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A Birthy Podcast for Birth Geeks
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The Birth Geeks Podcast
Real talk for birth professionals who want more than the basics. Hosted by Robin Elise Weiss and Hillary Melchiors, The Birth Geeks is where expertise meets curiosity, and practical insight meets passionate conversation. We go beyond the how-tos to talk about what it really means to do this work.
recent episodes
The Birth Geeks is a podcast for experienced birth professionals who already know what they’re doing and want to keep doing it well. Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH and Dr. Hillary Melchiors bring evidence-based conversation to the topics other birth podcasts won’t touch: burnout, business reality, scope creep, sustainability, and what long-term birth work actually looks like. No beginner basics. No hand-holding. Just honest, research-grounded talk for doulas, midwives, childbirth educators, and nurses who have been around long enough to want more than the standard answer.
Dr. Hillary Melchiors sits down with clinical psychologist Dr. Kerry Makin-Byrd for a grounded, experience-led conversation about burnout, moral injury, and the emotional weight of long-term birth and mental health work. Dr. Makin-Byrd reflects on moving from Colorado to New Zealand and how that shift reshaped her clinical practice and her own recovery. Taking apart the myth that burnout is a personal failing, they make the case that systemic factors, not individual shortcomings, drive the exhaustion so many birth workers carry. Covering boundary-setting in a field that rarely rewards it, they directly and practically confront the value of professional support for providers, and what “good enough” care actually looks like when perfection stays just out of reach. This one episode won’t define burnout for you, but speaks honestly about what to do when you’re in it, why it is not your fault, and what might actually help.
The Story Behind the Birth Geeks
In 2014, Robin and Hillary met at a birth doula training, and it was love at first conversation. Just kidding! Robin intimidated the crap out of Hillary with her extensive knowledge and experience and Hillary caught Robin’s attention with her probing questions and over-zealous nature.
What People Say
I was looking for something that felt both smart and supportive. Robin and Hillary make me feel like I’m part of a bigger conversation and they somehow make even complex topics feel approachable.
Childbirth Educator
I tune in while driving to prenatals or folding laundry. I’ve learned more from these episodes than from some full-day workshops. They don’t just talk about the work, they live it.
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Birth Doula
Every episode reminds me why I do this work. The honesty, the humor, the insight, it’s all there. It feels like sitting down with two wise and wonderfully geeky friends who just get it.
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Full Spectrum Doula
Meet Your Hosts
Helping others has always been my passion and this is why I decided to partake in the enlightenment of mothers concerning childbirth.
Many a times, a lot of people have the wrong mindsets about major things but with our help, we will be able to guide them accordingly. Meeting with different professionals has been a delight and one more thing that makes me happy is sharing the knowledge I have with others so they can become better than they are.Â
