The Tenpenny Files with Emmy Robbin

There was a time when birth was understood as a physiologic process governed by design rather than a procedure governed by protocol. Today, labor is measured in centimeters, contractions are tracked in intervals, and progress is determined by numbers that few question. The language has shifted, and with it, the experience.

In this conversation, Dr. Sherri Tenpenny sits down with Emmy Robbin to explore what happens when the nervous system is removed from the center of birth and replaced with management. They discuss how fear moves the body into fight or flight, how cortisol interferes with oxytocin, and how interventions that appear routine can quietly interrupt hormonal loops that were never meant to be broken. The topic of redemptive birth surfaces through vaginal birth after cesarean, not as rebellion, but as restoration of sovereignty within the body.

The discussion moves into induction culture, rising cesarean rates, and the generational implications of normalizing surgical birth. Hospital pricing disparities are examined without dramatics, and so is the cascade that begins when labor is timed instead of trusted. Hydration, glucose testing, and nervous system regulation are addressed as overlooked foundations rather than fringe considerations.

Throughout the episode, one thread remains steady. The body is designed for birth. The nervous system governs it. When physiology is disrupted, consequences follow in ways that are rarely explained. We know intervention exists. The question is how often it begins before necessity and what are the consequences of medicalizing birth.

Meet our Guest:

Emmy Robbin is a dedicated birth worker and somatic birth trauma coach who has made a significant impact in the field of childbirth education and support. She specializes in helping couples learn about physiological birth and the importance of the nervous system.

Her work has been featured on national television and reputable platforms including The Highwire, Children’s Health Defense, and Birthing Instincts. She advocates for birthing in full autonomy and teaches individuals to trust the innate design of their bodies.

Emmy Robbin is the author of Faithful Beginnings: A Doula’s Guide to Eliminating Fear and Birthing with Confidence, which became a number one bestseller in 2025.

Website:

Book: https://www.amazon.ca/Faithful-Beginnings-Eliminating-Birthing-Confidence/dp/1965653642