Birth Vibes: Feeling Empowered During Childbirth with Jen Hamilton | 416

About this episode

Nicole Kalil and Jen Hamilton discuss the pressures and expectations surrounding childbirth and the importance of feeling empowered during the experience.

Pregnancy and childbirth have somehow become competitive sports — complete with judgment, unsolicited opinions, internet “experts,” and enough mom guilt to last a lifetime before the baby even arrives. In this episode, Nicole sits down with labor and delivery nurse, viral creator, and bestselling author Jen Hamilton to unpack the unrealistic expectations women face around birth, pain management, advocacy, and motherhood itself. Jen shares why rigid birth plans often set women up for disappointment, how “birth vibes” create space for empowerment and adaptability, and what every woman deserves to feel during labor: heard, respected, informed, and safe. From epidurals and medical interventions to maternal mortality and grief after birth trauma, this conversation is equal parts practical, emotional, hilarious, and deeply validating. In This Episode, We Explore: The difference between “birth plans” and “birth vibes” How flexibility and adaptability change the birth experience Why the “perfect birth story” is mostly a myth The truth about epidurals, pain medication, and mom guilt How to advocate for yourself when you feel unheard or dismissed Why women of color face higher risks in…

People in this episode

Host: Nicole Kalil

Guest: Jen Hamilton

Topics covered

• childbirth
• maternal health
• birth plans
• empowerment
• pain management
• advocacy
• motherhood

Keywords

• childbirth
• birth vibes
• maternal mortality
• epidurals
• pain management
• mom guilt
• advocacy
• support during labor

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Airwave Media

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