Emmy Robbin says her first birth ended in a C-section and a recovery that nearly killed her. At 41, she chose a home birth for her second child. Those two experiences changed the direction of her life—and the questions she now asks about pregnancy, medical care, and who gets to make the decisions. Emmy is a doula, birth-trauma coach, educator, and author of Faithful Beginnings. While Tab cuts her hair, she makes the case for understanding what she calls physiological birth: what the body does on its own, what can change when an intervention is introduced, and why she believes a person's sense of safety matters during labor. She explains the different roles of a doula and a midwife, talks through induction, Pitocin, epidurals, C-sections, breech birth, and the decisions families may face when a home birth needs to move to a hospital. Tab meets Emmy's convictions with specific questions about how labor is measured, when an intervention helps, and who decides. He also brings his own family's experience into the room. After an induced birth, his newborn son spent 11 days in the NICU. Tab describes the moment he and his wife knew something was wrong, how they advocated for their baby, and the questions he still carries from that experience. Emmy also tells the story behind her work: feeling unheard during her first birth, choosing a different path with her second, and helping other families prepare to ask informed questions. She is an outspoken advocate for home birth, but she also describes a recent case in which a midwife recommended a hospital transfer when a baby's heart rate raised concern. That distinction—between trusting a process and knowing when to seek medical help—is worth hearing in her own words. There is a personal reason this haircut matters, too. Emmy's mother was a hairdresser and cut her hair until she died when Emmy was 25. Tab tells Emmy he hopes she feels a little of her mother in the room when she sees the finished cut. The conversation moves from birth-room decisions to Emmy's own fertility fears, her wider beliefs about children's health, and what it means to feel heard when the stakes are high. It is personal, funny, and at times fiercely argued—a close look at the experiences behind her convictions. CHAPTERS 00:00 Meeting Emmy and the haircut 05:45 From acting to birth work 08:20 Why home birth? 18:25 Birth trauma and feeling unheard 25:00 Home birth, hospital birth, and transfers 29:20 Cervical checks, Pitocin, and labor 42:00 Birth, breastfeeding, and early health 50:45 Birth control and fertility 56:20 Knowing when to transfer—and Emmy's birth story 1:06:45 Parents, children, and medical decisions 1:16:00 Epidurals, hormones, and breech birth 1:29:25 Doula vs. midwife 1:37:20 Tab's son and 11 days in the NICU FIND EMMY ROBBIN Website: https://www.emmyrobbindoula.com/ Book — Faithful Beginnings: https://www.emmyrobbindoula.com/book Podcast — Empowered Birth, Love & Life: https://empoweredbirthloveandlifepodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Instagram, Facebook, TikTok & YouTube: @emmyrobbindoula FIND SPLITTING HAIRS Website: https://splittinghairspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@splittinghairspod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/splittinghairspod/ Tab's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabcutshair/ What question about birth would you ask if you knew you would be taken seriously? Leave it in the comments, and subscribe for more conversations from the chair. Emmy's medical and health claims reflect her own views and experiences. This conversation is not medical advice or a substitute for individualized care from a qualified professional.
