The Podcast
Oxytocin World
Oxytocin World is a podcast about the science of birth, bonding, and what makes us deeply human. Conversations with midwives, anthropologists, psychologists, researchers, doulas and more sharing knowledge about birth, parenting, and the science of connection. Hosted by Liza Hameza — birth doula with 16 years and 500+ births across 4 countries.
Season 1
All Episodes
Ep. 05
Why Birth Is So Important — and How It Echoes Through Your Whole Life · with Koyuki Smith
What makes birth more than just a medical event? Koyuki Smith — Editor in Chief of Birthing from Within International and PhD researcher in literature — joins Liza to explore the profound transformation that happens during childbirth. They discuss why birth is getting more medicalized, the real cost of pain-free birth promises, and how the stories we tell about birth shape who we become as parents. A must-listen for anyone who believes birth deserves more than a clinical conversation.
Ep. 04
Midwifery Care, Systemic Racism in Birth, and What a Birth Center Really Looks Like · with Rachel Voigt
Roots Community Birth Center was built on a radical idea: that out-of-hospital birth should be accessible and welcoming for every family, regardless of race or income. Rachel Voigt — Clinical Director, Certified Professional Midwife, and Licensed Midwife — gives Liza a full tour and an honest conversation about the midwifery model of care, the leading causes of death among birthing people of color, and where obstetric violence really comes from. One of the most important episodes in the show.
Ep. 03
The Midwifery Model, Men in Birth, and the American Birth Mindset · with Debbie Marin
Hollywood Birth Center has been supporting families since 1993 — and its founder Debbie Marin has seen American birth culture up close for three decades. In this episode Liza and Debbie explore the real differences between the obstetric and midwifery models of care, why the US mindset defaults to "you can't do it without drugs," and what it's like to have male midwives on a birth team. A fascinating window into how birth could look — and how it often does at this remarkable Florida center.
Ep. 02
Birth Trauma, Healing Your Birth Story, and How Birth Shapes Your Parenting · with Maureen Campion
Your birth story doesn't end when you leave the hospital. Psychologist, mediator, and author Maureen Campion — whose book "Heal Your Birth Story" has helped thousands of parents — joins Liza for an honest conversation about birth trauma, why men carry it too, and what it actually takes to heal. They explore why birth is also the birth of a parenting relationship, and why "women should give themselves permission to feel sad." Quietly one of the most moving episodes in the show.
Ep. 01
Birth, Fear, and Tamed Women — the Birth Culture in Denmark · with Marta Orbis
What can Denmark teach the world about birth? Private midwife and international speaker Marta Orbis joins Liza from Copenhagen to explore a birth culture where home births are common, fear is taken seriously, and women are not expected to surrender their autonomy at the hospital door. They discuss obstetric violence, midwifery burnout, and what it means to truly support a woman through birth. A powerful opening conversation for the Oxytocin World podcast.
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