The Birth Experience with Labor Nurse Mama

You're 10 centimeters, and your nurse says "okay, let's push" - and without any discussion, you're guided into whatever position is easiest for everyone else in the room. Except it doesn't have to go that way. Trish is breaking down pushing positions, what the research actually says about each one, and exactly how to get the birth room to work with you - even if you have an epidural.Trish pulls back the curtain on one of the most overlooked parts of birth prep: how you push. She traces the surprising (and slightly wild) history of why flat-on-your-back became the hospital default, walks through what the Cochrane Review actually found about upright versus lying-down pushing, and breaks down six different pushing positions - who each one is best for, what the research shows, and how to advocate for the one that's right for you. Whether you're planning unmedicated or you know an epidural is part of your plan, this episode makes sure you walk into your birth room already knowing your options.What You'll Learn:The real history behind the "default" position - and why it has nothing to do with what's best for youWhat the Cochrane Review found when comparing upright vs. lying-down pushing - fewer interventions, fewer abnormal fetal heart patterns, and a shorter pushing stageThe tearing nuance nobody explains - upright positions may carry a higher chance of minor tearing, but a lower chance of episiotomySix pushing positions, including who each one is best for: Lithotomy (on your back), Semi-recumbent, Side lying (Sims position), Hands and knees, Squatting and supported squatting, & Leaning forward on a raised bedWhich positions work with an epidural - yes, you still have optionsExactly what to say to your nurse or provider if they default to what's easiest for them, not what's best for youHow to put your pushing preferences in your birth map before you ever walk into the hospitalResources MentionedLabor Like a Pro Guide - Trish's illustrated labor positions guide, showing every pushing position and exactly when to use it.The Calm Birth Bundle - the full kit and caboodle, including the labor positions guide: labornursemama.com/calmThanks to our Sponsor Haakaa: Grab the Haakaa Gen.2 Plus Manual Breast Pump and use code ‘LNMAMA20’ for 20% off!Offer available through 11/13/26Helpful Timestamps:00:00 Pushing Positions03:11 What Research Shows05:23 Lithotomy and Semi Recumbent06:39 Side Lying for Control07:46 Hands and Knees Benefits09:25 Squatting for More Space11:01 Leaning Forward Upright11:58 Epidural Friendly Choices13:21 How to Advocate EarlyJoin 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 InstagramOn YouTubeFor 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

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 outcomesThe 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 momentWhat Trish's Birth Mastery Workshop adds to your birth prep after reading Birth VibesMore from this episode:Birth Plan Mastery WorkshopRead Birth Vibes by Jen HamiltonHelpful Timestamps:00:00 Birth Vibes 01:26 What Jen Really Means03:04 Why Vibes Need Knowledge04:26 Birth Map, Not a Checklist06:47 Birth Mastery Workshop08:26 Personal Note to JenJoin 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 InstagramOn YouTubeFor 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

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'tMyth #2: No membrane sweeps allowed - what the Strip G Study really foundMyth #3: You have to rush to the hospital the second contractions start - Trish's real timing rules for first-time and experienced momsMyth #4: You can't have an unmedicated birth - how the antibiotics actually work with your birth planThe real numbers behind antibiotic prophylaxis, and what happens if you declineWhat other countries do differently - and why that matters for how you think about your optionsThe 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 PregnancyListen to episode 196: Pregnancy Unpacked Week 36: Preparing For the Final StretchListen to episode 189: Membrane Sweeps - What You Need to Know and How to Handle ThemHelpful Timestamps:00:00 GBS Positive Pregnancy02:24 What GBS Really Is04:25 Myth One05:19 Myth Two07:14 Myth Three09:42 Myth Four11:37 Antibiotics Risks And Rights15:03 Other Countries ApproachJoin 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 InstagramOn YouTubeFor 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