Return to Wisdom

In this episode, host Keshia Tognazzini sits down with Molly Isabel, a mother of eight, to walk through every one of her birth stories — from her first birth at nineteen in a small country hospital, through smooth hospital births, an unexpected caesarean, and two free births at home. It's a rare chance to hear one woman's full arc across nearly two decades of birthing: what worked, what didn't, how fear crept in even after years of confident births, and what it actually took to choose free birth with eyes open. Along the way, they talk about the weight of two words spoken at the wrong moment, being labelled "high risk" for having a large family, the emotional aftermath of an unplanned caesarean, and how media coverage of free birth outcomes so often leaves out the context that matters most. What We Cover Birth #1 (age 19): A straightforward hospital birth with unspoken fear of a nearby hospital's reputation, an internal exam and broken waters performed without clear consent, and a midwife who helped restore Molly's trust in her own instincts Birth #2: A "textbook" hospital birth — smooth, supported, and calm Births #3 and #4: Both born in the caul; a moment where a midwife's uncertain reaction ("what's that?") briefly stalled labour — and what that reveals about how quickly fear can shift a birth Birth #5: A pregnancy marked by a difficult relationship with a new head of midwifery, being labelled "high risk" for being a "grand multi," pressure over amniotic fluid and baby size, a suspected placental abruption, and an unplanned caesarean — plus the emotional aftermath and a craniosacral/Chinese medicine session that helped settle her son The hospital's internal response to the midwife whose care Molly and others complained about Birth #6: Deciding to free birth for the first time after losing access to a home birth midwife due to COVID-related travel and continuity-of-care rules; building confidence through books, community, and backup planning; a fast, calm labour at home The importance of having backup plans in place and a partner who fully believes in the process Birth #7: A posterior labour after relocating states, a difficult stall, and instinctively knowing to break her own waters after finding the answer in a birth book days earlier Birth #8: Free birthing through a bad flu, with the shortest labour of all A friend's stillbirth within a free-birthing community, how that family processed it, and how it affected Molly's own confidence going into her next free births A frank conversation about media coverage of free birth deaths — what gets reported, what gets left out, and how outcomes are scrutinised differently depending on whether they happen inside or outside a hospital The history behind modern gynaecology and why some of that history still shapes maternity care today Why Molly believes many women don't "choose" free birth so much as get pushed toward it by a system that leaves them few other options Links & References Mentioned Active Birth by Janet Balaskas — one of the birth books Molly and Harley read before their first birth Home Birthing on Your Own Terms — the book Molly credits with the key piece of information (about manually rupturing membranes) that helped her through a stalled labour Ina May Gaskin and Grantly Dick-Read — authors referenced among the birth books Molly read while researching free birth (titles including works associated with Childbirth Without Fear) Mary Lou Singleton — mentioned as a guest from another episode of the series, referenced in relation to the idea that physiological birth builds an "inner strength" some women miss out on J. Marion Sims — referenced (name not recalled in the episode) regarding the historical origins of modern gynaecology, including experimental surgeries performed on enslaved Black women without anaesthesia; discussed as part of a broader conversation about how much of modern obstetric practice has roots that deserve scrutiny Episode Sponsors INBLUEM Skincare — Pure, plant-based skincare made in Byron Bay — no toxins, no fillers, no fuss. In Bloom is offering Return to Wisdom listeners a discount. Use code RETURNTOWISDOMPODCAST at inbluem.com/returntowisdompodcast Kim Anami — Holistic sex and relationship coaching for reconnecting with your body and your partner. Register for courses here — using it also supports the podcast. Superfeast — This episode is brought to you by Superfeast. Enjoy 10% off your order with the code RETURNTOWISDOM at superfeast.com.au

In this episode, host Keshia Tognazzini sits down with Dr Sarah Buckley — GP, researcher, and one of the world's leading voices on the hormonal physiology of birth — to unpack what actually happens in the body during physiological labour, and what gets lost when birth is interrupted, induced, or moved into an operating theatre. They cover the "private, safe and unobserved" foundation every labouring mammal needs, the oxytocin feedback loop that turns early labour into an unstoppable "snowball," the fetus ejection reflex, why pre-labour caesareans leave a measurable hormonal gap for both mother and baby, and practical ways to protect your hormones if a hospital transfer is part of your plan.   About Dr Sarah Buckley Dr Sarah Buckley is trained as a family physician/GP with qualifications in GP-obstetrics. She has been writing and lecturing to childbirth professionals and parents since 1997, and is the author of the internationally best-selling book Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering. Dr Buckley has a special interest in the hormones of physiological labour and birth and the impact of maternity-care interventions. She recently completed her PhD at the University of Queensland on Oxytocin in Childbirth, and is also the author of the 2015 report Hormonal Physiology of Childbirth. She is mother to four adult children and grandmother to one, all born at home. She lives on the semi-rural outskirts of Brisbane, Australia. Find Sarah: Website: sarahbuckley.com Facebook: @DrSarahBuckley Instagram: @DrSarahJBuckley Twitter/X: @Sarahjbuckley   What We Cover What "undisturbed birth" actually means, and why every labouring mammal needs to feel private, safe, and unobserved The evolutionary roots of birth hormones — 65+ million years of placental mammal physiology Why labour can stall the moment a labouring woman moves from home to hospital The "saber-toothed tiger effect": how adrenaline and cortisol counteract oxytocin The Ferguson reflex and the "snowball of labour" — how a positive feedback loop turns early contractions into an unstoppable process Oxytocin receptor density and why the uterus becomes exponentially more sensitive to oxytocin by the end of pregnancy What the jugular-vein oxytocin studies from the 1970s–80s actually found The fetal catecholamine surge, and what babies miss out on with a pre-labour caesarean Why current research shows no safety benefit to elective pre-labour caesarean over physiological birth Skin-to-skin contact as a way to "fill hormonal gaps" after interventions Melatonin, darkness, and why humans likely evolved to labour at night The difference between an undisturbed birth and an unassisted (free) birth Practical tips for protecting your hormones if you're planning a hospital transfer   Links & References Mentioned Sarah Buckley's Website All of Sarah's PhD publications Epidurals — risks and FAQ How to Have the Best Caesarean Labour Induction: Making Choices Synthetic Oxytocin (Pitocin): Myths and Side Effects Does Pitocin Cause Autism? Research Publications Referenced Buckley S, Uvnäs-Moberg K, Pajalic Z, Luegmair K, Ekström-Bergström A, Dencker A, et al. Maternal and newborn plasma oxytocin levels in response to maternal synthetic oxytocin administration during labour, birth and postpartum — a systematic review with implications for the function of the oxytocinergic system. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2023;23(1):137. Read here Uvnäs-Moberg K, Ekström-Bergström A, Berg M, Buckley S, Pajalic Z, Hadjigeorgiou E, et al. Maternal plasma levels of oxytocin during physiological childbirth — a systematic review with implications for uterine contractions and central actions of oxytocin. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2019;19(1):285. Read here People & Concepts Mentioned in Conversation Michel Odent — French surgeon, water-birth pioneer, and originator of the "private, safe and unobserved" framing and the fetus ejection reflex Robbie Davis-Floyd — medical anthropologist, coined "birth as a technocratic rite of passage" Sheila Kitzinger — birth anthropologist referenced on cross-cultural birth support Nils Bergman — researcher/advocate for "no separation" and skin-to-skin practice, including during caesarean birth Rhea Dempsey — referenced for the phrase "crisis of confidence" in labour Leader & Lederman et al. — 1970s–80s studies on maternal adrenaline and fetal heart rate patterns in early labour Robin Lim — midwife referenced regarding birth culture in Bali This Episode Is Supported By INBLUEM Skincare — Pure, plant-based skincare made in Byron Bay — no toxins, no fillers, no fuss. In Bloom is offering Return to Wisdom listeners a discount. Use code RETURNTOWISDOMPODCAST at inbluem.com/returntowisdompodcast Kim Anami — Holistic sex and relationship coaching for reconnecting with your body and your partner. Register for courses here — using it also supports the podcast. Superfeast — This episode is brought to you by Superfeast. Enjoy 10% off your order with the code RETURNTOWISDOM at superfeast.com.au

Part of a series examining free birth and home birth culture in light of a recent media exposé (The Guardian's investigation), this conversation features veteran obstetrician Dr. Stu Fischbein giving his unfiltered take on why free birth exists, why he believes it's here to stay, and where he thinks the modern maternity system has gone wrong. Drawing on nearly 40 years in practice — including 25 years working alongside midwives and a career spent specializing in breech, twin, and VBAC deliveries — Dr. Stu makes the case that many of the "rules" of obstetrics (age 35, 24-hour rupture of membranes, post-dates, standard of care) are arbitrary constructs rather than evidence-based thresholds. The conversation ranges widely: informed consent, financial incentives in hospital billing, breech and twin birth outcomes, ultrasound overuse, newborn resuscitation practices, and why he believes women are turning to free birth not out of recklessness but as a rational response to a system they no longer trust. This Episode Is Supported By INBLUEM Skincare Pure, plant-based skincare made in Byron Bay — no toxins, no fillers, no fuss. In Bloom is offering Return to Wisdom listeners a discount. 👉 Use code RETURNTOWISDOMPODCAST at inbluem.com/returntowisdompodcast Kim Anami Holistic sex and relationship coaching for reconnecting with your body and your partner. https://kimanami.ontraport.com/t?orid=511555&opid=2 to register for courses— using it also supports the podcast. This Episode is brought to you by Superfeast Enjoy 10% off your order with the code RETURNTOWISDOM https://www.superfeast.com.au/     Topics Covered Reactions to The Guardian's free birth investigation — what it got right and where it fell short Why Dr. Stu believes free birth is "here to stay" and will keep growing The financial and liability incentives baked into hospital birth (C-section pay structures, NICU admissions, billing for extra ultrasound features) Informed consent vs. "motivational interviewing" (his term for coercive counseling) Rupture of membranes: is the 24-hour rule evidence-based? Meconium: what it actually indicates vs. how it's used to justify intervention Where "age 35 = high risk" actually came from (the amniocentesis/Down syndrome coincidence) "Post-dates" vs. term — and why 42 weeks isn't inherently dangerous Vaginal breech and twin delivery: the data, the de-skilling of OBs, and why cesarean isn't a risk-free alternative Ultrasound overuse, Doppler billing incentives, and the precautionary principle Delayed cord clamping and newborn resuscitation on the mother vs. at the warmer How to "interview" an OB or hospital before choosing where to give birth Why podcasting has become a major source of birth information — and why the medical establishment doesn't like that Dr. Stu's own birth story and how it shaped his views on maternal-infant bonding   Resources Mentioned Dr. Stu's papers via birthinginstincts.com: Home Birth with an Obstetrician, home breech birth paper, home twin birth paper (with Rixa Freeze, Breech Without Borders) The Guardian's free birth investigative series An Inconvenient Study (documentary referenced re: vaccinated/unvaccinated health outcomes) Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) Green-top Guideline on breech birth (2017) Breech Without Borders training seminars The Birthing Instincts podcast and Patreon community   Where to Find Dr. Stu Podcast: Birthing Instincts (with Midwife Blyss Young) Website: birthinginstincts.com Instagram: @birthinginstincts

"Helping a baby breathe at birth, is a parenting skill" - Reclaiming Common Birth Knowledge with Billie Harrigan In this instalment of the Birth Series, Keshia sits down with Integrative Perinatal Health Consultant and Educator Billie Harrigan to talk about "becoming a more useful human" — the idea that ordinary, common-sense birth skills have been co-opted, medicalised, and locked behind licensing requirements that Billie argues make birth more dangerous, not less. The conversation traces the history of "calling the neighbour" — the once-ordinary practice of a knowledgeable community member attending a birth — back through the criminalisation of midwifery in Canada, and asks what was lost when that knowledge left common hands. From there, Billie and Keshia work through nutrition's role in preventing preeclampsia, cholestasis, and gestational diabetes; the three birth emergencies Billie believes everyone should know how to respond to; and what trauma-informed care actually requires from anyone in a birth space. They also revisit the fallout from the Free Birth Society exposé, and where Billie feels the reporting missed the mark. This episode doesn't land on a tidy verdict either — it's an invitation to think about who currently holds birth knowledge, who's allowed to use it, and what that's costing women.   This Episode Is Supported By INBLUEM Skincare Pure, plant-based skincare made in Byron Bay — no toxins, no fillers, no fuss. In Bloom is offering Return to Wisdom listeners a discount. 👉 Use code RETURNTOWISDOMPODCAST at inbluem.com Kim Anami Holistic sex and relationship coaching for reconnecting with your body and your partner. Link https://kimanami.ontraport.com/t?orid=511555&opid=36 to register for courses— using it also supports the podcast. This Episode is brought to you by Superfeast Enjoy 10% off your order with the code RETURNTOWISDOM https://www.superfeast.com.au/   Key Topics Discussed "Being a more useful human" — reclaiming everyday birth and first-aid-style skills that Billie argues have been unnecessarily medicalised and gatekept The history of "calling the neighbour" — how midwifery was made illegal in Upper Canada, why it stayed criminalised for most of Canada's history, and what the mortality data from that era suggests about community-based care Common birth knowledge and skills — prenatal nutrition, tracking baby's position, recognising the difference between a baby needing time versus a baby needing help, and basic kitchen herbalism (shepherd's purse, yarrow, bay berry, ladies mantle, witch hazel) Nutrition as prevention — Billie's perspective on diet's role in preeclampsia, cholestasis, and gestational diabetes, including a discussion of folic acid fortification and insulin signalling The three birth emergencies — Billie's framework for what she believes everyone in a birth space should be equipped to respond to: a baby getting stuck, a baby not reviving, and postpartum haemorrhage Trauma-informed care as a learnable skill — maternal mortality from suicide, the brain-injury model of birth trauma, and what Billie's course for the "childbearing client" is designed to teach Restricted birthing legislation in Australia — the push for other states to adopt South Australia-style laws restricting unregistered birth workers, even within hospital settings Revisiting the Free Birth Society exposé — where Billie felt the reporting was fair, where she felt it missed the broader context of birth trauma in the medical system, and how online discourse shaped the narrative "Refugees from the medical industry" — Billie's description of the women she supports who've had coercive experiences with maternity care, and how nervous-system safety factors into their outcomes   Mentioned in This Episode Billie Harrigan's Traditional Birth Companion Course - https://billieharrigan.com/becoming-a-traditional-birth-companion Billie Harrigan's trauma-informed care course for childbearing clients - https://billieharrigan.com/becoming-trauma-informed Breech Without Borders - https://www.breechwithoutborders.org/ Dr. Brewer's research on nutrition and preeclampsia   Links:   billieharrigan.com thehivecollective.life birthtraumaontario.ca harriganhive.com   @billieharrigan @birthtraumaontario   FG: https://www.facebook.com/billieharriganconsulting/ https://www.facebook.com/birthtraumaontario/

In this instalment of the Birth Series, Keshia sits down with her longtime podcasting partner and friend Chloe Pacey for a wide-ranging, unfiltered reunion conversation. Sparked by the recent Guardian investigation into Free Birth Society and figures like Emily Saldaya and Yolanda Norris-Clark, the pair dig into the messy middle ground between free birth advocacy and mainstream maternity care — where both women land after years of birthing, researching, and living rurally with young families. Topics range from the psychology of influencer culture and echo chambers, to stillbirth statistics and how to interpret them responsibly, to the training (or lack thereof) behind "radical birthkeeper" courses, to proposed legislation restricting who can attend a birth. Along the way: reflections on friendship in different seasons of motherhood, and a fair amount of unfiltered, expletive-laden honesty. This episode doesn't land on a verdict. It's an invitation to sit with the nuance — and to think critically about who you're trusting with information during one of the most vulnerable windows of your life.   This Episode Is Supported By INBLUEM Skincare Pure, plant-based skincare made in Byron Bay — no toxins, no fillers, no fuss. In Bloom is offering Return to Wisdom listeners a discount. 👉 Use code RETURNTOWISDOMPODCAST at inbluem.com Kim Anami Holistic sex and relationship coaching for reconnecting with your body and your partner. Link https://kimanami.ontraport.com/t?orid=511555&opid=36 to register for courses— using it also supports the podcast. This Episode is brought to you by Superfeast Enjoy 10% off your order with the code RETURNTOWISDOM https://www.superfeast.com.au/   Key Topics Discussed Digesting the Guardian's Free Birth Society investigation — how the story reads differently pregnant vs. postpartum, and what felt fair vs. sensationalised in the reporting Radical responsibility — what it really means to opt out of the medical system, and where the accountability sits when outcomes go wrong Reading the stillbirth statistics — trying to contextualise the numbers cited in the investigation against broader hospital-birth stillbirth rates, and why the data gaps make real comparison difficult The "claiming life" moment — unpacking one of the most controversial passages from the reporting, and how instinct (human and animal) shows up differently when someone is alone versus supported Influencer culture and epistemic humility — how to tell the difference between someone sharing lived experience and someone qualified to teach a skill, using a personal-trainer analogy to make the point Radical birthkeeper and doula training programs — what these courses do and don't prepare people for, and the gap between "holding space" and clinical emergency response Language and framing — how phrases like "I've never seen a hemorrhage in 17 years" shape a listener's sense of safety, whether or not that's the intent Free birth as "trend" — distinguishing women who arrive at free birth through deep research and genuine risk tolerance from those swept up by algorithmic pressure and social proof Scans, shame, and the pressure to prove trust in your body — the social dynamics around choosing (or skipping) ultrasounds in certain birth-culture circles Proposed regulatory changes — the RANZCOG/Australian College of Midwives statement calling for legislation modelled on South Australia's Restricted Birthing Practices laws, and reports of child-protection involvement in some free birth cases there What a better middle ground could look like — informed, individualised risk assessment with a trusted care provider, regardless of setting       A Note on This Episode This series doesn't offer a definitive verdict on free birth — it's designed to be sat with, questioned, and weighed against your own circumstances. As always, nothing in this episode constitutes medical advice. If you're navigating a birth decision, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare provider you trust. If this episode resonated, the biggest support you can offer is sharing it or leaving a review — that's how these conversations reach the people who need them.   Music Licence: MB01FCNMYPSU3WD