Birthing Instincts

Can we prepare for the birth we want while still surrendering to the birth we get?

Our guest, Jenée Carlson, experienced two births that couldn't have been more different. Her first was a home birth filled with suffering. Her second? A free birth she describes as completely painless, peaceful, and blissful.

Same woman. Same body. So what changed?

Jenée joins us to explore the power of our beliefs, the conditioning that teaches women to distrust their instincts, and what happens when we stop outsourcing our authority to everyone else.

We get into manifestation, meditation, generational trauma, the uncomfortable truth about personal responsibility, and why some people seem downright offended when another woman has a beautiful birth experience.

About Jenée

Jenée is a prenatal mentor helping women across the globe align with their dream birth experience through intentional mindset shifts, paradigm transformation, guided meditation, & nervous system regulation. Her work bridges neuroscience & intuition, helping women understand how their beliefs, thoughts, & emotions can shape their birth experience. She guides women to reconnect with possibility & consciously create the experience they desire.

After experiencing two profoundly contrasting births—from a homebirth full of suffering to a freebirth that was completely PAINLESS, calm, & filled with bliss—Jenée discovered firsthand that a difficult birth experience does not have to define what is possible in the future. That transformation changed the course of her life & her work.

Since then, she has supported women from Mexico to Australia, & across the United States. Her experiences have shaped an empowerment-based framework, that provides women with the tools to approach their birth experience with greater awareness, intention, & trust.

Website: JeneeCarlson.com

Instagram: @Jeneecarlson14

References:

Dr. Stu’s Podcast #162: Let’s Talk About Skye

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dr-stus-podcast-162-lets-talk-about-skye/id1552816683?i=1000508761647

Birthing Instincts #314 Low Platelets & Deficiencies of Wisdom

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/314-low-platelets-deficiencies-of-wisdom/id1552816683?i=1000617828516

BroadandLiberty.com: Midwives, doctors discuss home births

https://broadandliberty.com/2026/10/05/midwives-doctors-discuss-home-births/

28 Pennsylvania Code Chapter 137

https://www.pacodeandbulletin.gov/secure/pacode/data/028/chapter137/028_0137.pdf

Pain Perception in Advanced meditators 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23000783/

Rewired by Dr. Joe Dispenza 

https://www.gaia.com/series/rewired

Reclaiming Birth

https://www.reclaimingbirthconference.com/

Discussed in This Episode

Breaking Generational Trauma

Have Women Been Conditioned to Ignore Their Instincts?

Meditation, Manifestation, and Changing Your Mindset

Free Birth, Feminism, and Women's Autonomy

Acknowledging Risk Without Letting Fear Lead

What Happens When Partners Disagree About Birth?

Learning to Welcome the Unknown

How Birth Preparation Can Transform Motherhood

Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care 

This show is supported by

• Tallow Twins | Go to https://tallowtwins.ca/INSTINCTS and use code INSTINCTS for 15% off your order
• LMNT | Got to drinklmnt.com/birthinginstincts to get a free sample pack with any order
• Christian Hypnobirthing | Go to christianhypnobirthing.com and use the code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS for 30% off the Faith-Filled Childbirth Course!.
• Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use code INSTINCTS for 15% off

Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss

• Join our Patreon! patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast
• Instagram: @birthinginstincts/@wovenmoon_
• Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
• Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

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:

https://thehighwire.com/plus/show/jefferey-jaxen-investigates/

https://thehighwire.com/plus/video/jefferey-jaxen-investigates-the-mental-health-crisis-part-1/

https://jeffereyjaxen.substack.com/p/watch-new-episode-of-the-download-288

https://thehighwire.com/the-download/

The Isabella Brown Show: How SSRIs Are Silently Destroying Gen Z, One Zoloft at a Time ft. Lauren Friedman 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4NGoUjOkCEQkMlKZC3pFhJ?si=glcoypyGTgy-fMMP-49LbA

Treatment and Management of Mental Health Conditions During Pregnancy and Postpartum

https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/clinical-practice-guideline/articles/2023/06/treatment-and-management-of-mental-health-conditions-during-pregnancy-and-postpartum

An Inconvenient Study

https://www.aninconvenientstudy.com/

Discussed in This Episode

What Is the Mental Health Crisis?

Social Media, Dopamine, and the Changing Brain

Personal Responsibility in a Medicated World

SSRIs, Prozac, and the Questions We Should Be Asking

Big Pharma, Medical Journals, and the Power of Marketing

When SSRIs Help: Understanding the Risks and Benefits

What Happens When You Stop Taking SSRIs?

Beyond the Pill: Sunlight, Movement, Sleep, and Purpose

 Ayahuasca, Psychedelics, and a Different Approach to Healing

Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care 

This show is supported by

• Tallow Twins | Go to https://tallowtwins.ca/INSTINCTS and use code INSTINCTS for 15% off your order
• LMNT | Got to drinklmnt.com/birthinginstincts to get a free sample pack with any order
• Christian Hypnobirthing | Go to christianhypnobirthing.com and use the code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS for 30% off the Faith-Filled Childbirth Course!.
• Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use  code INSTINCTS for 15% off

Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss

• Join our Patreon! patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast
• Instagram: @birthinginstincts/@wovenmoon_
• Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
• Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

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

Allowed to Birth Ashland Screening

https://www.birthinginstinctspodcast.com/event-details-registration/allowed-to-birth-movie-screening

Jehovah’s Witnesses allow blood-derived products but keep ban on whole-blood transfusions

https://www.statnews.com/2026/09/19/jehovahs-witnesses-blood-derived-products-transfusions/

Birthing Instincts Podcast #314 Low Platelets & Deficiencies of Wisdom

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1bMKgk1ZKtcI0QDQWCZtpT?si=3fb0f5eaad2445fb

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Risk of Adverse Maternal Pregnancy Outcomes

https://www.ovid.com/jnls/greenjournal/fulltext/10.1097/aog.0000000000006363~glucagon-like-peptide-1-receptor-agonists-and-risk-of

The Retrievals Season 2

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3gzGsdfFnFUeREYclQlYv8?si=sCc_o2mYSoOGl434Tz1uqA

Neonatal and obstetric outcomes following periconceptional exposure to glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: a systematic review and meta-analysis

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000293782600222X

Discussed in This Episode

When Cutting the Cord Becomes the Emergency

Maternity Care Is Disappearing

The Shopping Center Breech Baby

Experiencing Loss and Questioning Everything

The Midwife Who Did Exactly What She Was Supposed to Do

One Ultrasound Finding, One Very Familiar Cascade

You Don't Have to Be a “Perfect Goddess” to Deserve Individualized Care

GLP-1s and Pregnancy: What Does the Evidence Actually Say?

A Mother Feels Her Cesarean After Epidural Fails

Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care 

This show is supported by

• Tallow Twins | Go to https://tallowtwins.ca/INSTINCTS and use code INSTINCTS for 15% off your order
• LMNT | Got to drinklmnt.com/birthinginstincts to get a free sample pack with any order
• Christian Hypnobirthing | Go to christianhypnobirthing.com and use the code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS for 30% off the Faith-Filled Childbirth Course!.
• Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use code INSTINCTS for 15% off

Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss

• Join our Patreon! patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast
• Instagram: @birthinginstincts/@wovenmoon_
• Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
• Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

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

References:

FriYAY! 

Instagram.com/birthinginstincts

Allowed to Birth Ashland Screening

https://rova.live/event/allowed-to-birth-film-screening-presented-by-woven-moon-2026-10-27-1800

Held In Hope - Miscarriage Boxes

heldinhope.org

Birthing Instincts Podcast #383: There Can Be Healing in Loss

https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/383-there-can-be-healing-in-loss/id1552816683?i=1000673286068

Birthing Instincts Podcast #339 Early Pregnancy Loss

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/339-early-pregnancy-loss/id1552816683?i=1000638423958

Discussed in This Episode

Meet Kenzie & Held in Hope

What Are Women Actually Told After a Miscarriage?

The Option Women May Not Know They Have When Experiencing Loss

When You Can't Just Call Your Doctor 

Not Just a Medical Event

A Care Package That Holds Space in Miscarriage 

Preparing Women for What They May See or Experience

Support Without an Agenda or Judgment 

What Does Waiting for a Miscarriage Actually Look Like?

When Is Medical Intervention Necessary?

What Happens to Your Baby After a D&C?

What Do You Say to Someone Who Miscarried?

Dads Grieve Too

Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care 

This show is supported by

• Tallow Twins | Go to tallowtwins.ca and use code INSTINCTS for 15% off your order
• LMNT | Got to drinklmnt.com/birthinginstincts to get a free sample pack with any order
• Christian Hypnobirthing | Go to christianhypnobirthing.com and use the code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS for 30% off the Faith-Filled Childbirth Course!.
• Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use code INSTINCTS for 15% off

Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss

• Join our Patreon! patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast
• Instagram: @birthinginstincts/@wovenmoon_
• Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
• Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

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.

References:

Vaccine Choice Canada

vaccinechoicecanada.com

Reclaiming Birth Gathering

reclaimingbirthconference.com

FriYAY! Instagram.com/birthinginstincts

Up to Me. Up to You. Up to Everyone.

uptoeveryone.com

Safe Blood - The Global Leader In SafeBlood Matching

safeblood.com

Blessed By His Blood

blessedbyhisblood.com

History of Blood Transfusions

https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-donation-process/what-happens-to-donated-blood/blood-transfusions/history-blood-transfusion.html

Allowed to Birth Ashland Screening

https://rova.live/event/allowed-to-birth-film-screening-presented-by-woven-moon-2026-10-27-1800

Discussed in This Episode

The history of blood transfusion, and its roots in obstetrics

When postpartum blood loss may warrant transfusion

Why hemoglobin is only one piece of the clinical picture

How red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the body

ABO/Rh blood types and transfusion compatibility

Common and rare transfusion reactions

Why modern blood banking has made transfusion significantly safer

Directed donor blood and the challenges of arranging it during pregnancy

Questions surrounding vaccinated vs. unvaccinated donor blood

Ways to optimize maternal health and reduce the likelihood of needing transfusion

Questions to discuss with your birth team before an emergency occurs

Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care 

This show is supported by

• LMNT | Got to drinklmnt.com/birthinginstincts to get a free sample pack with any order
• Christian Hypnobirthing | Go to christianhypnobirthing.com and use the code BI50 for 50% off the first three months of your monthly subscription.
• Restorative Roots | Go to restorativeroots.com and use code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS to get $20 off
• Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use code INSTINCTS for 15% off

Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss

• Join our Patreon! patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast
• Instagram: @birthinginstincts/@wovenmoon_
• Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
• Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

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.

References:

Kristine’s instagram post

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DdB70-Ohaek/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

FriYAY! Instagram.com/birthinginstincts

Allowed to Birth Ashland Screening

https://rova.live/event/allowed-to-birth-film-screening-presented-by-woven-moon-2026-10-27-1800

Classical Midwifery Conference - Tbilisi Georgia, 2027

gentlebirths.net/classicalmidwiferyconference

Birth Untethered Podcast: S2E31 - In Conversation with Dr Stu-What Doctors Get Wrong About Safety, Consent, and Birth Outcomes

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s2e31-in-conversation-with-dr-stu-what-doctors-get/id1836371735?i=1000788208319

Return to Wisdom Podcast: “Free Birth is a Rational Response” — with Dr Stu Fischbein

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/free-birth-is-a-rational-response-with-dr-stu-fischbein/id1829401357?i=1000788354017

Ancient Health Podcast:  Your Gut Is Recirculating Your Own Bad Estrogen

https://open.spotify.com/episode/7okFAoLL6xeBkpxwhnqWpi?si=vTRhY-wLToeW6d7rm_gYLA&nd=1&dlsi=ed1bb63852ff4f5b

Long-term risks and benefits associated with cesarean delivery for mother, baby, and subsequent pregnancies: Systematic review and meta-analysis

https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002494

Investigating the risk factors for isthmocele development after cesarean delivery

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11078695/pdf/main.pdf

Book: Fix Your Gut, Fix Your Hormones: The Critical Connection Your Doctor Is Missing… And Why You Still Feel Terrible Despite “Normal” Labs

https://a.co/d/03dsXMQL

Discussed in This Episode

• What an isthmocele/cesarean scar defect actually is

• Why some cesarean complications may not appear until years later

• Secondary infertility following cesarean birth

• Abnormal bleeding and other symptoms associated with uterine scar defects

• How repeat cesareans may affect scar healing

• Placenta previa, accreta, uterine rupture, miscarriage, and stillbirth

• What research suggests about long-term childhood outcomes

• The difference between signing a consent form and actually being informed

Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care 

This show is supported by

• LMNT | Got to drinklmnt.com/birthinginstincts to get a free sample pack with any order
• Christian Hypnobirthing | Go to christianhypnobirthing.com and use the code BI50 for 50% off the first three months of your monthly subscription.
• Restorative Roots | Go to restorativeroots.com and use code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS to get $20 off
• Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use  code INSTINCTS for 15% off

Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss

• Join our Patreon! patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast
• Instagram: @birthinginstincts/@wovenmoon_
• Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
• Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

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 both the hospital and legal systems. Gina shares why Pitocin inductions appear so frequently in the birth injury cases she sees, what she learned while attending her own daughter’s induction, why she believes doulas can play such an important role in hospital birth, and the questions families should consider before consenting to interventions.

They also dig into the uncomfortable realities of “standard of care,” defensive medicine, emergency C-sections, expert witnesses, medical records, hospital accountability, and what happens when the accepted standard may not necessarily represent the best care.

We can’t predict every possible outcome, but we can do our best to understand the system we’re walking into, asking better questions, and making informed decisions before you’re in the intensity of labor.

About Gina Mundy:

Gina Mundy is a nationally recognized trial attorney, internationally bestselling author, speaker, and host of The Childbirth Attorney Podcast. For more than two decades, her work has focused on one of the most consequential moments in a family’s life: childbirth.

Gina has spent her career studying birth injury cases in hindsight. She analyzes what happened, why it happened, which warning signs were missed, and what could have changed the outcome. That perspective became the foundation for her internationally bestselling book, A Parent’s Guide to a Safer Childbirth.

Gina believes the greatest lessons for helping babies enter the world safely should be learned before labor begins, not after something has gone wrong.

Through her book, The Childbirth Attorney Podcast, speaking engagements, media appearances, and international platforms, Gina brings those lessons to parents, doulas, birth professionals, and families around the world. Her work has reached audiences throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and beyond.

Instagram: @ginamundy 

Website: ginamundy.com / fiegerlaw.com

Book: A Parent's Guide to a Safer Childbirth https://a.co/d/03AlkDiL

References:

Allowed to Birth Ashland Screening

birthinginstincts.com/events/allowed-to-birth

Classical Midwifery Conference - Tbilisi Georgia, 2027

gentlebirths.net/classicalmidwiferyconference

Great Birth Rebellion Podcast Episode 218 - The Cascade of Intervention

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YikOJ1ADT9oC5NTL7JNH5?si=36a5db05f3dd4448

Discussed in This Episode

• The one intervention that shows up again and again in birth injury cases
• Why “slow and steady” can make a huge difference when using Pitocin
• The question every parent should consider asking before allowing someone to break their water
• Are some interventions really about safety, or getting the baby delivered on someone else’s timeline?
• The surprising way fear of being sued may actually lead to MORE interventions and C-sections
• What happens when the accepted “standard of care” may not actually be good care
• How two highly qualified medical experts can look at the exact same birth and tell a jury two completely different stories
• Why doulas are rarely involved in the birth injury cases
• Should you record conversations during labor or after an unexpected outcome? 
• The hospital details to look for when preparing to give birth

Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care 

This show is supported by

• LMNT | Got to drinklmnt.com/birthinginstincts to get a free sample pack with any order
• Christian Hypnobirthing | Go to christianhypnobirthing.com and use the code BI50 for 50% off the first three months of your monthly subscription.
• Restorative Roots | Go to restorativeroots.com and use code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS to get $20 off
• Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use  code INSTINCTS for 15% off

Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss

• Join our Patreon! patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast
• Instagram: @birthinginstincts/@wovenmoon_
• Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
• Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

Dr. Sherri Tenpenny joins Blyss and Dr. Stu for a wide-ranging conversation about vaccines, pregnancy, medical freedom, informed consent, institutional trust, and what it means to question the systems we’ve been taught to rely on.

Blyss asks an important question for parents and birth workers: when major medical organizations say there are enormous amounts of data supporting recommendations during pregnancy, how is the average person supposed to evaluate those claims? 

Stu and Sherri also challenge the influence professional medical organizations have on hospital policy and discuss what happens when recommendations become protocols, sometimes without the kind of long-term or downstream outcomes they believe should be considered.

But underneath all of these topics is a bigger conversation: How do we think for ourselves without simply replacing one authority with another?

And that brings Blyss and Stu back to something they talk about often: we need each other, our community. Whether you agree with every perspective in this episode or find yourself questioning some of it, the invitation is the same, stay curious, look deeper, ask for the evidence, and make informed decisions for yourself and your family.

About Dr. Sherri Tenpenny:

Dr. Sherri Tenpenny is a globally recognized leader in exposing vaccine dangers and medical corruption. With over 50,000 hours of research spanning more than 25 years, she was one of the first medical professionals to sound the alarm on vaccine risks, paving the way for many of today’s voices in the medical freedom movement. Her relentless dedication to uncovering the truth behind public health policies, pharmaceutical influence, and vaccine-related injuries has made her one of the most sought-after educators and speakers in the field.

Dr. Tenpenny began her career as an emergency room physician and served as Director of a Level II Trauma Center for 12 years, where she gained firsthand experience in critical care and the failures of conventional medicine. Realizing the limitations of the mainstream medical system, she founded Tenpenny Integrative Medical Center near Cleveland, Ohio, where she helped thousands of patients from all 50 states and more than 20 countries achieve true wellness through natural, holistic approaches.

She was also one of the first doctors in the world to warn about the dangers of the COVID-19 shots. In April 2021, she released the groundbreaking ebook and webinar, “The 20 Mechanisms of Injury,” detailing how the shots could cause widespread harm. By July 2021, she expanded her research with “20 MORE Mechanisms of Injury,” further exposing the devastating effects of these experimental injections. Her work provided early, critical insights into the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 jab, helping countless people make informed choices—insights that other media sources slowly began to acknowledge long after her early dire warnings.

A dynamic speaker, prolific writer, and fearless advocate, Dr. Tenpenny has appeared on countless media platforms, challenging the medical establishment and exposing the systemic deceptions behind vaccines, public health mandates, and Big Pharma’s unchecked power. She continues to educate, empower, and fight for medical freedom, making her one of the most influential and unwavering voices in the movement today."

Instagram: @realdrsherritenpenny and @busydrt

Website: DrTenpenny.com, Shoptenpenny.net, Vcourses.drtenpenny.com, primemembership.drtenpenny.com

Substack: drtenpenny.substack.com, 

Podcast: The Tenpenny Files Podcasts

Published Books: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=sherri%2Btenpenny&crid=1QNWOKPFHKB8X&sprefix=sherri%2Btenpenn%2Caps%2C241&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

Vax App: drtenpenny.com/vaxapp/

References:

Allowed to Birth Ashland Screening

birthinginstincts.com/events/allowed-to-birth

Intentional Birth Pro Advocacy Training

https://community.intentionalbirth.co/a/2147925238/HUkqrEuo

NAET Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Techniques

naet.com

Thyroid Function Throughout Pregnancy in Women With Subclinical Hypothyroidism or Hypothyroxinemia

ovid.com/10.1097/AOG.0000000000006373

A Quality-Improvement Study Evaluating Three Postpartum Prophylactic Oxytocin Rates and Blood Loss After Vaginal Birth

ovid.com/10.1097/AOG.0000000000006355

High-Dose Oxytocin Protocol Implementation and Postpartum Hemorrhage

ovid.com/10.1097/AOG.0000000000006351

Vaccines and the Diseases They Target: An Analysis of Vaccine Safety and Epidemiology (The Silver Booklet)

physiciansforinformedconsent.org/silver-booklet/

Book: Tylenol and Autism: Evidence, Scientific Blunders, and Medicine Gone Wrong

Book: Lab 257: The Disturbing Story of the Government's Secret Germ Laboratory

Discussed in This Episode

• Pregnancy and vaccine recommendations
• What “safe and effective” actually means, and what evidence should support those words
• Preparing for newborn medical decisions before labor
• Grandparents, Pertussis & the Newborn Bubble
• Combination vaccines and the questions parents should be asking
• Why asking questions may be more effective than arguing facts
• The importance of community when your choices fall outside the mainstream
• Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome
• Breast implant illness
• “Turbo Cancer” & COVID Claims
• How professional medical organizations influence hospital policy
• Scientific research, peer review, and fabricated AI citations
• Why Sherri believes being a “seed sower” matters

Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care 

This show is supported by

• LMNT | Got to drinklmnt.com/birthinginstincts to get a free sample pack with any order
• Christian Hypnobirthing | Go to christianhypnobirthing.com and use the code BI50 for 50% off the first three months of your monthly subscription.
• Restorative Roots | Go to restorativeroots.com and use code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS to get $20 off
• Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use  code INSTINCTS for 15% off

Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss

• Join our Patreon! patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast
• Instagram: @birthinginstincts/@wovenmoon_
• Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
• Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

What if the way we enter the world has consequences that reach far beyond the day we're born?

This week, Blyss and Stu dive into “Microbirth”, the 2014 documentary exploring the human microbiome and what happens during the extraordinary biological transition of birth. From exposure to maternal bacteria during vaginal birth to skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, antibiotics, cesarean delivery, and the hormonal physiology of labor.

At the heart of the conversation is a much bigger question: When we intervene in birth, are we considering only the immediate outcome, or the ripple effects that may follow a baby for years, and perhaps even generations?

Because birth isn't simply the moment a baby arrives. It may be one of the most important biological programming events of our lives.

Listen now and join us as we ask: How much does the way we birth really matter?

References:

Microbirth Film

https://play.xumo.com/free-movies/microbirth/XM0KT28KHM1VCA

Do Antibiotics Given to Pregnant Women Harm the Baby's Brain? By Jennifer Margulis

https://jennifermargulis.substack.com/api/v1/post/pdf?postId=192562195

Impact of maternal intrapartum antibiotics, method of birth and breastfeeding on gut microbiota during the first year of life: a prospective cohort study

https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.13601

Allowed to Birth Ashland Screening

birthinginstincts.com/events/allowed-to-birth

Intentional Birth Pro Advocacy Training

https://community.intentionalbirth.co/a/2147925238/HUkqrEuo

Discussed in This Episode

• Microbirth documentary
• Humans as Living Ecosystems
• What Happens to the Microbiome During Birth?
• Ripple Effects of Antibiotics
• The Incredible Biology of Breast Milk
• The Gut-Brain Axis
• What Is Vaginal Seeding?
• Does Too Much Protection Hurt the Microbiome?

Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care 

This show is supported by

• LMNT | Got to drinklmnt.com/birthinginstincts to get a free sample pack with any order
• Christian Hypnobirthing | Go to christianhypnobirthing.com and use the code BI50 for 50% off the first three months of your monthly subscription.
• Restorative Roots | Go to restorativeroots.com and use code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS to get $20 off
• Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use code INSTINCTS for 15% off

Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss

• Join our Patreon! patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast
• Instagram: @birthinginstincts/@wovenmoon_
• Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
• Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

Thyroid health may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think about pregnancy, but thyroid hormones play an important role in both maternal health and fetal development, especially during those early weeks when baby is relying on mom's thyroid hormones.

This week, Blyss and Stu take a deep dive into thyroid disease in pregnancy. Stu breaks down the basics of how the thyroid works, the difference between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto's versus Graves' disease, and what TSH, T3, T4, and thyroid antibodies can actually tell us. They look at the potential pregnancy risks associated with overt thyroid disease, why subclinical disease is a very different conversation, and why pregnancy itself can change thyroid lab values.

Together they answer the question, should every pregnant woman have her thyroid screened? And discuss how testing itself can sometimes set off an unnecessary cascade of referrals, surveillance, and intervention.

This one gets into the weeds, but it's an episode worth saving as a resource for pregnant families, birth workers, and anyone navigating thyroid disease during the childbearing years.

References:

Reclaiming Birth Gathering

reclaimingbirthconference.com/

 Birth and Birth Psychology Congress in Istanbul, Turkey

Instagram: @birthandbirthpsychology

Website: dogumicinelele.org/

Birthing Instincts Podcast Patreon

Patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast

Open Evidence Links

https://www.openevidence.com/ask/04b52887-1c7f-423d-aeb4-7d28376e225a

Thyroid Disease in Pregnancy

www.ovid.com/10.1097/AOG.0000000000003893

Maternal thyroid function during gestation is related to breech presentation at term

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19832853/

Allowed to Birth Ashland Screening

birthinginstincts.com/events/allowed-to-birth

Discussed in This Episode

• Thyroid 101: TSH, T3, T4 & How It All Works
• Hashimoto's vs. Graves' Disease
• Why Thyroid Hormones Matter for Fetal Development
• Thyroid Disease & Pregnancy Risks: What Do the Numbers Actually Mean?
• Should Everyone Be Screened During Pregnancy?
• How Pregnancy Changes Thyroid Labs
• Hypothyroidism: When Pregnancy Symptoms Look Like Thyroid Symptoms
• Subclinical Hypothyroidism: Does It Need Treatment?
• What Thyroid Labs Should Actually Be Ordered?
• Treating Overt Hypothyroidism During Pregnancy
• Hyperemesis and Thyroid Changes

Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care 

This show is supported by

• LMNT | Got to drinklmnt.com/birthinginstincts to get a free sample pack with any order
• Christian Hypnobirthing | Go to christianhypnobirthing.com and use the code BI50 for 50% off the first three months of your monthly subscription.
• Restorative Roots | Go to restorativeroots.com and use code BIRTHINGINSTINCTS to get $20 off
• Girls Who Know | Go to girlswhoknow.com and use  code INSTINCTS for 15% off

Connect with Dr. Stu and Blyss

• Join our Patreon! patreon.com/birthinginstinctspodcast
• Instagram: @birthinginstincts/@wovenmoon_
• Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com