Show Notes
In this episode Shellie and Kemi welcome Maha Al Musa. We delve into a deep discussion about the healing potential of embodying birth, the challenges of being an authentic heart led birthworker and Maha shares her birth stories, life journey and wisdom with us.Maha Al Musa is a mother of three beautiful children (now 29, 26 and 17) and is of Palestinian/Lebanese origin raised in Australia. She is a doula, birth mentor, international educator and the founder of EmbodyBirth and Bellydance For Birth® since 1997. She has released two award-winning resources—a world first book on Bellydance for birth, entitled Dance of the Womb, endorsed by Sheila Kitzinger, Dr. Michel Odent, Dr. Sarah Buckley and NACE (Aust.) and a follow on video series voted by about.com readers choice award for Best Pregnancy Fitness Product. She was presented with the One World Birth Hero National Award in 2011. She also has on offer her online 4 modules/ 21 chapters, wise conscious birth preparation program and her highly acclaimed EmbodyBirth mentored certification educator training as well as other powerful resources. Maha has been a keynote speaker at many birth conferences worldwide including the Shandong Midwifery Conference China, Human Rights In Childbirth Conference India and Birth Keepers Summit USA. She has also travelled extensively to many countries globally teaching her program including Japan, China, Taiwan, India, USA, NZ, Europe, and Maha has trained many teachers online post covid including in Vietnam and other countries.All of Maha's teachings are supported by the Universal truth that birth is a sacred portal that has the potential to raise human consciousness and that every woman and baby has the freedom to choose and the right to be supported and born into the hands and arms of Love. www.mahaalmusa.comInsta @embodybirthinternationalEmbodyBirth 2026 online mentored certified eductor training container with MahaMarch - October 2026https://www.mahaalmusa.com/embodybirth-educator-online-training-certificationEmbodyBirth Pregnancy And Birth Prep Program4 modules/ 21 chapterhttps://www.mahaalmusa.com/embodybirth-pregnancy-birth-preparation-online-courseBellydanceBirth Bundle includes the award winning BellydanceBirth dance videos, Maha's homebirth at 46 and bonuseshttps://embodybirth-academy.thinkific.com/Award winning world first book on Bellydance For Birth - Dance Of The Wombhttps://www.mahaalmusa.com/dance-of-the-womb-bookJoin the Mailing list:https://birthuntethered.kit.comWebsite:https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/birthuntetheredPatreon:https://www.patreon.com/14193903/joinSpotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1kKvf6pjLGDJ5nDBMKPCjBApple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/birth-untethered/id1836371735Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@birthuntetheredInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/theserenitydoula/https://www.instagram.com/birth.untethered/https://www.instagram.com/kemibirthjoyjohnson/Support us by buying our merch:https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/merchBuy us a coffee:https://buymeacoffee.com/shellie
More from Birth Untethered
In S2E36, Kemi Birthjoy Johnson and Shellie explore coached pushing, “purple pushing,” the Valsalva maneuver and the contrast to physiological or undisturbed pushing —and why shouting instructions to push may work against the body’s natural instincts. They discuss spontaneous pushing, the role of birth positions, and what the evidence says about maternal fatigue, pelvic floor injury, and outcomes for babies.The conversation also looks at how coached pushing became common, whether strict time limits for the second stage of labor are useful, and how people can make informed choices that support physiological birth.
This episode is a detailed look at caesarean birth covering what happens in theatre and recovery to the potential short- and long-term effects for parent and baby. Shellie and Kemi discuss informed consent, advocacy and doula support, rising intervention rates, differences in care models, and evidence on risks including complications, NICU admission, PTSD, and future pregnancies.Become an Untethered Rebel: https://birthuntethered.kit.com/products/untethered-rebel-subscription Book time with Shellie: https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/bookachatwithshellie Book time with Kemi: https://kemibirthjoyjohnson.com/work-with-me Website: https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/birthuntethered Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/14193903/join Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kKvf6pjLGDJ5nDBMKPCjB Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/birth-untethered/id1836371735 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@birthuntethered Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theserenitydoula/ https://www.instagram.com/birth.untethered/ https://www.instagram.com/kemibirthjoyjohnson/ Support us by buying our merch: https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/merch Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/shellie https://buymeacoffee.com/dujube
Shellie and Kemi explore the history of caesarean birth and the changes that have made the surgery safer. From antisepsis and anesthesia to antibiotics, checklists, and modern monitoring. They also examine what “safer” means in practice, discuss risks including infection and blood clots, and question how informed choice and respectful care shape birth outcomes.A candid, evidence-focused conversation for pregnant people, birth workers, partners, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of caesarean birth and maternity care. Become an Untethered Rebel: https://birthuntethered.kit.com/products/untethered-rebel-subscription Book time with Shellie: https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/bookachatwithshellie Book time with Kemi: https://kemibirthjoyjohnson.com/work-with-me Website: https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/birthuntethered Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/14193903/join Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kKvf6pjLGDJ5nDBMKPCjB Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/birth-untethered/id1836371735 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@birthuntethered Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theserenitydoula/ https://www.instagram.com/birth.untethered/ https://www.instagram.com/kemibirthjoyjohnson/ Support us by buying our merch: https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/merch Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/shellie https://buymeacoffee.com/dujube
Dr. Stuart Fischbein joins Shellie and Kemi Birthjoy Johnson to discuss instrumental birth, including when forceps or ventouse may be genuinely helpful, the different risks involved, and why essential obstetric skills are disappearing.Together, they explore consent, intervention cascades, medicalised birth, fear-based protocols, and the importance of collaboration between obstetricians, midwives, doulas, and parents. This episode offers an honest look at assisted vaginal birth and why skilled, individualised care matters.Become an Untethered Rebel:https://birthuntethered.kit.com/products/untethered-rebel-subscriptionBook time with Shellie:https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/bookachatwithshellieBook time with Kemi:https://kemibirthjoyjohnson.com/work-with-meWebsite:https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/birthuntetheredPatreon:https://www.patreon.com/14193903/joinSpotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1kKvf6pjLGDJ5nDBMKPCjBApple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/birth-untethered/id1836371735YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@birthuntetheredInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/theserenitydoula/https://www.instagram.com/birth.untethered/https://www.instagram.com/kemibirthjoyjohnson/Support us with merch:https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/merchBuy us a coffee:https://buymeacoffee.com/shelliehttps://buymeacoffee.com/dujube
Shellie, Kemi and Dr Stuart Fischbein examine the forces shaping modern maternity care and what happens when we look beyond the intervention itself to the system that created the circumstances for it. We explore how birth care can be shaped by institutional incentives, liability and throughput as much as by evidence, and how time limits, induction, defensive caesareans, routine scanning and licensing can become mechanisms of control rather than genuinely individualised care. We look at how poor outcomes are often the end of a cascade rather than a single event. Instrumental birth, caesarean, NICU admission and difficulties with bonding may follow a chain that began much earlier with restricted movement, fear, continuous monitoring, coached pushing, early intervention or time pressure. We also examine deskilling. When practitioners lose confidence and experience in breech birth, twins, forceps or vacuum extraction, caesarean can become the default, not necessarily because alternatives are inherently unsafe, but because the skills to offer them are disappearing. What happens when the numbers we rely on aren't as universal as they appear? We explore how growth charts, labour curves and other obstetric thresholds can turn narrow reference populations into supposedly universal definitions of “normal”, potentially turning healthy variation into pathology. Consent is another key theme. We question when counselling becomes coercion, particularly when information is selectively framed, alternatives are minimised and a woman's “no” is repeatedly challenged. Finally, we discuss continuity of care, fear and professional culture. Continuity can create trust and accountability, while fragmented systems can encourage defensive practice. Much of the behaviour experienced as bullying or coercion may stem not from individual malice, but from clinicians working within a system that teaches them to fear uncertainty, blame and responsibility. This episode asks us to look beyond the final intervention and follow the signal back to its source: what assumptions underpin the evidence, who benefits from the way care is organised, and who ultimately carries the cost? Become an Untethered Rebel: https://birthuntethered.kit.com/products/untethered-rebel-subscription Book time with Shellie: https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/bookachatwithshellie Book time with Kemi: https://kemibirthjoyjohnson.com/work-with-me Website: https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/birthuntethered Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/14193903/join Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kKvf6pjLGDJ5nDBMKPCjB Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/birth-untethered/id1836371735 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@birthuntethered Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theserenitydoula/ https://www.instagram.com/birth.untethered/ https://www.instagram.com/kemibirthjoyjohnson/ Support us with merch: https://www.theserenitydoula.co.uk/merch Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/shellie https://buymeacoffee.com/dujube