Show Notes
In this episode, Blyss and Stu are joined by Nathan Riley and Carol Gautschi to discuss the profound importance of in-person gatherings within the birth work community. The conversation covers the unique value of face-to-face interactions, the differences between organic and inorganic communication, and the challenges and rewards of organizing birth-related events. They reflect on the impact of being physically present with others, the human connection in birth work, and ways to support and sustain these vital gatherings for a more connected and informed community. About Carol: Carol Gautschi CPM LM has actively attended homebirths since 1978 and has worked as a Classical Holistic Midwife on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula since 1979. She has been married since 1974 to Paul (backtoedenfilm.com), and has 7 children and eight grandchildren. For her first 25 years Carol served as an unlicensed midwife. This opportunity gave her lots of observational skills, creative ingenuity and a immense responsible trust in the power of physiological birth. Her teaching style is unique because, in addition to teaching the clinical nuts and bolts of her subjects, she emphasizes the unseen (or intuitive) realm of birth. She fosters the importance of the midwife relationship not just with the mama but the baby. Carol has been teaching the art of Classical Midwifery since the early 1990s, both in the US and across many countries. In September, she hosted her first international Classical Midwifery conference on the island of Crete in Greece. Many describe her passion as inspiring, rooted in her belief that when women are responsibly awakened to their creative selves, birth unfolds with the grace and power it was designed to carry, laying a miraculous foundation within her and the family. Witnessing this beauty over the years has become a passion. Carol believes that God is the primordial Midwife and she serves under that mantle with honor and humility. Instagram: @_midwyf_ Website: classicalmidwifery.com & gentlebirths.net About Nathan: Dr. Nathan Riley is a board-certified OB/GYN and hospice & palliative care physician, and the co-creator of the Born Free Method. Through his private practice, Beloved Holistics, he supports midwives in 23 states, offering truly collaborative, physiologic, and relationship-centered care. Nathan is a trusted voice in the birth world, frequently invited onto leading podcasts and to speak at conferences about autonomy in maternity care, the art of true informed consent, and the importance of honoring the physiology of birth. Nathan is the vision behind the Born Free Twins–Breech gatherings, which have expanded into a midwife-led team directed by Sara Rosser. What began as a training for birthworkers on the nuances of physiologic vaginal breech and twin births has grown into something much more.....a place for ceremony, community, healing, and collective strength. Beyond his clinical work, Nathan is a devoted stay-at-home father of two and proudly married to his high-school sweetheart, Stephanie. His personal and professional lives are woven together by a commitment to presence, compassion, and helping families and providers return to a more intuitive, holistic model of care. Instagram: @Nathanrileyobgyn Website: Bornfreemethod.com
References: Born Free Twins-Breech Gathering bornfreemethod.com/conference birthinginstincts.com/workwithstu patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast bridgemidwives.com/communitycircles
Discussed in This Episode The Value of In-Person Connections The Power of Human Connection in Professional Settings The Impact of Social Media on Personal Interactions Balancing Traditional Wisdom with Modern Technology Challenges and Rewards of Organizing Events Creating Inclusive and Economical Conferences The Sacredness of Birth and Professional Passion Supporting Each Other in the Birth Community
Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care
This show is supported by Wholesome Organics
More from Birthing Instincts
What if the answer to our mental health crisis isn't another prescription? We're living in a world where depression, anxiety, and loneliness are seemingly everywhere. And somehow, despite more diagnoses, more medications, and more money being poured into mental health treatment, we're still struggling. So what exactly are we missing? This week, investigative journalist Jeffrey Jaxon of The HighWire joins Blyss and Dr. Stu for a conversation that might make you rethink everything you thought you knew about mental health. From the chemical imbalance theory and the uncomfortable questions surrounding SSRIs to the pharmaceutical industry's influence on medicine, Jeffrey isn't afraid to go where mainstream conversations often won't. We're not suggesting medication never has a place. We're asking whether we've forgotten that healing involves more than a prescription. Because maybe the real mental health crisis isn't just about what's happening in our brains. Maybe it's about what we've lost along the way. Join us for a conversation that challenges the narrative, asks uncomfortable questions, and reminds us that being human is about more than just managing symptoms. About Jefferey Jaxen Jefferey Jaxen is a veteran investigative journalist covering medical, health and a limitless array of breaking news. Also featured in his weekly segment, The Jaxen Report on The HighWire. An accomplished documentary film maker, his film series Jefferey Jaxen Investigates exposes the compelling topics of our time. Website: TheHighWire.com / highwire.plus Substack: substack.com/@jeffereyjaxen Instagram: @realjeffereyjaxen References:
Listen to women. Seems simple enough. And yet, here we are. This week, the stories in our inbox keep bringing us back to the same uncomfortable truth: women know when something feels wrong. They know their bodies. They know their babies. They know their histories. And far too often, instead of being listened to, they're dismissed, frightened, managed, or told that someone else knows better. One mother screamed that she could feel her cesarean, and was told, “There’s no way she feels that.” Another was sent down the familiar rabbit hole of scans, labels, scary possibilities, and intervention because her baby measured small… while seemingly no one stopped to consider that maybe small parents sometimes make small babies. And then there's a twin home birth that ends in unimaginable loss—a story that challenges the idea that a tragic outcome automatically means someone made the wrong choice. Sometimes everyone does everything right, and tragedy still happens. These are the stories we need to be willing to hear. Not just the beautiful births. Not just the outcomes that validate what we already believe. All of them. Because informed consent means listening. Individualized care means listening. Supporting women means listening. And maybe if we did a little more of that, we'd need a whole lot less fixing afterward. References: FriYAY! Instagram.com/birthinginstincts
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 grieving, how do we resist the urge to fix it and simply be there? There is no one right way to move through loss. But there are gentler ways to hold one another through it. This is one of those conversations we wish no one ever needed, and one we believe every woman deserves to hear. .About Kenzie Covarrubias Kenzie Covarrubias is the co-founder of Held in Hope, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting and equipping women through miscarriage. After recognizing how often women are left unprepared to navigate pregnancy loss,, Kenzie and co-founder Amber Hassett created the Held in Hope Miscarriage Kit, providing clear information, practical supplies, and compassionate support during first-trimester loss. Today, Held in Hope works with hospitals, midwives, medical providers, pregnancy centers, and families across the country to help ensure no woman has to face miscarriage feeling alone or unprepared. Kenzie is also a wife and mom of five and is passionate about changing the way women are cared for through pregnancy loss. Website: heldinhope.org Instagram: @held.in.hope
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? From the surprising obstetric origins of modern transfusion medicine to the questions worth asking during pregnancy, this is one of those conversations you may never need, but you'll be glad you heard if you do.
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 frightening women away from cesareans. It's about informed decision-making. As Blyss points out, being informed shouldn't mean you're expected to consent. Women deserve to understand both the benefits and the risks, including the downstream risks that may affect their bodies, their babies, and pregnancies they haven't even had yet.