#462: When Surrounded, Take The First Opportunity To Fight Like Hell With Del Bigtree

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1. 

   E465 · 1 hr 35 min

   #465: For All The Midwives In Texas: Fighting Injustice with Salli Gonzalez & Octavia Martinez, Esq

   In this week’s episode, Dr. Stu and Midwife Blyss sit down with Texas midwife Salli Gonzalez and attorney Octavia Martinez to unpack a case that should concern not only licensed midwives, but anyone with a license. Together they discuss what happens when a midwife follows protocol, transfers appropriately, and still becomes the target? What happens when unverified screenshots, incomplete records, and social media comments are used to justify suspending a license, without a trial? And more importantly, what does this mean for the future of midwifery? This conversation goes beyond the case of…

2. 

   E464 · 1 hr 25 min

   #464: A Confused Mixture Of Topics: Clearing The Desk

   This week’s podcast Blyss and Stu come to you with no guest and no single topic, just a “hodgepodge” of what’s been piling up in Dr. Stu’s mind attic. From collapsing birth options and disappearing breech skills…to food, fear, and the quiet coercion baked into modern maternity care. It may seem random, but there is a common thread here: Systems replacing skills, policy replacing autonomy, and women left navigating the fallout References: Fringe Red Light Therapy: Code BirthingInstincts10 for 10% off ICAN Coalition for Breech Birth Coalition Facebook Group CPT Maternity Care Services Codes…

3. 

   1 hr 47 min

   #463: The 20 Week Ultrasound: Dissecting the Anatomy Scan

   The 20-week anatomy scan has become a routine part of modern pregnancy, but is it truly essential, or just another layer of over-monitoring? After receiving a listener question, Dr. Stu and Blyss dissect the purpose, limitations, and unintended consequences of the anatomy scan. From what providers are actually looking for, to why so many women walk away with more anxiety than answers, this episode challenges the assumption that more information always equals better outcomes. At the end of the day, the real question isn’t can we look, it’s should we? Additional References: Birthing Instincts…

4. 

   1 hr 20 min

   #461: Fertility Back In Balance With Acupuncturist Emily Marson

   What if infertility isn’t a broken body… but a disconnected one? In this episode, Blyss and Stu sit down with integrative fertility expert Emily Marson to challenge everything you’ve been told about conception, IVF, and what it actually means to “optimize” the body for pregnancy. From the forgotten intelligence of the body to the overreach of modern fertility medicine, this conversation pulls back the curtain on why more intervention isn’t always the answer, and what happens when you start working with physiology instead of overriding it. About Emily: Emily Marson is the Founder and CEO of…

5. 

   1 hr 36 min

   #460: The Process Is The Punishment....And The Reward with Angee Hock

   A home birth. A tragic outcome. And a midwife the state tried to make an example of. In this episode, Blyss and Stu talk with Angee Hock to unpack what it’s really like to be prosecuted for birth work. From a traumatic breech birth to jail time, national headlines, and a courtroom battle that could have changed everything, this conversation goes where most won’t. But what came out of her trial may change everything: a judge declaring home birth is a constitutional right. This isn’t just her story. It’s about who controls birth in America, and what it costs to challenge it. About Angee:…

6. 

   1 hr 27 min

   #459: Over-Monitoring & Outcomes, How Are We Doing & Who Benefits.

   What happens when we monitor birth too much? In this episode, Blyss and Stu pull back the curtain on one of the most normalized, and least questioned, practices in modern obstetrics: continuous monitoring. What starts as “safety” can quietly become interference, and the consequences aren’t small. Together, they break down how over-monitoring can derail physiologic birth, increase unnecessary interventions, and shift trust away from a woman’s body and into machines. From hospital protocols to real-world birth room dynamics, this conversation challenges the narrative that more data always…

7. 

   E486 · 1 hr 8 min

   #486: Holding Hope After Miscarriage with Kenzie Covarrubias

   There are some experiences in life that we simply cannot prepare our hearts for. Pregnancy loss is one of them. This week, we sit down with Kenzie Covarrubias, co-founder of Held in Hope, for a tender conversation about miscarriage, grief, and what it truly means to care for a woman through loss. Because a miscarriage is so much more than a medical event. There was a mother who was full of hopes and dreams, and a baby who was already deeply loved. How do we give women the information they need while still honoring the sacredness of what they're experiencing? And when someone we love is…

8. 

   E485 · 1 hr 28 min

   #485: Understanding Blood Transfusion

   Blood transfusions can save lives, but when are they actually necessary, and what should you know before you're ever faced with that decision? This week, Blyss and Dr. Stu unpack blood transfusions in birth: postpartum hemorrhage, hemoglobin levels, blood types and compatibility, potential reactions, and why the number on a lab report doesn't always tell the whole story. They also dive into some of the harder questions: Can you choose where your blood comes from? What about directed donation? And what options exist for families who have concerns about receiving blood from vaccinated donors?…

9. 

   E484 · 1 hr 21 min

   #484: Isthmocoele, Infertility & Other Lesser Known Cesarean Risks

   Cesarean sections can be lifesaving. But are women actually being told about the potential long-term consequences before they consent to one? This week, Blyss and Stu dig into some of the lesser-discussed risks of cesarean birth, particularly the risks that may not show up until months or even years later. Stu walks through research examining isthmocoeles and the broader long-term outcomes associated with cesarean delivery, including future fertility, placenta previa and accreta, uterine rupture, miscarriage, stillbirth, and potential childhood outcomes. But this isn't an episode about…

10. 

    E483 · 1 hr 31 min

    #483: Safer Birthing with Childbirth Attorney, Gina Mundy

    What can nearly 24 years of birth injury litigation teach us about preventing birth injuries before they happen? This week, Blyss and Stu are joined by nationally recognized trial attorney, bestselling author, and host of The Childbirth Attorney Podcast , Gina Mundy. After spending her career reviewing the births that went wrong—studying medical records, questioning doctors and nurses, and identifying the decisions that changed families’ lives forever, Gina decided those lessons belonged in the hands of parents before they ever entered the delivery room. Take a look behind the curtain of…

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