Birthing Instincts

What if the answer to our mental health crisis isn't another prescription?
We're living in a world where depression, anxiety, and loneliness are seemingly everywhere. And somehow, despite more diagnoses, more medications, and more money being poured into mental health treatment, we're still struggling. So what exactly are we missing?
This week, investigative journalist Jeffrey Jaxon of The HighWire joins Blyss and Dr. Stu for a conversation that might make you rethink everything you thought you knew about mental health.
From the chemical imbalance theory and the uncomfortable questions surrounding SSRIs to the pharmaceutical industry's influence on medicine, Jeffrey isn't afraid to go where mainstream conversations often won't.
We're not suggesting medication never has a place. We're asking whether we've forgotten that healing involves more than a prescription.
Because maybe the real mental health crisis isn't just about what's happening in our brains. Maybe it's about what we've lost along the way.
Join us for a conversation that challenges the narrative, asks uncomfortable questions, and reminds us that being human is about more than just managing symptoms.
About Jefferey Jaxen
Jefferey Jaxen is a veteran investigative journalist covering medical, health and a limitless array of breaking news. Also featured in his weekly segment, The Jaxen Report on The HighWire. An accomplished documentary film maker, his film series Jefferey Jaxen Investigates exposes the compelling topics of our time. 
Website: TheHighWire.com / highwire.plus
Substack: substack.com/@jeffereyjaxen
Instagram: @realjeffereyjaxen
References:

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: birthinginstinctspodcast@gmail.com
Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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: birthinginstinctspodcast@gmail.com
Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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: birthinginstinctspodcast@gmail.com
Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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: birthinginstinctspodcast@gmail.com
Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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: birthinginstinctspodcast@gmail.com
Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
Subscribe to podcast newsletter: birthinginstinctsp.wixforms.com/f/7498520437421245447

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands