The Birth Experience with Labor Nurse Mama

This episode is sponsored by Motif Medical
After 16 years as a high-risk labor and delivery nurse, Trish shares the five truths she wishes every mama heard before she puts on that hospital gown. Spoiler: you don't have to be the "good patient," and you don't have to prove a thing.
In this episode:
You don't lose your autonomy in a hospital gown. Trish explains why "they won't let you" thinking starts in your head, and how to ask questions calmly without becoming combative.
You don't need to prove anything in labor. There's no trophy for suffering. Unmedicated, epidural, or somewhere in between, it's your birth, and you're allowed to change your mind.
Your support person needs to know their assignment. Trish shares what your partner should know before labor starts, from counterpressure to knowing when you want quiet.
Labor doesn't look the same for everyone. Stalls, starts, long pushes, and short ones are all normal variations. Trish explains the difference between labor taking time and labor becoming unsafe.
A good birth isn't one where everything went to plan. Trish talks about preparing without trying to control your birth, and why you're allowed to grieve the parts that didn't go how you hoped.

"Birth preparation is not about controlling your birth. It is about helping you feel prepared enough to navigate birth." - Trish
Send this episode to the person who'll be in the delivery room with you, or to a pregnant bestie. You shouldn't be the only one preparing for this birth.💗
Thanks to our sponsor Motif Medical: Go to motifmedical.com and use code ‘TRISH15’ for 15% off!
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 5 Things Every Pregnant Mama Should Know
02:03 Autonomy
04:10 No Need To Prove Anything
06:33 Your Support Partner
09:47 Every Labor Looks Different
12:13 Redefining A Good Birth
14:52 The Right Birth Prep

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

What if tearing isn't inevitable? There is so much more you can do than "hope for the best," and it starts with a part of your body nobody ever taught you about: your pelvic floor.
My friend Sarah Almodovar is a mom of three, a prenatal yoga teacher, and a pelvic floor expert. She started by teaching yoga on a rooftop in NYC, and now she helps moms all over the world show up to birth prepared, confident, and far less afraid.
We're talking about the thing you've all told me you're most scared of - vaginal tearing - and how to take the fear out of it with practical tips to lessen your chance of tearing.
What We Cover:
Why vaginal tearing is such a hot topic (and why it's only a tiny part of your birth experience)
Why the pelvic floor's real job is to release and open, not tense and push
Sarah's 3 tips for moms worried about tearing
Why "one, two, three, push" doesn't make sense, and what the research says about spontaneous pushing
Why your birth team matters for your pelvic floor, too
Red flags your body may be sending you now, like leaking when you sneeze, painful sex, or tailbone pain
How learning to relax your pelvic floor can influence labor length, risk of tearing, and even C-section risk
Why seeing a pelvic floor specialist and a Webster-certified chiropractor during pregnancy is worth it

More from Sarah Almodovar
Birth-Ready Pelvic Floor Masterclass
First 6 Weeks - use coupon code ‘TRISH’
www.sarahjoalmo.com
Follow her on Instagram & YouTube: @sarahjoalmo

Mentioned in this episode:
Listen to: Vaginal Tearing during Birth: Real & Gritty
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Is Tearing Inevitable?
01:30 Sarah’s No Tear Story
03:38 Mindset Over Outcomes
08:22 Three Tips To Prevent Tearing
15:33 Pelvic Floor Basics Explained
17:56 Advocacy And Red Flags
23:49 Masterclass And Programs
28:00 Where To Find Sarah

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

This episode is sponsored by Haakaa
Prodromal labor is one of the most frustrating things you can go through at the end of pregnancy, and hardly anyone prepares you for it. I'm walking you through what it is, what your body may be doing, how to tell it apart from active labor, and what to do when you're up night after night. You'll leave with a plan and a lot less panic.
In This Episode:
What prodromal labor is, and how it differs from Braxton Hicks
Why it can be your body's rehearsal for the real thing
How to tell prodromal contractions from real, active labor contractions
The Miles Circuit, a 90-minute positioning sequence to try
Whether an Epsom salt bath helps (honest answer inside)
Why rest is your best strategy, and why ignoring prodromal labor as long as you can is a skill

More from this episode:
Read the Blog: The Miles Circuit: Here's How To Induce Labor and Birth at the End of Pregnancy
Listen to this FREE Mini Audio Birth Class: Birth Insider
Thanks to our Sponsor Haakaa: Grab the Haakaa Petal Soft Silicone Milk Collector and use code ‘LOVELNM10’ for 10% off!
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Prodromal Labor
02:32 What Prodromal Labor Is
03:31 What Your Body Is Doing
04:23 Prodromal Vs Active Labor
06:26 Mile Circuit Positions
08:20 Baths Walking And Rest

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

This episode is sponsored by Snugghug
Have you ever been told your iron levels are "fine" and still felt exhausted, anxious, and completely off during pregnancy? I'm sitting down with Samantha Chandler of Wellness & Womb, a women's wellness coach who has completely changed the way I think about iron, minerals, and what our blood work is actually - and isn't - telling us.
Samantha's own journey started with a simple question during her second pregnancy: why were so many women around her low in iron? What she uncovered led her down a path most OBs never talk about - the difference between low iron in the blood and iron that's dysregulated in the body. And as someone who has stood at the bedside for a lot of hemorrhages, this conversation hit close to home for me.
We're getting into:
Why "your iron is fine" doesn't tell the whole story - and what copper has to do with it
The symptoms doctors write off as "just pregnancy" that may actually point to a mineral imbalance
What the placenta can reveal about what was really happening in mom's body
Why prenatal vitamins might not be doing what you think they're doing
Practical, whole-food ways to support iron regulation - without supplements or infusions
The "five minute rule" that helped Samantha decline an unnecessary induction

Samantha has worked with hundreds of women (and even coaches health providers) on this exact topic, and the results she's seen - including drastically reduced blood loss at birth - are the reason I wanted her on the show.
This one might change how you look at your next lab work.
More from Samantha Chandler:
Visit wellnessandwomb.com
Connect on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube @wellnessandwomb
Thanks to our Sponsor Snugghug: Grab the Snugghug Nursing Cover and Nursing Shirt and use code 'LNMAMA10' for 10% off!
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Low Iron in Pregnancy
02:19 Samantha’s Health Journey
04:44 Iron Dysregulation Explained
06:34 Pregnancy Labs Misread
10:13 Testing Beyond Basics
17:45 Prenatals and Whole Foods
20:38 Labor and Birth Support

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

Just found out you're pregnant and wondering "now what?" Trish is breaking down the first trimester essentials - the stuff nobody tells you until you're six weeks in and suddenly flattened by exhaustion. From what's really happening in your baby's development to the food rules, spotting fears, and when (or if) to tell people your news, this episode is the guide Trish wishes every mama had the moment she saw two pink lines.
In this episode:
Why folate (not folic acid) matters for your prenatal vitamin - and how the MTHFR gene variant plays a role
The truth about first trimester fatigue and how to actually cope with it
What to do if you experience spotting (and why it's more common than you think)
How prenatal care is shifting toward telehealth in 2026
Morning sickness vs. hyperemesis gravidarum - when to ask for help
What genetic screening (NIPT) can tell you, and when it's offered
Navigating the noise around pregnancy vaccines
Food safety musts: what to skip and what's actually fine
When to share your pregnancy news - and why it's nobody's call but yours
Trish's own experience with nine pregnancies, six live births, and three losses

Mentioned in this episode:
Grab our Free Third Trimester Prep Pack
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 First Trimester Tips
02:10 Prenatal Folate Basics
02:53 Fatigue
03:48 Spotting and When to Call
04:23 Appointments and Telehealth
05:45 Morning Sickness Help
06:25 Genetic Screening NIPT
06:59 Vaccines and Food Safety
08:07 Sharing Pregnancy News

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