The Birth Experience with Labor Nurse Mama

She was 12 hours into labor when a nurse walked in carrying a tablet - and a judge appeared on the screen to decide what would happen to her body.
This isn't a social media horror story. This happened in Florida, in 2026, to a woman who was not only informed - she was a doula. She had a prior C-section complicated by a dangerous hemorrhage. Refusing another surgery wasn't a whim. It was a medical decision she had every right to make.
And a judge overruled her anyway.
In this episode, we're getting into all of it: what your rights actually are, where they get murky, and the three things I want you to do before you ever go into labor - because when you're in labor, your job is to labor.
In this episode:
What actually happened in Florida - and why the details matter
The difference between informed refusal and an unsafe one (these are not the same thing)
Why "rights on paper" and what happens at 3 AM in a hospital room aren't always the same
Why I call it a birth map, not a birth plan - and why this story is why I prefer a map over a plan
The three things to do before labor
Why the advocacy piece is non-negotiable, especially for Black women, who are far more likely to have their pain, rights, and refusals dismissed
The one question that is one of the most powerful things you can say in a hospital room

This episode is not about walking in braced for a fight. It's about walking in prepared, calm, confident, and educated.
Resources mentioned:
Calm and Confident Birth Course & Birth Bundle - understand your rights, your body, and your options before you walk in

Florida needs to change those laws. And until it does, the best thing you can do is prepare. Let's get you there.
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Judge In The Delivery Room
02:10 What Happened In Florida
03:55 Informed Consent And Refusal
05:30 Why Rights Get Murky
06:04 Birth Map vs Birth Plan
07:03 Getting Prepared Before Labor
09:38 Bring Your Support Team
10:35 Birth Advocacy

Join The Calm Labor Birth Bundle - everything you need from bump to baby! Use code POD50 for $50 off!
Over 15k mamas have used our classes to prepare for a birth that they love 🤍
⭐ Download immediately ⭐App available ⭐Life-time access⭐
Connect w/ Trish:
On Instagram
On YouTube
For more pregnancy & birth education, subscribe to The Birth Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services

Stephanie brings a unique perspective to breastfeeding and postpartum support by combining occupational therapy expertise with lactation consulting. After 9+ years in the NICU and her own breastfeeding journey with her premature son in 2023, she's committed to helping families navigate lactation and infant development with confidence and compassion. In this episode, we talk about what a session with Stephanie looks like, prenatal prep, postpartum red flags, and why asking for help isn't optional—it's essential.
Key Takeaways
Before Baby Arrives: 3 Powerful Prenatal Choices
Take a prenatal lactation class — Most insurance covers it. Being prepped gives you options and confidence.
Get your breast pump early (33-34 weeks) — Insurance usually covers it. Don't wait until you need it.
Leverage your insurance — Most plans cover prenatal classes AND pumps. That's free education and equipment.

After Baby Arrives: 3 Powerful Reasons to Ask for Help
Ask for help. You need rest. You need support. There's no medal for doing it alone.
If you're experiencing pain, reach out immediately. Pain is NOT normal. A qualified IBCLC can help.
If something feels off with baby, get assessed. Clicking, gulping, arching, popping on and off—reach out to a professional.

"You don't have to push through the pain. You don't have to do it alone. Ask for help, and let people come alongside you." - Stephanie Wong, Certified NICU OT & Lactation Consultant
What to Look for in a Lactation Consultant
Seek an IBCLC over a CLC. IBCLCs have more rigorous training standards.
Consider booking postpartum support privately. Hospital LCs have time constraints; private sessions offer more thorough care.
In-person or virtual? Both work. Choose what fits your life.

More from Stephanie Wong, IBCLC:
Stephanie's Practice: Lovely Littles Therapy
Instagram & Website: @lovelylittlestherapy | lovelylittlestherapy.com
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Whole Family Lactation
01:30 NICU Roots & Personal Journey
04:15 What a Session Looks Like
06:45 Prenatal Breastfeeding Prep
13:31 Postpartum Tips + Myth Busting
16:30 Red Flags When Breastfeeding
19:19 Weight Checks Pediatrician Support
21:35 Partners Bonding Beyond Bottles
23:57 Where to Find Stephanie

Join The Calm Labor Birth Bundle - everything you need from bump to baby! Use code POD50 for $50 off!
Over 15k mamas have used our classes to prepare for a birth that they love 🤍
⭐ Download immediately ⭐App available ⭐Life-time access⭐
Connect w/ Trish:
On Instagram
On YouTube
For more pregnancy & birth education, subscribe to The Birth Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services

Everyone calls the second trimester the "honeymoon phase" - but if you're in it right now and not feeling blissful and glowing, you are not doing it wrong. In this episode, Trish is pulling back the curtain on what's actually happening in your body during weeks 13 through 27, because comfortable does not mean uneventful.
Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms
Leave a review and include your Instagram username for a chance to win our monthly raffle!
In this episode, Trish covers:
Why the second trimester gets its reputation - and where that falls short
What your baby is actually doing in there (fingerprints, thumb sucking, and yes… peeing)
What to expect at your anatomy scan and why it's one of the most important appointments of your entire pregnancy
The physical changes in your body that catch people off guard - nosebleeds, bleeding gums, heart palpitations, and round ligament pain
What early fetal movement feels like and when to mention changes to your provider
Gestational diabetes screening, cervical length, and signs of preterm labor you should know
The emotional side of the anatomy scan that nobody talks about enough

The second trimester is beautiful — but it's not a time to coast. The more you understand what's actually happening, the more present and prepared you can be for everything ahead.
Mentioned in this episode:
Grab the Second Trimester Prep Pack
Listen to more Second Trimester episodes:
Navigating Your 20-Week Anatomy Scan with Confidence | 150
Second Trimester Pregnancy: What To Expect | 31
11 Things to Do During the Second Trimester of Pregnancy | 82
Second Trimester Pregnancy Testing | 165

Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Second Trimester
02:17 Baby Development
04:46 Round Ligament Pain
05:30 Feeling Baby Move
06:25 Key Screenings
07:34 Preterm Labor Signs
08:18 Anatomy Scan
09:41 Second Trimester Resources

Join The Calm Labor Birth Bundle - everything you need from bump to baby! Use code POD50 for $50 off!
Over 15k mamas have used our classes to prepare for a birth that they love 🤍
⭐ Download immediately ⭐App available ⭐Life-time access⭐
Connect w/ Trish:
On Instagram
On YouTube
For more pregnancy & birth education, subscribe to The Birth Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services

I am SO excited for you to hear this birth story with my Calm Labor Confident Birth Course student, Linda Kelly. Linda has been part of the Labor Nurse Mama community since 2021. She joined the Calm Labor Confident Birth course after her first birth that left her feeling like it just happened to her - no knowledge, no voice, no power.
Fast forward to baby number two, and Linda walked into that hospital armed with her birth plan, her snacks, her AirPods in, Modern Family queued up, and absolutely zero tolerance for being told what to do. She went from a traumatic, unplanned induction the first time around to bouncing on the ball, eating her favorite foods, requesting an experienced provider to break her waters, and pushing her baby out in 20 minutes.
And now? She's 30 weeks pregnant with baby number three! 💗
In this episode, we chat about:
How a traumatic first birth (including an epidural that didn't work and not feeling like she had any say) pushed her to do things completely differently
Why knowledge is everything - and why "just do what the doctor says" is not a birth plan
How Linda went from people-pleaser to advocate (and why being Irish made that extra hard 😂)
Eating during labor - yes, you absolutely can, here's why, and here's exactly what to say if someone tries to stop you
What it felt like to push her baby out on her own terms and walk to the bathroom afterward feeling like a total badass
Why birth is 90% mental - and how staying in her zone made her labor fly by

One word Linda used to describe taking Calm Labor Confident Birth: “Empowered.”
If you're sitting there thinking you don't need a birth class, Linda has something to say to you: "Knowledge is power, and that's that."
This episode is everything I want for you, mama. Tune in, take notes, and know that you can do this.
Resources from this episode:
Calm Labor Confident Birth Course
Pregnancy Hangouts — join the community!

If this episode landed for you, please hit subscribe and leave a review - it means the world and helps other mamas find us. See you next Friday! 🎙️
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome our Birth Student: Linda
04:25 First Birth Trauma
07:15 Second Birth Game Plan
10:42 Eating in Labor
14:37 Induction Decision
15:34 Staying Relaxed in Labor
19:38 No Time for Epidural
20:44 Fast Birth Afterglow
22:50 Empowered by Knowledge

Join The Calm Labor Birth Bundle - everything you need from bump to baby! Use code POD50 for $50 off!
Over 15k mamas have used our classes to prepare for a birth that they love 🤍
⭐ Download immediately ⭐App available ⭐Life-time access⭐
Connect w/ Trish:
On Instagram
On YouTube
For more pregnancy & birth education, subscribe to The Birth Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services

Let's talk about birth plans - and yes, I know that's going to land differently for everyone reading this. But after 16 years as a high-risk labor and delivery nurse and thousands of births, I need to say what I've seen: the traditional birth plan might not be helping you the way you think it is. In fact, it could be setting you up for unnecessary disappointment and a feeling of failure you absolutely do not deserve.
In this episode, I'm introducing you to a concept I teach all of my students - the birth map - and explaining exactly why that distinction changes everything.
So what's a birth map? Think of planning a road trip. You have a destination, a preferred route, and the flexibility to reroute when a road is closed. A detour doesn't mean the trip is ruined - it just means you found another way to get there. That's exactly what a birth map does.
Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms
Leave a review and include your Instagram username for a chance to win our monthly raffle!
Your birth map includes:
Your destination - the big picture experience you're working toward
Your top 3–5 priorities - the non-negotiables that matter most, clearly communicated
Alternate routes - thinking through "what if" scenarios before labor so nothing catches you off guard
Real education - because a map is only useful if you understand the territory

I am a fierce advocate for informed consent, asking questions, and knowing your rights. What a birth map does is give you real navigational power instead of the false security of a document that labor might not follow.
When you're holding a map instead of a plan, a detour feels like a detour - not a disaster.
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Birth Plan Mistakes
03:23 Introducing Birth Maps
04:48 What Goes On A Birth Map
07:00 Informed Consent Matters
07:53 Build Your Map Now

Join The Calm Labor Birth Bundle - everything you need from bump to baby! Use code POD50 for $50 off!
Over 15k mamas have used our classes to prepare for a birth that they love 🤍
⭐ Download immediately ⭐App available ⭐Life-time access⭐
Connect w/ Trish:
On Instagram
On YouTube
For more pregnancy & birth education, subscribe to The Birth Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services