Trish shares a deeply personal and shocking account of a recent doctor's appointment for her 37-week pregnant daughter. Despite being a highly experienced labor and delivery nurse, she found herself shaken by the fear-inducing tactics used by the doctor to push for an induction at 39 weeks, with a beautifully healthy baby and mama. Trish discusses the importance of making informed medical decisions based on knowledge rather than fear, explaining how to navigate these critical conversations with healthcare providers. She emphasizes the power of asking questions, seeking second opinions, and trusting one's maternal instincts.

Helpful Timestamps:

1. 00:00 A Shocking Doctor's Visit
2. 00:47 SThe Appointment
3. 02:13 The Doctor's Alarming Recommendation
4. 03:20 The Emotional Impact and Professional Insight
5. 04:45 Questioning Medical Advice
6. 10:21 Empowering Decisions and Final Thoughts

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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

In this heartfelt finale of the Postpartum Unpacked series on The Birth Experience Podcast, Trish reassures new mamas that perfection isn't required to be a great mom. Drawing from her experience raising seven children, she emphasizes that confidence comes from trusting your growth, learning from mistakes, and evolving through reflection and new wisdom. Trish shares how postpartum transforms your identity, inviting you to embrace change without shame or fear, and reminds listeners that they're uniquely chosen and equipped for their baby - any gaps in knowledge are simply opportunities to seek support and keep growing. This isn’t the “end of who you were” but rather the beginning of who you’re becoming!

Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms

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Trish highlights the vital role of community in navigating motherhood, whether through groups like the Calm Mama Society or local connections. She encourages mamas to build their village and move forward at their own pace. If you loved this series and the podcast, please leave a comment or review sharing your biggest struggles to inspire future episodes. Head over to our back catalog of episodes and tune into new ones every Friday! We appreciate and love you all!

Helpful Timestamps:

1. 01:07 The Journey Through Postpartum
2. 01:36 Confidence in Motherhood
3. 03:57 The Importance of Community
4. 05:13 Final Thoughts

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

Trish welcomes Dr. Courtney Johnson, a pelvic floor physical therapist specializing in women's health for female athletes and active moms. Together, they challenge the outdated advice of relying solely on Kegels, explaining why tight pelvic floors aren't necessarily strong and can contribute to issues like leakage, prolapse, and pain, while debunking the normalization of postpartum symptoms as "just part of being a mom." Dr. Courtney advocates for a holistic approach to recovery, emphasizing the role of factors such as stress, sleep, sunshine, breathing techniques, pressure management, lifestyle habits, and even loose clothing in supporting pelvic floor health and the broader core system. Don't miss this empowering conversation aimed at helping mamas reclaim their body and mind after childbirth.

Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms

Leave a review and include your Instagram username for a chance to win our monthly raffle!

More from Dr. Courtney Johnson:

Tune into her podcast: The Female Blueprint

Follow her on Instagram: @thefemaleathletedoc

Subscribe to her YouTube Channel: Dr. Courtney Johnson

Helpful Timestamps:

1. 01:55 The Misconceptions of Pelvic Floor Health
2. 03:06 Beyond Kegels: A Holistic Approach to Healing
3. 05:12 The Importance of Proper Diagnosis and Treatment
4. 06:41 Why Kegels Aren't Always the Answer
5. 08:18 The Bigger Picture: Integrating Pelvic Floor Health with Overall Well-being
6. 10:18 The Need for Updated Knowledge and Referrals
7. 13:38 Effective Pelvic Floor Exercises
8. 16:59 Understanding Pressure Management
9. 20:45 Healing Past Trauma
10. 24:17 Empowering Women's Health

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👩🏻‍⚕️ Perfect for all births- hospital, birth center, or home!

🎧 Includes birth meditations and prayers.

🌍 Women all over the world have loved our classes.

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For more pregnancy &...

In this heartfelt episode, I, Trish, your trusted labor and delivery nurse and mom of seven, unpacks the complex emotions and realities new parents face after having a baby. She shares personal experiences and professional insights, revealing why relationships feel strained postpartum and how it's rooted in biology and differing realities. You'll learn essential strategies to bridge the gap, manage resentment, and communicate effectively with your partner. Plus, hear transformative stories from women who've navigated these challenging times, and discover how to create a team agreement and schedule check-ins to keep your relationship strong. Remember, mama, you're not alone - let's get through this together.

Feeling this? Join Calm Mama Society at labornursemama.com/cms for support, and subscribe + share for more real-talk & empowerment!

Helpful Timestamps:

1. 02:11 Understanding the Postpartum Relationship Strain
2. 03:16 The Biological Shift: Why You Feel Different
3. 06:47 Bridging the Gap: Communication is Key
4. 07:56 Accepting Imperfect Help
5. 09:42 Recognizing Each Other's Efforts
6. 11:56 A Conversation That Changed Everything
7. 14:42 Creating a Team Agreement
8. 17:16 Finding Your New Normal
9. 18:45 Support and Resources

Join the #1 Birth Course for Confident Birth!

Over 15,000 women have used our classes to prepare for birth with the knowledge and tools provided by a Labor Nurse.

💻 Self-paced and lifetime access

👩🏻‍⚕️ Perfect for all births- hospital, birth center, or home!

🎧 Includes birth meditations and prayers.

🌍 Women all over the world have loved our classes.

✅ Start now

Join The Birthpod ™ course

Join The Calm Labor Confident Birth Course

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

Join me, as I talk with one of my Calm Labor Confident Birth Class students, Laura.

Laura's birth story is definitely best friend squad goals! Laura's bestie (who's studying to become a birth doula) was with her during it all - to cheer her on, and to help her through the intense moments.

Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms

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In this episode, she shares her journey to a positive, unmedicated vaginal delivery of a healthy baby boy!

She tells us all about laboring at home and delivering in a birth center. She also shared how our birth course helped her have an empowered birth experience.

Laura gets real with us and shares the nitty-gritty details of what a water birth includes. You won't hear this anywhere else.

Plot twist: her best friend/Doula was the one who actually told her about Labor Nurse Mama and encouraged her to join one of the meet-and-greets we have.

Helpful Timestamps:

1. 01:40 Pregnancy Journey and Joining the Birth Course
2. 03:04 Preparing for Birth and Community Support
3. 10:32 Labor Begins: Early Signs and Home Labor
4. 14:36 Transition to Birth Center and Water Birth
5. 22:41 Pain Management and Labor Experience
6. 24:07 The Role of the Partner
7. 25:26 Catching the Baby
8. 28:11 Post-Delivery Procedures
9. 31:27 Returning Home with the Newborn
10. 37:42 Reflections on the Birth Experience

Join the #1 Birth Course for Confident Birth!

Over 15,000 women have used our classes to prepare for birth with the knowledge and tools provided by a Labor Nurse.

💻 Self-paced and lifetime access

👩🏻‍⚕️ Perfect for all births- hospital, birth center, or home!

🎧 Includes birth meditations and prayers.

🌍 Women all over the world have loved our classes.

✅ Start now

Join The Birthpod ™ course

Join The Calm Labor Confident Birth Course

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

Trish goes deep into a rarely discussed but incredibly common postpartum symptom: rage. We're not talking about everyday irritability - this is intense, explosive anger that can feel overwhelming and out of control. If you've ever snapped at your partner over something trivial, slammed doors, or felt fury bubbling up when the baby cries, you're not alone, and you're certainly not a bad mom. Trish, a labor nurse with over 16 years of experience and mom of seven, shares insights on what postpartum rage really is, its potential causes, practical strategies for managing it in the moment, and long-term steps to seek help. Tune in to feel less isolated and more empowered on your postpartum journey.

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Key Takeaways

1. Understanding Postpartum Rage: It's not just anger - it's a sudden, disproportionate fury that can manifest as yelling, slamming things, or feeling out of control. Trish reassures listeners that this is often a symptom of perinatal mood disorders, not a reflection of your character as a mom.
2. Common Causes: Hormonal shifts post-birth, chronic sleep deprivation, constant overstimulation from being needed and touched, lack of support, and underlying anxiety or depression can all contribute. Your body is in survival mode, and rage is its way of protecting you.
3. Immediate Coping Strategies:
4. Acknowledge it out loud: "I'm feeling rage right now - this is a symptom, not who I am."
5. Step away safely: Place baby in a crib and take a break.
6. Regulate your body: Chug ice water, splash cold water on your face, do jumping jacks (if recovery allows), scream into a pillow, or try box breathing (in for 4, hold for 4, out for 6).
7. Long-Term Solutions:
8. Get screened for perinatal mood disorders by your OB or midwife.
9. Prioritize sleep, even in short stretches.
10. Reduce overstimulation: Limit visitors, silence notifications, and carve out quiet time.
11. Meet basic needs: Eat regularly, stay hydrated, and move your body.
12. Seek therapy, ideally from a perinatal mental health specialist.
13. Communicate with loved ones: Use specific scripts like, "I need you to take the baby for 30 minutes" or "I need you to listen without trying to fix it."

Helpful Timestamps:

1. 00:58 Understanding Postpartum Rage
2. 01:25 Causes of Postpartum Rage
3. 02:07 Immediate Coping Strategies

In today’s episode, Trish shares her very first birth story - the birth of her son, Ian, when she was just 17. She’s diving into the naive teenage years, her surprise pregnancy, and the incredible experience of giving birth that laid the foundation for her career as a labor and delivery nurse and sparked her passion for birth advocacy.

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Trish takes you through the details, from finding out she was pregnant, to the struggles and joy of pregnancy, to Ian's dramatic birth. This unscripted, heartfelt retelling is a journey back in time and an insight into why Trish does what she does today at Labor Nurse Mama - with a special shout out to HER labor and delivery nurse that made a huge difference in her birth experience. This episode is a raw, honest look at her early days of motherhood and the pivotal moments that drove her mission to change the birth culture, one birth at a time.

More from this episode:

Does the Midwives Brew Recipe Induce Labor at Home? Read our Top Insider Tips

Helpful Timestamps:

1. 01:15 Early Pregnancy and Family Reactions
2. 03:44 Pregnancy Challenges and Castor Oil Experiment
3. 07:13 Labor and Delivery Experience
4. 11:32 Reflections and Advocacy
5. 12:46 Conclusion and Call to Action

Join the #1 Birth Course for Confident Birth!

Over 15,000 women have used our classes to prepare for birth with the knowledge and tools provided by a Labor Nurse.

💻 Self-paced and lifetime access

👩🏻‍⚕️ Perfect for all births- hospital, birth center, or home!

🎧 Includes birth meditations and prayers.

🌍 Women all over the world have loved our classes.

✅ Start now

Join The Birthpod ™ course

Join The Calm Labor Confident Birth Course

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

In this episode of Postpartum Unpacked, Trish gets into the realities of postpartum recovery, with a focus on healing for vaginal births. Trish shares practical tips, emotional insights, and encouragement for new parents navigating the early weeks after delivery. Originally recorded as an Instagram Live, this episode emphasizes preparation, self-care, and setting boundaries to make your healing journey smoother. Whether you're expecting soon or already in the thick of postpartum, Trish reminds you that it's okay to ask for help, feel your emotions, and prioritize rest over perfection.

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’s Inside this episode:

1. Tips for managing physical changes like bleeding & swelling
2. Permission to feel your emotions
3. What to expect for bleeding (Lochia)
4. Bodily changes and fluid shifts
5. The importance of rest and self-care
6. Tools for healing: ice packs and padsicles
7. Perineal care essentials
8. Setting boundaries with visitors
9. Emotional realities of new parenthood

More from this episode:

Checkout Labor Nurse Mama’s Postpartum Recovery Essentials Amazon List

Helpful Timestamps:

1. 00:42 Postpartum Preparation
2. 01:14 Encouragement and Support for New Moms
3. 04:52 Understanding Postpartum Bleeding
4. 10:43 Managing Postpartum Discomfort
5. 16:25 Setting Boundaries and Handling Visitors
6. 20:04 Emotional Challenges and Seeking Help
7. 22:02 Essential Resources and Final Tips

Join the #1 Birth Course for Confident Birth!

Over 15,000 women have used our classes to prepare for birth with the knowledge and tools provided by a Labor Nurse.

💻 Self-paced and lifetime access

👩🏻‍⚕️ Perfect for all births- hospital, birth center, or home!

🎧 Includes birth meditations and prayers.

🌍 Women all over the world have loved our classes.

✅ Start now

Join The Birthpod ™ course

Join The Calm Labor Confident Birth Course

Connect w/ Trish: