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What if everything you thought you knew about childbirth was shaped by a system designed to doubt women's bodies rather than trust them? In this eye-opening conversation with Dr. Stu, a community birth physician supporting home births, we dive deep into how modern birthing practices often undermine what our bodies naturally know how to do.

The statistics alone should give us pause. Since 1970, C-section rates have skyrocketed from 5% to 32% in the United States—a staggering 500% increase—without corresponding improvements in maternal or infant outcomes. The World Health Organization suggests rates should be 10-15%, meaning hundreds of thousands of unnecessary surgical births happen annually. Yet remarkably, no physician admits to performing these unnecessary procedures. This cognitive dissonance permeates our entire approach to childbirth.

Dr. Stu beautifully contrasts the midwifery model, which "trusts birth and accepts uncertainty," with the medical model, which "fears birth and tries to control everything." This difference manifests in everything from the length and quality of prenatal visits to postpartum care. While hospital protocols typically schedule a single six-week postpartum check, midwives visit multiple times in the first week alone, providing crucial support during the most vulnerable period for mother and baby.

For expectant parents navigating this complex landscape, Dr. Stu offers practical wisdom: pay attention to how you feel after prenatal appointments. Do you leave feeling more confident and empowered, or more anxious and diminished? This emotional barometer can guide you toward providers who genuinely support your innate capacity to birth. Consider incorporating midwifery care into your pregnancy journey regardless of where you plan to deliver, as midwives are the true experts in normal physiological birth.

Whether you're planning your first birth, processing a previous birth experience, or supporting someone on their journey, this conversation will transform how you view the miraculous process of bringing new life into the world. Trust your body—it knows what to do.

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What if everything we've been taught about childbirth is fundamentally flawed? Dr. Stuart Fischbein (Dr. Stu) takes us on a profound journey from conventional obstetrics into the world of home birth, challenging the very foundations of modern maternity care.

After decades as a hospital-based OB, Dr. Stu noticed something troubling: the medical model was creating problems rather than solving them. "I thought I was the sharpest tack in the box," he admits, "but I began to see that much of what I knew was wrong." His awakening led him to recognize that standard hospital procedures—from IVs to continuous monitoring to laboring flat on your back—directly contradict what mammals need during birth: quiet, safety, and freedom of movement.

The statistics tell a compelling story. When Dr. Stu shifted to a midwifery-collaborative model, his C-section rates plummeted to 7% compared to the national average of 30-32%. This wasn't because he took more risks, but because he stopped creating unnecessary ones. "I was an expert at about 15% of pregnant women and I was taking care of 100%," he explains. "What they need is midwifery care."

Perhaps most troubling is how fear permeates obstetrics today. From breech babies to vitamin K shots, medical professionals routinely use vague terms like "risky" without providing context or actual numbers. When pressed for specifics, they often can't answer. As Dr. Stu puts it, "All that matters to the medical model is a live baby in the bassinet, and how it gets there is not their concern."

Whether you're planning a pregnancy, recovering from birth trauma, or simply curious about our maternity care system, this eye-opening conversation offers a radical reimagining of what birth could be. Listen now and discover why your body might know more about birth than our medical system does.

Ready to reclaim the wisdom of natural birth? Subscribe, share your birth story in the comments, or follow us for more conversations that challenge conventional thinking.

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For the full show notes, including links to any resources mentioned, please visit The Radiant Mission Blog.

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What happens when a hospital OBGYN walks away from the system to support midwives and home birth? Dr. Nathan Riley returns for the final episode in our countercultural birth series to answer followers' questions and dive deeper into controversial topics that most medical professionals won't touch.

We examine the science behind RhoGAM shots given to Rh-negative mothers, revealing shocking truths about its testing history and actual necessity. Dr. Riley explains how most women's health interventions were primarily tested on male subjects, creating a fundamental disconnect between medical recommendations and female physiology. This medical bias extends throughout healthcare, where women's monthly hormonal fluctuations make them "poor test subjects" compared to young, healthy men.

The conversation takes an unexpected turn when discussing men's fears about birth. Dr. Riley shares a powerful exercise for partners anxious about home birth - asking their own mothers to recall not just the difficulty of labor but the transformative moment of holding their baby. This simple practice helps heal generational fears and creates a foundation for supporting a partner's birthing journey.

Throughout our discussion, Dr. Riley emphasizes the importance of informed choice. Whether choosing home birth, hospital birth, or something in between, what matters most is that families receive complete information without pressure or judgment. The medical system often fails women by substituting protocols for personalized care, but with the right information, women can reclaim their power and intuition.

Join us for this eye-opening finale that challenges conventional wisdom and invites you to question everything you've been told about birth, medical authority, and your own innate wisdom.

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For the full show notes, including links to any resources mentioned, please visit The Radiant Mission Blog.

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