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Doula, researcher and quantum biology educator Nikko Kennedy returns to Return to Wisdom for a wide-ranging conversation with Keshia Tognazzini about freebirth: why women choose it, what the data can and can’t tell us, and why the conversation needs far more nuance than it’s getting. Nikko has been a doula since 2011 and has had five babies across nearly every setting: a midwife-booked home birth that became unassisted, a hospital birth at 43 weeks after declining induction, unassisted births, and a postpartum hospital transfer when her newborn had breathing difficulties. She shares the lessons from each, including the uncomfortable ones. In this episode: Why a certified doula who freebirths herself can’t professionally support a client’s freebirth, and the legal grey zone of the “traditional birth companion” How Oregon regulates traditional midwives: waivers, no prescription drugs, and what “scope of practice” really means The observer effect in birth: how a care provider’s notes, supervisors and regulators shape what happens in the room How insurance and payment quietly shape birth decisions, such as declining the glucose test Why freebirth outcomes are so hard to measure: under-reporting, births logged as “precipitous,” and studies comparing apples with oranges Keshia’s take on the Guardian’s Free Birth Society investigation, and what poor-outcome stories add to the picture Fear works in both directions: women who choose hospital out of fear, and women who flee it out of fear Why “your baby could die” no longer persuades many women, and what the academic literature says about bringing them back Transfers: child-protection referrals in the UK, inconsistent hospital responses, and why it’s “easier to escalate care than to de-escalate it” Two breech births with opposite outcomes, and why statistics don’t apply to individuals Health as the foundation for birthing outside the system: light, circadian rhythm, nutrition, immunity, and seeking help early Practice-based research: generating real-world evidence at the point of care Rebuilding “the village,” and the fact that villages can be meddlesome too   Mentioned in this episode Nikko’s earlier episode with Keshia and Chloe on quantum biology, circadian rhythm and pregnancy: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wUVWQbnKOp3Y5IwfOJ6fJ Allowed to Birth: A journey of a global midwife - https://www.byroncentre.com.au/theatre-events/allowed-to-birth Nikko’s upcoming conversation on postpartum cycle return with a TCM doctor: brighterdaysdarkernights.com    Connect with Nikko: @brighterdays.darkernights This episode is supported by INBLUEM Skincare Pure, plant-based skincare made in Byron Bay. No toxins, no fillers, no fuss. INBLUEM 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 this link also supports the podcast): https://kimanami.ontraport.com/t?orid=511555&opid=2 Superfeast This episode is brought to you by Superfeast. Enjoy 10% off your order with the code RETURNTOWISDOM https://www.superfeast.com.au/

In episode 12 of The Birth Series, Keshia Tognazzini sits down with birth photographer, doula and filmmaker Jacinta Lagos to talk about her debut feature documentary, Allowed to Birth: The Journey of a Global Midwife. Jacinta shares what pushed her to pick up a camera: years of witnessing obstetric violence, unnecessary interventions and small, everyday disrespect in hospital birth rooms, set against the deeply respected home births she was also documenting. She talks about why she built the film around global midwife Kristine Lauria, a Doctors Without Borders midwife and breech and twins educator, and why the loss of traditional midwifery skills and trust in birth matters. Keshia and Jacinta also get into free birth: why Jacinta prefers the term unassisted birth, how the film portrays Kristine's own unassisted birth, and her concerns about the Free Birth Society's business model and its demonising of midwives. They finish with how unassisted births are reported in the Australian media, and an invitation to the upcoming Byron Bay screening on Tuesday 17 November. Jacinta Lagos is an Argentinian-born birth photographer, doula and filmmaker based in Wisconsin, USA, and a mother of three. She grew up believing caesarean birth was simply how babies were born, until birth photography showed her both the beauty of physiological birth and the reality of obstetric violence. She began Allowed to Birth in 2024, shooting it largely with a single camera. Allowed to Birth: The Journey of a Global Midwife follows the life and work of midwife and educator Kristine Lauria, and features voices including Dr Melanie Jackson, Dr Stu Fischbein and Kemi Johnson. Watch Allowed to Birth in Byron Bay Allowed to Birth screens at Byron Theatre on Tuesday 17 November 2026, 6:30–8:30pm, followed by a live Q&A panel. Venue: Byron Theatre, Byron Community Centre, 69 Jonson St, Byron Bay NSW 2481 Panel includes: Sarah Smits, Australian midwife, educator and mentor (Bridging Worlds Midwifery) Tickets: ⁠Book on Eventbrite⁠ Event page: ⁠Byron Theatre – Allowed to Birth⁠ Box office: (02) 6685 6807 · [email protected]   Connect with Jacinta and the film Website: ⁠allowedtobirth.com⁠ · ⁠jacintalagos.com⁠ Instagram: @allowedtobirth · @jacintalagosbirthservices Email: [email protected] — Jacinta reads every message herself and would love your feedback after you watch   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/

After The Guardian’s investigation into the Free Birth Society, much of the freebirth world went quiet. Keshia didn’t. In this episode she sits down with Tahnee Taylor, mother of three, herbalist, birth educator, co-founder of SuperFeast, and a woman who has had two freebirths, to talk about what the investigation revealed and what it means for women considering birth outside the system. Tahnee doesn’t hold back. She bought the Complete Guide to Freebirth, watched one module, and turned it off. She explains why, and why she tells the women in her own birth course not to freebirth unless they know in their bones it’s right for them. Together they cover censorship inside online birth communities, the danger of one-sided storytelling, the rise of paid “birthkeepers” with little or no experience, the Stacey Warnecke case, postpartum haemorrhage, twins, scans, and the personal reckoning that comes with taking full responsibility for your own birth. They also explore how hard medical encounters can become the very experiences that teach women to trust themselves. This is a nuanced, honest, sometimes fiery conversation between two women who support freebirth and are not afraid to criticise how it is being sold. Find Tahnee Website: https://tahneetaylor.com Instagram: @tahneetaylor (confirm handle) Body of Wisdom Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1749200646 SuperFeast: https://superfeast.com.au   References and resources mentioned The Birth Keepers, The Guardian Investigates (Sirin Kale & Lucy Osborne): https://podnews.net/podcast/i11naj Free Birth Society: Emilee Saldaya & Yolande Norris-Clark (Complete Guide to Freebirth, Radical Birthkeeper School, The Lighthouse membership) Portal, Yolande Norris-Clark (book and course) Stacey Warnecke coronial inquest, Victoria: https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/06/17/hospital-referred-doula-to-police-after-fatal-victoria-freebirth/ Research on why women freebirth (Women’s Agenda / The Conversation): https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/what-drives-women-to-have-a-freebirth-without-a-midwife-or-doctor-heres-what-the-research-says/ Tahnee’s birth stories on Body of Wisdom, including Birth Magic: Hugo’s Pain-Free, Pleasurable Freebirth Ina May Gaskin Jeannine Parvati Baker Gloria Lemay Reddit discussion threads on the Free Birth Society   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/

Who should be allowed to support a woman in labour? In late 2025, RANZCOG and the Australian College of Midwives called for South Australia's "restricted birth practices" legislation to be adopted nationally. The laws aim to prohibit anyone without the appropriate clinical qualifications from attending or "managing" birth. In this episode, Keshia Tognazzini talks with maternity rights advocate Sally Kusack of Maternity Choices Australia about what this push could mean for doulas, birthkeepers, families, and women who choose to birth outside the system. They discuss how vague legal wording can catch a doula offering emotional support, or even a woman's own mother and aunties. They also cover the recent wave of media coverage on freebirth, the impact of the Birth Trauma Inquiry, and the climate of fear among birth workers. Sally also shares the three things she believes every pregnant woman should understand: her rights, the physiology of birth, and the system she's birthing within. In this episode Media coverage of freebirth and birthkeepers through 2024–2025, including the Guardian series and Sydney Morning Herald reporting The RANZCOG and ACM position statement calling for national "harmonisation" of South Australia's legislation Why the South Australian law was drafted, and how broad terms like "management of birth" can apply to almost anyone The story of a South Australian doula who faced two years of investigation after a hospital birth with no poor outcome When and why the state becomes involved after poor outcomes, including coronial inquests The many reasons women choose to birth outside the system, and the risks they take on Reports of child protection threats used to pressure women into accepting interventions such as induction The Birth Trauma Inquiry, and why the response has been regulation rather than reform How to stay informed and act quickly when consultation windows open Marjorie Tew's research on whether hospital birth is actually safer for healthy women The Luddites, and why questioning new technology isn't the same as rejecting it The evidence and debate around CTG monitoring The BRAIN acronym for informed decision-making, which works even mid-labour Why a labouring woman needs to feel private, safe, and unobserved, and practical tips like using an eye mask during transfer   You can find Sally at Maternity Choices Australia and PBB Media podcast and on IG   Here's the blog entry in response to the RANZCOG/ACM joint position statement: https://www.maternitychoices.org.au/post/maternity-advocacy-groups-around-the-country-rally-together-to-protect-women-s-rights-in-birth   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/

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

Two very different birth experiences — one that unfolded within the medical system, and one that took place at home with a private midwife quietly holding space in the background. Recorded in the wake of recent media scrutiny of free birth and home birth communities, this conversation moves past the headlines and into the lived, textured reality of making birth choices under pressure and hope. Ayana walks through her first birth: a 90-hour labour with a posterior baby, a burnt-out midwife, a transfer to hospital, an epidural, forceps, and a rough recovery — and how she came through it without carrying the trauma many might expect. She then shares the story of her second birth: two miscarriages, a pregnancy she chose not to confirm with a test, and a four-hour home birth in a birth pool that she describes as one of the best experiences of her life — interrupted only by an apple crumble in the oven. Together, Keshia and Ayana talk candidly about the pressure many women feel to free birth, the risk of outsourcing intuition to online forums during labour, the uneven reputation of midwives, and why neither extreme — "the medical system is broken" nor "free birth is the only real birth" — tells the whole story. A Note on This Series This episode is part of an ongoing series examining free birth and birth culture at a moment when public conversation has largely settled on a single narrative. The series doesn't promise definitive conclusions — listeners are invited to weigh the evidence with nuance and a critical eye. Connect with Ayana Instagram: @ayana_ryan_ Sponsors & Discount Codes INBLUEM — plant-based skincare made in Byron Bay. Use code RETURNTOWISDOMPODCAST at inbluem.com   Great Spirit — organic, whole-food-based iron supplements made in Australia. Use code KESHIA20 for 20% off at greatspirit.com.au   SuperFeast — medicinal mushrooms and tonic herbs. Use code RETURNTOWISDOM for 10% off at superfeast.com Kim Anami — Fire up your life with Kim Anami courses: Use https://kimanami.ontraport.com/t?orid=511555&opid=36 to register for courses Follow the Show If this episode resonated with you, please like, share, and leave a review — it helps get these conversations in front of more listeners. New episodes of the Birth Series drop weekly. Music Licence: MB01FCNMYPSU3WD

In this episode, Keshia sits down with Laura Shanley — author of the foundational book Unassisted Childbirth, first published decades before "free birth" became a widely used term. Laura free birthed all of her children between 1978 and 1987 and has spent over 30 years researching and writing about the connection between fear, thought, and the physiology of labor. The conversation comes at a pivotal moment for the free birth community, following a wave of media scrutiny — including a major investigative podcast series examining poor outcomes linked to Free Birth Society — and growing calls in Australia to legislate who is permitted to attend a birth. Keshia and Laura unpack what's actually being reported, what's being lost in translation, and where personal responsibility, intuition, and informed choice fit into the picture. What We Cover The current media climate around free birth and unassisted birth, and how it compares to decades past Reflections on the Guardian's investigative series into Free Birth Society — what resonated, what felt sensationalized, and where the reporting blurred normal physiological variation with genuine red flags The difference between true unassisted birth and hiring a "birthkeeper" — and why that distinction matters Laura's three primary causes of poor birth outcomes: extreme poverty, unnecessary medical intervention, and a woman's own fear and beliefs The physiology of fear: how the fight-or-flight response redirects blood and oxygen away from the uterus, and why this matters for labor Laura's own birth stories, including catching her breech baby after a guiding dream, and unwinding a nuchal cord solo in her bathroom Why "free birth vs. hospital birth vs. midwife-assisted birth" isn't the real debate — it's about tuning into what actually makes each woman feel safe The bind midwives are placed in between their own clinical judgement and fear of legal consequences Rising cesarean rates in the US and Australia, and what they signal about the "normal" range of birth being narrowed How to tell the difference between intuition and fear, and practical ways to reconnect with your body's own signals Laura's advice for anyone whose intuition has been dismissed or overridden in the past   About Laura Shanley Laura Shanley is the author of Unassisted Childbirth, with a foreword by French obstetrician Michel Odent. She has written and spoken on natural birth and the mind-body connection since the early 1990s, running one of the internet's earliest hubs for the unassisted birth community. She is the mother of five and grandmother of seven. Website: unassistedchildbirth.com (also accessible via freebirth.com) Resources Mentioned Unassisted Childbirth by Laura Shanley Childbirth Without Fear by Grantly Dick-Read Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin Childbirth Wisdom from the World's Oldest Societies by Judith Goldsmith Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky The Seth Material; Abraham Hicks material "Laughter in Labor" — article on unassistedchildbirth.com   This Episode is Brought to you by INBLUEM Enjoy 10% off your order with the code RETURNTOWISDOMPODCAST at www.inbluem.com   Fire up your life with Kim Anami courses: Use https://kimanami.ontraport.com/t?orid=511555&opid=36 to register for courses   This Episode is brought to you by Superfeast Enjoy 10% off your order with the code RETURNTOWISDOM https://www.superfeast.com.au/   Music Licence: MB01FCNMYPSU3WD

Keshia sits down with Melanie Jackson to work through the confusion left in the wake of The Guardian's exposé on Free Birth Society — what it got right, what it missed, and why neither of them was surprised by it. Drawing on her PhD research and nearly two decades attending home births, Melanie makes a clear distinction between free birth as a personal choice and the newer, more troubling trend of unregulated birth workers stepping into a clinical role they were never trained for. The conversation moves from there into what genuinely informed decision-making looks like, what responsibility actually means once you step outside the maternity care system, and where the middle ground sits between hospital birth and free birth for women chasing a physiological delivery. In This Episode Why neither Keshia nor Melanie was surprised by what came out in The Guardian's reporting, and the "cultish" dynamics both had noticed in the free birth community for years How free birth has shifted from something women arrived at through their own research to something now marketed to them through social media and courses The difference between free birth (a personal choice) and unregulated birth workers overstepping their scope — and why Melanie sees the latter as the real issue Why there's no actual research on free birth outcomes, and why that matters for anyone claiming it's either safe or dangerous What taking on the "red flag waiver" role really requires — full clinical knowledge, an emergency plan, and honest capacity to make decisions mid-labour The unspoken burden placed on partners who may not be prepared to become the emergency responder if something goes wrong Doulas vs. unregulated birth workers vs. midwives — where the boundaries should sit, and why crossing them creates the grey area fuelling most bad outcomes Melanie's own PhD research and why she pushes back on "you can't talk about free birth if you haven't done it" A spectrum of options for a physiological birth short of free birth: private home birth midwives, publicly funded home birth programs, midwifery group practice, birth centres, and doula support Rapid-fire listener questions: are C-sections really "safer" than vaginal birth, is VBAC possible after multiple caesareans, and is going past 41–42 weeks gestation an actual risk Melanie's longest supported pregnancy — 43 weeks and 1 day — and what that birth taught her client   Where to Find Melanie melaniethemidwife.com The Great Birth Rebellion podcast Annual "Convergence of Rebellious Midwives" conference (Melbourne this year) Upcoming book: Guide to a Great Pregnancy (with a follow-up on birth to come)   This Episode is Brought to you by INBLUEM Enjoy 10% off your order with the code RETURNTOWISDOMPODCAST at www.inbluem.com   Fire up your life with Kim Anami courses: Use https://kimanami.ontraport.com/t?orid=511555&opid=36 to register for courses   This Episode is brought to you by Superfeast Enjoy 10% off your order with the code RETURNTOWISDOM https://www.superfeast.com.au   Music Licence: MB01FCNMYPSU3WD

Keshia sits down with midwife Mary Lou Singleton to untangle the current confusion around free birth — where it comes from, how it's being shaped by social media and influencer culture, and what's been lost as the "Free Birth Society" brand has drifted from storytelling into ideology. Mary Lou draws on 15+ years as a home birth midwife, her own free birth, and a family history shaped by a traumatic hospital birth to offer a grounded, non-dogmatic take on risk, autonomy, and what actually makes a birth safe(r) — whether it happens at home, unassisted, or in hospital.   In This Episode Mary Lou's path into midwifery, inspired by Ina May Gaskin and 15+ years practicing in New Mexico How her son's childhood cancer diagnosis reshaped her understanding of the "midwifery model" of care The story of her mother's traumatic 1969 hospital birth, and how it set Mary Lou on a path toward home birth Mary Lou's own two births — a midwife-assisted home birth and a free birth — and wha each taught her about trusting her own instincts How free birth went from lived experience and storytelling to a commodified, sometimes dogmatic online movement The Guardian podcast investigation into Free Birth Society and the difficulty of getting real statistics on outcomes Mary Lou's "guardrails" for a lower-risk free birth: term, head-down, single baby, labor under 48 hours, clear fluid Higher-risk scenarios — breech and twin births — and the real mortality data behind them Good storytelling vs. fear-mongering: the difference between an empowering birth story and manufactured certainty The "Maggie" story — why needing someone else's permission to free birth is itself a sign you're not ready to What to actually look for in a doula or birthkeeper (Mary Lou's rule of thumb: 50+ births minimum) Why "never" is a dangerous word to bring into a birth Holding risk-awareness and bodily trust at the same time, instead of picking a side The trade-offs baked into every birth choice — hospital, home, midwife-attended, or free Reflections on isolation, influencer culture, and why so many women are drawn to birth communities online     Where to Find Mary Lou: Website: enchantedfamilymedicine.com Red earth herbal women’s gathering Instagram: @marylousingleton X: ML_Singleton   This Episode is Brought to you by INBLUEM Enjoy 10% off your order with the code RETURNTOWISDOMPODCAST at www.inbluem.com   This Episode is brought to you by Superfeast Enjoy 10% off your order with the code RETURNTOWISDOM https://www.superfeast.com.au/   Music Licence: MB01FCNMYPSU3WD

In this deeply reflective conversation, Keshia is joined by Michelle Chatham and Molly to explore what the “village” truly means in modern life, and why so many women feel unsupported despite being surrounded by community. Together, they unpack the degradation of intergenerational wisdom, the limitations of peer-only communities, and the dangers of outsourcing our knowing to professionals, systems, and now AI. This episode invites listeners to return to embodiment, lived experience, and relational wisdom — and to understand growth, challenge, and maturation as essential parts of becoming a grounded woman, mother, and leader. This is a conversation about becoming, not performing and about creating the village from the inside out.   Music Licence:MB01MVKGTUZTF8Z   Michale Bio   From our first breath to our last, we are creating, utilizing, and maintaining space. This principle has guided michale during her 30 years of experience in integrative health. As a nurse who practices from a holistic and global perspective, she helped create one of the country’s first integrative tongue tie clinics over 10 years ago. Her passion for education led her to lecture and teach nationally and internationally on craniofacial growth and development and anticipatory growth guidance. As an educator, she has created training programs for health care practitioners as well as parents and teaches the energetics of healing. Michale mentors those who desire to do their own work, and are interested in healing the healer. She believes the future of healing is up to those practitioners who are re-creating wisdom systems that are essential to our survival and thriving as humans.   www.michalechatham.com www.thevessel.life www.korimeloy.com/rootedfamilies youtube — https://youtube.com/@michalechatham990?si=2SL-QJAXnA7qwg6n   @michalechatham @theclinicalmystic @truenorthcouples     Molly Bio    Dr. Molly Peralta is a mediator in unleashing the healing power of the body, philanthropic and community building enthusiast and encourager of living a radically heart centered life. a chiropractor by trade, birth keeper and mother amongst many other titles. living in her dream in hawaii raising wild babies with her husband. You can find her sharing family memories on instagram @molstie, educational information regarding pregnancy, birth & mothering @livingadjusted or follow along with the birth of her clothing line @hapalabel. She is the cofounder of the vessel, @thevesselvillage on instagram, and cohost of @villagesessionspodcast.       The Vessel  Find our course offerings and information about the Vessel Village at www.thevessel.life     Additionally,  if you would like to add our freebie PDF to the bio beneath our podcast for your community -- "The Well Resourced Vessel Guide" Here is the link https://thevessel.myflodesk.com/wellresourcedguide   Return Show Notes Script     This episode is sponsored by Great Spirit   Great Spirit creates powerful organic health products rooted in nature, with a greater vision to help curb the mental health epidemic through nature-based programs and retreats. Use code KESHIA20 for 20% off your first order. 👉 www.greatspirit.com.au     This Episode is Sponsored by Pod Byron   Pod Byron, Byron Bay’s premium video podcast studio, crafted for creators, coaches, and personal brands ready to elevate their presence.  👉 www.podbyron.com     Thank you for joining me in this little corner of the podcasting world. If you would like to support the show, please head to the show page and subscribe, rate and leave a review. This is a little way you can give back to the show and help me to secure bigger and better guests for the conversations you crave. Have a wonderful day!

In this episode, Keshia sits down with Cyndi O’Meara — leading nutritionist, filmmaker, best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and founder of Changing Habits, The Nutrition Academy, The Changing Habits Farm, and co-founder of The Packing Company. With more than 45 years of experience in nutrition and health education, Cyndi has dedicated her life to helping people make informed, empowered choices about their wellbeing. A passionate educator at heart, Cyndi is known for her direct, down-to-earth approach and her commitment to confronting misinformation in the health and food industries. Her work challenges people to question long-held habits, rethink conventional narratives, and make deeply intentional decisions about what they put into their bodies. As she enters 2025, Cyndi’s renewed focus on global education continues through internationally accredited nutrition courses and public events like The Health and Nutrition Summit. In this long-form conversation, Keshia and Cyndi explore some of the most important and often misunderstood topics in modern health: The philosophy of vitalism and the body’s innate intelligence Vaccine safety, immune system development, and chronic illness in children Cyndi’s personal journey raising unvaccinated children How modern health has become increasingly mechanistic, and why that matters What it means for parents to make informed, compassionate decisions in today’s climate This episode is not about telling anyone what to think or do. It is an invitation to ask better questions, understand the historical and scientific context, and look more critically at the information we’re given. Above all, it’s a conversation about trusting the body, reclaiming sovereignty, and empowering parents with tools, knowledge, and confidence as they navigate complex health decisions.   Music Licence: MB01SA6UABCOTZY   Important Disclaimer This conversation is not medical advice.   Resources & Mentions Australian Vaccination Network (AVN) 📄 Reports & Research Papers McCullough Foundation Report on Autism ⁠https://zenodo.org/records/17451259⁠ Impact of Childhood Vaccination on Short- and Long-Term Chronic Health Outcomes (Senate Hearing Record) ⁠https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/Entered-into-hearing-record-Impact-of-Childhood-Vaccination-on-Short-and-Long-Term-Chronic-Health-Outcomes-in-Children-A-Birth-Cohort-Study.pdf⁠ Henry Ford Study on Vaccinated vs Unvaccinated Health Outcomes⁠https://www.henryford.com/news/2025/09/vaccine-study-henry-ford-health⁠   🎥 Documentaries VAXXED — by Del Bigtree & Dr Andrew Wakefield An Inconvenient Study (Free to Watch) ⁠https://www.aninconvenientstudy.com/⁠   📺 TV & Weekly Health Shows The HighWire with Del Bigtree — Over 400+ Episodes & Interviews   📚 Books & Publications Vaccines: Amen — Aaron Siri The Vaccine Friendly Plan — Dr Paul Thomas, Paediatrician Dissolving Illusions — Dr Suzanne Humphries VAX – UNVAX: What Does The Science Say? — Brian Hooker & Robert F. Kennedy Vaccines: Mythology, Ideology & Reality — John Leake & Dr Peter McCullough Immunity: Why Not Keep It? — Dr Lisa Lovett   This episode is sponsored by Great Spirit   Great Spirit creates powerful organic health products rooted in nature, with a greater vision to help curb the mental health epidemic through nature-based programs and retreats. Use code KESHIA20 for 20% off your first order. 👉 www.greatspirit.com.au     This Episode is Sponsored by Pod Byron   Pod Byron, Byron Bay’s premium video podcast studio, crafted for creators, coaches, and personal brands ready to elevate their presence.  👉 www.podbyron.com     Thank you for joining me in this little corner of the podcasting world. If you would like to support the show, please head to the show page and subscribe, rate and leave a review. This is a little way you can give back to the show and help me to secure bigger and better guests for the conversations you crave. Have a wonderful day!