The Birth Experience with Labor Nurse Mama

You spent months preparing for an unmedicated birth - the classes, the breathing, the mindset. And then your provider says induction, and your stomach drops. You know it's medically the right call, but it feels like everything you planned just went out the window.
Here's what I need you to hear: induction and unmedicated birth are not mutually exclusive. I've done it three times myself, and I've helped countless students do it too.
In this episode, we're breaking down exactly what induction actually means, what your real options are, and how to stay in the driver's seat - even when the plan shifts.
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💡 What We Cover:
Why induction doesn't have to mean the end of your unmedicated birth map
What cervical ripening and Bishop score actually mean - and why your cervix being "favorable" matters so much before anything else starts
Why Trish recommends against breaking your water unless you're in active labor (6+ cm and contracting regularly)
How Pitocin can be run low and slow - and even stopped once your body takes over
The story of Ashley: a first-time mom with gestational diabetes and hypertension who got the induction and the unmedicated birth she wanted
The questions to ask your provider before you ever say yes or no to an induction

More from this episode:
Listen to episode 227: Kelly’s Redemptive VBAC – From Induction & C-Section to Pulling Her Baby onto Her Chest
Read the blog: Everything You Need to Know About Being Induced Everything You Need to Know About Being Induced
Check out this Induction Workshop

Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Inductions & Unmedicated Birth
02:22 Why Inductions Are Rising
03:56 A Student Induction Birth Story
04:57 Induction Methods Explained
06:53 Commitment And Pitocin Strategy
08:40 Mindset And Labor Pain
10:17 Questions To Ask Your Provider
11:07 Stack The Deck In Labor
12:43 You Can Still Have a Birth You Love

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

Ever stood in the baby food aisle feeling completely lost? This episode is for you.
This week, Trish sits down with Jordyn Koveleski Gorman - licensed speech-language pathologist, feeding specialist, and founder of Eat Play Say - to talk about the stuff your pediatrician simply doesn't have time to cover at a 15-minute well visit.
With nearly a decade of clinical experience and a community of over 800,000 parents, Jordyn breaks it all down in a way that will actually make mealtimes feel less like a battle and more like a win.
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, you'll learn:
🥄 The #1 mistake parents make when introducing the highchair — and the simple shift that changes everything
🥦 Baby-led weaning vs. purees: which method is better? (Hint: Jordyn's answer might surprise you)
😤 Why your toddler suddenly hates the food they loved yesterday — and exactly what to say when it happens
🍕 The food prep trick that gets picky eaters to actually try new foods (no pressure, no power struggle)
💡 How to give your toddler just enough control to make mealtimes easier for everyone

The golden nuggets you don't want to miss:
Jordyn shares that babies may need 20 to 100 presentations of a food before accepting it - so that refusal at dinner? Completely normal. She also walks through why the experience around food matters far more than the method you choose, and how to build a positive relationship with mealtimes from the very first bite.
More from Jordyn from Eat, Play, Say:
Follow her on Instagram & TikTok: @eatplaysay
Visit EatPlaySay.com & Check out her handbooks available for parents!
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 What No One Tells You About Feeding Your Baby
04:02 Jordyn’s Story
10:42 Solids Refusal
14:59 High Chair Positive Start
15:41 Purees vs Baby Led
20:41 Choices Over Power Struggles
24:06 Control And Boundaries
29:57 Grace After Blowups
34:36 Kitchen Prep No Pressure
40:21 Validate Yucky Feelings
41:55 Where To Find Jordyn

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

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