The Birth Experience with Labor Nurse Mama

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.
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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

If you’ve ever found yourself Googling “how do I get my baby to sleep?” at 2 AM… this episode is for you. Because let’s be honest - baby sleep advice is LOUD, conflicting, and overwhelming. One expert says cry it out, another says never let them cry. One says strict schedules, another says go with the flow. And you’re left exhausted, questioning everything.
In this conversation, I’m joined by Chrissy Lawler, therapist, baby sleep consultant, and founder of The Peaceful Sleeper - and she’s breaking down what actually works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to infant sleep. Chrissy is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 15+ years of experience who saw one consistent root issue in her clients - sleep. She went on to specialize in sleep medicine and created a method that helps families get rest without sacrificing connection, mental health, or flexibility. Her bestselling book, The Peaceful Sleeper, teaches parents how to build healthy sleep habits from birth through the first year.
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to baby sleep.
But there is a way to:
Support your baby
Protect your mental health
Strengthen your family
And actually get rest

Without feeling like you’re failing.
As Chrissy shares, getting good sleep is important - but how you get there should work for YOUR family.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why baby sleep advice feels so confusing (and how to filter through it)
The truth about “cry it out” and attachment
How sleep impacts your mental health, relationships, and motherhood experience
The 4 foundational pillars of newborn sleep
Why “sleep begets sleep” and how to use it to your advantage
How to gently teach sleep skills without guilt or rigidity
The difference between supporting your baby and over-functioning for them
Why your needs matter just as much as your baby’s

More from Chrissy Lawler:
Visit ThePeacefulSleeper.com
Order her book: The Peaceful Sleeper
Connect with her on Instagram, Threads, FaceBook, TikTok, & YouTube : @the.peaceful.sleeper
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Why Sleep Matters
04:34 Sleep and Attachment
06:57 No One Right Method
08:54 Newborn Sleep Pillars
10:19 Gentle Training Options
11:33 Cry It Out Trauma
15:37 Family System Balance
22:14 Three Baby Sleep Tips for Moms
27:43 Where to Find Chrissy

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

If you’ve been Googling every little symptom in early pregnancy… you’re not alone. But the internet can’t tell you what’s actually normal vs. what needs attention - and that uncertainty can send you into a spiral fast.
In this episode, Trish breaks it all down in a way Google never could. You’ll learn which first trimester symptoms might feel scary but are usually totally normal - and which ones are true red flags that deserve a call to your provider (or even a trip to the ER).
This is your guide to feeling more calm, confident, and clear in those early weeks of pregnancy.
In this episode, we cover:
Common (but scary-feeling) symptoms that are usually normal
What light spotting and cramping really mean
When nausea and vomiting cross the line
Why extreme fatigue and breast changes are expected
What it means if you don’t feel pregnant at all
Red flags like heavy bleeding, one-sided pelvic pain, and fever
Signs of ectopic pregnancy and when to seek immediate care
When a UTI can become more serious in pregnancy
A simple framework for knowing when to monitor vs. act

And always remember - if something feels off, you’re never wrong for reaching out.
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 First Trimester Symptoms
01:52 Scary But Normal Signs
02:16 Spotting Explained
03:29 Cramping And Nausea
04:34 Fatigue And Breast Changes
05:51 True Red Flags
06:03 Bleeding And Ectopic Warning
07:22 Severe Vomiting And Fever
08:22 UTI Symptoms To Watch
09:02 Anxiety And Provider Support
09:38 Simple Decision Framework

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