The Birth Experience with Labor Nurse Mama

By Trish Ware, RNHealth & Fitness Education Parenting Kids & Family Courses

The Birth Experience with Labor Nurse Mama episodes

August 14Birth Vibes vs. Birth Map - Is Jen Hamilton Right? | 269
Birth vibes are everywhere right now - and Jen Hamilton's book earned every bit of its #1 spot. But vibes alone won't get you through a decision in the delivery room. This week, Trish breaks down what Jen gets so right, and why you need both the vibes and the map.
Jen Hamilton's Birth Vibes has taken over birth prep conversations everywhere, and moms keep asking Trish the same question: is it vibes over plans now? Trish's answer - Jen's right, but it's not the whole picture. In this episode, Trish unpacks what "birth vibes" actually means (mindset, values, and grounded adaptability - not just "good energy and hope for the best"), and why that emotional preparation matters so much.
As a 16-year L&D nurse, Trish has watched moms walk in with beautiful energy and zero information, and freeze the moment a real decision hits. Her take: vibes get you into the right headspace, but you still need to know your options - because if you don't know your options, you don't have any. That's why Trish calls it a birth map, not a birth plan - a living, "why-behind-it" version of your preferences that holds both your values and your knowledge.
What You'll Learn Inside This Episode:
What Jen Hamilton's "birth vibes" concept really means - and why it's not just "hope for the best"
Why mindset and grounded confidence genuinely change birth outcomes
The difference between a birth plan (a checklist) and a birth map (values + knowledge + flexibility)
Why "if you don't know your options, you don't have any"
How to bring vibes and information together so you can advocate for yourself in the moment
What Trish's Birth Mastery Workshop adds to your birth prep after reading Birth Vibes

More from this episode:
Birth Plan Mastery Workshop
Read Birth Vibes by Jen Hamilton
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Birth Vibes
01:26 What Jen Really Means
03:04 Why Vibes Need Knowledge
04:26 Birth Map, Not a Checklist
06:47 Birth Mastery Workshop
08:26 Personal Note to Jen

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
12 min
August 07Let's Talk Pelvic Health: Common, But Not Normal with Dr. Brooke Kalisiak | 268
I'm joined by Dr. Brooke Kalisiak, a pelvic physical therapist and owner of Legacy Physical Therapy in St. Louis. We’re diving into one of the most overlooked - but incredibly important - parts of your birth and postpartum journey: your pelvic floor.
Dr. Brooke Kalisiak helps women prepare for birth, recover postpartum, and overcome pelvic health issues like pain and bladder leakage so they can feel strong and confident without relying on medications or surgery. She’s passionate about educating women on what’s normal, what’s not, and how to take control of their pelvic health.
In this episode, we talk about:
The biggest misconceptions about pushing during labor
Why your pelvic floor needs to relax - not tighten - for birth
Common postpartum symptoms women are told to “just live with”
What actually happens during a pelvic floor therapy appointment
How pelvic floor health impacts pregnancy, birth, postpartum recovery, and even menopause
Why bladder leakage is common, but not normal
Simple breathing techniques that support your core and pelvic floor
When to see a pelvic floor therapist (hint: it’s never too early or too late)

If you've ever worried about tearing, leaking, painful recovery, or wondered whether pelvic floor therapy is right for you, this conversation is packed with practical information and reassurance.
Remember, mama: just because something is common doesn't mean it's normal. You deserve answers, support, and a body that feels strong and supported through every stage of motherhood.
More from Dr. Brooke Kalisiak:
legacytherapystl.com
Find her @legacyphysicaltherapystl on Instagram, FaceBook, & YouTube
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Pelvic Health
06:28 Practice Pushing Positions
09:57 Bladder Leakage And Stigma
12:21 When To See Pelvic PT
16:02 Pregnancy Core Breathing
20:59 Postpartum Visits Explained
29:21 Why a Baseline Matters
32:11 Hidden Pelvic Symptoms
34:40 Where to Find Dr Brooke

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
38 min
July 31GBS Positive - What It Actually Steals From You (Spoiler: Not Much)
You got your GBS results back and they're positive - and suddenly it feels like your entire birth plan just got ripped out of your hands. Does this mean induction? Antibiotics no matter what? Is an unmedicated birth even still on the table?
Before you spiral into a Google hole at midnight, Trish is here to set the record straight. As a 16-year high-risk L&D nurse who's been in the room with hundreds of GBS positive mamas, she's breaking down exactly what this diagnosis does - and doesn't - mean for your birth.
In this episode, Trish covers:
What GBS actually is (and why it's not about hygiene or "doing something wrong")
Myth #1: GBS positive means automatic induction - it doesn't
Myth #2: No membrane sweeps allowed - what the Strip G Study really found
Myth #3: You have to rush to the hospital the second contractions start - Trish's real timing rules for first-time and experienced moms
Myth #4: You can't have an unmedicated birth - how the antibiotics actually work with your birth plan
The real numbers behind antibiotic prophylaxis, and what happens if you decline
What other countries do differently - and why that matters for how you think about your options

The bottom line: GBS positive is a piece of information, not a life sentence for your birth plan. You deserve a provider who explains the "why," shows you the evidence, and lets you be part of the decision. This is still your birth.
Loved this episode? Share it with a pregnant friend who just got her GBS results, or post it in your birth group - these are the conversations that should be happening at every 36-week appointment. And if you want more of Trish's no-fear-mongering, straight-from-research approach, hit subscribe so you never miss an episode.
More resources for GBS+ Pregnancy:
Read the blog: Here's What You Need to Know About GBS (Group B Strep) and Pregnancy
Listen to episode 196: Pregnancy Unpacked Week 36: Preparing For the Final Stretch
Listen to episode 189: Membrane Sweeps - What You Need to Know and How to Handle Them
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 GBS Positive Pregnancy
02:24 What GBS Really Is
04:25 Myth One
05:19 Myth Two
07:14 Myth Three
09:42 Myth Four
11:37 Antibiotics Risks And Rights
15:03 Other Countries Approach

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
20 min
July 24"Touched Out" & No Sex Drive After Baby? Here's What's Really Going On (Sex Therapist Explains) | 266
If your sex life basically disappeared after baby, this one's for you, mama.
You're touched out, running on fumes, and the LAST thing on your mind is sex - but your partner keeps bringing it up, and now you're stuck in this exhausting cycle of guilt, resentment, and disconnection. Sound familiar?
This week I'm sitting down with Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy, a certified sex and couples therapist (and mama of two) who's spent 15 years helping couples navigate exactly this. We're getting real about why your desire disappears after baby, why "just fix the emotional connection and the sex will follow" is actually bad advice, and what's really going on when one partner pursues and the other withdraws.
We also dig into resentment, the mental load, reclaiming your body, and why accepting imperfect help from your partner might be the missing piece (pajama drama included 😂).
In this episode, we cover:
Why low libido after baby is so common - and it's not "just about sex"
The pursuer/withdrawer cycle and how to break it
How resentment and mental load quietly kill intimacy
Reclaiming your body after birth (even after trauma)
3 practical ways to reconnect with your partner, starting today

This is such an honest, validating conversation - whether you're the one who's touched out or the one who feels rejected, you'll walk away with real tools (and a lot less shame).
More from Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy, PhD, LMHC:
Grab her book: Parents in Love: A Guide to Great Sex After Kids
rebeccaeudy.com
Follow her on Instagram: @RebeccaHowardEudy
Loved this episode? Leave a review and tell me - are you the pursuer or the withdrawer?
I read every single one. 💛
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Why Sex Drive Disappears Postpartum
02:43 Desire vs Connection After Baby
06:05 Pursuer Withdrawer Cycle
10:35 Birth Trauma and Triggers
15:15 When Sex Becomes a Chore
16:44 Resentment and Mental Load
23:49 Accepting Imperfect Help
28:09 Micro Moments Connection
30:26 What Holds Desire Back
33:14 Book And Where To Find

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
35 min
July 17The Epidural Episode: What Nobody Actually Explains Before You're in the Room | 265
You've probably already made a decision about your epidural. The problem? You made it before anyone walked you through what actually happens.
In this episode, I'm breaking down the entire epidural process from the moment you say "I think I want it" to the moment we pull the catheter out after delivery - the timing, the placement, what it actually feels like, the side effects nobody mentions, and the questions I get asked most as a 16+ year L&D nurse. Whether you're planning to get one, planning to go unmedicated, or you're a "let's see how I feel" mama, this episode is for you. Because pain management is part of every birth map, and knowing what's coming means you make the decision from education - not fear.
No horror stories. No agenda. Just what really happens in the labor room.
In this episode:
When you can actually ask for an epidural (and why timing isn't as simple as "too early" or "too late")
What has to happen behind the scenes before the anesthesiologist walks in
The step-by-step placement process - and the one moment that actually hurts
Common epidural side effects and how your nurse manages them
What "recovery" looks like and why it's not the time for visitors
How to know you're progressing once your epidural is in

More from this episode:
Grab our free Third Trimester Birth Prep Bundle at labornursemama.com/third or comment "THIRD" on any Instagram post @labor.nurse.mama.
Listen to episode 245: Epidural or Unmedicated? How to Decide Without Regret
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Epidural Decision Reality
03:27 Why Preparation Matters
05:43 When To Request It
07:11 Hospital Prep Steps
08:58 Positioning And Placement
11:12 Recovery And Monitoring
12:44 Blood Pressure + Side Effects
14:58 What It Feels Like
16:53 Rest And Pushing Tips
18:08 Turning It Off And Removal

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
21 min
July 10Your Vaginal Discharge is INFORMATION You Need to Know to Get Pregnant or Avoid it: Fertility Awareness Method | 264
Your discharge is not a problem to Google in a panic - it's one of the most powerful fertility signals your body produces. And yet, most of us were never taught that. In this episode, Trish sits down with Sabrina Nowicki, CEO of Cyclisity - the official charting app of the landmark book Taking Charge of Your Fertility - for a conversation about body literacy, fertility awareness, and why understanding your cycle might be the most empowering thing you do for your reproductive health.
Sabrina brings an engineering and product design background to her role as CEO of Cyclisity, the official charting app of Taking Charge of Your Fertility (TCOYF). Cyclisity was co-founded alongside Toni Weschler, MPH, the author of Taking Charge of Your Fertility and Sabrina's aunt. Built from the ground up to align with the TCOYF knowledge base, Cyclisity is designed to make the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) as accessible as possible for women everywhere - without sacrificing the science or the agency that makes FAM so powerful.
What You'll Learn in This Episode
What the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) actually is
The three biomarkers FAM uses to identify your fertile window: cervical fluid, basal body temperature (BBT), and optional cervical positioning
What your cervical fluid is actually telling you - from dry to sticky to creamy to egg white - and why that progression matters
How BBT confirms ovulation and why that temperature shift is your body's built-in confirmation system
Why stress, illness, and lifestyle can delay ovulation
The problem with predictive cycle apps and why apps that just calculate averages from past cycles are not the same as tracking your actual body

More from Sabrina Nowicki, CEO of Cyclisity:
Cyclisity App - Available now on the Apple App Store (US & Canada); Android version coming soon
Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler, MPH
Follow Cyclisity on Instagram: @Cyclisity & on TikTok: @Cyclisityapp
Follow Sabrina personally: @wanderingsabrina on all platforms
Visit Cyclisity.com

Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Discharge as Fertility Signal
02:21 Why Fertility Awareness
05:56 FAM Basics Explained
13:04 Stress Delays Ovulation
16:48 Cycle Syncing Myths
22:07 Why Build Cyclisity App
27:39 Why Predictive Apps Fail
39:01 Regulating After Birth Control
45:35 Where To Find Cyclisity

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
48 min
July 036 Ways to Prepare for An Unmedicated Birth | 263
In this insightful podcast episode we focus on preparing for an unmedicated birth.
Emphasizing on how you can address your fears and the importance of understanding your “WHY” for choosing an unmedicated birth.
Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms
Leave a review and include your Instagram username for a chance to win our monthly raffle!
6 Ways to Prepare for An Unmedicated Birth:
Mindset Matters: Addressing your fears and your mindset happens long before the labor room. Replace your fears with TRUTH, and having a clear “WHY” for choosing an unmedicated birth is essential for a positive mindset.
Being Educated: Education gives you a sense of calm & peace to make the best decisions for your during your birth. Winging your birth is not an option.
Preparing Your Body: Understanding the power of the pelvis and movement during birth is monumental to your birth experience.
Creating a Supportive Birth Environment: If you create a birth environment that is supportive, you are going to feel safe while allowing the natural pain killers that we have flowing through our body to flow.
Unmedicated Pain Management Tools & Techniques: Understanding the importance of various unmedicated pain management techniques, including breath work, hot/cold therapy, & the comb technique.
Understanding Your Interventions & Your Birth Rights: Like I’ve said before, we don’t just refuse willy nilly. You need to know what this intervention is for, why it is used, and when it is appropriate. Should I say yes? Should I say no? You need to know your rights to navigate this.

Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Knowing your why
03:00 How fear can physically stall or stop labor progression
05:00 Why birth education is non-negotiable
08:30 Preparing your body for birth - why the pelvis is your most powerful tool
13:30 Creating a supportive birth environment and team
19:30 Understanding interventions, the cascade effect, and your rights

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
24 min
June 26What No One Tells You About Having a Support Person in the Labor Room (And How to Fix It Before You Get There) | 262
Most birth prep focuses on you - your breathing, your birth plan, your body. But what about the person standing next to you? Because here's the truth: if your partner isn't prepared, they will default to the doctor. Every single time. And you'll be left feeling completely alone in one of the most intense, vulnerable moments of your life.
That's exactly why I brought Lena Athena onto the show. Lena is changing how the world understands boundaries. She created the Kind Boundaries framework to show that boundaries aren't a source of conflict, they're the foundation of every healthy relationship. She's a TEDx speaker, founder of the boundaries practice app HEARD, and author of a forthcoming book on belonging and boundaries. She specializes in supporting women in the most boundary-violated season of life: the transition into motherhood.
In this episode, we cover:
Why partners shut down in the labor room
The conversation you need to have before you ever go into labor
How to have the hard conversations without blowing up your relationship
The role relationship dynamics play in the birth room
Three steps to get back on the same team if you've already drifted apart

You should not have to choose between advocating for yourself and keeping the peace. With the right preparation - and the right conversations ahead of time - you can have both.
More from Lena Athena:
Try the HEARD boundaries practice app free: https://heard.lenaathena.com/
Work with Lena privately: https://lenaathena.com/coaching
Follow Lena on Instagram & Threads @lenasathena
Helpful Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome Lena Athena
01:52 Boundaries in Motherhood
05:20 Why Advocacy Fails
08:14 Talk Before Labor
11:13 Align as Decision Makers
14:45 Practice Hard Talks
16:55 Team Based Conversations
24:45 Three Steps to Reconnect
28:19 Where to Find Lena

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
31 min
June 19You Wanted an Unmedicated Birth. Now They’re Saying You Need an Induction. Can You Still Do Both? | 261
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.
Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms
Leave a review and include your Instagram username for a chance to win our monthly raffle!
💡 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
15 min
June 12What No One Tells You About Feeding Your Baby with Feeding Specialist Jordyn Koveleski Gorman | 260
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
44 min

About The Birth Experience with Labor Nurse Mama

From the publisher's feed

How do I actually push during labor? Should I get an epidural? Why is breastfeeding so hard? What exactly is Pitocin, and how much will induce labor? Is there a secret to having a successful VBAC? What happens if I poop during labor *shudder*? And oh yeah, how do I take care of a newborn?