Show Notes
Shellie Poulter and Kemi Johnson reveal the shocking realities behind common induction methods, their risks, and the patriarchal forces shaping our maternity care system.Did you know that many induction medications can cause severe side effects like uterine rupture, fetal distress, and even catastrophic conditions like DIC? Or that the actual risk of stillbirth at full term isn't nearly as high as hospitals make it seem? Shellie breaks down the confusing, often misleading language in medical leaflets, exposing the lies and fear tactics used to coerce women into unnecessary procedures. Yet again, the evidence suggests these interventions often do more harm than good.You'll discover:The true risks and benefits of chemical induction agents, prostaglandins and why they can trigger a cascade of interventions leading to unnecessary cesareans.How hospital protocols and false safety claims undermine women’s bodily autonomy and support for natural birth.Evidence-based insights on the minuscule increase in stillbirth risk with induction versus the tremendous side effects and trauma caused by these procedures.Why informed consent is often sidelined in maternity care, and how to advocate for yourself in a system prone to coercion.Practical strategies for supporting spontaneous labor and avoiding harmful interventions, whether at home or in the hospital.This episode is perfect for anyone facing a medicalized birth, questioning routine practices, or passionate about reclaiming control over pregnancy and childbirth. Don’t let ignorance or industry propaganda hijack your birth experience, educate yourself now and prepare to challenge the status quo.Remember: Your body, your birth, your choice. If you want to understand what’s really happening behind the scenes of hospital inductions and how to avoid unnecessary risks, this episode is essential listening for every pregnant person and birth supporter aiming for a safer, more conscious birth.
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
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