The Birth Experience with Labor Nurse Mama

Trish Ware, RN
  • 4.7 (66)
  • Parenting
  • Weekly

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? I know you’ve got a ton of questions and fears when it comes to giving birth. How? Because I’ve delivered thousands of babies as a labor nurse! I’ve seen it all...and as @labor.nurse.mama on IG, I’ve helped mamas all over the world stand up to their fears and walk into the labor room with confidence. The Birth Experience with Labor Nurse Mama is here to guide you through every step of your pregnancy, labor, and delivery. I’ll show you how to embrace your inner feminine wisdom and teach you to feel totally comfortable owning the labor room. Your body was made to deliver this baby, mama...let’s face all those fears and doubts and answer those nagging questions — so you can be ready for the most important day of your life!

  1. 5h ago

    Babywearing Isn’t a Fad: Why Keeping Baby Close Changes Everything | 280

    Thanks to our Sponsor Haakaa What if the most powerful postpartum tool you own isn’t a gadget at all, but a piece of fabric that keeps your baby close? This week, Trish sits down with Skye Amundsen and Mallory Bransfield, the best friends and co-founders behind hope&plum. They’re the size-inclusive baby carrier brand that moms across Trish’s community can’t stop talking about, and Trish’s own team happens to be full of fangirls. In 2018, Skye and Mallory were two new moms who were fed up with carriers that didn’t fit every body and brands that turned babywearing into a race to “score the drop.” So they built something better. Skye shares how a ring sling became her first “faith purchase” during IVF, and how babywearing helped her reclaim her motherhood during her daughter’s two-week NICU stay. Mallory opens up about how it kept her connected to her baby through a hard breastfeeding journey. Trish, a mom of seven who has watched babywearing go in and out of style for nearly three decades, brings the real talk. Moms have been sold a myth, she says, that keeping baby close holds them back. It actually gives them more freedom. In this episode: How a frustrating shopping experience turned into an eight-figure, size-inclusive brandSkye’s NICU story and why babywearing felt like a way to take back controlBabywearing through breastfeeding struggles, triple feeds, and pumpingThe research-backed benefits: co-regulation, less crying, support for nursing, and lower rates of postpartum depressionWhy babywearing is a cultural practice, not a trend, and why education matters as much as the carrierSafety, the legal bar that’s “entirely too low,” and brands chasing a money grabStaying true to your mission as a founder (and a mom) when things get hardTwo pieces of advice for expecting mamas: find your community, and trust your intuition More from Skye & Mallory: Website: hopeandplum.coInstagram: @hopeandplumTikTok: @hopeandplum Thanks to our Sponsor Haakaa: Grab the Haakaa Petal Soft Silicone Milk Collector and use code ‘LOVELNM10’ for 10% off! Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Hope and Plum06:17 Skye’s NICU Babywearing Experience08:27 Mallory’s Breastfeeding Struggles14:45 Benefits of Babywearing30:04 Business And Motherhood Never Pause38:43 Where To Find Hope And Plum 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

  2. Oct 23

    Labor Nurse Mama’s Adoption Birth Story: Stuck in India | 279

    At 28, with four little boys at home, no money for the trip, and a stomach virus she couldn’t shake, Trish boarded a plane to India alone to bring her daughter home. She didn’t know if she’d leave with her. She definitely didn’t know that September 11th would happen while she was there, and that every flight to America would be grounded. This episode is deeply personal. Trish’s adoption story went viral as an Instagram carousel, but she’s telling the parts a carousel couldn’t hold. There’s the courtroom, the embassy, the stranding in Mumbai, and the homecoming that still chokes her up. It’s a story about being scared and going anyway, and about the people who show up to carry you when you can’t see the whole path. In this episode, Trish shares: Why she stopped waiting at home for a court date and decided she had to show up in personThe surprise buddy pass that made the trip possible, first class, y’allMeeting her 15-month-old daughter, who screamed and ran the other way, and the lollipop that changed everythingGetting in trouble in an Indian courtroom for crossing her legsA taxi door to the head, a very sick baby, and refusing to leave the American Embassy without her paperworkBeing stranded in Mumbai on 9/11 with no flights and no phone lines home, and the one person she met that saved themFlying home with a plane full of military men passing her baby around, and the 50 people waiting in ChattanoogaThe three lessons from that trip that shaped who she is today What Trish carries with her: You can make a meaningful decision without feeling confident about it.You can stick with something important when it gets complicated.You can take the next step without knowing the whole path, and let people come alongside you to help. If there’s a decision in front of you right now, ask yourself: what’s one thing you can do with what you know today, and who can come alongside you? Then take the scary step. If this story moved you, share it with a mama who’s facing her own leap of faith. Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Adoption Leap Begins04:23 First Meeting Sithara05:55 Courtroom Culture Shock09:58 9/11 & Stranded in Mumbai10:52 Help from Shikha14:21 Homecoming15:03 Three Lessons from This Trip 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

  3. Oct 16

    How to Prepare Your Body for Breastfeeding (Before Baby Arrives) | 278

    You spend months preparing for birth, but what about the feeding journey that starts the moment baby arrives? Breastfeeding isn’t just a “from the chest up” experience. It’s a whole-body journey for both mama and baby. This week, Trish sits down with Melissa Bradley, a pediatric occupational therapist, certified lactation counselor, and mom of four. Together they talk through how to prepare your mind, body, and home for breastfeeding before baby gets here. They cover the emotional prep no one talks about, the “mommy injuries” that come from poor positioning, why the hospital’s Breastfeeding 101 class is only the beginning, and the few supplies Melissa says you truly need. In this episode: Why breastfeeding is a whole-body experience for mom and babyHow to plan for emotional regulation and support before you come homeSetting boundaries around visitors without the guilt, and choosing your “village”Mommy shoulder, mommy wrist, and mommy thumb: what they are and how to prevent themCreating a comfortable, supportive feeding spaceWhy the medical system is reactive, and how to have support ready before problems startDebunking breastfeeding myths from social media and even providersPumping vs. nursing, wearable pumps, and choosing what works for youMelissa’s short list of must-have breastfeeding supplies Connect with Melissa Bradley, OT, CLC: mamababecharlotte.com Follow her on Instagram @mamababecharlotte Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Preparing for Breastfeeding 04:45 Emotional Prep And Support08:26 Setting Boundaries 12:13 Physical Setup And Injuries17:07 Get Proactive Lactation Help21:59 Personalized Goals And Myths26:52 Minimal Must Have Supplies 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

  4. Oct 9

    5 Things Every Pregnant Mama Should Know Before Labor and Delivery | 277

    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 Know02:03 Autonomy 04:10 No Need To Prove Anything06:33 Your Support Partner09:47 Every Labor Looks Different12:13 Redefining A Good Birth14:52 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

  5. Oct 2

    Vaginal Tearing Doesn't Have to Be Scary: How Your Pelvic Floor Can Help Reduce Tearing | 276

    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 pushSarah's 3 tips for moms worried about tearingWhy "one, two, three, push" doesn't make sense, and what the research says about spontaneous pushingWhy your birth team matters for your pelvic floor, tooRed flags your body may be sending you now, like leaking when you sneeze, painful sex, or tailbone painHow learning to relax your pelvic floor can influence labor length, risk of tearing, and even C-section riskWhy seeing a pelvic floor specialist and a Webster-certified chiropractor during pregnancy is worth it More from Sarah Almodovar Birth-Ready Pelvic Floor MasterclassFirst 6 Weeks - use coupon code ‘TRISH’www.sarahjoalmo.comFollow 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 Story03:38 Mindset Over Outcomes08:22 Three Tips To Prevent Tearing15:33 Pelvic Floor Basics Explained17:56 Advocacy And Red Flags23:49 Masterclass And Programs28:00 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

  6. Sep 25

    Prodromal Labor: It's Labor That Keeps Starting and Stopping, From a Labor Nurse | 275

    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 HicksWhy it can be your body's rehearsal for the real thingHow to tell prodromal contractions from real, active labor contractionsThe Miles Circuit, a 90-minute positioning sequence to tryWhether 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 Labor02:32 What Prodromal Labor Is03:31 What Your Body Is Doing04:23 Prodromal Vs Active Labor06:26 Mile Circuit Positions08:20 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

  7. Sep 18

    Low Iron in Pregnancy: Why ‘Normal’ Labs Could Still be Wrong | 274

    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 itThe 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 bodyWhy prenatal vitamins might not be doing what you think they're doingPractical, whole-food ways to support iron regulation - without supplements or infusionsThe "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 Pregnancy02:19 Samantha’s Health Journey04:44 Iron Dysregulation Explained06:34 Pregnancy Labs Misread10:13 Testing Beyond Basics17:45 Prenatals and Whole Foods20:38 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

  8. Sep 11

    10 Things I Wish I Knew in My First Trimester (From a Labor Nurse) | 273

    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 roleThe truth about first trimester fatigue and how to actually cope with itWhat to do if you experience spotting (and why it's more common than you think)How prenatal care is shifting toward telehealth in 2026Morning sickness vs. hyperemesis gravidarum - when to ask for helpWhat genetic screening (NIPT) can tell you, and when it's offeredNavigating the noise around pregnancy vaccinesFood safety musts: what to skip and what's actually fineWhen to share your pregnancy news - and why it's nobody's call but yoursTrish'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 Tips02:10 Prenatal Folate Basics02:53 Fatigue03:48 Spotting and When to Call04:23 Appointments and Telehealth05:45 Morning Sickness Help06:25 Genetic Screening NIPT06:59 Vaccines and Food Safety08:07 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

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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? I know you’ve got a ton of questions and fears when it comes to giving birth. How? Because I’ve delivered thousands of babies as a labor nurse! I’ve seen it all...and as @labor.nurse.mama on IG, I’ve helped mamas all over the world stand up to their fears and walk into the labor room with confidence. The Birth Experience with Labor Nurse Mama is here to guide you through every step of your pregnancy, labor, and delivery. I’ll show you how to embrace your inner feminine wisdom and teach you to feel totally comfortable owning the labor room. Your body was made to deliver this baby, mama...let’s face all those fears and doubts and answer those nagging questions — so you can be ready for the most important day of your life!

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