyss: I think really giving women that space to be able to say, "Yes, that's valid. It's valid how you feel." And it is a really important part of the process and having a successful vaginal delivery this go around.Dr. Stu: I tend to be a lightning rod for stories. It's almost like I have my own personal ICAN meeting pretty much almost every day, one-on-one. I get contacted or just today driving. I'm in San Diego today and just driving down here, I talked to two people on the phone, both of whom Blyss really just touched on it is that they both are wanting to have VBACs with their second birth. They were seeing practitioners who are encouraging them to be induced for this reason or that reason. And they both have been told the same thing that Blyss just mentioned that if you end up with a repeat Cesarean, at least you're going to have a healthy baby. Obviously, it's very important. But the thing is, I know it's a cliche, but it's not just about the destination. It's about the journey as well. And one of the things that we're not taught in medical school and residency program is the value of the process. I mean, we're very much mechanical in the OB world, and our job is to get the baby out and head it to the pediatric department, and then we're done with it. If we can get somebody induced early, if we can decide to do a C-section sooner than we should, there's a lot of incentives to do that and to not think about the process and think about the person. There's another cliche which we talk about all the time. Blyss, and I've said it many times. It's that the baby is the candy and the mother's the wrapper. I don't know if you've heard that one, but when the baby comes out, the mother just gets basically tossed aside and her experience is really not important to the medical professionals that are taking care of her in the hospital setting, especially in today's world where you have a shift mentality and a lot of people are being taken care of by people they didn't know.You guys mentioned earlier the importance of feeling safe and feeling secure in whatever setting you're in whether that's at home or in the hospital. Because as Blyss knows, I get off on the mammalian track and you talk about mammals. They just don't labor well when they're anxious.Julie: Yep.Dr. Stu: When the doctor or the health professional is anxious and they're projecting their anxiety onto the mom and the family, then that stuff is brewing for weeks, if not months and who knows what it's actually doing inside, but it's certainly not going to lead to the likelihood of or it's going to diminish the likelihood of a successful labor.Julie: Yeah, absolutely. We talk about that. We go over that a lot. Like, birth is very instinctual and very primal, and it operates a very fundamental core level. And whenever mom feels threatened or anxious or, or anything like that, it literally can st or stop labor from progressing or even starting.Meagan: Yeah, exactly. When I was trying to VBAC with my first baby, my doctor came in and told my husband to tell me that I needed to wake up and smell the coffee because it wasn't happening for me. And that was the last, the last contraction I remember feeling was right before then and my body just shut off. I just stopped because I just didn't feel safe anymore or protected or supported. Yeah, it's very powerful which is something that we love so much about you guys, because I don't even know you. I've just listened to a million of your podcasts, and I feel so safe with you right now. I'm like, you could fly here right now and deliver my baby because so much about you guys, you provide so much comfort and support already, so I'm sure all of your clients can feel that from you.Julie: Absolutely.Dr. Stu: Yeah. I just would like to say that, know, I mean, the introduction was great. Which one of you is Julie? Which one's Meagan?Julie: I'm Julie.Meagan: And I'm Meagan.Dr. Stu: Okay, great. All right, so Julie was reading the introduction that she was talking about how if you have a breech, you have twins, if you have a VBAC, you have all these other things just come down to Southern California and care of it. But I'm not a cowboy. All right? Even though I do more things than most of my colleagues in the profession do, I also say no to people sometimes. I look at things differently. Just because someone has, say chronic hypertension, why can't they have a home birth? The labor is just the labor. I mean, if her blood pressure gets out of control, yeah, then she has to go to the hospital. But why do you need to be laboring in the hospital or induced early if everything is fine? But this isn't for everybody.We want to make that very clear. You need to find a supportive team or supportive practitioner who's willing to be able to say yes and no and give you it with what we call a true informed consent, so that you have the right to choose which way to go and to do what's reasonable. Our ethical obligation is to give you reasonable choices and then support your informed decision making. And sometimes there are things that aren't reasonable. Like for instance, an example that I use all the time is if a woman has a breech baby, but she has a placenta previa, a vaginal delivery is not an option for you. Now she could say, well, I want one and I'm not going to have a C-section.Julie: And then you have the right to refuse that.Dr. Stu: Yeah, yeah, but I mean, that's never going to happen because we have a good communication with our patients. Our communication is such that we develop a trust over the period of time. Sometimes I don't meet people until I'm actually called to their house by a midwife to come assist with a vacuum or something like that. But even then, the midwives and stuff, because I'm sort of known that people have understanding. And then when I'm sitting there, as long as the baby isn't trouble, I will explain to them, here's what's going to happen. Here's how we're going to do it. Here's what's going on. The baby's head to look like this. It not going be a problem. It'll be better in 12 hours. But I go through all this stuff and I say, I'm going to touch you now. Is that okay? I ask permission, and I do all the things that the midwives have taught me, but I never really learned in residency program. They don't teach this stuff.Julie: Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. One of the things that we go over a lot to in our classes is finding a provider who has a natural tendency to treat his patients the way that you want to be treated. That way, you'll have a lot better time when you birth because you're not having to ask them to do anything that they're not comfortable with or that they're not prepared for or that they don't know how to do. And so interviewing providers and interview as many as you need to with these women. And find the provider whose natural ways of treating his clients are the ways that you want to be treated.Dr. Stu: And sometimes in a community, there's nobody.Julie: Yeah, yeah, that's true.Meagan: That's what's so hard.Dr. Stu: And if it's important to you, if it's important to you, then you have to drive on. Julie: Or stand up for yourself and fight really hard.Meagan: I have a client from Russia. She's flying here in two weeks. She's coming all the way to Salt Lake City, Utah to have her baby. We had another client from Russia.Julie: You have another Russian client?Meagan: Yeah. Julie: That's awesome. Meagan: So, yeah. It's crazy. Sometimes you have to go far, far distances, and sometimes you've got them right there. You just have to search. You just have to find them.So it's tricky.Midwife Blyss: Maybe your insurance company is not gonna pay for it.Meagan: Did you say my company's not gonna pay for it?Midwife Blyss: And maybe your insurance company.Meagan: Oh, sure. Yeah, exactly.Midwife Blyss: You can't rely on them to be the ones who support some of these decisions that are outside of the standards of care. You might have to really figure out how to get creative around that area.Meagan: Absolutely.Yeah. So in the beginning, Blyss, you talked about noticing the signs, and I know that's one of the questions that we got on our Instagram, I believe. Birthing at home for both of you guys, what signs for a VBAC mom are signs enough where you talk about different care?.Dr. Stu: I didn't really understand that. Say that again what you were saying.Meagan: Yep. Sorry. So one of the questions on our Instagram was what are the signs of uterine rupture when you're at home that you look for and would transfer care or talk about a different plan of action?Dr. Stu: Okay. Quite simply, some uterine ruptures don't have any warning that they're coming.There's nothing you can do about those. But before we get into what you can feel, just let's review the numbers real briefly so that people have a realistic viewpoint. Because I'm sure if a doctor doesn't want to do a VBAC, you'll find a reason not to do a VBAC. You'll use the scar thickness or the pregnancy interval or whatever. They'll use something to try to talk you out of it or your baby's too big or this kind of thing. We can get into that in a little bit. But when there are signs, the most common sign you would feel is that there'd be increasing pain super-cubically that doesn't go away between contractions. It's a different quality of pain or sensation. It's pain. It's really's becoming uncomfortable. You might start to have variables when you didn't have them before. So the baby's heart rate, you might see heart rate decelerations. Rarely, you might find excessive bleeding, but that's usually not a sign of I mean that's a sign of true rupture.Midwife Blyss: Loss of station.Dr. Stu: Those are things you look for, but again, if you're not augmenting someone, if someone doesn't have an epidural where they don't have sensation, if they're not on Pitocin, these things are very unlikely to happen. I was going to get to the numbers. The numbers are such that the quoted risk of uterine rupture, which is again that crappy word. It sounds like a tire blowing out of the freeway. It is about 1 in 200. But only about 5 to 16%. And even one study said 3%. But let's just even take 16% of those ruptures will result in an outcome that the baby is damaged or dead. Okay, that's about 1 in 6. So the actual risk is about 1 in 6 times 1 in 200 or 1 in 1200 up to about 1 in 4000.Julie: Yep.Dr. Stu: So those are, those are the risks. They're not the 1 in 200 or the 2%. I actually had someone tell some woman that she had a 30% chance of rupture.Julie: We've had somebody say 50%.Meagan: We have?Julie: Yeah. Jess, our 50 copy editor-- her doctor told her that if she tries to VBAC, she has a 50% chance of rupture and she will die. Yeah.Meagan: Wow.Julie: Pretty scary. Dr. Stu: And by the way, a maternal mortality from uterine rupture is extremely rare.Julie: Yeah, we were just talking about that.Dr. Stu: That doctor is wrong on so many accounts. I don't even know where to begin on that.Julie: I know.Dr. Stu: Yeah. See that's the thing where even if someone has a classical Cesarean scar, the risk of rupture isn't 50%.Julie: Yep.Dr. Stu: So I don't know where they come up with those sorts of numbers.Julie: Yeah, I think it's just their comfort level and what they're familiar with and what they know and what they understand. I think a lot of these doctors, because she had a premature Cesarean, and so that's why he was a little, well, a lot more fear-based. Her Cesarean happened, I think, around 32 weeks. We still know that you can still attempt to VBAC and still have a really good chance of having a successful one. But a lot of these providers just don't do it.Dr. Stu: Yeah. And another problem is you can't really find out what somebody's C-section rate is. I mean, you can find out your hospital C-section rate. They can vary dramatically between different physicians, so you really don't know. You'd like to think that physicians are honest. You'd like to think that they're going to tell you the truth. But if they have a high C-section rate and it's a competitive world, they're not going to. And if you're with them, you don't really have a choice anyway.Julie: So there's not transparency on the physician level.Dr. Stu: So Blyss was talking briefly about the fact that your insurance may not pay for it. Blyss, why don't you elaborate on that because you do that point so well.Midwife Blyss: Are you talking about the wedding?Dr. Stu: I love your analogy. It's a great analogy.Midwife Blyss: I'm so saddened sometimes when people talk to me about that they really want this option and especially VBACs. I just have a very special tender place in my heart for VBAC because I overcame something from my first to second birth that wasn't a Cesarean. But it felt like I had been led to mistrust my body, and then I had a triumphant second delivery. So I really understand how that feels when a woman is able to reclaim her body and have a vaginal delivery. But just in general, in terms of limiting your options based on what your insurance will pay for, we think about the delivery of our baby and or something like a wedding where it's this really special day. I see that women or families will spend thousands and thousands of dollars and put it on a credit card and figure out whatever they need to do to have this beautiful wedding. But somehow when it comes to the birth of their baby, they turn over all their power to this insurance company.And so we used to do this talk at the sanctuary and I used to say, "What if we had wedding insurance and you paid every year into this insurance for your wedding, and then when the wedding came, they selected where you went and you didn't like it and they put you in a dress that made you look terrible and the food was horrible and the music was horrible and they invited all these people you didn't want to be there?"Julie: But it's a network.Midwife Blyss: Would you really let that insurance company, because it was paid for, dictate how your wedding day was? Julie: That's a good analogy.Midwife Blyss: You just let it all go.Meagan: Yeah. That's amazing. I love that. And it's so true. It is so true.Julie: And we get that too a lot about hiring a doula. Oh, I can't hire a doula. It's too expensive. We get that a lot because people don't expect to pay out-of-pocket for their births. When you're right, it's just perceived completely differently when it should be one of the biggest days of your life. I had three VBACs at home. My first was a necessary, unnecessary Cesarean.I'm still really uncertain about that, to be honest with you. But you better believe my VBACs at home, we paid out of pocket for a midwife. Our first two times, it was put on a credit card. I had a doula, I had a birth photographer, I had a videographer. My first VBAC, I had two photographers there because it was going to be documented because it was so important to me. And we sold things on eBay. We sold our couches, and I did some babysitting just to bring in the money.Obviously, I hired doulas because it was so important to me to not only have the experience that I wanted and that I deserved, but I wanted it documented and I wanted it to be able to remember it well and look back on it fondly. We see that especially in Utah. I think we have this culture where women just don't-- I feel like it's just a national thing, but I think in Utah, we tend to be on the cheap side just culturally and women don't see the value in that. It's hard because it's hard to shift that mindset to see you are important. You are worth it. What if you could have everything you wanted and what if you knew you could be treated differently? Would you think about how to find the way to make that work financially? And I think if there's just that mindset shift, a lot of people would.Meagan: Oh, I love that.Dr. Stu: If you realize if you have to pay $10,000 out of pocket or $5,000 or whatever to at least have the opportunity, and you always have the hospital as a backup. But 2 or 3 years from now, that $5,000 isn't going to mean anything.Julie: Yeah, nothing.Meagan: But that experience is with you forever.Dr. Stu: So yeah, women may have to remember the names of their children when they're 80 years old, but they'll remember their birth.Julie: Well, with my Cesarean baby, we had some complications and out-of-pocket, I paid almost $10,000 for him and none of my home births, midwives, doula, photography and videography included cost over $7,000.Meagan: My Cesarean births in-hospital were also more expensive than my birth center births.Julie: So should get to questions.Dr. Stu: Let's get to some of the questions because you guys some really good questions.Meagan: Yes.Dr. Stu: Pick one and let's do it.Meagan: So let's do Lauren. She was on Facebook. She was our very first question, and she said that she has some uterine abnormalities like a bicornuate uterus or a separate uterus or all of those. They want to know how that impacts VBAC. She's had two previous Cesareans due to a breech presentation because of her uterine abnormality.Julie: Is that the heart-shaped uterus? Yeah.Dr. Stu: Yeah. You can have a septate uterus. You can have a unicornuate uterus. You can have a double uterus.Julie: Yeah. Two separate uteruses.Dr. Stu: Right. The biggest problem with a person with an abnormal uterine shape or an anomaly is a couple of things. One is malpresentation as this woman experienced because her two babies were breech. And two, is sometimes a retained placenta is more common than women that have a septum, that sort of thing. Also, it can cause preterm labor and growth restriction depending on the type of anomaly of the uterus. Now, say you get to term and your baby is head down, or if it's breech in my vicinity. But if it's head down, then the chance of VBAC for that person is really high. I mean, it might be a slightly greater risk of Cesarean section, but not a statistically significant risk. And then the success rate for home birth VBACs, if you look at the MANA stats or even my own stats which are not enough to make statistical significance in a couple of papers that I put out, but the MANA stats show that it's about a 93% success rate for VBACS in the midwifery model, whereas in the hospital model, it can be as low as 17% up to the 50s or 60%, but it's not very high. And that's partly because of the model by which you're cared for. So the numbers that I'm quoting and the success rates I'm quoting are again, assuming that you have a supportive practitioner in a supportive environment, every VBAC is going to have diminished chance of success in a restrictive or tense environment. But unicornuate uterus or septate uterus is not a contraindication to VBAC, and it's not an indication of breech delivery if somebody knows how to do a breech VBAC too.Julie: Right.Dr. Stu: So Lauren, that would be my answer to to your question is that no, it's not a contraindication and that if you have the right practitioner you can certainly try to labor and your risk of rupture is really not more significant than a woman who has a normal-shaped uterus.Julie: Good answer.Meagan: So I want to spin off that really quick. It's not a question, but I've had a client myself that had two C-sections, and her baby was breech at 37 weeks, and the doctor said he absolutely could not turn the baby externally because her risk of rupture was so increasingly high. So would you agree with that or would you disagree with that?D No, no, no. Even an ACOG statement on external version and breech says that a previous uterine scar is not a contraindication to attempting an external version.Meagan: Yeah.Dr. Stu: Now actually, if we obviously had more breech choices, then there'd be no reason to do an external version.The main reason that people try an external version which can sometimes be very uncomfortable, and depending on the woman and her parody and certain other factors, their success rate cannot be very good is the only reason they do it because the alternative is a Cesarean in 95% of locations in the country.Meagan: Okay, well that's good to know.Dr. Stu: But again, one of the things I would tell people to do is when they're hearing something from their position that just sort of rocks the common sense vote and doesn't sort of make sense, look into it. ACOG has a lot. I think you can just go Google some of the ACOG clinical guidelines or practice guidelines or clinical opinions or whatever they call them. You can find and you can read through, and they summarize them at the end on level A, B, and C evidence, level A being great evidence level C being what's called consensus opinion. The problem with consensus, with ACOG's guidelines is that about 2/3 of them are consensus opinion because they don't really have any data on them. When you get bunch of academics together who don't like VBAC or don't like home birth or don't like breech, of course a consensus opinion is going to be, "Well, we're not going to think those are a good idea." But much to their credit lately, they're starting to change their tune. Their most recent VBAC guideline paper said that if your hospital can do labor and delivery, your hospital can do VBAC.Julie: Yes.Dr. Stu: That's huge. There was immediately a whole fiasco that went on. So any hospital that's doing labor and delivery should be able to do a VBAC. When they say they can't or they say our insurance company won't let them, it's just a cowardly excuse because maybe it's true, but they need to fight for your right because most surgical emergencies in labor delivery have nothing to do with a previous uterine scar.Julie: Absolutely.Dr. Stu: They have to do with people distress or placental abruption or cord prolapse. And if they can handle those, they can certainly handle the one in 1200. I mean, say a hospital does 20 VBACs a year or 50 VBACs a year. You'll take them. Do the math. It'll take them 25 years to have a rupture.Meagan: Yeah. It's pretty powerful stuff.Midwife Blyss: I love when he does that.Julie: Me too. I'm a huge statistics junkie and data junkie. I love the numbers.Meagan: Yeah. She loves numbers.Julie: Yep.Meagan: I love that.Julie: Hey, and 50 VBACs a year at 2000, that would be 40 years actually, right?Dr. Stu: Oh, look at what happened. So say that again. What were the numbers you said?Julie: So 1 in 2000 ruptures are catastrophic and they do 50 VBACs a year, wouldn't that be 40 years?Dr. Stu: But I was using the 1200 number.Julie: Oh, right, right, right, right.Dr. Stu: So that would be 24 years.Julie: Yeah. Right. Anyways, me and you should sit down and just talk. One day. I would love to have lunch with you.Dr. Stu: Let's talk astrology and astronomy.Yes.Dr. Stu: Who's next?Midwife Blyss: Can I make a suggestion?There was another woman. Let's see where it is. What's the likelihood that a baby would flip? And is it reasonable to even give it a shot for a VBA2C. How do you guys say that?Meagan: VBAC after two Cesareans.Midwife Blyss: I need to know the lingo. So, I would say it's very unlikely for a baby to flip head down from a breech position in labor. It doesn't mean it's impossible.Dr. Stu: With a uterine septum, it's almost never going to happen. Bless is right on. Even trying an external version on a woman with the uterine septum when the baby's head is up in one horn and the placenta in the other horn and they're in a frank breech position, that's almost futile to do that, especially if a woman is what I call a functional primary, or even a woman who's never labored before.Julie: Right. That's true.Meagan: And then Napoleon said, what did she say? Oh, she was just talking about this. She's planning on a home birth after two Cesareans supported by a midwife and a doula. Research suggests home birth is a reasonable and safe option for low-risk women. And she wants to know in reality, what identifies low risk?Midwife Blyss: Well, I thought her question was hilarious because she says it seems like everybody's high-risk too. Old, overweight.Julie: Yeah, it does. It does, though.Dr. Stu: Well, immediately, when you label someone high-risk, you make them high-risk.Julie: Yep.Dr. Stu: Because now you've planted seeds of doubt inside their head. So I would say, how do you define high-risk? I mean, is 1 in 1200 high risk?Julie: Nope.Dr. Stu: It doesn't seem high-risk to me. But again, I mean, we do a lot of things in our life that are more dangerous than that and don't consider them high-risk. So I think the term high-risk is handed about way too much.And it's on some false or just some random numbers that they come up with. Blyss has heard this before. I mean, she knows everything I say that comes out of my mouth. The numbers like 24, 35, 42. I mean, 24 hours of ruptured membranes. Where did that come from? Yeah, or some people are saying 18 hours. I mean, there's no science on that. I mean, bacteria don't suddenly look at each other and go, "Hey Ralph, it's time to start multiplying."Julie: Ralph.Meagan: I love it.Julie: I'm gonna name my bacteria Ralph.Meagan: It's true. And I was told after 18 hours, that was my number.Dr. Stu: Yeah, again, so these numbers, there are papers that come out, but they're not repetitive. I mean, any midwife worth her salt has had women with ruptured membranes for sometimes two, three, or four days.Julie: Yep.Midwife Blyss: And as long as you're not sticking your fingers in there, and as long as their GBS might be negative or that's another issue.Meagan: I think that that's another question. That's another question. Yep.Dr. Stu: Yeah, I'll get to that right now. I mean, if some someone has a ruptured membrane with GBS, and they don't go into labor within a certain period of time, it's not unreasonable to give them the pros and cons of antibiotics and then let them make that decision. All right? We don't force people to have antibiotics. We would watch for fetal tachycardia or fever at that point, then you're already behind the eight ball. So ideally, you'd like to see someone go into labor sooner. But again, if they're still leaking, if there are no vaginal exams, the likelihood of them getting group B strep sepsis or something on the baby is still not very high. And the thing about antibiotics that I like to say is that if I was gonna give antibiotics to a woman, I think it's much better to give a woman an antibiotics at home than in the hospital. And the reason being is because at home, the baby's still going to be born into their own environment and mom's and dad's bacteria and the dog's bacteria and the siblings' bacteria where in the hospital, they're going to go to the nursery for observation like they generally do, and they're gonna be exposed to different bacteria unless they do these vaginal seeding, which isn't really catching on universally yet where you take a swab of mom's vaginal bacteria before the C-section.Midwife Blyss: It's called seeding.Dr. Stu: Right. I don't consider ruptured membrane something that again would cause me to immediately say something where you have to change your plan. You individualize your care in the midwifery model.Julie: Yep.Dr. Stu: You look at every patient. You look at their history. You look at their desires. You look at their backup situation, their transport situation, and that sort of thing. You take it all into account. Now, there are some women in pregnancy who don't want to do a GBS culture.Ignorance is bliss. The other spelling of bliss.Julie: Hi, Blyss.Dr. Stu: But the reason that at least I still encourage people to do it is because for any reason, if that baby gets transferred to the hospital during labor or after and you don't have a GBS culture on the chart, they're going to give antibiotics. They're going to treat it as GBS positive and they're also going to think you're irresponsible.And they're going to have that mentality that of oh, here's another one of those home birth crazy people, blah, blah, blah.Julie: That just happened to me in January. I had a client like that. I mean, anyways, never mind. It's not the time. Midwife Blyss: Can I say something about low-risk?Julie: Yes. Midwife Blyss: I think there are a lot of different factors that go into that question. One being what are the state laws? Because there are things that I would consider low-risk and that I feel very comfortable with, but that are against the law. And I'm not going to go to jail.Meagan: Right. We want you to still be Birthing Bless.Midwife Blyss: As, much as I believe in a woman's right to choose, I have to draw the line at what the law is. And then the second is finding a provider that-- obviously, Dr. Stu feels very comfortable with things that other providers may not necessarily feel comfortable with.Julie: Right.Midwife Blyss: And so I think it's really important, as you said in the beginning of the show, to find a provider who takes the risk that you have and feels like they can walk that path with you and be supportive. I definitely agree with what Dr. Stu was saying about informed consent. I had a client who was GBS positive, declined antibiotics and had a very long rupture. We continued to walk that journey together. I kept giving informed consent and kept giving informed consent. She had such trust and faith that it actually stretched my comfort level. We had to continually talk about where we were in this dance. But to me, that feels like what our job is, is to give them information about the pros and cons and let them decide for themselves.And I think that if you take a statistic, I'm picking an arbitrary number, and there's a 94% chance of success and a 4% chance that something could go really wrong, one family might look at that and say, "Wow, 94%, this is neat. That sounds like a pretty good statistic," and the other person says, "4% makes me really uncomfortable. I need to minimize." I think that's where you have to have the ability, given who you surround yourself with and who your provider is, to be able to say, "This is my choice," and it's being supported. So it is arbitrary in a lot of ways except for when it comes to what the law is.Julie: Yeah, that makes sense.Meagan: I love that. Yeah. Julie: Every state has their own law. Like in the south, it's illegal like in lots of places in the South, I think in Washington too, that midwives can't support home birth if you're VBAC. I mean there are lots of different legislative rules. Why am I saying legislative? Look at me, I'm trying to use fancy words to impress you guys. There are lots of different laws in different states and, and some of them are very evidence-based and some laws are broad and they leave a lot of room for practices, variation and gray areas. Some are so specific that they really limit a woman's option in that state.Dr. Stu: We can have a whole podcast on the legal decision-making process and a woman's right to autonomy of her body and the choices and who gets to decide that would be. Right now, the vaccine issue is a big issue, but also pregnancy and restricting women's choices of these things. If you want to do another one down the road, I would love to talk on that subject with you guys.Julie: Perfect.Meagan: We would love that.Julie: Yeah. I think it's your most recent episode. I mean as of the time of this recording. Mandates Kill Medicine. What is that the name?Dr. Stu: Mandates Destroy Medicine.Julie: Yeah. Mandates Destroy Medicine. Dr. Stu: It's wonderful.Julie: Yeah, I love it. I was just listening to it today again.Dr. Stu: well it does because it makes the physicians agents of the state.Julie: Yeah, it really does.Meagan: Yeah. Well. And if you give us another opportunity to do this with you, heck yeah.Julie: Yeah. You can just be a guest every month.Meagan: Yeah.Dr. Stu: So I don't think I would mind that at all, actually.Meagan: We would love it.Julie: Yeah, we would seriously love it. We'll keep in touch.Meagan: So, couple other questions I'm trying to see because we jumped through a few that were the same. I know one asks about an overactive pelvic floor, meaning too strong, not too weak. She's wondering if that is going to affect her chances of having a successful VBAC.Julie: And do you see that a lot with athletes, like people that are overtrained or that maybe are not overtrained, but who train a lot and weightlifters and things like that, where their pelvic floor is too strong? I've heard of that before.Midwife Blyss: Yep, absolutely. there's a chiropractor here in LA, Dr. Elliot Berlin, who also has his own podcast and he talks–Meagan: Isn't Elliott Berlin Heads Up?Dr. Stu: Yeah. He's the producer of Heads Up.Meagan: Yeah, I listened to your guys' special episode on that too. But yeah, he's wonderful.Midwife Blyss: Yeah. So, again, I think this is a question that just has more to do with vaginal delivery than it does necessarily about the fact that they've had a previous Cesarean. So I do believe that the athletic pelvis has really affected women's deliveries. I think that during pregnancy we can work with a pelvic floor specialist who can help us be able to realize where the tension is and how to do some exercises that might help alleviate some of that. We have a specialist here in L.A. I don't know if you guys do there that I would recommend people to. And then also, maybe backing off on some of the athletic activities that that woman is participating in during her pregnancy and doing things more like walking, swimming, yoga, stretching, belly dancing, which was originally designed for women in labor, not to seduce men. So these are all really good things to keep things fluid and soft because you want things to open and release rather than being tense.Meagan: I love that.Dr. Stu: I agree. I think sometimes it leads more to not generally so much of dilation. Again, a friend of mine, David Hayes, he's a home birth guy in South Carolina, doesn't like the idea of using stages of labor. He wants to get rid of that. I think that's an interesting thought. We have a meeting this November in Wisconsin. We're gonna have a bunch of thought-provoking things going on over there.Dr. Stu: Is it all men talking about this? Midwife Blyss: Oh, hell no.Julie: Let's get more women. Dr. Stu: No, no, no, no, no.Being organized By Cynthia Calai. Do you guys know who Cynthia is? She's been a midwife for 50 years. She's in Wisconsin. She's done hundreds of breeches. Anyway, the point being is that I think that I find that a lot of those people end up getting instrumented like vacuums, more commonly. Yeah. So Blyss is right. I mean, if there are people who are very, very tight down there. The leviators and the muscles inside are very tight which is great for life and sex and all that other stuff, but yeah, you need to learn how to be able to relax them too.Julie: Yeah.Meagan: So I know we're running short on time, but this question that came through today, I loved it. It said, "Could you guys both replicate your model of care nationwide somehow?" She said, "How do I advocate effectively for home birth access and VBAC access in a state that actively prosecutes home birth and has restrictions on midwifery practice?" She specifically said she's in Nebraska, but we hear this all over the place. VBAC is not allowed. You cannot birth at home, and people are having unassisted births.Julie: Because they can't find the support.Meagan: They can't find the support and they are too scared to go to the hospital or birth centers. And so, yeah, the question is--Julie: What can women do in their local communities to advocate for positive change and more options in birth where they are more restricted?Dr. Stu: Blyss. Midwife Blyss: I wish I had a really great answer for this. I think that the biggest thing is to continue to talk out loud. And I'm really proud of you ladies for creating this podcast and doing the work that you do. Julie: Thanks.Midwife Blyss: I always believed when we had the Sanctuary that it really is about the woman advocating for herself. And the more that hospitals and doctors are being pushed by women to say, "We need this as an option because we're not getting the work," I think is really important. I support free birth, and I think that most of the women and men who decide to do that are very well educated.Julie: Yeah, for sure.Midwife Blyss: It is actually really very surprising for midwives to see that sometimes they even have better statistics than we do. But it saddens me that there's no choice. And, a woman who doesn't totally feel comfortable with doing that is feeling forced into that decision. So I think as women, we need to support each other, encourage each other, continue to talk out loud about what it is that we want and need and make this be a very important decision that a woman makes, and it's a way of reclaiming the power. I'm not highly political. I try and stay out of those arenas. And really, one of my favorite quotes from a reverend that I have been around said, "Be for something and against nothing." I really believe that the more. Julie: I like that.Midwife Blyss: Yeah, the more that we speak positively and talk about positive change and empowering ourselves and each other, it may come slowly, but that change will continue to come.Julie: Yeah, yeah.Dr. Stu: I would only add to that that I think unfortunately, in any country, whether it's a socialist country or a capitalist country, it's economics that drives everything. If you look at countries like England or the Netherlands, you find that they have, a really integrated system with midwives and doctors collaborating, and the low-risk patients are taken care of by the midwives, and then they consult with doctors and midwives can transfer from home to hospital and continue their care in that system, the national health system. I'm not saying that's the greatest system for somebody who's growing old and has arthritis or need spinal surgery or something like that, but for obstetrics, that sort of system where you've taken out liability and you've taken out economic incentive. All right, so how do you do that in our system? It's not very easy to do because everything is economically driven. One of the things that I've always advocated for is if you want to lower the C-section rate, increase the VBAC rate. It would be really simple for insurance companies, until we have Bernie Sanders with universal health care. But while we have insurance companies, if they would just pay twice as much for a vaginal birth and half as much for a Cesarean birth, then finally, VBACS and breech deliveries would be something. Oh, maybe we should start. We should be more supportive of those things because it's all about the money. But as long as the hospital gets paid more, doctors don't really get paid more. It's expediency for the doctor. He gets it done and goes home. But the hospital, they get paid a lot more, almost twice as much for a C-section than you do for vaginal birth. What's the incentive for the chief financial officer of any hospital to say to the OB department, "We need to lower our C-section rate?" One of the things that's happening are programs that insurance, and I forgot what it's called, but where they're trying, in California, they're trying to lower the primary C-section rate. There's a term for it where it's an acronym with four initials. Blyss, do you know what I'm talking about?Midwife Blyss: No. Dr. Stu: It's an acronym about a first-time mom. We're trying to avoid those C-sections.Julie: Yeah, the primary Cesarean.Dr. Stu: It's an acronym anyway, nonetheless. So they're in the right direction. Most hospitals are in the 30% range. They'd like to lower to 27%. That's a start.One of the ways to really do that is to support VBAC, and treat VBAC as Blyss said at the very beginning of the podcast is that a VBAC is just a normal labor. When people lump VBAC in with breech in twins, it's like, why are you doing that? Breech in twins requires special skill. VBAC requires a special skill also, which is a skill of doing nothing.Julie: Yeah, it's hard.Dr. Stu: It's hard for obstetricians and labor and delivery nurses and stuff like that to do nothing. But ultimately, VBAC is just a vaginal birth and doesn't require any special skill. When a doctor says, "We don't do VBAC, what he's basically saying, or she, is that I don't do vaginal deliveries," which is stupid because VBAC is just a vaginal delivery.Julie: Yeah, that's true.Meagan: Such a powerful point right there.Julie: Guys. We loved chatting with you so much. We wish we could talk with you all day long.Meagan: I would. All day long. I just want to be a fly on your walls if I could.Julie: If you're ever in Salt Lake City again--Meagan: He just was. Did you know about this?Julie: Say hi to Adrienne, but also connect with us because we would love to meet you. All right, well guys, everyone, all of our listeners, Women of Strength, we are going to drop all the information that you need to find Midwife Blyss and Dr. Stu-- their website, their podcast, and all of that in our show notes. So yeah, now you can find our podcast. You can even listen to our podcast on our website at thevbaclink.com/podcast. You can play episodes right from there. So if you don't know-- well, if you're listening to this podcast, then you probably have a podcast player already. But you know what? My mom still doesn't know what a podcast is, so I'm just gonna have to start sending her links right to our page.Meagan: Yep, just listen to us wherever and leave us a review and head over to Dr. Stu's Podcast and leave them a review.Julie: Subscribe because you're gonna love him, but don't stop listening to him us because you love us too. Remember that.Dr. Stu: I want to thank everybody who wrote in, and I'm sorry we didn't get to answer every question. We tend to blabber on a little bit asking these important questions, and hopefully you guys will have us back on again.Meagan: We would love to have you.Julie: Absolutely.Meagan: Yep, we will.Julie: Absolutely.Meagan: YeahClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Welcome back to the show, beautiful souls! In this deeply insightful episode of the “Unapologetically Abundant” podcast, I sit down with the incredible Dr. Stuart Fischbein, a trailblazer in the world of obstetrics and home birthing. Dr. Fischbein shares his transformative journey from conventional obstetric practices to becoming a fierce advocate for home births. We dive into the current medical model, unraveling the complexities of induction, epidurals, and the over-medicalization of childbirth, all while empowering women to trust in the natural wisdom of their bodies.   Dr. Fischbein illuminates the pervasive fear surrounding childbirth, urging a shift towards more instinctual and humane birthing practices. Key topics like VBAC, natural labor, and the role of obstetric wisdom guide us toward a more compassionate and empowering childbirth experience.     About Dr. Stuart: Website / Social Media Handles: Follow him on Instagram @birthinginstincts His websites are: www.birthinginstincts.com & www.birthinginstinctspodcast.com     Ps: If you are ready to finally see how you can bring in thousands of dollars per week while just doing a few simple actions (and never feel like you *HAVE* to work an 8 hour day again)? To have clear direction in your day to day activities so you can easily implement strategies for more simplicity in your life and biz? Then 5 weeks to 5 figures course is for you! Check the link below

Show Notes: Today's show is the conclusion of my follow up interview with Dr. Stuart Fischbein.  I brought him back on to talk about vaginal breech birth and how it came to be the normal policy to deliver all breech babies by c-section.  As usual, the conversation with him is full and rich and covers so much more than just breech.  In this final section of our interview you will learn about: Are obstetricians really experts? Who's benefitting from the system as it stands now? Is it bad to be crazy in the eyes of the system? What would happen if we did away with modern obstetrics? Neil Silverman and the "C" shot safety Big Medicine Twins and safety Find Dr. Stu: Birthing Instincts Podcast link (with link to Dr. Stu's Patreon)- https://www.birthinginstinctspodcast.com/ Dr. Stu's Website - https://www.birthinginstincts.com/ Follow Dr. Stu on IG - @birthinginstincts Fearless Pregnancy by Dr. Stuart Fischbein - https://amzn.to/48qd1uA   Helpful Links:   3 WAYS TO WORK WITH LORI: --> Sign up HERE for the Your Birth, God's Way Online Christian Childbirth Course or go to go.yourbirthgodsway.com/cec! This is a COMPLETE childbirth education course with a God-led foundation taught by a certified nurse-midwife with over 20 years of experience in all sides of the maternity world! Learn more or sign up HERE! —> Having a home birth and need help getting prepared?  Sign up HERE for the Home Birth Prep Course or go to homebirthprep.com --> Sign up for your PERSONALIZED Pregnancy Coaching Midwife & Me Power Hour HERE or go to go.yourbirthgodsway.com/powerhour These consults can include: birth plan consultation, past birth processing, second opinions, breastfeeding consultation, and so much more!  Think of it as a special, one-hour appointment with a midwife to discuss whatever your concerns may be without any bias of practice policy or insurance policy influencing recommendations.   Get Christian pregnancy and birth merch HERE (https://go.yourbirthgodsway.com/store)   Lori's Recommended Resources HERE (go.yourbirthgodsway.com/resources)   Sign up for email updates Here   Be heard! Take My Quick SURVEY to give input on future episodes you want to hear --> https://bit.ly/yourbirthsurvey   Got questions?  Email lori@yourbirthgodsway.com     Socials: Follow Your Birth, God's Way on Instagram!c @yourbirth_godsway Follow the Your Birth, God's Way Facebook Page! fb.com/lorimorriscnm Join Our Exclusive Online Birth Community -- facebook.com/groups/yourbirthgodsway   Learn more about Lori and the podcast at yourbirthgodsway.com!   FREE Bible Study Course - How To Be Sure Of Your Salvation --> https://the-ruffled-mango-school.teachable.com/p/how-to-be-sure-of-your-salvation     DISCLAIMER:  Remember that though I am a midwife, I am not YOUR midwife.  Nothing in this podcast shall; be construed as medical advice.  Listening to this podcast does not mean that we have entered into a patient-care provider relationship. While I strive to provide the most accurate information I can, content is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.  You must do your research and consult other reputable sources, including your provider, to make the best decision for your own care.  Talk with your own care provider before putting any information here into practice.  Weigh all risks and benefits for yourself knowing that no outcome can be guaranteed.  I do not know the specific details about your situation and thus I am not responsible for the outcomes of your choices.    Some links may be affiliate links which provide me a small commission when you purchase through them.  This does not cost you anything at all and it allows me to continue providing you with the content you love.

Show Notes: Today's show is part two of a follow up interview with Dr. Stuart Fischbein.  I brought him back on to talk about vaginal breech birth and how it came to be the normal policy to deliver all breech babies by c-section.  As usual, the conversation with him is full and rich and covers so much more than just breech.  In this second section of our interview you will learn about: Are third trimester ultrasounds needed? What does it mean to err on the side of caution? What is the impact of worry on pregnancy? What is "high risk" and what does it mean? Qui bono - who benefits? Do hospitals have your best interests at heart? Off label medicine use Who is a good candidate for vaginal breech birth? What is an external cephalic version (ECV) and is it a good option? Risk of VBAC vs placenta accreta Find Dr. Stu: Birthing Instincts Podcast link (with link to Dr. Stu's Patreon)- https://www.birthinginstinctspodcast.com/ Dr. Stu's Website - https://www.birthinginstincts.com/ Follow Dr. Stu on IG - @birthinginstincts Fearless Pregnancy by Dr. Stuart Fischbein - https://amzn.to/48qd1uA   Helpful Links:   3 WAYS TO WORK WITH LORI: --> Sign up HERE for the Your Birth, God's Way Online Christian Childbirth Course or go to go.yourbirthgodsway.com/cec! This is a COMPLETE childbirth education course with a God-led foundation taught by a certified nurse-midwife with over 20 years of experience in all sides of the maternity world! Learn more or sign up HERE! —> Having a home birth and need help getting prepared?  Sign up HERE for the Home Birth Prep Course or go to homebirthprep.com --> Sign up for your PERSONALIZED Pregnancy Coaching Midwife & Me Power Hour HERE or go to go.yourbirthgodsway.com/powerhour These consults can include: birth plan consultation, past birth processing, second opinions, breastfeeding consultation, and so much more!  Think of it as a special, one-hour appointment with a midwife to discuss whatever your concerns may be without any bias of practice policy or insurance policy influencing recommendations.   Get Christian pregnancy and birth merch HERE (https://go.yourbirthgodsway.com/store)   Lori's Recommended Resources HERE (go.yourbirthgodsway.com/resources)   Sign up for email updates Here   Be heard! Take My Quick SURVEY to give input on future episodes you want to hear --> https://bit.ly/yourbirthsurvey   Got questions?  Email lori@yourbirthgodsway.com     Socials: Follow Your Birth, God's Way on Instagram!c @yourbirth_godsway Follow the Your Birth, God's Way Facebook Page! fb.com/lorimorriscnm Join Our Exclusive Online Birth Community -- facebook.com/groups/yourbirthgodsway   Learn more about Lori and the podcast at yourbirthgodsway.com!   FREE Bible Study Course - How To Be Sure Of Your Salvation --> https://the-ruffled-mango-school.teachable.com/p/how-to-be-sure-of-your-salvation     DISCLAIMER:  Remember that though I am a midwife, I am not YOUR midwife.  Nothing in this podcast shall; be construed as medical advice.  Listening to this podcast does not mean that we have entered into a patient-care provider relationship. While I strive to provide the most accurate information I can, content is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.  You must do your research and consult other reputable sources, including your provider, to make the best decision for your own care.  Talk with your own care provider before putting any information here into practice.  Weigh all risks and benefits for yourself knowing that no outcome can be guaranteed.  I do not know the specific details about your situation and thus I am not responsible for the outcomes of your choices.    Some links may be affiliate links which provide me a small commission when you purchase through them.  This does not cost you anything at all and it allows me to continue providing you with the content you love.

Show Notes: Today's show is part one of a follow up interview with Dr. Stuart Fischbein.  I brought him back on to talk about vaginal breech birth and how it came to be the normal policy to deliver all breech babies by c-section.  As usual, the conversation with him is full and rich and covers so much more than just breech.  In this first section of our interview you will learn about: The cognitive dissonance that physicians must have to be able to work in the current obstetrical model The ethics of being a doctor as an employee How hospital policy dictates how care is delivered How breech was moved from being a normal vaginal delivery to almost exclusively a cesarean birth Some history of vaccines in pregnancy How research today is unethically formulated Unnecessary c-sections Errol Norwich's telling statement about nature being a bad obstetrician The downstream consequences of unnecessary c-sections, other interventions, testing, and more! Find Dr. Stu: Birthing Instincts Podcast link (with link to Dr. Stu's Patreon)- https://www.birthinginstinctspodcast.com/ Dr. Stu's Website - https://www.birthinginstincts.com/ Follow Dr. Stu on IG - @birthinginstincts Fearless Pregnancy by Dr. Stuart Fischbein - https://amzn.to/48qd1uA   Helpful Links:   3 WAYS TO WORK WITH LORI: --> Sign up HERE for the Your Birth, God's Way Online Christian Childbirth Course or go to go.yourbirthgodsway.com/cec! This is a COMPLETE childbirth education course with a God-led foundation taught by a certified nurse-midwife with over 20 years of experience in all sides of the maternity world! Learn more or sign up HERE! —> Having a home birth and need help getting prepared?  Sign up HERE for the Home Birth Prep Course or go to homebirthprep.com --> Sign up for your PERSONALIZED Pregnancy Coaching Midwife & Me Power Hour HERE or go to go.yourbirthgodsway.com/powerhour These consults can include: birth plan consultation, past birth processing, second opinions, breastfeeding consultation, and so much more!  Think of it as a special, one-hour appointment with a midwife to discuss whatever your concerns may be without any bias of practice policy or insurance policy influencing recommendations.   Get Christian pregnancy and birth merch HERE (https://go.yourbirthgodsway.com/store)   Lori's Recommended Resources HERE (go.yourbirthgodsway.com/resources)   Sign up for email updates Here   Be heard! Take My Quick SURVEY to give input on future episodes you want to hear --> https://bit.ly/yourbirthsurvey   Got questions?  Email lori@yourbirthgodsway.com     Socials: Follow Your Birth, God's Way on Instagram!c @yourbirth_godsway Follow the Your Birth, God's Way Facebook Page! fb.com/lorimorriscnm Join Our Exclusive Online Birth Community -- facebook.com/groups/yourbirthgodsway   Learn more about Lori and the podcast at yourbirthgodsway.com!   FREE Bible Study Course - How To Be Sure Of Your Salvation --> https://the-ruffled-mango-school.teachable.com/p/how-to-be-sure-of-your-salvation     DISCLAIMER:  Remember that though I am a midwife, I am not YOUR midwife.  Nothing in this podcast shall; be construed as medical advice.  Listening to this podcast does not mean that we have entered into a patient-care provider relationship. While I strive to provide the most accurate information I can, content is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.  You must do your research and consult other reputable sources, including your provider, to make the best decision for your own care.  Talk with your own care provider before putting any information here into practice.  Weigh all risks and benefits for yourself knowing that no outcome can be guaranteed.  I do not know the specific details about your situation and thus I am not responsible for the outcomes of your choices.    Some links may be affiliate links which provide me a small commission when you purchase through them.  This does not cost you anything at all and it allows me to continue providing you with the content you love.

Dr Stuart Fischbein (Dr Stu) is an OBGYN who has delivered many babies and argues that the medical establishment has over-medicalised childbirth, and that home births are safer and superior. Full breakdown: https://jermwarfare.com/conversations/stuart-fischbein-on-home-births-versus-hospital-births Join our private army: https://jermwarfare.com/join-our-army

Stuart J. Fischbein MD is a community-based obstetrician and an Associate of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology, published author of the book “Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, A Midwife and A Mom” and peer-reviewed papers Homebirth with an Obstetrician, A Series of 135 Out of Hospital Births and Breech birth at home: outcomes of 60 breech and 109 cephalic planned home and birth center births.  (And currently submitted for publication:  Twin Home Birth:Outcomes of 100 sets of twins in the care of a single practitioner.) After completing his residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, Dr. Stu spent 24 years assisting women with hospital birthing and, for the last 13 years, has been a homebirth obstetrician who works directly with midwives. Since retiring from attending home births in 2022, Dr. Stu has turned his focus to traveling around the world as a lecturer and advocate for reteaching breech & twin birth skills, respect for the normalcy of birth and honoring informed consent. He hosts a weekly podcast with co-host Blyss Young and together they offer hope, reassurance and safe, honest evidence supported choices for those women who understand pregnancy is a normal bodily function not to be feared. Follow him on Instagram @birthinginstincts. His websites are www.birthinginstincts.com & www.birthinginstinctspodcast.com Heads Up Documentary https://www.informedpregnancy.tv/products/heads-up-a-breech-birth-documentary Follow Shari @belly2birth Sign up for my new 'Breathing & Movement for birth workshop' for only $37 + gst AUD Or my 'Journey to Birth' Online Hypnobirthing Program' for only $197 + gst

Kristine Lauria is an American Midwife who apprenticed with Amish Midwives and attended births for 17 years before getting a ‘formal' midwifery qualification. This paired with her training as a paramedic formed the basis for her work as a homebirth midwife and humanitarian aid Midwife with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF/Doctors without Borders) and as a trainer with Breech without Borders. Kristine is the only Midwife I have ever heard of to attend not one but two triplet births at home. I invite you to learn from her here and through her other online resources @globalmidwife64 and read of her incredible stories from the field at her blog https://midwifewithoutboundaries.wordpress.com/ If you are interested in learning more about breech birth and gathering skills The convergence of rebellious midwives conference happening in August 2024 in Sydney Australia welcomes Dr Stuart Fischbein who will be speaking on the physiological and complex breech. You can find tickets and info for this event here If you are interested in the Breech without borders training Kristine refers to in this episode, you'll find all the details here To get on the mailing list for the podcast and to access the resource folders for each episode, visit www.melaniethemidwife.com Premium podcast members Hub Being a premium podcast member gives you access to the transcript and additional resources for each episode AND the 'ask Mel a question' button so you can submit questions for the monthly 'Ask me anything' episode. Only available in the premium podcast members hub Find out all the details here You can find out more about Mel @melaniethemidwife Disclaimer: The information and resources provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute or replace medical or midwifery advice. Instead, all information provided is intended for education, with it's application intended for discussion between yourself and your care provider and/or workplace if you are a health professional. The Great Birth Rebellion podcast reserves the right to supplement, edit, change, delete any information at any time. Whilst we have tried to maintain accuracy and completeness of information, we do not warrant or guarantee the accuracy or currency of the information. The podcast accepts no liability for any loss, damage or unfavourable outcomes howsoever arising out of the use or reliance on the content. This podcast is not a replacement for midwifery or medical clinical care.

Got a show or guest idea? Send us a text!In this episode of the Remedy Revolution podcast, we are joined by the esteemed Dr. Stuart Fischbein, an OB/GYN who has passionately dedicated the latter part of his career to advocating for competent midwifery care and homebirth. Dr. Fischbein is the visionary behind the "Birthing Instincts" website and podcast, where he fervently discusses the downfalls of overmedicalization and over standardization in pregnancy and birth. Through his work, he aims to shed light on the benefits of a more natural and instinct-driven approach to childbirth. You can explore more about Dr. Fischbein's work and insights on his Birthing Instincts website: https://birthinginstincts.comOur conversation delves deeply into the critical statistics and outcomes associated with home births. Dr. Fischbein presents compelling data that underscores the safety and effectiveness of home births when they are managed by skilled professionals. He articulates the importance of evidence-based practices and highlights how properly supported home births can lead to positive outcomes for both mothers and babies. By examining these statistics, Dr. Fischbein makes a strong case for the integration of home birth practices into mainstream maternity care, challenging the conventional medicalized approach that often dominates the field.A significant portion of our discussion focuses on the essential collaboration between proficient OB/GYNs and experienced home birth midwives. Dr. Fischbein emphasizes that a synergistic relationship between these two groups of professionals is crucial to ensure the best possible outcomes for mothers and their newborns. He advocates for a model of care where the expertise of obstetricians is harmoniously combined with the personalized and holistic approach of midwives, thereby providing a comprehensive and supportive birthing experience.In addition to exploring these important themes, this episode also highlights the broader implications of Dr. Fischbein's work. By sharing his insights and expertise, he aims to inspire a reevaluation of current practices in maternity care and promote a more balanced, instinct-driven approach to childbirth. His advocacy is a call to action for healthcare providers and expecting parents alike to consider alternative, evidence-based options for birth that prioritize the health and well-being of both mother and child.For more information on the host of Remedy Revolution, Erin Paige, and her work as a homeopath, you can visit her Heartwing Healing website https://heartwinghealing.com. This episode is a rich exploration of innovative perspectives in maternity care, offering valuable insights for anyone interested in the future of childbirth practices.

Welcome to the Doulas Uncensored Podcast! Join hosts Sammy Griffin and Moran Liviani as they embark on this journey of exploration, education, and empowerment. In this episode we speak with Dr. Stuart Fischbein who is a dedicated Obstetrician with a focus on community-centred care. He is an associate of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and the published author of 'Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, a Midwife and a Mom'. He has contributed extensively to the field with peer reviewed papers such as 'Homebirth with an Obstetrician" and "Breech birth at home: outcomes of 60 breech and 109 cephalic planned home and birth centre births'. After completing his residency at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, Dr Stu dedicated 24 years to assisting women with hospital birthing. For the past 13 years, he has transitioned to serving as a home-birth Obstetrician, working closely with midwives. Dr Stu is renowned for his global advocacy work, traveling as a lecturer and educator, particularly focusing on reteaching breech & twin birth skills, promoting respect and normalcy of birth and emphasising informed consent.  You can find Dr Stu on instagram @birthinginstincts and listen to the Birthing Instincts Podcast where he shares insights alongside Midwife Blyss Young. You can also find his website here for more info. Dr Stu references some books and documentaries in this podcast as below: The Psychology of Totalitarianism Dissolving Illusions Vax / Unvaxxed Turtles all the way down The Moth in the Iron Lung Crooked Man Made Disease Explained The Autism Vaccine Business of Being Born Documentary Born at Home Documentary Why Not Home Documentary Heads Up Documentary So, sit back, relax, and let's uncover the untold stories, insights, and wisdom together on Doulas Uncensored. Sammy Griffin: sammygriffinbirthsupport.com Moran Liviani: 2life.com.au   Disclaimer: Welcome to the Doulas Uncensored podcast! Before we dive into our episodes, we want to make sure we're all on the same page. First and foremost, while we strive to provide valuable information and resources, it's important to understand that the content shared on this podcast is not intended to serve as a substitute for medical or clinical advice. Our aim is to educate and inform, with the understanding that any application of this knowledge should be discussed with your healthcare provider. Additionally, please note that the content of our podcast may be supplemented, edited, or updated at any time. While we make every effort to maintain accuracy and completeness, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or currency of the information provided. Therefore, we accept no liability for any loss, damage, or unfavourable outcomes that may result from the use or reliance on the content presented here. Thank you for your understanding and for joining us on this journey of discovery and discussion!

In this episode, Dr. Tony Ebel interviews Dr. Stuart Fischbein, an experienced obstetrician who has worked both in the traditional hospital setting and as a home birth doctor. They discuss the problems with the current medicalized model of prenatal care and birth, and how it often leads to unnecessary interventions, anxiety, and poorer outcomes for mothers and babies. Dr. Stu emphasizes the importance of the midwifery model of care that focuses on empowering women and supporting physiological birth. The doctors also talk about how early birth practices and environment shape a child's lifelong health by impacting their nervous system and microbiome development.Key Topics Covered:00:00:29 - Dr. Tony introduces Dr. Stuart Fischbein and his background working in both hospital and home birth settings 00:05:27 - What led Dr. Stu to choose obstetrics as his specialty 00:11:08 - Doctors discuss the longitudinal relationships they build with families in their practices 00:15:36 - The maternal-fetal medicine model of care that treats every pregnancy as high-risk 00:19:22 - Dr. Stu's perspective on what has gone wrong with the medical model of birth 00:28:25 - Using outcomes to evaluate the success of the medical model of obstetrics 00:32:58 - Dr. Tony's realization of how the prenatal and birth environment shapes a child's nervous system and sets the stage for chronic health issues 00:39:26 - The importance of proactive prenatal preparation to avoid getting sucked into the medical fear-based model 00:50:40 - Fiduciary duty of doctors vs hospital administrators and the resulting conflicts of interest 00:57:09 - Dr. Tony's closing thoughts on saving individual families by helping them find empowering, supportive care providers 00:58:10 - Dr. Stu's advice to question consensus and "expert opinions", and instead look at actual outcomes 01:02:15 - Where to find Dr. Stu's work and resources he offers for parents and professionalsFollow Dr. Stu on SocialsInstagram @birthinginstinctsWebsites:http://www.birthinginstincts.comwww.birthinginstinctspodcast.com-- Follow us on Socials: Instagram: @pxdocs Facebook: Dr. Tony Ebel & The PX Docs Network Youtube: The PX Docs For more information, visit PXDocs.com to read informative articles about the power of Neurologically-Focused Chiropractic Care. To attend the next live Webinar: https://www.thepxdocs.com Find a PX Doc Office near me: PX DOCS Directory Subscribe, share, and stay tuned for more incredible episodes unpacking the power of Nervous System focused care for children!

In this episode… Mom of 6, author, and NREMT, Jessica Gray, chats with Karen about her FIVE vaginal breech births. This unique experience ultimately led to her founding the #breechnation movement - a community of encouragement and education dedicated to informing the world that breech birth isn't a problem! She is co-author of the upcoming 2024 book, The Breech Book, which will be a complete guide to having a safe and successful breech birth and will include an incredible compilation of breech birth stories! Connect with Karen on Instagram @painfreebirthStay in the loop with Pain Free Birth and become a PFB Insider HERE! Did you know Karen has a module inside the Pain Free Birth E-Course dedicated to Breech & Twins?! She discusses all things breech birth with Dr. Stuart Fischbein in this amazing bonus content. Get 10% off the PFB E-Course with this exclusive link for podcast listeners only >>HERE

In this episode… Karen sits down with renowned Home Birth Obstetrician, Dr. Stuart Fischbein, to discuss the serious flaws in the medical model of care today. With over 40 years of professional experience, mainly specializing in vaginal breech and twin birth, he now travels the world educating birth workers and advocating for the midwifery model of care - a true pioneer in the birthing world. Dr. Stu gets straight to the point addressing some of the most hot button questions you want answers to, such as: What does “high risk” actually mean? Is home birth safe? When is induction really necessary? What about preeclampsia? Connect with Karen on Instagram @painfreebirth Get the latest PFB Freebie: Questions To Ask Your Birth Provider HERE! Stay in the loop with Pain Free Birth and become a PFB Insider HERE! Thanks for listening! Get 10% off the Pain Free Birth E-Course HERE! Connect with Dr. Stu:@birthinginstinctsbirthinginstincts.com

In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Stu Fischbein for his third appearance on  Down to Birth Show. We start the conversation by catching up on some of the latest problems occurring on the birth scene including VBACs, aspirin in pregnancy, the monetization of birth, late pregnancy ultrasounds, big babies, and due dates, before we get into the meat of the episode on Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR). Dr. Stu shares a letter from one of his followers regarding her IUGR diagnosis resulting in an induction at 37 weeks for a 4-pound 14-ounce baby,  which launches into a conversation around what IUGR is anyway and the actual risk of IUGR.  Would that baby have been better off staying in utero for a few more weeks? How can you know postpartum if the baby was in fact IUGR? There are so many nuggets of great information dropped throughout this episode. You don't miss this one! And for more with Dr. Stu, catch episodes #111 & #128.Dr. Stu Fischbein & Birthing InstinctsDr. Stu on Instagram#128 | Vaginal Breech Birth with Dr. Stu of Birthing Instincts: Why It's Safer Than you Think#111 | The Obstetric Model of Care vs. the Midwifery Model of Care: Interview with Dr. Stuart Fischbein, MD**********Down to Birth is sponsored by:DrinkLMNT -- Purchase LMNT with this link today and receive a free sample kit.Silverette Nursing Cups -- Soothe and heal sore nipples with 925 silver nursing cups.Postpartum Soothe -- Herbs and padsicles to heal and comfort.Needed -- Optimal nutritional products to nourish yourself before, during, and after pregnancy Connect with us on Patreon for our exclusive content.Email Contact@DownToBirthShow.comInstagram @downtobirthshowCall us at 802-GET-DOWN Work with Cynthia: 203-952-7299 HypnoBirthingCT.com Work with Trisha: 734-649-6294 Please remember we don't provide medical advice. Speak to your licensed medical provider for all your healthcare matters.

Ep 90 Description:  “Midwives are trained that pregnancy is a normal function of the human body, it's wellness that occasionally goes wrong, as opposed to the doctors who think it's an illness that occasionally goes right.” —Dr. Stuart Fischbein   At times, the medicalized one-size-fits-all model can fall short. For far too long, childbirth has been dominated by rigid medical protocols that prioritize efficiency over empowering each woman's unique needs. However, true safety lies in respecting birth as a natural process and supporting each mother's physical and emotional well-being. By embracing uncertainty and honoring a woman's innate wisdom, the system can shift from fear to trust— empowering all who bring new life into this world.    This week, Debra sits with Dr. Stuart Fischbein to share an insightful look at shifting from a fear-based model of childbirth to one that is truly woman-centered. For over 40 years, Dr. Stuart Fischbein practiced obstetrics within a medicalized system, only to realize it fell short of empowering women and honoring birth as a natural process. Through his collaboration with midwives and experiences attending home births, Dr. Fischbein underwent a profound transformation in his approach.  In this candid discussion, he draws from his unique perspective within both the medical and midwifery worlds to shed light on how interventions are too often prioritized over informed consent. Join in as Debra and Dr. Stu discuss the differences between midwifery and physician training, limitations of the modern hospital system, criticisms of home birth safety, the role of doctors and midwives in medicalized birth, the issue around disregard for individualized care, unnecessary medical interventions, and finding a good team for an empowered birth experience.   Connect with Debra! Website Instagram  X  YouTube Tik Tok Linkedin  Episode Highlights: 03:06 Transitioning to Midwifery Model  06:12 The Limitations of Hospital Births  15:07 Midwifery vs Medical Model in Childbirth 20:58 Home Birth Safety vs Hospital Birth Safety 23:25 Informed Consent in Childbirth 28:38 Natural Birth Practices and Challenges 34:05 Women Deserve All Reasonable Options      

In the last episode of season 7, I chatted to Dr Stuart Fischbein about home birth. Is it really safe? What are the risks? Should we be avoiding the hospital? Thanks Dr Stu for chatting with me. Season 8 will be out in April 2024. Follow Dr Stu on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/birthinginstincts/ Find his website here https://www.birthinginstincts.com/  To learn more about my doula packages visit https://www.thenurturenest.co.uk/doula-servies To purchase one of my courses, please visit https://www.thenurturenest.co.uk/courses To buy a copy of my book visit https://www.thenurturenest.co.uk/product-page/the-little-book-of-positive-birth-stories OR On Amazon here https://tinyurl.com/2dhp2xf3  If you have benefitted from this podcast and would like to say thanks, you can now buy me a coffee! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thenurturenest View my birthy book recommendations here https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/influencer-e2ad919d  Follow me on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/the_nurture_nest/ Follow me on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/thenurturenesthypno Get 10% off your birth pool here https://go.referralcandy.com/share/JKHGBJ3 Get 10% off a BabyCare TENS Machine. USE CODE 10NURTURENEST http://babycaretens.com?afmc=46

Jessica shares the story of her unmedicated vaginal breech birth in a hospital setting. She discusses the numerous challenges she faced during her pregnancy, including finding a provider who was supportive of a vaginal breech birth, and the immense amount of research she conducted to feel safe and confident in her choice. She references resources such as Breech Without Borders and expert Dr. Stuart Fischbein. Jessica also describes her mental preparation and the importance of trusting her body. Despite starting out as a stressful journey, Jessica's birth shines as an example of informed, empowered decision-making for a positive outcome! 00:00 Introduction 01:26 The Journey of Pregnancy and Birth Preparation 03:30 Labor Starts! 04:10 The Birth Story: A Dream Come True 15:58 The Aftermath: Reflections and Learnings 16:11 The Importance of Research and Confidence in Breech Birth 28:59 The Role of Fitness in Postpartum Recovery 30:38 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Hello, and thank you for joining me for today's podcast.  Whether you're pregnant, you've got a baby in your arms or a child at school. Whether you are a birth worker or an allied health practitioner, you will find this conversation very interesting.  I believe it is important to have conversations with people who think differently, especially those who are curious. People who speak their minds and research outside the mainstream narrative.  Dr. Stuart Fischbein has been an obstetrician in America since 1986. After working in the standard medical model at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, California, he now practices community-based birthing. He works directly with home birthing midwives through www.birthinginstincts.com to offer hope for those women who prefer and respect a natural birthing environment and cannot find supportive practitioners for VBAC, twin and breech deliveries. He is an outspoken advocate of informed decision-making, the midwifery model of care and human rights in childbirth, receiving the 2016 “Most Audacious” award from HRIC.  He has spoken internationally on breech and vaginal birth after cesarean section. He has appeared in many documentaries, including: “More Business of Being Born”, “Happy Healthy Child”, “Reducing Infant Mortality”, “Heads Up: The Disappearing Art of Vaginal Breech Delivery” and multiple YouTube videos discussing birth choices and respect for patient autonomy and decision making. He has the goals of improving collaboration amongst the differing professions in the birthing world and the re-teaching of the core skills, such as breech and twin vaginal birth, that make the speciality of obstetrics unique. One of the most challenging conversations I have during She Births is informing people that your body is your own and only you can decide what to do with it, even during pregnancy and birth. The second uncomfortable truth is that so-called evidence-based care is a term that gets bandied about a lot in search of status and prestige and power, but in truth, health care varies from practitioner to practitioner. From hospital to hospital. From country to country. In today's conversation, Dr Stu and I explore how the medico-industrial complex is more likely to be influencing the policy and therefore the suggestions, trickling down into advice and maybe even coercion that is given to us during pregnancy and birth.  Different policies flow down to us as consumers from the private companies that own the hospital as to whether we are allowed to birth in water for example. An insurance company that covers an OB may be the determining factor as to whether you are offered a VBAC.  We need to do our own research and choose. Just because someone says so, does not make it so for you.  Right now we are living in an age of disinformation and misinformation, and as the powers that be seem to continually try to confuse us and divide us. We're going to have to come back to ourselves.  We talk about the medico-industrial complex  How informed consent is not able to happen in our current model of healthcare Medical induction, the reality of due dates and the ARRIVE trial Natural breech births and other so called high risk mums being offered more choice The risks of multiple ultrasounds, the label of growth restriction and realising what ais happening redefining risks within maternal foetal medicine How continuous monitoring of labour and tracking the time of labour increases c-section rates And finally my favourite part is seeing this system vs consumers as a Star Wars battle. We also lean into a vision that has hope. I hope you enjoy today's conversation with Dr. Stu - sending lots of love across the ethers to you and your family. If you feel passionate like I do, and you want to help families have better births then reach out and join me in our upcoming training. Become a wise woman of birth and help others find their own way. I also will be holding a Wise Woman Retreat towards the end of the year.

Stuart J. Fischbein MD is a community-based practicing obstetrician and an Associate of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology, published author of the book “Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, A Midwife and A Mom” and peer-reviewed papers Homebirth with an Obstetrician, A Series of 135 Out of Hospital Births and Breech birth at home: outcomes of 60 breech and 109 cephalic planned home and birth center births. After completing his residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA, Dr. Stu spent 24 years assisting women with hospital birthing and, for the last 13 years, has been a homebirth obstetrician who works directly with midwives. Dr. Stu travels around the world as a lecturer and advocates for reteaching breech & twin birth skills, respect for the normalcy of birth, and honoring informed consent.Follow him on Instagram @birthinginstincts and at The Birthing Instincts Podcast with midwife Blyss Young as he offers hope, reassurance, and safe, honest evidence-supported choices for those women who understand pregnancy is a normal bodily function not to be feared. His website is www.birthinginstincts.comSome Resources mentioned:Moth in the Iron LungCrooked: Man-Made Disease Explained:International Cesarean Awareness Network: https://www.ican-online.org/Step-by-step roadmap to help you plan for your VBAC:  Free VBAC Success RoadmapConnect with me, Petra ⤵️Instagram:@birthing_come_trueFacebook: Birthing Come TrueWebsite: Birthingcometrue.comEmail: Petra@birthingcometrue.comDon't forget to subscribe to The VBAC Junkie Podcast for more empowering conversations and insights on all things birth-related.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------       Let's Connect!✨ The VBAC Junkie Website: www.birthingcometrue.com/thebirthjunkiepodcast✨ Follow me on Instagram: @thevbacjunkiepodcast and @Birthing_Come_TrueI'd so appreciate it if you'd rate and review this show wherever you're listening from. I'm grateful you've taken time out of your day to listen, thank you!

In today's conclusion of my interview with Dr. Stuart Fischbein (from the Birthing Instincts podcast with Blyss Young), we talk about the intricacies of God's design, the new postpartum depression pill, "jabs", exposure to heavy metals, and Dr. Stu's recommendations for how to have the best chance to have a natural birth.     Helpful Links:   2 WAYS TO WORK WITH LORI:   --> Sign up HERE for the Your Birth, God's Way Online Christian Childbirth Course! This is a COMPLETE childbirth education course with a God-led foundation taught by a certified nurse-midwife with over 20 years of experience in all sides of the maternity world conducted LIVE this summer.  Learn more or sign up HERE!   --> Sign up for your PERSONALIZED Pregnancy Coaching Midwife & Me Power Hour HERE These consults can include: birth plan consultation, past birth processing, second opinions, breastfeeding consultation, and so much more!  Think of it as a special, one-hour appointment with a midwife to discuss whatever your concerns may be without any bias of practice policy or insurance policy influencing recommendations.     Lori's Recommended Resources HERE   Sign up for email updates Here   Be heard! Take My Quick SURVEY to give input on future episodes you want to hear --> https://bit.ly/yourbirthsurvey   Got questions?  Email lori@yourbirthgodsway.com     Socials: Follow Your Birth, God's Way on Instagram! Follow the Your Birth, God's Way Facebook Page! Join Our Exclusive Online Birth Community -- facebook.com/groups/yourbirthgodsway   Learn more about Lori and the podcast at yourbirthgodsway.com!   FREE Bible Study - If you die today, do you know where you're going? Can you be sure?  Let there be no doubt!  Let's study together here!   DISCLAIMER:  Remember that though I am a midwife, I am not YOUR midwife.  Nothing in this podcast shall; be construed as medical advice.  Listening to this podcast does not mean that we have entered into a patient-care provider relationship. While I strive to provide the most accurate information I can, content is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.  You must do your research and consult other reputable sources, including your provider, to make the best decision for your own care.  Talk with your own care provider before putting any information here into practice.  Weigh all risks and benefits for yourself knowing that no outcome can be guaranteed.  I do not know the specific details about your situation and thus I am not responsible for the outcomes of your choices.    Some links may be affiliate links which provide me a small commission when you purchase through them.  This does not cost you anything at all and it allows me to continue providing you with the content you love.

Today, in the second part of my interview with Dr. Stuart Fischbein, we talk about SO MUCH including the following topics: maternal intuition in pregnancy, epidurals, Michel Odent's theory of the potential impact on baby girls of pre-labor c-sections, the role of maternal oxytocin, the symphony of hormones present in pregnancy & labor, the new postpartum depression pill, what a study of colds reveals about society's attitudes toward medical care and MORE!     Helpful Links:   2 WAYS TO WORK WITH LORI:   --> Sign up HERE for the Your Birth, God's Way Online Christian Childbirth Course! This is a COMPLETE childbirth education course with a God-led foundation taught by a certified nurse-midwife with over 20 years of experience in all sides of the maternity world conducted LIVE this summer.  Learn more or sign up HERE!   --> Sign up for your PERSONALIZED Pregnancy Coaching Midwife & Me Power Hour HERE These consults can include: birth plan consultation, past birth processing, second opinions, breastfeeding consultation, and so much more!  Think of it as a special, one-hour appointment with a midwife to discuss whatever your concerns may be without any bias of practice policy or insurance policy influencing recommendations.     Lori's Recommended Resources HERE   Sign up for email updates Here   Be heard! Take My Quick SURVEY to give input on future episodes you want to hear --> https://bit.ly/yourbirthsurvey   Got questions?  Email lori@yourbirthgodsway.com     Socials: Follow Your Birth, God's Way on Instagram! Follow the Your Birth, God's Way Facebook Page! Join Our Exclusive Online Birth Community -- facebook.com/groups/yourbirthgodsway   Learn more about Lori and the podcast at yourbirthgodsway.com!   FREE Bible Study - If you die today, do you know where you're going? Can you be sure?  Let there be no doubt!  Let's study together here!   DISCLAIMER:  Remember that though I am a midwife, I am not YOUR midwife.  Nothing in this podcast shall; be construed as medical advice.  Listening to this podcast does not mean that we have entered into a patient-care provider relationship. While I strive to provide the most accurate information I can, content is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.  You must do your research and consult other reputable sources, including your provider, to make the best decision for your own care.  Talk with your own care provider before putting any information here into practice.  Weigh all risks and benefits for yourself knowing that no outcome can be guaranteed.  I do not know the specific details about your situation and thus I am not responsible for the outcomes of your choices.    Some links may be affiliate links which provide me a small commission when you purchase through them.  This does not cost you anything at all and it allows me to continue providing you with the content you love.

Michelle Wolf dives into how modern-day childbirth serves as a cash cow for hospitals at the expense of folks who want to have a baby. Michelle also sits with Dr. Stuart Fischbein, obstetrician and co-host of the "Birthing Instincts" podcast, to discuss how hospital birthing practices go against natural childbirth functions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Obstetricians are the go-to care providers when giving birth in the US, but not all OBs are created equal. How does your obstetrician's background and training impact the care you get, and is that aligned with the care you deserve? Dr. Stuart Fischbein shares his insights, the hard lessons he's gained over his career, as well as why he still does breech deliveries, VBACs, and home births.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! NEEDED - Get 20% off at ThisIsNeeded.com with code BIRTHFULHONEYLOVE - Get 20% off at HoneyLove.com/Birthful JENNI KAYNE - Get 15% off at JenniKayne.com/Birthful with code BIRTHFUL15ONESKIN - Get 15% off at https://www.OneSkin.co/ with code BIRTHFULAQUATRU - Get 20% off at AquaTru.com with code BIRTHFULTHE LACTATION NETWORK - Go to TLN.care to schedule your insurance-covered lactation consultationEARTHBREEZE - Get 40% off at EarthBreeze.com/BirthfulGet the most of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on What You Need to Know About Birth Models (Birth What?), and our episode on How to Avoid a "Cascade of Interventions."You can connect with Dr. Stu on Instagram @birthinginstincts. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign up for Adriana's Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course at BirthfulCourses.com.Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.Our Sponsors:* Visit HomeThreads.com/BIRTHFUL today and get a 15% off code for your first order!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Michelle Wolf responds to the latest news including Elon Musk telling boycotting advertisers to go f**k themselves, France banning smoking at various outdoor locations, and Ronny Chieng and Michael Kosta join to discuss Henry Kissinger's death. Ever wondered why childbirth is so expensive? It's because like everything in America, healthcare is a business and hospitals look at the uterus like it's an ATM. Michelle Wolf tackles the U.S.'s birthing industrial complex in the latest “Long Story Short.” And Dr. Stuart Fischbein, a community-based practicing obstetrician and co-host of the Birthing Instincts podcast, discusses how hospital birthing practices can be counterintuitive to natural childbirth functions, both out of fear and out of financial interest, and Michelle Wolf shares her own experience doing a home birth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we tease out the many reasons for cesarean birth versus vaginal birth - some warranted and some the cause of an impatient modern medical system. We walk you through how to prepare for a cesarean if you know you are having one, and some tips for the quick moments before a potentially unplanned cesarean as well. Dr. Leah shares her unique perspective on her homebirth turned cesarean, and how a frameshift helped her find moments of peace in the OR. We discuss our top tips for thorough healing and recovery, with many practical tips and resources sprinkled throughout. We hope you find value in this episode, whether it's for your preparation or your emotional and physical healing afterwards. Let's dive in.   RESOURCES MENTIONED: Birth Documentary: The Business of Being Born Breech information via Dr. Stuart Fischbein http://www.birthinginstincts.com/breech-birth-information  Breech Documentary: Heads Up Evidence Based Birth article on “big babies” https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-induction-or-c-section-for-big-baby/  Dr. Leah's Birth Story episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/20-home-birth-turned-c-section-dr-leahs-birth-story/id1663942916?i=1000613406262  Magnesium types mentioned: Triple Mag by Vital Nutrients, Calm Powder by Natural Vitality  Homeopathics for symptom management mentioned: Arnica montana 30C, Aconitum nappellus 30C, Ignatia amara 30C, Bellis perennis 30C, Carbo veg 30C Evivo probiotics great for cesarean born babies https://www.evivo.com/  Klaire Labs ABX Support for post-antibiotic usage for mom Reverse pressure softening for engorgement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJYZrAG6cRA  VBAC resources: https://www.thevbaclink.com/  https://www.ican-online.org/  Mental emotional processing / birth trauma resources Rebirthing exercises https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/birth-reclaiming-ceremony/ Home Birth Cesarean book and the companion workbook, Healing from a Homebirth Cesarean Body workers who are trauma informed and familiar with rebirthing for the baby Birth trauma resources: Alice Pickering, @postpartumlink EMDR, local therapy @thebirthtrauma_mama @theteaonbirthtrauma https://www.postpartum.net/ https://pattch.org/birth-trauma-resources/   DOCTOR'S WEBSITES Dr. Leah's website: www.womanhoodwellness.com  Dr. Leah's IG: https://www.instagram.com/drleahgordon/  Dr. Morgan's website: www.milkmedicine.com  Dr. Morgan's IG: https://www.instagram.com/morganmacdermott/   

Twins occur in 1 out of 35 pregnancies! If you are expecting twins, you'll likely automatically be labeled high risk. But Dr. Stuart Fischbein has training & experience that says otherwise. Dr. Stu from Birthing Instincts explains much of this to us in this episode! He covers:Different types of twinsPotential risksWhy most providers treat twins as high riskHow to find a good providerAnd more!Resources Mentioned:Birthing Instincts WebsiteFearless Pregnancy bookBirthing Instincts podcastNOW IT'S YOUR TURN! Support the show! The NaturalBirth Site SIGN UP for the NaturalBirth Education course to best prepare your body & mind for natural birth Read natural birth stories- and submit your own Share with anyone interested in natural birth Share our podcast with anyone you know who is interested in natural birth! "Like" our Facebook and Instagram pages Subscribe to our YouTube Channel Check out our HELPFUL PRODUCTS GUIDE

For Episode 146 of the Wealth On Any Income Podcast, Rennie is joined by Dr. Stuart Fischbein. Known as Dr. Stu, he has been a practicing obstetrician for over 40 years. He is co-author of the book “Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, A Midwife and A Mom” and peer-reviewed papers on home birth and breech birth. Dr. Stu has spent 24 years assisting women with hospital birthing and hosts The Birthing Instincts Podcast.For the last 13 years, Dr. Stuart Fischbein has been the only home birth obstetrician in CA who works directly with midwives. He also travels around the world as a lecturer and advocate for re-teaching breech & twin birth skills, respect for the normalcy of birth, and honoring informed consent. Wondering what this has to do with building wealth and Complete Financial Choice®? Listen in and find out how your decisions around birthing options can impact your health and your wealth. In this episode, Rennie and Dr. Stu cover:02:00 How Rennie and Dr. Stu met and why Rennie felt this was an important topic for his podcast.02:51 Dr. Stu's professional background and his personal journey learning about midwifery and the birthing world.04:48 Why using the word client instead of patient is important in empowering an expectant mother.05:39 How Dr. Stu found a different way of doing things and how he chose to embrace it.09:01 The many things Dr. Stu does to give back, including supporting the Physicians for Informed Consent, the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons, and FLCCC.11:51 How the C-section rate in the US has increased and why.15:44 The financial implications to consider if a woman adopts a more natural approach to childbirth. Looking at childbirth as a major life event – like a wedding is.17:02 The cost of childbirth or C-section vs. the average cost of a home birth.19:41 Why home births are not covered by insurance and why that is a good thing!20:40 Why the money spent on your home birth is money well spent for you and your family - there is an incalculable financial cost to giving birth dramatically at the hospital.22:52 How to get some resources from Dr. Stu on his website https://birthinginstincts.com including The Birthing Instincts Podcast and his blog. “What we need to do is back up, and we need to rethink of how we look at pregnancy and childbearing, not as a medical problem, but as a life event. And if you look at it as a life event - we use this analogy all the time - that two of the most important events in a woman's life are her wedding day and the birth of her children. For your wedding day, you plan everything. You plan the color of the napkins, you pick out your invitation list. You pick out what kind of cake you want. You pick out the venue. You do all these things, you invite people that you love. For your birth, you got your Medicaid card, or you got your Blue Cross card and you say, ‘Ah, this guy has been doing my pap smear for 10 years, I'll just go to him'. And you abdicate all these things to a third party who has no interest in your life event.” – Dr. Stu FischbeinTo listen to The Birthing Instincts Podcast visit https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birthing-instincts/id1552816683 or read Dr. Stu's blog at https://www.birthinginstincts.com/blogTo learn more about Dr. Stu visit his website at https://birthinginstincts.com. If you'd like to know how books, movies, and society programs you to be poor, and what the cure is visit wealthonanyincome.com/tedx. You'll hear Rennie's TEDx talk and can request a free 27-page Roadmap to Complete Financial Choice® and receive a weekly email with tips, techniques, or inspiration around your business or money. AND if you'd like to see how you can increase your wealth and donate to the causes that touch your heart. Please check out our affordable program ‘Wealth with Purpose'.Rennie's Books and Programshttps://wealthonanyincome.com/books/Wealth with Purpose:https://wealthonanyincome.com/wealthwithpurposeRennie's 9 Days to Financial Freedom program:https://wealthonanyincome.com/programsConnect with Rennie Websites:WealthOnAnyIncome.comRennieGabriel.comEmail: Rennie@WealthOnAnyIncome.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/renniegabriel/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WealthOnAnyIncome/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RennieGabrielYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdIkYMOuvzHQqVXe4e_L8PgInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/wealthonanyincome/

Episode 16: Breech Birth with Dr. Stu Fischbein In this episode, we will chat with Dr. Stuart Fischbein of Birthing Instincts and Vaginal Rebirth about his experience transitioning from an obstetrician in a hospital setting to a private practice supporting home births. We will discuss how breech positioning should be treated as a variation of normal vaginal birth, but finding skilled and like-minded providers has become less and less common in the United States. In this episode, we discuss: Dr. Stu shares his perspective as an OBGYN on why this decline has occurred Risks and benefits associated with both a vaginal and cesarean breech birth How certain medical studies can influence practices Questions and criteria to discuss with your provider regarding breech positioning Find Dr. Stu's Birthing Instincts website, blog, and podcast HERE! Prepare for your birth with us: ⁠⁠⁠Childbirth Education Courses⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Prenatal Fitness Programs⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Pelvic Floor Prep for Birth⁠⁠⁠ Check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠website here⁠⁠⁠⁠, our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram here⁠⁠⁠⁠, and our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook here⁠⁠⁠⁠! This podcast is sponsored by: Needed is a nutrition company focused on optimal nourishment for your perinatal journey.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠Use code MAMASTEPOD for 20% off your first order or three months of subscription.

Don't let anyone make fun of you for making a birth plan. In this episode, we talk about the idea and energetics of writing a birth plan, all of the various components to consider adding, as well as some philosophy on flexibility during birth. We dive into various newborn and mother-based interventions to be aware so that you, your partner, and any labor support people can be on the same page in advocating for the choices you want for you and your baby. We cover a LOT, so you may want to re-listen, or take notes. Let's dive in!   RESOURCES Dr. Stuart Fischbein http://www.birthinginstincts.com/ and his podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/birthing-instincts/id1552816683   DOCTOR'S WEBSITES   Dr. Morgan's website: www.milkmedicine.com Dr. Morgan's IG: https://www.instagram.com/morganmacdermott/ Dr. Leah's website: www.womanhoodwellness.com  Dr. Leah's IG: https://www.instagram.com/drleahgordon/ 

Birth is one of the most sacred and important experiences in a mother's life and every woman has the right to true informed consent and refusal in the birthing process. Too often women are not given all their options with unbiased information but are instead coerced into decisions that benefit the doctor's convenience, our broken medical system, and their pockets.  Dr Stuart Fischbein, a rare gem in the world of physicians. packs this episode with information on making informed choices and ensuring bodily autonomy in the birthing process. He's a practicing obstetrician since 1986 who supports VBAC and specializes in community based natural breech & twin birthing and is a strong believer in the midwifery model of care. He travels around the country and internationally teaching the disappearing art of breech delivery and his podcast, Birthing Instincts, is helping women all over the world reclaim their power in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. This episode covers: Dr. Stu's story from being a practicing OBGYN in the hospital to assisting midwives at home with breech and twin deliveries Problems with our standard medical birthing model The cascade of interventions that happen in a hospital setting The prevalence of personal bias in scientific papers and poorly controlled research Red flags when choosing a practitioner Birth as a medical problem versus a normal natural function of the human female body VBAC safety vs risk Vaginal breech and Twin delivery The rise in cesarean deliveries And so much more Sponsor: Get this OSEA limited-edition set and support this mother-daughter brand by using my code ELLENGLOW ⁠https://oseamalibu.com/products/golden-glow-body-trio?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=influencer&utm_campaign=032023_MOTHERSDAY_ELLENFISHER⁠ Get The Empowered Pregnancy & Birth Course here: ⁠https://go.theempoweredbirth.com/ellen WHERE TO FIND ME ⁠⁠⁠My birth course⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠My ebooks⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Watch the podcast⁠

Blyss Young is a seasoned home birth midwife who has so much knowledge, experience, and a special heart for VBAC. Blyss hosts her own podcast, Birthing Instincts, alongside her cohost Dr. Stuart Fischbein where they normalize physiologic birth outside of the hospital.We asked our VBAC community what questions you have for a midwife who supports home births after Cesarean and Blyss has answers! You will leave feeling inspired, educated, supported, and loved for whatever your birthing choices may be after listening to this beautiful discussion. We absolutely adore Blyss and know you will too!Additional LinksBlyss' WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsThe VBAC Link Facebook CommunityFull Transcript under Episode DetailsMeagan: Hello, hello women of strength. It is Wednesday. Actually, it's Monday the day of this episode and we are coming at you with another Cesarean Awareness Episode. I am so excited to be doing extra episodes this month. Today we have our friend Blyss Young. You guys, if you don't follow her and her podcast with Dr. Stu, you need to do that right now. Push pause and go find them because they are amazing. They are a wealth of knowledge. They just make me smile. I feel like every time I'm done listening to an episode, my face hurts because I've just been smiling. Really, though. I remember I fell in love with Blyss and Stu years and years ago. We've been so fortunate to have them on the podcast before and Blyss agreed today to be on the podcast blessing you again with her wealth of knowledge and answering some of your questions. We put out in The VBAC Link Community, “What questions do you have for a midwife?” and we got quite a few surrounding home birth. I know this might sound like a really heavy month of talking about home birth because Julie and I got a little salt at the beginning of April talking about a home birth but it's just such an important topic that a lot of people don't know is an option. Review of the WeekSo we're excited to dive into today's episode with cute Blyss but of course, I have a review of the week that I would like to read. The title says, “Thank You” and it's from cara05. It says, “I just wanted to drop a review and say thank you. Because of listening to some of your podcasts, I felt empowered to talk to my OBGYN about skipping the repeat Cesarean in the event that I go past my due date. This was something I had in my head that I really wanted. Opting for induction to still try for a VBAC was important. She was and just over all of this so supportive.” Sorry, that was a little weird for me to read.“She was so supportive of the idea and totally on board which helped me get more excited about championing–” Blyss, I can't read this morning. Sorry, Cara. “--this VBAC so thank you.” Oh, man. This is where Julie always would come in handy. She would really read reviews really well. So going on and having her VBAC. Congrats, Cara, for feeling empowered and that you were able to talk to your OBGYN. This is something that is so important whether you are a VBAC mom or not. We want to have a good relationship with our provider and we want to make sure that we can have those tough conversations. When they may be suggesting induction or a repeat Cesarean for going past your due date, but if something in your heart is telling you no or you are seeing the evidence and you're like, “That doesn't feel right,” have those conversations. I encourage you to have those conversations with your providers. I mean, is there anything that you would say to that as well with being a provider in the world? I feel like as a provider in my head, I would want someone to tell me their thoughts and feelings. Blyss: My relationship with my clients is very intimate. Meagan: It is. Blyss: Yeah. One of my teachers, Elizabeth Davis, who wrote Heart and Hand is a longtime midwife and teacher. She talks about the more we do prenatally, the less we have to do in labor. So I feel like that relationship that we have and hearing the internal landscape of the client is so important because when we are in labor, our body responds. Our hormones respond to feeling safe and having trust and being able to really relax. That's true for every one of my clients but especially with my VBAC clients because they have another level of trauma many times that they are having to go with. That could be their experience that happened in the hospital or maybe they were transported from a home birth and had a Cesarean. And then there's that level of, “Does my body really work? Can I trust my instincts?” So the more that we can dialog about those things and start to really pull that apart and work with them prenatally, I feel like the better chances we have in having that successful experience. Meagan: Yeah, absolutely. I will never forget it. I transferred to my midwife at 24 weeks with my third, my son, my VBAC baby. I just remember looking forward to those days when I got to go see my midwife because I would be feeling angst and hearing all of the static in the world. I remember just walking and she would always greet me with a hug and say, “How are you doing today? What do we need to talk about?” We talked. We dissected those fears and really talked about the things that were going through my mind at that time. I remember always leaving, going with a weight on my shoulders and leaving just feeling refreshed and more connected to her. Blyss: Yeah. Meagan: I think it's important. I know that it's hard in the system because we have providers that are restricted on time. They have so many patients. They've got bogged schedules. They're tired so it's a little harder for them to be more intimate, but I still encourage our listeners to have those conversations, to let them know where you're at so like you said, you can work through it prenatally so that during the birth, those things aren't coming up. We talk about that in our course. VBAC can be different and need more time prenatally. So yeah. If we don't do those things ahead of time, it can definitely impact us during labor. Blyss: Yeah. You know, expect that kind of care. You're not getting that kind of care if you're not feeling the way that you just described when you leave your provider's office. Start to think about what it is that you really want. I know not everybody has the option to either financially or because of availability be able to work with a midwife necessarily, but plan to have somebody on your team that you do feel can support you that way whether it's a doula or maybe doing some concurrent care with a midwife in your area where she can hold the space for you and give you those positive feelings that can help prepare you for your delivery.Meagan: Absolutely. Talking about that, I did dual care for just a little bit as I was debating a little bit and figuring out logistics. Just doing dual care made me feel so much better. I would go to one place and hear one thing and then go to the other and have to work through that. She did have the time and the resources to provide me with that comfort. I love it. Q&A with Blyss YoungMeagan: Okay, well like I said, we have some questions and I think they are really good questions from our listeners. We'll just dive into those if you don't mind and then feel free if we need to stagger away from them on any other topics or passions. This is one of the questions actually that was put in. We talked about this right before we jumped on. What is a CPM versus CNM or a licensed midwife? There are so many questions that people ask. There is a myth that CPMs are not qualified or able to handle VBAC and especially HBAC. I feel like this is the big myth. If you wouldn't mind, could we debunk this a little bit? I don't necessarily agree with that. Blyss: Yeah. I think it all comes down to what you feel aligns best with your values. Just so you understand a little bit about how we're trained. Certified professional midwives, our licensing body is different across the United States. This is one of the problems with our systems whereas we look at other European countries where midwives are integrated into the medical system, we don't really have it together in that way here in the States. The licensure is different from state to state depending on the local jurisdiction. CPMs' certification is our national certification. I practice here in California so when I take my board exams, I'm licensed by the medical board. It's the same licensing board that licenses OBs that gives me my exams. I take my exam and I take the CPM and the LM. That may not be the case across the country. We learn our bookwork and then we have an apprenticeship. We work side by side with midwives or doctors to learn our hands-on skills and then we take a board exam similar to many doctors and nurses and people like that who have this professional capacity. A CNM is a certified nurse midwife. They are licensed by the nursing board and they become nurses first and then have their specialty added to it of midwifery. As professional midwives, all we train for is out-of-hospital birth. That is our specialty. We specialize in low-risk, normal, healthy pregnant moms and their babies. A mom who has had previous Cesarean labor and delivers exactly the same as any other mom. They have an increased consideration because they have this scar so the integrity of risk has been affected but other than that, everything is exactly in terms of their pregnancy and their labor and delivery. We absolutely are champions for these moms being able to have and experience a vaginal delivery for the healing of all of that trauma that we talk about. And also because of your long-term health as a woman who is delivering maybe multiple babies in your lifetime, it's actually much better for you to be able to have a vaginal delivery than to continue to go and have Cesareans. The benefits for the baby of being able to pass through the biome and have those mechanics that help empty their lungs as they are delivered and all of those things that the baby benefits from having physiologic birth. We are champions for that for these moms and for these families because we know. There are some things that we watch for in case there is a uterine rupture or dehiscence as we would say where the scar opens a little bit. There are things that will be a little bit different than a mom who has not had a previous surgery, but other than that, this mom is just a mom who is pregnant and wants to have her baby. So we're absolutely skilled to be able to support that. If you look at the statistics of success because a mom who has had a previous Cesarean is a TOLAC. She is desiring to have a trial of labor after a Cesarean. I lost my train of thought. Meagan: You are just fine. You were just talking about uterine rupture. We have a small increased risk but we are just having a baby as well so at home we have to pay attention to uterine rupture and dehiscence and things like that. There are signs and then you were going to the statistics. Blyss: Yeah, there are signs that we are skilled to be able to look for. Meagan: Yeah. Statistically, uterine rupture happens at 0.4-1%. It's pretty minimal but having someone who is trained in out-of-hospital birth is a little bit different but it doesn't mean that anyone is less qualified to support someone giving birth after having a previous Cesarean or previous Cesarean. Blyss: Oh, yeah. So what I was going to say and where I lost my train of thought was the statistics in terms of success so actually having that vaginal delivery is much higher out of the hospital with a midwife than it is in the hospital. That is something to consider as well. If that's your desire, you want to put yourself in a situation where you're going to have the best possible support to be able to have the vaginal birth that you are desiring. Meagan: Absolutely. That's what Julie and I spoke about at the beginning of April kicking this special episode series of home birth and the chances of success outside of the hospital. We talked about how I want to say it was 18% of people may transfer. Tell me if you know the stat. I think it was 18 or so percent. But within that 18% of transfers, it was usually exhaustion, needing an epidural, or maybe we've got some scar tissue or something that we can't work through, it's a failure to progress, and maybe we need something else if we can't get a homeopathic way to work. I want to say that was what we found. Is that approximately what you would say?Blyss: That's not my statistic. Meagan: Well, yeah. Your statistic is low.Blyss: I would say for a mom attempting to have a vaginal delivery after a Cesarean is the same statistic as a mom who is attempting a first-time delivery. We treat them in the same way in a lot of ways because they haven't had that pushing phase. They haven't pushed a baby out. Their labor depending on how far they dilated in their previous labors is going to give us some information as well. If a woman got all the way to 10 and was pushing her baby out and then they for whatever reason decided that a Cesarean was appropriate, her labor is going to be more like a multip, so someone who has labored except for that pushing phase. And someone who maybe didn't ever get to have labor– you're raising your hand. Meagan: Yep. Blyss: Or I think one of the questions that is coming up is that you only dilated to so far and you're not sure if you're going to be able to get past that point? Those moms are going to be treated more similarly to a mom who has never had labor before. We are going to support them in that way. You have to really, I think this is what we don't understand. A lot of the studies and statistics that are done when you're looking things up or hearing about things are from a medical perspective. They're from medical perspectives. The way that they treat– and I was a doula for many years before I owned a center. I was a doula for many years before I started doing a private home birth practice. I know what it looks like in the hospital to support a VBAC. I've been there with them. Your provider and their faith in you and the way that you are treated by the nursing staff and all of that has a huge impact on your ability to be able to labor and progress normally. We are mammals so our bodies are going to respond the same way a cat or a dog or a cow who wants to go and be off by themselves and have privacy and not feel like they're being watched. Your hormones respond to that. Labor moving straightforwardly in a normal way is affected by you feeling that way. That's what I was saying when we were talking about the different licensure. It really depends on where you're going to feel the most comfortable but you want to have a team that really believes in you and makes you feel, as we were talking about in the beginning, relaxed, comfortable, and empowered because those are the things that are going to affect your body progressing normally. Meagan: Absolutely. Absolutely. As a doula, I've supported VBAC clients both in and out of the hospital but there are times where there is a lot of pressure and angst that is created. That is not helping our labor. Julie and I mentioned it in our episode. We have to think about it like we wouldn't give birth in the same place where we conceived. We don't conceive in front of a whole bunch of people with bright lights on a bed with things strapped to our bodies, right? Blyss: Right. Meagan: But then we do give birth this way. It's just something to be mindful of for sure. Blyss: I didn't get a chance to say that my statistics for first-time moms are a little bit higher than for moms who have already had a vaginal delivery. That statistic is about 10%. As you pointed out, the majority of those are not emergent transports. Those are transports where we are ready for something a little bit different. Again, this is when even midwives have a different level of comfort in terms of how they care for you. I don't transfer someone to the hospital because I'm ready for them to go. I transfer people to the hospital unless there is a medical indication. If there's a medical indication then obviously, I'm like, “Okay, we need to go,” but in terms of this exhaustion and wanting something different and maybe wanting to rest and get an epidural or get access to Pitocin to augment the labor, those kinds of things, for me, if everything is looking great medically, then this is the mom's choice. This is not something that I'm going to make that decision for her. I had a mom the other day. This didn't happen to be a VBAC mom, but just in a normal labor. She had the pushing instinct. It went away. We labored with her for another nine hours because she had a lip and then she pushed her baby out. All of the doulas who were with us were talking about how if that happened in the hospital, that mom probably would have definitely been augmented, definitely not left alone, given a lot of pressure, a lot of vaginal exams, and then probably would have ended up having a Cesarean or a “failure to progress.” But what that mom needed was rest. She needed to eat. She needed to feel like she was ready for the next level of her labor. It was a very mental thing for her we believe. That's not something that is always given either at home or in the hospital. Sometimes, especially, I was just talking to a VBAC mom right before we got on the phone because she went in to see if she could get a consult with a backup doctor in her local area. I sent her to the most common doctors that are supportive of transport. This doctor said, “No doctor in their right mind would back up a mom attempting to have a vaginal delivery at home.” And this is the best we've got. We got on the phone and we were talking about her feelings about all of that because she would really love to know if she's going to have a repeat Cesarean, she would really like to know the person with who she's having a Cesarean. Meagan: Totally. That's one of the reasons why I did it. Blyss: Yeah. That's a reasonable thing to desire but what she's finding out is that she might not have that option and just being in that doctor's office, she said that the nurse came in and said, “Can you take off your pants so we can do a pap smear?” She said, “I'm not coming in for a pap smear.” Just that was a perfect example of being treated like every other person and not being individualized. This woman was coming in for a consult. But it solidified her desire, “This is why I'm not going into the hospital again. If I need it, then it's a good option but it's not something that I'm feeling like I want to choose.” It's just solidifying her desire to have this out-of-hospital experience. Meagan: Absolutely. I think for those who are doing dual care, it's important to still learn the stats and the facts because they can sometimes inflate these numbers and these statistics then you are left thinking, “Wait, am I making the right choice?” My provider told me, “Good luck, no one is going to want you out there.” It was a little different than what she was told but very similar. No one was going to want me out there. It made me question, “Why? Am I that scary of a patient?” That's just not a good feeling and it's not how you should be feeling during pregnancy and especially not during birth. I'm going to lead into one of the first questions that were actually written. Why is there so much backlash around HBAC? When we were talking about backlash, I think it really just means so much hate and distrust about HBAC. I mean, do you find that a lot of people are coming to you saying, “Everyone's telling me not to do this,” or maybe they're even scared? I feel like maybe by the time they come to you, they are confident in their decision, but do you ever have any clients come to you who are still unsure?Blyss: I think that people can be in care and still feel a little unsure. There is part of the process of just unraveling the experience that you had last time and being with somebody who consistently says, “Everything looks good. You're doing great,” and just normalizing the experience of having a joyful pregnancy. The mom that I just talked to, she's like, “There are risks in everything.” I think that's true too. You can look at a statistic that says, “You have a 1% chance of having this happen,” and you can try and say, “I want to try and take that risk down to zero.” Obviously, there is risk in everything. You can't have no risk, but there are people who look at it and go, “I have a 99% chance of having success.” Meagan: That's what we say. Flip it and be like, “I have a 90.9 or 99% chance of full success.” It's like, “Well, dang. That means I'm pretty high up there.” Blyss: Yeah. That's probably how you look at life in general. So if you're wanting to flip the script for yourself not just about this particular instance but about how you look at life in general because you talk about how the birth of your child is just one day. You're actually going to be raising this baby and they're going to have all kinds of risks. Do you want to spend the rest of that time with this child being worried all of the time about what possibly could happen or do you want to enjoy what life has in store for you? That's a lifestyle thing, but you can have a transformative experience and you have this thing in your life that people are looking at. They are projecting onto you their own fear. You have the ability to ground yourself in your own belief about how you are wanting to take control of not just this delivery but your life in general. I think it can help you move into feeling more confident about your choices in general. Meagan: Absolutely. I think you just nailed it right there. A lot of the time, the people that are feeding the backlash are people that have experienced an unfortunate circumstance or have experienced something personal. They are feeding it out there to the world because that's where they're at. Blyss: Yeah, or not. Or they haven't had any. Meagan: Or they haven't. Exactly, yeah. Blyss: You know, I had a mom one time in my care who was attempting to have an HBAC. Her previous doctor was sending me the records. She was transferring out of care. She was like, “This is so dangerous. How are you going to know how the baby is doing? How are you going to know the signs?” She didn't even know what we do at a home birth. She didn't know that we monitor the baby, that we have all kinds of medications, and the ability to be able to manage things at home. I think a lot of times, there is just ignorance too. There is just not an understanding of the role that midwives play. We're not doing a seance with our incense and our Birkenstocks and just hoping for the best. We actually have been trained to know what to look for. Because we do normal all day every day, that's our specialty. When something is not normal, it stands out. It's like a bad nook. You're like, “Huh. This is not normal.” If there's something going on with the mom's uterus during labor and delivery, there are going to be signs. There's going to be pain in between the contractions near the site that's unusual. There might be bleeding that's unusual. The baby's heart tone might be unusual. The patterns of her labor might be a little bit funky. There are a lot of things that will stand out to us as “This is not normal labor progressing. Something is going on.” If you're being conservative and it's a question mark, “Huh. Does this mean that something is happening with the scar?” then you can conservatively transport to the hospital and be monitored continuously because we use intermittent monitoring. Maybe nothing. Maybe you'll have a vaginal delivery at the hospital, but you have the ability to do that and not wait for something catastrophic to happen. You have plenty of time to get there and do the more conservative management of this labor just in case. Meagan: Right. One of the questions was, what are the stats of transfer for an emergency? Again, everyone's stats might be a little bit different, but what she is saying is that there are signs that indicate a change of plan before there is a crazy emergency.Blyss: Right. Meagan: I do think that what you are saying is that she didn't know what the care was. It circles back to the backlash. I think that a lot of people don't.My mom said some really crazy things. Years later, it wasn't until I really understood the mental process of my mom and everything. She was saying those things out of fear, the unknown, and uncertainty. She didn't know what out-of-hospital birth looked like because she only knew what Cesarean birth looked like. It's so important to learn those things and learn those signs but know like Blyss said, that it's not usually even just one. Blyss, you would know way more than I do. But from my experience, there are usually a couple of symptoms. It's not usually one. It's like, “Okay, we've got this, this, and this” or “We've got this happening. Let's transfer. Let's take a plan of action.”Blyss: Yeah. You were talking about my cohost, Dr. Stuart Fischbein, and one of the things he says– he was a doctor in the hospital for many, many, many years and has now been providing out-of-the-hospital support for families for 12 years now. He has the benefit of both worlds. He talks about when we say that a uterus has a rupture, we imagine a tire bursting on the freeway where it's all of a sudden a pop. But usually what it is, is what we call dehiscence. There's a little opening in the uterus. Oftentimes, that can go without having any real incidence and the only way they would know that happened is if they went in and did another surgery. So a lot of times those things will heal on their own. I think you were saying there's a 6.2% out of the people that do have a dehiscence or a rupture that have something really catastrophic that can happen. The statistics are really on your side but you have to be the one who makes that decision to say, “I would really just rather have another Cesarean,” or “I really want to try,” because there is such a high statistic of having success.One of the things that I was saying to this mom earlier is what I notice and I would consider myself a specialist in VBAC. I really love caring for these women. One is because I feel like their options are limited especially in the area that I am in. There is actually a ban on VBACs in the local hospital where they would deny these women pain relief if they came in to try and have a vaginal delivery. The women in my area are driving 40 minutes to go to a hospital in another town to be able to have this support. I feel really honored to provide this option for people who desire that. It's really important to me. And, I was transported in my first delivery and had a forceps, an instrument delivery. I didn't end up having a C-section. But when I had my vaginal delivery on my own at home after that, the triumph of reclaiming my body and knowing that my body wasn't broken and that it was just a mismanagement of my labor that led to that. I know what it's like for these women to be able to have that redemptive birth after the surgery. What I notice with VBACs is that they're totally straightforward and normal just like another mom giving birth which I talked about earlier or they come really fast. It's like the uterus knows, “I can't do this for very long. I need to be super effective.” I actually just had a woman who had a VBAC after two Cesareans with me and it was so fast that I didn't make it. That's how fast it was. I was so happy for her and her husband because he's a paramedic and he caught the baby and it was absolutely amazing. I was on the phone and on my way there. All the work that we did to prepare her for this and she just popped that baby out like she had done it her whole life. Or we might have a labor that meanders. The uterus is wise in that way too. It's like, “I need to be really conservative with my energy.” So you might have these contractions that are really far apart. Just like I did in that birth when I was telling you that we gave her nine hours to try to have that lip back, nothing was wrong. We weren't getting any signs that anything was wrong. If you're a mom attempting to have a vaginal birth after a Cesarean and you have labor like that, you want somebody with you who is going to honor and respect that your body is progressing, it's just going to take a little bit longer because the integrity of that scar, the uterus knows, “I just need to be smart about this.” If you augment that labor or push that body past what it's saying it can do, that's when you can have a problem. Meagan: Yeah. I love that you said that because I was one of those where my uterus tinkered around for a little bit. I had a 42-hour-long labor. I was like, “This is never going to happen,” but it did and I'm so grateful for that. I think that's just what my uterus needed. It needed to take its time and then it was 6-10 hours to get baby out really quickly. It just took a long time to get there. Blyss: You said you hadn't had labor before, right? Meagan: I labored like a first-time mama. I only went to a 3. My water broke before contractions really started so it had to kick in. There was a lot. Blyss: Yeah, yeah. Sometimes first-time laborers can be that way. I tell my families to be prepared for three days. That's normal. That's normal labor for a first-time dilation and delivery. I don't think that's what you're going to hear from a medical provider because they don't know normal. They only know what they decide as being normal so most of those labors get augmented in some way. Either they're induced or they give them Pitocin at some point or they just call it and say, “Your body's not doing this so we're just going to give you a Cesarean.” Meagan: Yeah. That's what happened with my second. They were like, “Oh, it's just not going to happen.” It hadn't been very long. So it does happen. Another question was going into failure to progress. If we didn't want to transfer and if there was no need to transfer but maybe we're getting tired and we're trying to progress at home, obviously we know time is our best friend. Time, trust, and faith in our body, and sometimes it is going to sleep, getting some food, and maybe doing a fear clearing. I truly believe, I've seen it so much through my own doula work and my own personal self and through the podcast and everything, that clearing your mental fears during labor can change our pattern just like that. It's crazy. But for home birth midwives, are there things that they can do to help things progress? In the hospital, we talked about how you are more likely to be augmented with Pitocin or something like that. Maybe they'd break your water. But are there things that you can do out-of-hospital to avoid a transfer because it's not really necessary at that point but to help progression if we're starting to get tired and things like that?Blyss: Well, I think that when you do have that scar, you want to be mindful of pushing the body like I said. I'm not against augmenting a VBAC but it's something to really give really good informed consent and talk through. I would probably lean more toward, “Let's sleep. Let's take the pressure off. Let's figure it out.” If you're in early labor, sometimes you can take a Benadryl and maybe even have half a glass of wine. Sometimes that can help you sleep. If you're in full-blown labor, it's a little bit harder to do. But like you said, maybe having a conversation about, “Is there something that you're afraid of? Are there people at birth that are nervous and that's affecting you?” Sometimes you have too many people there too early. Your mind can be wanting to take care of those people like, “Gosh, this is taking forever. I feel bad that my midwife is here and that my mom is here.” Send people home. Keep one person there just in case, but clear it out. You can refresh the space. If you've been in labor at home for a long time, sometimes you just change the smells. Clean up a little bit. Meagan: Go outside. Blyss: Go outside. We send our mama outside barefoot in the grass in her backyard. Those things can be really healing. I send people on walks all of the time. I know it's really hard. You don't want to get your clothes on and go outside but this is going to be really good because it takes your mind off of it. Also, going back to that hormone flow, you want to increase oxytocin so do things that can do that. Maybe put on a funny movie and get distracted that way. Maybe you and your husband can go and get in the shower together. You can have a little bit of making out and a little bit of nipple stimulation. If your bag is intact, I know this sounds totally crazy, but I've had people actually have sex and it's very effective. Or if you have a toy or something. I just saw a post the other day talking about how masturbating during labor can bring on the sensation of being able to relax a little bit more. Meagan: I've had a client do that. Blyss: Yeah, totally. Meagan: It totally worked. He did it for her but it totally worked. I was like, “I don't know what you just did and I don't need to know the details.” I was like, “Why don't we all leave? Why don't we grab some lunch? You guys do your thing.” We came back and it was business. Baby was coming. I mean, seriously, baby came three hours later. It can work, yeah. Blyss: Totally, 100%. One of the other things you can do is have a dance party. Change up the music. You don't need the spa music and Hypnobirthing or something the whole time. Put on some fun music and laugh. Shake your booty a little bit. All of these things can be really helpful. Doesn't that sound much better than laying in a hospital bed being monitored and strapped? Meagan: Or hooking up to a pump?Blyss: Yeah. So facilitating oxytocin is another one that can be really, really helpful. But you know, midwives have homeopathy. We have herbs. Our big gun is castor oil. Those things can be utilized. I think it's just a matter of really talking it through. The first thing I would always recommend is respecting the body and respecting that there's a reason why it's having a challenge. If labor really can't get going and you're really tired, then the hospital might be the appropriate place because that again might be your body telling you, “This may not feel the right way for my uterus. There might be something else going on that the uterus is protecting itself from working too hard and causing that scar to maybe not keep its integrity.” Meagan: Yeah. That's a really good point. I want to talk about how you did transfer. You weren't a VBAC. You have transferred. I want our listeners to know that if a transfer takes place, that's okay. That is okay. You're not failing because you left and changed your plan. There is no giving up because you decided that you wanted an epidural. There's no failing in that. It doesn't need to be negative is what I'm trying to say. A lot of the time, people writing in are a home birth turned Cesarean and feel totally deflated like they failed. That's just not how it is. It's not how it is. You are doing an amazing thing. You are birthing a baby. You are birthing a child out of your body. You are giving birth and you are becoming a mother to a human being. It doesn't really matter how you do it or if the plan has to change but like Blyss said, sometimes we need to tune in and say, “What is our body saying right now?” Is our body saying that we need to do nothing? Is our body saying that we need to do something? I think that is one thing that we need to remember. I think sometimes too that people think, “Oh, home birth midwives will do everything they can to avoid a transfer.” I really disagree with that. Yes, they are going to help you get the birth that you want. They are going to do everything they can and they are passionate, but I'm telling you right now listeners, or an OB that helps at home too. We know that those exist with Stu and I think there are some others. They're not going to just do something for themselves. They're not just going to keep you. “You can't leave. Nope. You can't leave because you're going to change my statistic.” It's just not going to be. It's important for you to remember that you are going to be safe. They are going to have these discussions with you and it's okay for you to have those discussions if you're feeling like you need to transfer. If your intuition is saying, “Something is not feeling right,” and not feeling like you are giving up, failing, or disappointing anybody because you're not. You're doing what's best for you. Blyss: Yeah. Again, going back to the work that you do prenatally is going to really help you in labor. The more that you can tune into your own body and know what's important to you and what you need as a sovereign person, the more you're going to be able to tune into that in labor. You don't want to be handing over your power to a provider. You want to be the one who is in charge of what's happening to yourself. They may give you information and consult with you about how things are going from their expertise, but ultimately, it's about you being the one who's saying, “This is really what I want and this is what my body is telling me.” You don't want to just wait until you get into labor to do that. You want to practice that throughout your whole pregnancy. I think that is a really important piece. And yep. Thank God we have medical advances. What I find with my clients is if we end up transferring, we've done all of these things. They've had great prenatal care. They've been able to talk and process all of these things. If they're going to have a repeat Cesarean, what they would like to do differently this time that they learned from their last experience? So if they get to that point, they know that they did everything that they could to give themselves the best chances and they feel empowered throughout the process. I think that the most important thing is that you feel like you weren't bullied or made to do something and that each step of the way, you are making a choice that feels right for you and your family. As human beings, we deserve that for everything. We deserve to be able to make these choices for ourselves. Meagan: Yeah, and I think with being able to make those choices and to feel that empowerment to be able to do that, even if the outcome isn't what we planned on, we're going to have an overall better view from that experience because we aren't going to feel like birth happened to us. We're more likely to feel like we were the active participant in our journey and the leader or the driver in the seat and have a better postpartum experience.Blyss: Yeah. And welcome to life, right? Meagan: Yeah. Blyss: Our lives don't turn out exactly the way that we planned. We ultimately have to meet life on life's terms and know that we are not in control of every single thing that happens. It's how you respond and how you move forward through a challenge that really makes you who you are and gives you the life experience that you want to have because labor and birth and being a mom is the greatest lesson in not being in control of things. It's an important one. It's a really important one. The only thing that you can really have control over is going in and deciding, “I'm going to deliver on this day and have a repeat Cesarean.” That is within your control. But if you are really wanting to trust your body and to have a physiologic birth experience, you have to be willing to let go of that control and ride the waves and see where it takes you and meet each moment with the best that you've got at that time. Meagan: Yes. Oh, I love that. I love that. Ride the waves. That is the perfect ending. I have one more question but I want to just end on that. Ride the waves. Ride the waves. Trust your body. So if I'm having an out-of-hospital birth, what should I be asking? Are there specific questions I should ask my midwife? Do I have qualifications? Are there certain things where you would say, “You're probably not a good candidate for a VBAC at home?” Are there any final tips that you would give as people are researching this option and talking to people?Blyss: Yeah, I think it goes back to what we were saying in the beginning. How do you feel when you are in this person's presence? That's a big one. Telling your story to them, telling them how you feel and what you are desiring this time and then just really feeling into do you feel that this is somebody that you want to have by your side? Ask them about their experience with VBACs. Ask them what would be the situation in which they would require a transport or that they would want to transport? See if that aligns with how you are feeling about this decision and what you would want from a provider. Maybe ask their statistics how many VBACs they have done. What is their transfer rate? When did they transfer with those people? I think that's all really important and how comfortable are they? Are you a mom who has had multiple Cesareans? How comfortable are they with those risks and do you feel aligned with what it is that they are sharing with you about their philosophies? I think that is a big part. Again, your provider and how they feel and how they approach things whether it's in the hospital with an OB or a certified nurse midwife or at home with a CPM, their feelings about it and their trust in this process is going to have a huge impact on your experience because they are going to bring those fears or concerns into the birth room or into your pregnancy and you don't need that. You need someone who believes in you 100% and when you're with them, you feel better than when you got there. That's what you're looking for. If you don't have those options available in your area, find somebody who can provide that for you virtually or find a doula who can be there with you as a continuity of care that you do have that connection and trust and faith with. I feel like that is probably the most important part of the process. Meagan: Absolutely. That's what I was looking for. I had a lot of questions at my visits but ultimately, one of the biggest things I was looking for was how I felt in their presence, their confidence in me, my confidence in them, and yeah. I mean, I liked to know what would happen if I needed to transfer or what would they be looking at to make me transfer so I would know, “Okay, this is happening. She talked about transfer,” but overall, I needed to know that that person was in my corner because I had never been in anybody else's corner if that makes sense. I was in my own corner with my first two babies and I didn't want to feel that way again because it's a very lonely corner. Blyss: Yeah, yeah. The only contraindication would be a classical incision. Other than that, I think that it's just about exploring what the risks are. Let's say it's a short interval or something like that. I think giving true informed consent to that family and making sure they understand the increased potential risk, if this is an option that they want, I would rather be able to support them in this option than send them to the hospital if that's not necessary or having those people maybe do an unassisted birth because no one's willing to support them. That's me. Not all providers feel that way but I believe if this is something that you've researched, you understand the risks, and this is what you're desiring, you deserve to have somebody there by your side. That's what we're there for. Birth is meant to happen with nobody around just like a mammal. We're designed to survive. Our babies are designed to survive. You don't actually need anybody with you, but when you hire somebody to be there by your side, we are there to be able to help you decide when it is time to get support or be able to step in and offer that medical support if needed. So if someone never wants to deal with any kind of complication that may potentially arise in childbirth, you probably shouldn't be a provider because that's our job. We're the ones who are supposed to step in calmly and help you make a decision that's going to keep you and your baby healthy. Like you were saying earlier, us keeping you home when you don't want to stay home, none of us want to have a bad outcome. We don't go to work thinking that we want to force somebody to stay home and have a bad outcome. We all want the same thing, a healthy mom and a healthy baby. For us, there's that additional layer of transformation, elation, joy, rights of passage, and having the family have an experience of understanding that this is how we were meant to deliver our babies. Meagan: I have feelings about the healthy mom, healthy baby. Just like you were saying, I add to it. Healthy mom, healthy baby, and a good experience. That's going to look different for everyone. I hope that as you are listening to this episode, you know you have options. You have options. I know sometimes Blyss talked about financially or maybe even location-wise, you are feeling that those options are stripped or you are feeling restricted. I understand that and I know it sucks. But don't ever hesitate to explore your options or maybe look for those virtual support meetings and things like that. Or maybe drive 40 minutes because deciding what is best for you is most important. Here at The VBAC Link and Blyss, I'm going to speak for you, there's no judgment in the way you birth. There's no judgment. We just want you to have a good experience and know your options. Blyss: Absolutely. Thank you for having me on. I love you and as I said, I love supporting families in general but I have a special place in my heart for VBAC moms and for the work that you are doing so thank you so much for inviting me to have this conversation. I am available for people to come out to Santa Barbara if they feel like they don't have options which I know is not for everybody. I'm also happy to do consults with people over the phone if they just need somebody who can tell them that they can do this. Meagan: Yes, I know it sounds crazy that I'm going to go to another state and have a baby, but you guys, people do it. Before COVID, I had a Russian clientele. People from Russia would come to the states here to Utah. Think about how far that is. It's not super crazy. A lot of the time, people are like, “It's a lot of money. It's a lot of effort. It's a lot of this.” You guys, this is one day in your life that will impact you forever. It really will. I will never forget my births. Money will come and go but your experience will stick with you. Blyss: Forever. Meagan: So if you can make it work, if you have a VBAC ban, or you are restricted or something like that, check out Blyss. Check out midwives in the next state over. Look at these options. Expand your ideas. Expand your ideas and know that you have options. Blyss: Yeah. Take back your power. Meagan: Take back your power. Take back your power and know that it's okay. It's okay to do something that seems weird. People are going to be like, “What are you doing?” but it's okay to do that. Blyss: And that's how change happens. If we all do the same thing, no one is ever able to see that this is possible. You deserve that. You deserve to listen to your own heart and your own instincts and what your soul is telling you is right for you. That's okay if it's not right for everybody. Meagan: Yes. Absolutely. Just like we were talking about earlier, there are going to be different outcomes and that's okay if that wasn't your outcome or if that wasn't your choice. We have people who after learning about VBAC and the statistics, the risk is too much for them and that is okay. That's okay. ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Vaginal breech and twin births are not often spoken about as valid birthing options, yet they are viable alternatives. Dr Stuart Fischbein has spent over 40 years changing the way we view birth. He is a licensed OB/GYN that has moved from hospital-based deliveries to providing support to women through at-home breech and twin birthing. From his extensive work in this field, he has won various awards and hosts a highly rated podcast on alternative birthing options. His experience allows him to informatively challenge conventional maternity care and offer an alternative that many say is better for the mother and baby. It's time to break away from procedure-based approaches and start listening to the guidance of professionals like Dr Fishbein in order to revolutionise birth experiences for all women. Learn more on Dr. Stuart Fischbein's website: http://www.birthinginstincts.com His Book "Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom, and Reassurance from a Doctor, A Midwife, and a Mom" is available on his website. Check out his "Birthing Instincts" Podcast and be sure to rate and review it...   SUBSCRIBE to the "Know Better | Do Better" Podcast newsletter for upcoming guest notifications and special info you can only get as a subsciber. FOLLOW Autumn on: Instagram: bit.ly/3TC5dgr Facebook: bit.ly/3O7NnAs TikTok: bit.ly/3O9xMR7  

Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Holidays and CHEERS to the LAST episode of 2022!! WOW! That sounds so weird to say and type!! Thank you all for being here truly, for all the love and support!! Today's episode is another special one all about birth! Ya'll know I love to talk about birth and empower women and mama's in this space especially with so many having babies close to the holidays or getting pregnant around this time, this conversation was so much power and fire! Dr.Stuart - "Dr. Stu" shares about his journey of starting in the medical system and now working with midwives and the difference in care and birth We talk about the broken medical system and how we can empower ourselves in it and opt out as we feel and trust our instincts Dr.Stu shares incredible pregnancy and birth advice Dr.Stu talks about breech, vbac, twins, we get into ALL things BIRTH We also get into the overall failure of the systems right now, opting out and into our own freedoms and what feels right to us individually and becoming educated for ourselves and body autonomy. This episode we cover a little bit of everything and it's jam packed with empowerment, knowledge and some humor! Follow and Find Dr.Stu at: http://www.birthinginstincts.com https://www.instagram.com/birthinginstincts ** JOIN ME & Follow on all platforms: **

When it comes to homebirth, safety is always the number one question on everyone's mind.  Today, I have a wisdom holder who is no stranger to the question of safety in birth, homebirth in particular. Dr. Stuart Fischbein is an obstetrician who left the conventional medical system decades ago after being exposed to the nature of the midwifery model of care. He went on to assist families and their midwives in homebirth to create a model for families with various presentation of birth to still enjoy a safe homebirth whenever possible, including breech babies and twins. Dr. Stu will share insights into what safety really means in birth and the question of whether research and evidence based medicine have answers to safety in physiologic birth. Find more from Dr. StuOnline at birthinginstincts.comInstagram @birthinginstinctsListen on the Birthing Instincts podcastApple PodcastsSpotify_______________________Further info & opportunities: Open your breath, connect to your pelvic floor, and prepare to relax with the Stillpoint Prenatal Breathwork Worshop Recording for free at NaturalBirthCompass.com/BreatheFree. Learn about The Natural Birth Compass Prenatal Wellness Program Here

This episode is a highlight reel from this week's full episode.WANT THE FULL EPISODE?Check out yesterday's episode, or download it directly: https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/50986970/download.mp3What is the driving factor in your decisions?Oftentimes, coercion, systemization, media, and administrations influence our actions whether we take notice or not. Dr. Stu Fischbein, Community-Based Obstetrician, shares the importance of shared decision-making, informed choice, and allowing space for independent, instinctual decisions in his practice as an OBGYN.KEY TOPICS- Independence from institutions as a method of making less-biased decisions- Coercion as an unethical decision-making technique- Not relying on policies or assumed rules to make decisions for you- Informed consent- Shared decision-making- Risk management when making decisionsCONNECT WITH USDecidedlypodcast.comInstagram: @decidedlypodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/decidedlypodcastShawn's Instagram: @shawn_d_smith Sanger's Instagram: @sangersmith MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy.LEARN MORE: www.decidedlywealth.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/decidedlywealth/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DecidedlyWealth/Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly decision-making tips: https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001aeU_pPBHJPNJWJBdVbaci6bjGIuEJurH12xHBWDEVT_NxyCadMd7wLSZjcEZglkSjDjehuIbTHD8nABOIdV69ctfYpSzg24RCIytetBUrlIPPKgaGzjGZ8DkM0Wp1LMjbErcYUur7PbZGjeVo4gyXlz821AoJGZRJoin us every Wednesday for more strategies to DEFEAT bad decision-making - one episode at a time!MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEStretch Lab: https://www.stretchlab.com/“The Knees Over Toes Guy”: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKneesovertoesguyMorgan, the Decidedly Producer and also birth nerd: https://www.instagram.com/morganmckittrick/“A Bugs Life”, Go Around the Leaf: https://youtu.be/qTQJdGp4F34American College of OBGYN, referenced by Dr. Stu: https://www.acog.org/Dr. Emily Oster's book, “Expecting Better”: https://www.amazon.com/Expecting-Better-Conventional-Pregnancy-Wisdom/dp/B08SJDP2CW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32BF78JHUV89E&keywords=expecting+better&qid=1661107085&sprefix=expecting+bette%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-1Our episode with Dr. Emily Oster, Ep.20: https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/48357122/download.mp3ABOUT DR. STUWebsite: www.birthinginstincts.comInstagram: @birthinginstinctsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/drstuspodcastDr. Stu's Podcast with Blyss Young, “Birthing Instincts”: https://open.spotify.com/show/5IYrdNqDATUbK7FDAk2EKcStuart James Fischbein, MD was Board Certified in 1989 and became a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology in 1990. He has been a practicing obstetrician in Southern California since completing his residency in 1986. While well trained at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the standard medical model of obstetrics he had the respect and vision to support the midwifery model of care and served as a backup consultant to many home and birthing center midwives for 25 years. In 1996 he founded The Woman's Place for Health, Inc., a collaborative hospital-based practice of Certified Nurse Midwives and Obstetricians in Ventura County, California. In 2004, Dr. Fischbein co-authored the book, “Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, a Midwife and a Mom.” For his efforts he has been awarded the Doulas Association of Southern California (DASC) Physician of the year award three times and, in 2008, was the very first recipient of DASC's lifetime achievement award in support of pregnant women. He has spoken internationally on breech and vaginal birth after cesarean section and has appeared in many documentaries, including: “More Business of Being Born”, “Happy Healthy Child”, “Reducing Infant Mortality”, “Heads Up: The Disappearing Art of Vaginal Breech Delivery” and multiple YouTube videos discussing birth choices and respect for patient autonomy and decision making.Dr. Fischbein now practices community-based birthing and works directly with home birthing midwives www.birthinginstincts.com to offer hope for those women who prefer and respect a natural birthing environment and cannot find supportive practitioners for VBAC, twin and breech deliveries. He is an outspoken advocate of informed decision making, the midwifery model of care and human rights in childbirth, receiving the 2016 “Most Audacious” award from HRIC and the Association for Wholistic & Newborn Health. Hear more of his thoughts and advocacy for evidenced-based, reasonable choices on his podcast. He is a preceptor for midwifery students from Nizhoni, NMI, NCM and Georgetown University School of Midwifery. He is the primary author of threepeer-reviewed papers; 1) Homebirth with an Obstetrician, A Series of 135 Out of Hospital Births 2) Breech birth at home: outcomes of 60 breech and 109 cephalic planned home and birth center birth3) Case Report: A Maneuver for Head Entanglement in Term Breech/Vertex Twins. Dr. Fischbein still actively cares for pregnant women while teaching hands-on seminars on breech birth around the globe. He has the goals of improving collaboration amongst the differing professions in the birthing world and the re-teaching of the core skills, such as breech and twin vaginal birth, that make the specialty of obstetrics unique.

What is the driving factor in your decisions?Oftentimes, coercion, systemization, media, and administrations influence our actions whether we take notice or not. Dr. Stu Fischbein, Community-Based Obstetrician, shares the importance of shared decision-making, informed choice, and allowing space for independent, instinctual decisions in his practice as an OBGYN.KEY TOPICS- Independence from institutions as a method of making less-biased decisions- Coercion as an unethical decision-making technique- Not relying on policies or assumed rules to make decisions for you- Informed consent- Shared decision-making- Risk management when making decisionsDon't have time for the full episode?Check out the 15-minute highlight reel from our conversation with Dr. Stu: https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/51017032/download.mp3CONNECT WITH USDecidedlypodcast.comInstagram: @decidedlypodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/decidedlypodcastShawn's Instagram: @shawn_d_smith Sanger's Instagram: @sangersmith MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy.LEARN MORE: www.decidedlywealth.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/decidedlywealth/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DecidedlyWealth/Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly decision-making tips: https://visitor.r20.constantcontact.com/manage/optin?v=001aeU_pPBHJPNJWJBdVbaci6bjGIuEJurH12xHBWDEVT_NxyCadMd7wLSZjcEZglkSjDjehuIbTHD8nABOIdV69ctfYpSzg24RCIytetBUrlIPPKgaGzjGZ8DkM0Wp1LMjbErcYUur7PbZGjeVo4gyXlz821AoJGZRJoin us every Wednesday for more strategies to DEFEAT bad decision-making - one episode at a time!MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODEStretch Lab: https://www.stretchlab.com/“The Knees Over Toes Guy”: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheKneesovertoesguyMorgan, the Decidedly Producer and also birth nerd: https://www.instagram.com/morganmckittrick/“A Bugs Life”, Go Around the Leaf: https://youtu.be/qTQJdGp4F34American College of OBGYN, referenced by Dr. Stu: https://www.acog.org/Dr. Emily Oster's book, “Expecting Better”: https://www.amazon.com/Expecting-Better-Conventional-Pregnancy-Wisdom/dp/B08SJDP2CW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=32BF78JHUV89E&keywords=expecting+better&qid=1661107085&sprefix=expecting+bette%2Caps%2C181&sr=8-1Our episode with Dr. Emily Oster, Ep.20: https://api.spreaker.com/v2/episodes/48357122/download.mp3ABOUT DR. STUWebsite: www.birthinginstincts.comInstagram: @birthinginstinctsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/drstuspodcastDr. Stu's Podcast with Blyss Young, “Birthing Instincts”: https://open.spotify.com/show/5IYrdNqDATUbK7FDAk2EKcStuart James Fischbein, MD was Board Certified in 1989 and became a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology in 1990. He has been a practicing obstetrician in Southern California since completing his residency in 1986. While well trained at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the standard medical model of obstetrics he had the respect and vision to support the midwifery model of care and served as a backup consultant to many home and birthing center midwives for 25 years. In 1996 he founded The Woman's Place for Health, Inc., a collaborative hospital-based practice of Certified Nurse Midwives and Obstetricians in Ventura County, California. In 2004, Dr. Fischbein co-authored the book, “Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, a Midwife and a Mom.” For his efforts he has been awarded the Doulas Association of Southern California (DASC) Physician of the year award three times and, in 2008, was the very first recipient of DASC's lifetime achievement award in support of pregnant women. He has spoken internationally on breech and vaginal birth after cesarean section and has appeared in many documentaries, including: “More Business of Being Born”, “Happy Healthy Child”, “Reducing Infant Mortality”, “Heads Up: The Disappearing Art of Vaginal Breech Delivery” and multiple YouTube videos discussing birth choices and respect for patient autonomy and decision making.Dr. Fischbein now practices community-based birthing and works directly with home birthing midwives www.birthinginstincts.com to offer hope for those women who prefer and respect a natural birthing environment and cannot find supportive practitioners for VBAC, twin and breech deliveries. He is an outspoken advocate of informed decision making, the midwifery model of care and human rights in childbirth, receiving the 2016 “Most Audacious” award from HRIC and the Association for Wholistic & Newborn Health. Hear more of his thoughts and advocacy for evidenced-based, reasonable choices on his podcast. He is a preceptor for midwifery students from Nizhoni, NMI, NCM and Georgetown University School of Midwifery. He is the primary author of threepeer-reviewed papers; 1) Homebirth with an Obstetrician, A Series of 135 Out of Hospital Births 2) Breech birth at home: outcomes of 60 breech and 109 cephalic planned home and birth center birth3) Case Report: A Maneuver for Head Entanglement in Term Breech/Vertex Twins. Dr. Fischbein still actively cares for pregnant women while teaching hands-on seminars on breech birth around the globe. He has the goals of improving collaboration amongst the differing professions in the birthing world and the re-teaching of the core skills, such as breech and twin vaginal birth, that make the specialty of obstetrics unique.

In this weeks episode we explore Breech Birth and Inductions with Dr. Stuart Fischbein, a community-based practicing obstetrician and an associate of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology, published author of the book “Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, A Midwife and A Mom” Join the "Healing Circle Group" to connect with like-minded people and be notified of FREE live-gatherings: https://bit.ly/3P5hqIc What is a Breech Position? Is it dangerous to have a vaginal breech birth? Where were the skills of breech and twin births lost? The importance of the mother-baby continuum What are the main reasons labor is induced? How to ask the right questions to make an informed decision What are the different types of induction? Is there such thing as a 'Natural Induction'? The innate wisdom of the body to birth Birth story from Mckenzie (01:08:00) Awakening Woman. Transmute Ancestral Trauma (6 Week Journey) 50% OFF until 9th October 2022 50% off Prenatal Pregnancy Programme https://www.danielle-catherine.com/breech-birth-and-inductions Sponsor. Evolving Humans, Energy Healing Expert: https://evolvinghumans.com Music Credits: Aleider Bernal Cordoba --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/depths-of-motherhood/message

How can you help your doula clients feel comfortable advocating for themselves in an environment that pushes total compliance?In this episode, Dr. Stuart Fischbein (from Birthing Instincts) and I will be talking about the many issues within the hospital model of care.It's no secret that there are large systems of power in the hospital system, which is why many doctors keep their heads buried in the sand when they see unethical policies put in place. Dr. Stu has been a practicing OBGYN for the last 34 years. He advocates for informed decision-making and specializes in natural birth for VBAC, twin, and breech deliveries. He founded The Woman's Place for Health, Inc., a collaborative hospital-based practice of Certified Nurse Midwives and Obstetricians in Ventura County, California. He co-authored the book, “Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, a Midwife and a Mom.”, and has appeared in several documentaries, including: “More Business of Being Born”, “Happy Healthy Child”, “Reducing Infant Mortality”, and “Heads Up: The Disappearing Art of Vaginal Breech Delivery”. Dr. Fischbein also runs “The Birthing Instincts” podcast with midwife Blyss Young, where they discuss evidence-based decision-making in birth. If you're tired of overreaching hospital policies, then you might want to listen up!Follow Dr. Fischbein on Instagram @birthinginstincts or visit his website: http://www.birthinginstincts.com  Resources mentioned:Watch Candace Owens's “A Shot in the Dark”Check out The Highwire with Del BigtreeWatch the “Why Not Home” documentaryLook through Paul Thomas's research   Ready to turn your passion for birth into a crazy successful doula career? I've got you. Click here and join me inside Birthworker Academy.Check out this episode's full show notes or read the transcript at www.birthworker.com/4 or follow along over on Instagram @theautonomymommy or @birthworkerpodcastIf this episode lights you up, I'd love it if you'd rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you're listening from. After you review the show - snap a pic and upload it here - and I'll send you a little surprise as a thank you.Your feedback helps this podcast grow and I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you!

In this episode Dr Stuart Fischbein, rebound US home birth obstetrician and breech and twin birth expert, visits me in my tiny village in Kent, and interviews me about my views on British birth, my own experiences, and my hopes for the future of maternity care! I chat about my births, why I got in to birth work, and how I manage running a business I'm so passionate about with 3 kids!

In this episode I welcome back Dr Stu, this time to about twins and multiples, the risks, the misconceptions and the options for giving birth. Dr Stuart Fischbein is an obstetrician, for the last 11 years a home birth obstetrician, in California in America. He's a published author, and has had peer reviewed papers published on home birth and breech birth. He's a fierce advocate for informed decision making, and expert in both breech and twin birth, and lectures on these topics. He also has his own podcast! If you'd like to find out more about Dr Stu, you can find him on instagram @birthinginstincts, or his website http://www.birthinginstincts.com

Stuart Fischbein, MD was Board Certified in 1989 and became a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology in 1990. He has been a practicing obstetrician in Southern California since completing his residency in 1986. His practice upholds the midwifery model of care. He has served as a backup consultant to many home and birthing center midwives for 25 years. In 1996 he founded The Woman's Place for Health, Inc., a collaborative hospital-based practice of Certified Nurse Midwives and Obstetricians in Ventura County, California. Stu is the author of a book and a variety of papers on home birth. Dr. Fischbein has been the recipient of a variety of awards. He has spoken internationally on breech and vaginal birth after cesarean section and has appeared in many documentaries. He is an outspoken advocate of informed decision making, the midwifery model of care and human rights in childbirth. He has the goals of improving collaboration amongst the differing professions in the birthing world and the re-teaching of the core skills, such as breech and twin vaginal birth, that make the specialty of obstetrics unique. [00:05:38] - Inadequacies of residency training [00:09:14] - Why Stu went into the practice of OBGYN [00:17:14] - Sentimental feelings from most midwives around the country [00:17:45] - Dr. Stu's practices [00:26:51] - My Birth Experience of Twins [00:35:41] - Dr. Stu's advice to women [00:37:25] - Medical Freedom (Covid, Vaccines and more) [01:05:16] - Oral Boards [01:12:32] - What are Dr. Stu's future plans? References & Links: Birthing Instincts - Website, Podcast, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter Stu's papers: Homebirth with an Obstetrician, A Series of 135 Out of Hospital Births Breech birth at home: outcomes of 60 breech and 109 cephalic planned home and birth center birth Case Report: A Maneuver for Head Entanglement in Term Breech/Vertex Twins. Stu's book: “Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, a Midwife and a Mom.” Evidence Based Birth, Ep #204: Refuting the Spread of Misinformation Online About COVID, with Dr. Stacy De-Lin Big thanks to our sponsor! Waveblock: https://www.waveblock.com (Use Code “BELOVED” for 10% offon their EMF-blocking technologies) Show Notes | Donate Music by: Labrinth, Chancha Via Circuito, and Joaquín Cornejo --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theholisticobgyn/message

In this episode, I had the privilege of chatting with community based obstetrician Dr Stuart Fischbein, about many of the issues that pregnant women and people are facing in maternity services today, both in the US and the UK. We discuss information on twin birth, breech birth, vbac, gestational diabetes, home birth, microbiome and much more. You can contact Dr Stu via his website - http://www.birthinginstincts.comListen to Dr Stu and Blyss on their podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/birthing-instincts/id1552816683If you would like to buy a copy of the book that accompanies this podcast - click here:-Labour of Love - The Ultimate Guide to Being a Birth Partner — https://bit.ly/LabourofloveOr purchase a copy via my website - www.birthability.co.ukFollow me on Instagram @theultimatebirthpartner @birthabilityBook a 1-2-1 session with Sallyann  -  https://linktr.ee/SallyannBeresfordPlease remember that the information shared with you in this episode is solely based on my own personal experiences as a doula and the private opinions of my guest, based on his own training and experience as an obstetrician.  Any recommendations made may not be suitable for all, so listeners must do their own research before making decisions.  

Dr Stuart Fischbein is an obstetrician, for the last 11 years a home birth obstetrician, in California in America. He's a published author, and has had peer reviewed papers published on home birth and breech birth. He's a fierce advocate for informed decision making, and expert in both breech and twin birth, and lectures on these topics. He also has his own podcast! In this episode we discuss breech birth, the misconceptions, Dr Stu's successes in facilitating vaginal breech births at home, and why a c-section doesn't have to be a foregone conclusion! If you'd like to find out more about Dr Stu, you can find him on instagram @birthinginstincts, or his website http://www.birthinginstincts.com

Are doctors misinforming patients? How can the medical model of birth cause harm to birthing mothers? Why are half of the cesarean births in the United States performed unnecessarily?  Why is one's satisfaction with her own birth experience so low on the priority list?  These are the questions we dive into with Dr. Stu on today's episode.Stuart James Fischbein, MD, also know as “Dr. Stu” is a Board Certified OBGYN. He has been a practicing obstetrician in Southern California since 1986. In practicing obstetrics, he realized something wasn't right in the medical model of birth, and he started offering backup support to home and birthing center midwives.He now practices community based birthing and works directly with home birthing midwives at www.birthinginstincts.com to offer hope for those women who prefer and respect a natural birthing environment and cannot find supportive practitioners for VBAC, twin and breech deliveries. He is an outspoken advocate of informed decision making, the midwifery model of care and human rights in childbirth. He joins us on the show today to discuss the  biggest challenges facing birthing mothers today. * * * * * * * * * *Between episodes, connect with us on Instagram @DownToBirthShow to see behind-the-scenes production clips and join the conversation by responding to our questions and polls related to pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. You can reach us at Contact@DownToBirthShow.com or call (802) 438-3696 (802-GET-DOWN). We are always happy to hear from our listeners and appreciate questions for our monthly Q&A episodes. To join our monthly newsletter, text "downtobirth" to 22828.You can sign up for Cynthia's HypnoBirthing classes as well as online breastfeeding classes and weekly postpartum support groups run by Cynthia & Trisha at HypnoBirthing of Connecticut. Please remember we don't provide medical advice, and to speak with your licensed medical provider related to all your healthcare matters. Thanks so much for joining in the conversation, and see you next week!Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/cynthiaovergard)

Honored to interview Dr. Stuart Fischbein. A very passionate home birth attending OB who specializes in twin and breech births. He's dedicated to true informed consent and refusal and reteaching the art of breech birth. Today we talk about prolonged pregnancies, home birth, freedom to choose, understanding risk and stats and everything in between. You can learn more about him and checkout his podcast via his website http://www.birthinginstincts.com/

Quick Announcement for EHR listeners! For a limited time Matt Blackburn is giving Extreme Health Radio show listeners 25% off his line of products. Just enter code EHR25 at checkout while it lasts! Dr. Stuart Fishbein is our OBGYN and our plan was to have him assist us in our natural home birth of our twins Will and Ben. We went through the entire pregnancy with him. A listener turned us onto him in our first month and we had already gone to see another OBGYN and the difference was night and day. Unfortunately here in California natural birthing centers are not allowed to offer their services if you have twins. So that left us only two options. Have a hospital birth which we didn't want to do or have a home birth with no midwife or doctor. Midwives here in California are required to have a medical doctor be present. So that left us either the hospital or me alone at home with Kate. Then a wonderful listener saved the day by letting us know about Dr. Stu. The first OBGYN we saw was supposedly more "naturally minded" (ya right) but he was egotistical and thought he was God's gift to mankind. When we met Dr. Stu it was a breath of fresh air! To have a medical doctor like him with a team of midwives at home was the best option ever! Here are some of the topics we covered... Vbac Breech Vaccines Circumcision Herd immunity Placenta Benefits of home birth Dangers of hospital birth C-sections Pregnancy tips Thanks for listening! Please share it with a friend! Tag us on Instagram and let me know what you think! I hope you enjoy! One final thing! Thank you for bookmarking our Amazon link and shopping through our ever expanding store. Without your ongoing help, we wouldn't be able to make this possible. :) Sponsor For This Episode: Relax FAR Infrared Sauna Greenwave Dirty Electricity Filters Stylish Blue Blocking Glasses Iris Blocking Software Enzymes from Mitolife HypoAir - The Best Air Purification Systems We've Found! Bellicon rebounder Products Related To This Episode: Joovv Red Light Therapy Devices Greenwave dirty electicity filters Stockton Aloe One Blue blocking glasses Magnetico sleep pad Scalar energy rest shield Daily Qigong Course Chaga mushrooms Surthrival Colostrum BARF Raw Dog Food Xtrema Cookware Medical Biomats Chemical Free Organic Skincare! Show Notes N/A Please Subscribe: Subscribe To Our Radio Show For Updates! Listen to other shows with this guest. Guest Bio Dr. Stuart Fischbein, MD OB/GYN has been in private practice of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Southern California since 1986. He graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1982. He has a long history of support for Midwives and the alternative to the medical model of birth they provide. This interest began during his Cedars-Sinai residency where he had extensive training in vaginal breech and twin delivery and was selected as administrative chief resident and awarded house officer of the year. His experience was enhanced while rotating through LA County-USC Medical Center, at that time the busiest obstetric unit in the country, where he had the good fortune to be exposed to the midwifery model of obstetrical care. Early in his private practice career he was approached by several local “Licensed Midwives” to provide back-up support for women choosing alternatives to hospital based birthing. In 1995 he co-founded, The Woman's Place, Inc., an innovative model of collaboration between Certified Nurse Midwives and Obstetricians, in Ventura County. In 2004, he co-authored, Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom and Reassurance from a Doctor, a Midwife and a Mom, (Fair Winds Press, 2004, 2nd Edition 2010) with long time associate, Joyce Weckl, CNM; and writer, Victoria Clayton. He has three times been awarded Physician of the Year by the Doulas Association of Southern California and in 2008 received their first Lifetime Achievement Award.

Every day around 10,000 babies are born in the United States, and 1/3 of those are born via cesarian section (c-section). This rate continues to climb, with many experts saying it's getting too high.Every day around 10,000 babies are born in the United States, and 1/3 of those are born via cesarian section (c-section). This rate continues to climb, with many experts saying it's getting too high.Dr. Stuart Fischbein, MD OB/GYN has been in the private practice of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Southern California since 1986. He graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 1982. He has a long history of support for Midwives and the alternative to the medical model of birth they provide. he is a long-time outspoken advocate of a woman's' right to informed consent and refusal and the exercise of her free will, and since 2010, Dr. Fischbein continues to provide direct patient care and attend home and birth center births with his midwife colleagues. He has published two papers and one case report highlighting his experiences and continues to travel and lecture on reteaching breech birth.he joins Dr. Susanne to talk about a woman's choice in the birthing process, informed consent, how he got into the holistic approach to pregnancy and birth, and the main differences between natural and hospital births. 

Listen to Dr. Allie in conversation with Dr. Stuart Fischbein, who is an OB/GYN, as they speak on Pregnancy, Giving Birth and Home Births during the COVID-19 pandemic. Stuart James Fischbein, MD was Board Certified in 1989 and became a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology in 1990. He has been a practicing obstetrician in Southern California since completing his residency in 1986. While well trained at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in the standard medical model of obstetrics he had the respect and vision to support the midwifery model of care and served as a backup consultant to many home and birthing center midwives for 25 years. In 1996 he founded The Woman's Place for Health, Inc., a collaborative hospital-based practice of Certified Nurse Midwives and Obstetricians in Ventura County, California. In 2004, Dr. Fischbein co-authored the book, “Fearless Pregnancy, Wisdom & Reassurance from a Doctor, a Midwife and a Mom” www.fearlesspregnancy.net . For his efforts he has been awarded the Doulas Association of Southern California (DASC) Physician of the year award three times and, in 2008, was the very first recipient of DASC's lifetime achievement award in support of pregnant women. He has spoken internationally on breech and vaginal birth after cesarean section and has appeared in many documentaries, including: “More Business of Being Born”, “Happy Healthy Child”, “Reducing Infant Mortality”, “Heads Up: The Disappearing Art of Vaginal Breech Delivery” and multiple youtube videos discussing birth choices and respect for patient autonomy and decision making. Dr. Fischbein now practices community based birthing and works directly with home birthing midwives www.birthinginstincts.com to offer hope for those women who prefer and respect a natural birthing environment and cannot find supportive practitioners for VBAC, twin and breech deliveries. He is an outspoken advocate of informed decision making, the midwifery model of care and human rights in childbirth, receiving the 2016 “Most Audacious” award from HRIC and the Association for Wholistic & Newborn Health. Hear more of his thoughts and advocacy for evidenced-based, reasonable choices on his podcast at www.drstuspodcast.com. He is a preceptor for midwifery students from Nizhoni, NMI, NCM and Georgetown University School of Midwifery. Please note that the contents of Coping with COVID-19 are for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your mental health professional or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your condition. Never disregard professional advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on COPING WITH COVID-19. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the podcast does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. As always, if you are in crisis or you think you may have an emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. If you're having suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to talk to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area at any time (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline). If you are located outside the United States, call your local emergency line immediately. Thank you for listening to Coping with COVID-19 by Dr. Allie. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

On this episode Julia and Kristina talk with Dr. Stuart Fischbein! Dr. Stu is LA's only OB/GYN specializing in natural breech, twin, and VBAC birth.  In this conversation you'll hear about why breech birth is ok at home, c-sections, giving birth after 35, and why labor is painful! To learn more about Dr. Stu follow him on social media or check out his website, and podcast Dr. Stu's Podcast.  http://www.birthinginstincts.com/ https://www.facebook.com/DrStuartFischbein/ https://www.instagram.com/birthinginstincts/ What topics would you like to hear us discuss? Let us know! Don't forget to rate and review The Homebirth Experience on iTunes, Spotify and Stitcher! Facebook Instagram  http://clevelandhomebirth.com/

Obstetricians are the go-to care providers when giving birth in the US, but not all OBs are created equal. How do your obstetrician's background and training impact the care you get, and is that aligned with the care you deserve? Dr. Stuart Fischbein shares his insights, the hard lessons he's gained over his career, as well as why he still does breech deliveries, VBACs, and home births.Sponsor offers - TIME SENSITIVE! STORYWORTH - Get $10 off at storyworth.com/birthfulMOSSA - Get an extra 30-days on your free trial at mossaondemand.com with the code BIRTHFUL30NUTRAFOL - Get $15 off + free shipping at nutrafol.com with promo code BIRTHFULHAPPY HEALTHY HIPPIE - Get 50% off + free shipping at happyhealthyhippie.com/birthful with code BIRTHFULSUMMER HEALTH - Get $15 off at summerhealth.com/birthful with promo code BIRTHFUL DOCKATOT - Get 15% off at dockatot.com/birthful with the code BIRTHFULLETO FOODS - Get 15% off at letofoods.com/birthful with the code BIRTHFULGet the most out of this episode by checking out the resources, transcript, and links listed on its show notes page.  If you liked this episode, listen to our interview on What You Need to Know About Birth Models (Birth What?), and our episode on How to Avoid a "Cascade of Interventions."You can connect with Dr. Stu on Instagram @birthinginstincts. You can connect with Birthful @BirthfulPodcast and email us at podcast@Birthful.com. If you enjoy what you hear, download Birthful's Postpartum Plan FREE when you sign up for our weekly newsletter! You can also sign-up for Adriana's Own Your Birth online BIRTH preparation classes and her Thrive with Your Newborn online POSTPARTUM preparation course.Follow us on Goodpods, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and anywhere you listen to podcasts.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birthful/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands