#136: How Breech Birth Exposes Hospital Dysfunction | Dr. Stuart Fischbein MD

What if the skills that make breech and twin birth safe have been intentionally erased from modern medicine?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Stuart Fischbein, an OB-GYN and longtime advocate for physiological birth. After nearly three decades in hospitals and over a decade attending home births alongside midwives, he’s become a leading voice in reteaching the lost art of vaginal breech and twin delivery. Together, we dig into how this knowledge disappeared, what replaced it, and why practitioners are no longer taught to trust birth.

Dr. Stuart exposes the ripple effects of fear, policy, and profit that shape today’s obstetric system. We look at the flawed studies that reshaped global practice, the quiet politics behind “standard of care,” and the consequences of replacing skill with surgery. There’s a reason breech birth became a lost language, and a growing movement to relearn it.

You’ll Learn:



[00:00] Introduction

[03:17] Why the medical system stripped doctors of individuality and decision-making power

[12:05] How one flawed study reshaped global birth practices overnight

[19:59] Who qualifies for vaginal breech birth

[31:33] When “hands off the breech” isn’t enough

[36:46] How doctors rationalize ignoring evidence that contradicts hospital policy

[40:52] The hidden conflicts of interest behind vaccine and medication recommendations

[56:36] Why hospitals prioritize liability and revenue over individualized, physiological care

[01:03:41] Rediscovering birth as a human experience

[01:08:25] When medicine loses its humanity

Resources Mentioned:

Fearless Pregnancy by Stuart Fischbein, Victoria Clayton, and Joyce Weckl | Book

Twin Home Birth by Fischbein, S. | Article

Breech Birth At Home by Fischbein, S. and Freeze, R. | Article

“Home Birth” With An Obstetrician by Fischbein, S. | Article

Term Breech Trial (2000) by Hannah, M. et al. | Article

Healthy as a Mother episode #135 on The Truth About Ultrasounds: Risks & Benefits | Apple or Spotify

Birthing Instincts Podcast | Apple or Spotify

Learn more from Dr. Stuart on his website. You can also follow him on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Find more from Dr. Leah:

Dr. Leah Gordon | Instagram

Dr. Leah Gordon | Website

Womanhood Wellness | Website

Find more from Dr. Morgan:

Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Instagram

Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Website

Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 15% at Redmond

For 20% off your first order at Needed, use code HEALTHYMOTHER

Save $260 at Lumebox, use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER