Antenatal steroids have saved countless babies, but the biggest question in obstetrics is no longer whether they work. It’s when, how much, and for whom. And the answers are changing fast. Enjoy this incredible plenary from MBEC 2026 in Seattle, Washington. Previous podcast guest and MBEC 2027 speaker Dr. Hector Chapa breaks down the evolving science behind fetal maturation, from the original 1972 sheep study to the newest guidance reshaping practice today.

If you care for preterm patients, teach residents, need to understand why long-held assumptions about steroids are being rewritten, or just want to dive into an interesting and fascinating topic in obstetrics, this episode is for you. Dr. Chapa shows why “fetal maturation” is bigger than lung development, why the old 24-to-48-hour rule is outdated, and why the traditional seven-day rescue window may soon be history.

If you’re a medical professional, student, resident, or midwife, please join us for MBEC 2027 in St. Louis, Missouri, from February 26-28,2027.

Resources:

• Learn more about MBEC 2027.
• Interested in becoming a sponsor or exhibitor? Learn more here.
• Check out Dr. Chapa’s OBGYN No Spin Podcast.

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At OBservations, we describe our podcast as an open conversation on women's health. In this episode, we're expanding that conversation to include men's health and the often-overlooked impact that induced abortion can have on fathers.

Joining us is Sean Corcoran, CEO of Men for Life and a first-time speaker at MBEC 2027, AAPLOG's national medical conference. Men for Life is the world's only consistently pro-life organization dedicated to ensuring men's voices are included in conversations about human rights and abortion. Through his work, Sean seeks to shed light on how abortion affects fathers and why their experiences matter.

Before leading Men for Life, Sean built a successful career as a family law attorney. In 2022, he retired from law to focus on being fully present as a husband and father while pursuing a new calling. Today, he writes and speaks on fatherhood, addiction and recovery, and the impact of abortion on men.

Sean's passion for this work is deeply personal. At just 19 years old, he lost a son to abortion, an experience that led to years of addiction, self-destructive behavior, homelessness, and encounters with the criminal justice system. Through recovery and healing, he found renewed purpose and has dedicated his life to helping others navigate similar struggles while advocating for fathers whose voices are often left out of the abortion conversation.

In this conversation, Sean shares his redemption story, discusses the mission of Men for Life, and explains why acknowledging the experiences of fathers is an important part of understanding the full impact of abortion.

Resources:

• Learn more about Men for Life.
• Learn more and register for MBEC 2027 in St. Louis, Missouri.
• Inquire about Men for Life’s Fatherhood Program.

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The Abortion Pill Reversal (APR) fight is headed toward a make-or-break ruling, and the evidence coming out of court could reshape how women hear about this lifesaving option nationwide.

Peter Breen, executive vice president and head of litigation at the Thomas More Society, walks through the California attorney general’s case against Heartbeat International and Real Options, including the push for more than $20 million in penalties and a gag order that could stop women from learning abortion pill reversal exists. He explains how the litigation unfolded, why the state tried to frame free life-saving counseling as “false advertising,” and how discovery exposed major weaknesses in the state's claims.

You’ll hear how the trial tested the credibility of ACOG, what happened when Dr. Mitchell Crenin’s study was scrutinized under oath, and why the data around APR looks very different when the full records are examined. Peter also shares how Heartbeat’s network and Real Options have tracked thousands of cases, including a reported success rate of more than 70 percent at Real Options, and why the women themselves are the ones paying the price when this information is withheld.

This episode is essential if you care about medical freedom, women’s health, pregnancy center defense, or the future of abortion pill reversal in America. The ruling could land just before the holidays, and the impact may reach far beyond California.

Resources:

• Learn more about the Thomas More Society
• Learn more about Abortion Pill Reversal
• Learn more about the APR lawsuit in California

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In this special episode of OBservations, the tables are turned once again as AAPLOG CEO Dr. Christina Francis hands hosting duties over to her friend and pro-life advocate Monica Snyder, Executive Director of Secular Pro-Life.

Together, they unpack two viral reports – one from ProPublica about the connection between ectopic pregnancies and pro-life laws. This conversation will give you the facts the media often doesn't tell you.

Why might a physician send a patient home for follow-up instead of treating immediately? What is the difference between methotrexate, abortion drugs, and diagnostic aspiration? And what do current medical guidelines actually recommend when a pregnancy's location cannot yet be determined?

Whether you're a physician, policymaker, or simply trying to make sense of the headlines, listen to this episode for clear, evidence-based exploration of ectopic pregnancy that is too often misunderstood.

Resources:

• Learn more about Secular Pro-Life
• Secular Pro-Life's Breakdown on Pro-Publica's Ectopic Pregnancy article
• AAPLOG’s Ectopic Pregnancy Guideline
• AAPLOG’s Concluding Pregnancy Ethically Guideline
• Explore Secular Pro-Life's Speakers
• Study mentioned: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2833030

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A prenatal diagnosis should never decide whether a child lives or dies.

This episode brings a unique perspective to the surrogacy case involving McKenna West and Baby Gabriel case, as OB/GYN Dr. Christina Francis and Pediatrician and Executive Director of the American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) Dr. Jill Simons discuss the case from a medical perspective. They discuss what it reveals about disability discrimination, commercial surrogacy, and the urgent need to treat pre-born children as patients with dignity.

When baby Gabriel was diagnosed in the womb with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, the pressure on his surrogate to abort sparked a national conversation about who gets protected in medicine - and who gets treated like a commodity. In this conversation, listen to Drs. Francis and Jill unpack why that diagnosis is not the end of the story, what modern treatment for HLHS actually looks like, and why the right medical response starts with care, not abortion or abandonment.

Resources:

• Learn more about ACPeds
• Read AAPLOG and ACPeds’ statement on the McKenna West case.

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Pro-life laws are not what put women at risk - misinformation does. Dr. Callum Miller breaks down the medical, legal, and ethical arguments behind abortion policy, and why the most alarming claims about miscarriage care, ectopic pregnancy, and abortion pills collapse under unbiased scrutiny.

From Malta’s zero maternal deaths in 12 years to the UK medical groups that publicly warned about mail-order abortion pills, Dr. Miller walks viewers through how fear gets weaponized in the abortion debate. If you want to understand what the FDA, the media, and medical institutions get wrong, this episode gives you the facts behind the controversy.

Dr. Callum Miller is a medical doctor and research fellow at the University of Oxford, where he teaches philosophy and researches abortion policy across medical, ethical, legal, and sociological perspectives. He has published 30+ academic papers and has received prizes from Oxford and the Royal College of Psychiatrists for his bioethics work.

Essential listening if you care about abortion policy, women’s health, medical ethics, or how to stand firm in a hostile professional climate without being naive about the risks.

Additionally, hear from one of our MBEC 2026 sponsors, the Charlotte Lozier Institute, and the critical research they do. Dr. Cameron Louttit joins to discuss their work on life sciences, the safety of abortion drugs, and the importance of accurate scientific communication in the pro-life movement. Learn more about MBEC 2027 and possible opportunities for sponsorship, attendance, and student scholarships!

Resources:

• Learn more about Dr. Calum Miller.
• Learn more about MBEC 2027.

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Children's rights advocate and Them Before Us founder Katy Faust joins Dr. Christina Francis to discuss why children should be at the center of every conversation about marriage and family. Together, they explore the ethical implications of surrogacy, the cultural shifts that have shaped modern family structures, and why Katy believes the fight for marriage is ultimately a fight for justice for children.

More than a discussion of reproductive technology, this episode examines surrogacy through both a medical and cultural lens, asking difficult questions about what children need and what they deserve.

We hope you'll enjoy this conversation and share it with someone who may not have considered the broader implications of surrogacy.

About Katy Faust:

Katy Faust never intended to become an activist.

As a pastor's wife and stay-at-home mother, she watched cultural conversations about marriage and family change dramatically. As public debates intensified, one question continued to stand out

Who is speaking for the children?

That question led her to launch a blog focused on defending children's rights in marriage and family policy. What began as a small online platform grew into a global movement. Katy went on to write for national publications, speak to audiences around the world, and found Them Before Us, an organization dedicated to advancing child-centered policies and advocating for the rights of children.

Today, Katy is a leading voice in conversations about marriage, family, and the importance of putting children first.

Resources:

• Katy Faust's website.
• Purchase Faust's and Stacy Manning's Book: Them Before Us: Why We Need a Global Children’s Rights Movement
• Learn more about Them Before Us.

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In this mailbag episode of OBservations, we answer follower questions on some of the most commonly misunderstood topics in pro-life OB-GYN care. Dr. Christina Francis and Dr. Susan Bane join Jordan Butler to discuss miscarriage management, ectopic pregnancy, D&C procedures, mifepristone, fetal pain, and the language used in prenatal diagnoses.

We break down the differences between miscarriage and induced abortion, explain why D&Cs are ethically and medically used in many situations, and address why ectopic pregnancies cannot currently be “transferred” into the uterus. We also explore medical management options for miscarriage, the risks of unsupervised abortion pills, and how terminology can shape both patient care and public understanding.

If you’ve ever had questions about what pro-life medicine actually looks like in practice, this episode offers thoughtful, honest answers grounded in clinical experience.

Have a question you want answered? Email us at media@aaplog.org.

Resources mentioned:

• AAPLOG's Undercover Abortion Pill Investigation
• AAPLOG and EveryLife's ReThink Pregnancy

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