Episode Details

Episode Overview: Part Three of Three

In the final part of my conversation with Dr. Stuart Fischbein, we zoom out to explore the bigger picture of maternity care. Dr. Stu unpacks the idea of the medical gaze, showing how the system often looks at women through the lens of risk instead of seeing them as whole people.

We also talk through my own story of being misdiagnosed during pregnancy. What felt like a simple test turned into unnecessary fear and stress, which Dr. Stu connects to the wider issue of routine testing, false positives, and the anxiety they create for families.

This episode brings everything together — from financial incentives that drive unnecessary interventions to the importance of continuity of care and being truly known by your provider. Dr. Stu closes with what motivates his work: creating a birth culture where women feel seen, respected, and empowered.

Because how we are born and how we give birth shapes families, communities, and the stories we carry forward.

Key Takeaways

• The medical gaze often reduces women to risks or diagnoses instead of honoring them as whole people.
• Routine testing can lead to false positives and unnecessary fear, making informed conversations with providers essential.
• Financial incentives and hospital systems play a powerful role in driving interventions like cesarean births.
• Continuity of care and genuine relationships between families and providers are key to safe, respectful birth experiences.
• Birth stories matter. They ripple across generations and influence how communities view motherhood, trust, and care,

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