Join Nathan Riley and me for this thought-provoking conversation on how women can better empower themselves in birth and hear one courageous OB's perspective on what his role actually is in the birth process: Supporting your sovereignty and your choice without coercion or judgment. Finally, listen to the end of this podcast for a thought-provoking discussion on plant medicines and entheogens! 15 years ago, my wife and I attempted to have a natural birth. But…it didn't go so well. Sure, we took breathwork classes, had up a waterbirth pool, a fully prepped home, heart rate monitors, doulas, and the like, but unfortunately, after 12 hours of labor, my wife had to go to the hospital for a C-section. Her petite hips just couldn't seem to handle a couple of big ol' twin boys. Fast forward 15 years, and I have now learned a ton about natural birth, and one of the leading voices on birthing and raising a baby naturally, along with plenty of other holistic principles for Ob-Gyn medicine, is my guest on this podcast: Dr. Nathan Riley, of Beloved Holistics https://www.belovedholistics.com/. Nathan is a board-certified obstetrician in California advocating for autonomous birth. Through his experiences as a hospice care provider, he learned that choices around end-of-life care are no different from choices in birth: What matters is that mothers feel in charge of their bodies during their birth experiences. He argues that birth is much more than the standard metrics of vital signs, length of labor, fetal status, or any variable routinely measured in labor in the medical model of care. The Holistic OBGYN Podcast https://www.belovedholistics.com/podcast, Nathan's show, catalyzes a new take on pregnancy, postpartum, menopause, and everything in between. It features conversations about relationships, medicine, food systems, political activism, spirituality, and the sacred rites of passage in life, namely birth and death. Nathan also recently launched his “Born Free Method,” https://bengreenfieldlife.com/bornfreemethod a course aimed at empowering expectant parents to take control of their birthing experience by making informed choices and advocating for themselves within the medical system. Joined by co-instructor Sara Rosser, CPM, Nathan's course provides guidance and support to help parents feel confident and supported as they navigate the transition into parenthood, emphasizing the importance of personal sovereignty and self-determination throughout the process (use code BEN10 to save 10% on the Born Free Method). https://bengreenfieldlife.com/bornfreemethod Holistic Gynecology & Pregnancy Support (use code BEN200 to save $200 off the 6-hr fertility program package) https://www.belovedholistics.com/obgyn During our discussion, you'll discover: -Who is Dr. Nathan Riley?…07:26 -Nathan’s background…12:26 -The development of modern medicine and hospitals…18:47 -Childbirth as a rite of passage…27:10 -What should natural birth look like?…37:14 -Natural postpartum care…46:38 -Steaming recommendations…49:07 -Nathan’s fertility program…56:53 -Born Free Method…1:13:45 -Use of cannabis and psychedelics in pregnancy…1:17:27 Full Show Notes: https://bengreenfieldlife.com/nathanriley Additional Resources: Ben Greenfield Website: https://bengreenfieldlife.com/ Ben Greenfield Podcast: https://bengreenfieldlife.com/podcast/ Ben Greenfield Books: https://shopbengreenfieldlife.com/collections/books Ben Greenfield Social Media: Twitter https://twitter.com/bengreenfield Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bengreenfieldfitness/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BGFitness TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@bengreenfield Youtube handle: @BenGreenfieldLife #holisticpregnancy #Naturalchildbirth #holisticOBGYN #bengreenfield