Cate & Ty Break It Down
Episode: Pregnancy, Birth & The Power of Informed Consent with Traci Weafer
Air Date: October 1, 2025
Host: PodcastOne
Guests: Traci Weafer (Doula, Adoptee)
Episode Overview
In this episode, Catelynn and Tyler Baltierra (from MTV’s "16 and Pregnant" and "Teen Mom") welcome doula and adoptee Traci Weafer to discuss pregnancy, birth, and the importance of informed consent. The conversation weaves through personal experiences of adoption, different birth choices and systems, the role of doulas versus midwives, the impact of societal norms on birth, attachment theory, and how informed, compassionate care can change birth outcomes. The episode is deeply candid, with personal stories, debate over medical norms, and practical advice for those expecting.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Personal Histories: Homeschool, Adoption & Parenting Choices
-
Homeschooling & Parenting Judgments
- Cate and Ty comment on the backlash from discussing homeschooling online (04:03).
- Traci echoes how bias and confession arise in conversations about parenting.
- "I think people get into confession mode with, ‘oh well, this is why I did what I did.’ …it's hard to have when somebody makes a choice and they don't really understand why they made that choice." — Traci (01:59)
-
Adoptee Experience
- Traci shares her ongoing search for biological roots, the impact of secrecy in prior generations, and managing complex feelings of gratitude and loss (07:05).
- "It was kind of like a little battle of identity. And when you talk to a lot of adoptees, you'll probably hear that… Who am I? Where did I come from?" — Traci (07:05)
- Tyler notes a pattern among adoptees: emotionally monitoring others to avoid hurting adoptive or biological families (09:43).
-
Attachment Styles
- The trio discusses how adoption impacts attachment, touching on personal stories and research (10:26).
2. Becoming & Working as a Doula
-
Motivation & Education
- Traci describes her fascination with birth, her own lack of prenatal education as a young mother, and how this inspired her doula work (14:42).
- She entered postpartum doula work for flexibility with her own young children.
-
Role of the Postpartum Doula
- Postpartum doulas assist with new baby transition, provide education on the body’s changes, monitor for mood disorders, and support the family (16:00).
- "My goal was to make sure that… the family was transitioning well." — Traci (17:38)
- Cate reflects on her own lack of postpartum knowledge, only recognizing her own postpartum depression in hindsight (18:47).
3. Systems & Settings: Hospitals vs. Home Birth
-
Cultural Fear & Medicalization of Birth
- Cate admits fear kept her from home birth, echoing broader societal themes.
- "We've been conditioned to fear birth." — Traci (34:11)
- The group discusses how birth shifted from community to medical models, and how hospital standards are often designed for emergencies, not typical low-risk births (31:50).
-
Doula vs. Midwife vs. OB
- Detailed description of each role:
- Doula: Emotional/physical/educational support and advocacy (not medical providers).
- Midwife: Medical care provider specializing in pregnancy and birth, with subtypes (e.g., home midwife, certified nurse midwife).
- OB: Surgeons and emergency specialists.
- Doulas are for all types of births—home, hospital, medicated, unmedicated (25:10).
- "We are not medical… But your midwives and your OBs are your medical care providers."* — Traci (21:32)
- Detailed description of each role:
-
Hospital Policies & Standards
- The hosts express frustration with inflexible hospital protocols, from use of peanut balls during birth to mandatory forms prohibiting midwife care (27:17).
- Traci highlights miscommunication, bias, and lack of informed consent as major issues.
4. Informed Consent and Advocacy
-
Informed Choice is Missing
- Cate signs forms for her OB without understanding, and only now questions it (27:14).
- Traci points out how many practices—like refusal to treat patients seeing midwives, or not explaining policies—strip away patient agency.
- "There is maybe a little bit of biased education… parents need to know the bigger picture. And that's right where my passion has driven me, is giving parents all of the information so that you can make an informed decision." — Traci (29:57)
-
Non-Consensual Medical Procedures
- Traci shares stories of doctors performing unconsented procedures like membrane sweeps and episiotomies (42:45–47:17).
- Cate is shocked: "So you're telling me there is doctors out there that do that without asking or being given permission?" (42:45)
- Traci’s advocacy and education now centers on ensuring consent and communication in birth spaces.
5. Home Birth vs Hospital Birth: Myths & Data
-
Transfer Rates & Safety
- Out of 50 recent home births attended, Traci reports only two required hospital transfer, and those were for pain management—not medical emergencies (59:31).
- "The majority of transfers in home birth are non-emergency." — Traci (61:43)
- She outlines how midwives select only low-risk pregnancies for home birth and conduct thorough monitoring.
-
Fear and Misinformation
- Ty and Cate agree fear is a major deterrent, rooted in lack of education, not data (63:43).
-
Home Birth Monitoring & Tools
6. Breaking Down Birth Culture & Improvement Areas
-
Hospital Birth Environment
-
Empowering Expectant Parents
- Traci’s top advice: Not everyone needs a doula, but everyone needs out-of-hospital childbirth education and should deeply explore why they want a certain birth type, and what local options exist (72:52–74:22).
- "Where you need to be is where you feel the safest in birth and psychologically whole." — Traci (74:22)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- "My thing is I'm just trying to learn more about everything." — Tyler (01:05)
- "People were having babies at home… then the system changed… Obs are medically trained emergency medicine surgeons. So if you're someone that is a low risk person and you're going to a high risk OB, you're going to get high risk care." — Traci (31:50)
- "I don't believe everybody needs a doula, but I do believe everybody needs really good out of hospital education." — Traci (72:52)
- "We are in a society that the majority of the medical system believes that birth has got to be managed. That's where the fear comes in. We have been conditioned to fear birth." — Traci (34:11)
- "I want families to understand that they have choices, they have rights, and not everything is what it seems." — Traci (75:09)
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Homeschooling, Parenting Backlash: 01:00–04:15
- Traci’s Adoption Story: 04:39–09:37
- Attachment & Adoption: 09:43–13:07
- Becoming a Doula & Early Education: 14:42–17:38
- What is a Postpartum Doula?: 15:56–17:38
- Medicalization and Fear of Birth: 20:38–25:10; 31:50–34:11
- Doula vs. Midwife vs. OB: 21:32–25:10
- Informed Consent Practices: 42:45–47:17
- Home Birth Safety & Transfers: 59:31–61:44
- Monitoring: Hospital vs. Home: 65:14–67:52
- Advice for the Undecided Parent: 72:52–74:22
Resources & Where to Find Traci
- TikTok: @traciedoula4
- Facebook: Tracy Doula Maternal Instincts
- Instagram: @traciedoula
- YouTube: @traciedoula
Episode Tone & Style
Warm, candid, and empowering. The conversation flows as an open-minded exploration of tough topics, with the signature mix of Ty & Cate’s honesty and humor. Traci’s compassionate, pragmatic approach makes the complex world of birth feel more accessible, while all participants encourage curiosity, continuing education, and respect for one’s own intuition and needs.
This summary covers all key discussion points from the episode, centered on the transformative power of informed consent, the importance of birth education, and the real choices parents can make for themselves and their families.