#434: Decisions, Cesareans & How to Advocate with HeHe Stewart
Birthing Instincts
Dr. Stuart Fischbein + Midwife Blyss Young
4.8 • 692 Ratings
🗓️ 8 October 2025
⏱️ 109 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode of The Birthing Instincts Podcast, Dr. Stu is joined by HeHe Stewart from The Birth Lounge Podcast to explore common reasons for C-sections, how hospital policies and interventions often lead to unnecessary surgeries, and strategies for avoiding them. The episode features poignant birth stories that highlight the challenges and triumphs of navigating the medical system to achieve a desired birth experience. HeHe shares her expertise on protecting birth goals, advocating for oneself, and the importance of informed decision-making.
About Hehe
HeHe Stewart is a leading childbirth educator, advocate, and maternity care reform expert. With a Master’s in Human Development and over a decade of experience, she empowers families with evidence-based birth prep, informed decision-making, and postpartum readiness. She is a fierce advocate for informed consent, reducing unnecessary interventions, and ensuring patient autonomy in birth.
Beyond working with families, HeHe is actively involved in legislative efforts to improve women’s health policies and expand access to midwifery care. She works to reform maternity care by advocating for patient rights, increased birth options, and improved maternal health outcomes.
As the host of The Birth Lounge Podcast, she interviews leading experts in pregnancy, women’s health, and newborn development, giving parents the knowledge they need to navigate birth and postpartum with confidence. Her work continues to drive meaningful change through education, advocacy, and policy reform.
Website: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/join
Instagram: instagram.com/tranquilitybyhehe
Mentioned in This Episode
Are hospital births really safer? Featuring Dr. Stuart Fischbein
Birthing Instincts Podcast Patreon
Resources:
ACOG Guideline 664: Refusal of Medically Recommended Treatment During Pregnancy
Covered in This Episode
The Role of Men in Birth
Ethics and Autonomy in Medical Decisions
The Reality of Labor Dystocia
Fetal Distress and Augmented Labor
VBAC and Repeat C-Sections
Red Flags in Birth Practices
Unnecessary Interventions and Their Consequences
Navigating the Healthcare System for Birth
Podcast Produced by: Raquel Hernandez, Pride and Joy Doula Care
This show is supported by
- WeNatal | Go to WeNatal.com/Birthinginstincts for a free magnesium with any subscription order.
- Wholesome Organics Beauty Company | Go to wholesomeOBC.com and use the code INSTINCTS for 20% off your order.
- 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/@birthingblyss
- Website: birthinginstincts.com/birthingblyss.com
- Email: birthinginstinctspodcast@gmail.com
- Podcast webpage: birthinginstinctspodcast.com
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome to the Burling Instincts Podcast. |
| 0:05.0 | I'm Dr. Stewart Fishbein, community-based practicing obstetrician and long-time advocate for birth choices. |
| 0:10.0 | And I'm Bliss Young, a licensed midwife. |
| 0:13.0 | Join us in our conversational style podcast where we talk about everything birth. |
| 0:17.0 | Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, but we're happy that you're here, so here we go. Good morning, everybody. Good afternoon, good evening, and good middle of the |
| 0:29.0 | night. This is Dr. Stu here with you for another edition of the Burthing Instincts podcast. Today, |
| 0:34.7 | I am again solo, but I have a guest, which I'm very excited about. Many of you |
| 0:39.0 | know her. Her name's He Hei Stewart. She's from the Birth Lounge podcast. Beginning to that in a |
| 0:43.4 | second, Bliss is enjoying herself at a lovely retreat in Greece, not sure where in Greece with |
| 0:50.8 | Carol Gauchy hosting a gathering there. |
| 0:57.8 | She's sorry she can't be here today, but she has a great excuse. |
| 0:59.7 | So bliss, enjoy yourself. |
| 1:04.6 | I know you'll be back by the time you hear this podcast, but nonetheless, I'm thrilled that you get this time for yourself and your life. |
| 1:07.6 | Okay, so today, I just want to mention that this is coming out several weeks from when I'm recording it. |
| 1:15.1 | And the big thing on the Internet right now is all about Tylenol. |
| 1:18.9 | And so I'm not going to spend any time on that today because it's going to be old news by the time this comes out. |
| 1:23.6 | But I did do a Patreon segment on my take on Tylenol and some of the things that you've |
| 1:28.6 | seen on social media going on and what I've heard through Maha and what I've heard through |
| 1:32.9 | some of my sources. |
| 1:35.8 | So if you want a little of my take on the whole Tylenol issue, I'm going to leave it for |
| 1:41.1 | the Patreon segment. |
| 1:42.6 | Check it out. |
... |
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