This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast, I'm honored to have a distinguished guest, Dr. Wanda Barfield, joining us in support of the CDC's Hear Her Campaign. This initiative aims to raise awareness about maternal health issues and promote respectful maternity care. The CDC has recently released its 2023 Vital Signs Report, shedding light on crucial statistics and findings related to maternal care in the United States. During our time with Dr. Barfield, we'll explore the report's...

Hi MLN Podcast fam! I am so glad you are here for part 2 of our new series - Baby Registry 101! If you haven't listened to part 1 (episode 198) be sure to check that out to learn where to start with your registry. But today, let's move our focus to nursery essentials! Designing and decorating your baby's nursery is one of the most exciting tasks of pregnancy! But let's be honest - it can also be kind of overwhelming too! So today, I'll guide you through the must-have items you need to...

This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast I'm here to answer a question that I get asked ALL the time in my DMs...what gifts or gift basket items should I get for my labor and delivery team?? While nurse gift baskets are very much appreciated, they absolutely aren’t expected and certainly don’t have any impact on the care you receive during your birth. But since I do get asked about this topic a lot, I wanted to take a moment to share some potential nurse gift basket ideas with you...

On this episode of The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast, Laura Rush joins me to share the story of the birth of her son, Tate! Laura thoroughly enjoyed listening to birth stories throughout her pregnancy, but she often found most birth stories to be "crazy" or with something really unusual happening. Her own birth was relatively "normal" with no major complications, and she felt compelled to share her story hoping that other mamas would find it encouraging and relatable. Want to feel...

You spoke (literally!), and we listened! In this episode, I'm diving into two more questions from our podcast listener line.  Today we'll be talking in depth about breech positioning and what that means for birth, the recurrence rate of breech pregnancies, how to VBAC after a breech Cesarean, and more. Then we'll be unpacking pregnancy anxiety and fear related to birth too! This is actually a topic I'm really passionate about, and one of the main reasons I started Mommy Labor Nurse...

Happy 200 MLN Podcast fam!!  To celebrate, I'm giving away five $50 Amazon gift cards! All you have to do is leave a written review of the podcast, take a screenshot of your review, and send it to [email protected] - that's it!! Entry closes on October 8th, 2023.  In this episode, I thought it would be fun to take a little walk down memory lane and give you some behind the scenes insight into the podcast! My sister Jenna is joining me and we're going to talk all about...

The week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast we have a very special guest – the incredible Dr. Rebecca Dekker from Evidence Based Birth®! Rebecca is a renowned expert in the field of evidence-based maternity care, with a PhD in nursing. She's dedicated her life to being a full-time entrepreneur and patient advocate for evidence-based care. In this episode, we'll be exploring the topic of natural labor induction and examining the evidence behind various methods. We'll be distinguishing...

Today on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast, I am kicking off our new series - Baby Registry 101! My hope is that with my help, you'll be able to check this item off your pregnancy to-do list while having a lot of fun along the way! In this episode, I focus on the first steps to create your registry. I'll talk through when you should get your registry started and things to consider when choosing where to register at. If you're past the point of starting your baby registry and are looking...

A question I get asked during almost every shift at the hospital is for a list of pharmaceutical pain medications other than epidurals. And while epidurals are kind of the gold standard when it comes to contraction pain - there actually are some other choices! So, today on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast I'm going to dive into pain meds other than epidurals, with a special focus on IV narcotics and nitrous oxide for labor. I'll be touching on some non-medical pain management options...

This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast, I have a very special birth story from my good friend Christa Innis, host of the Mom Talks with Christa Podcast She is one of my oldest Mommy Labor Nurse friends and she just had her first baby about four months ago. When she reached out to share her story it was an easy yes! I'm so excited to have her share her very positive and amazing birth story with you in today's episode. Don't forget to grab our FREE Birth Prep Guide! 40+ pages of...

This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast we’re going to address itching during pregnancy and cover what’s normal and what’s not! The thing about itching in pregnancy is that it might be nothing, but it might actually be a sign of something more serious – which is why I wanted to do an episode about this! During pregnancy, your body goes through so many changes. The changes can be physical, emotional, psychological, or a combination of all three! It can be really hard, especially if...

This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast we have a Q&A style episode that's ALL about the third trimester, based on questions you asked over on my Instagram stories. The third trimester is definitely a transformative time, but it also brings its fair share of uncertainties, questions, and discomforts. From bracing for labor and delivery to nesting instincts and everything in between, we've got you covered! We handpicked a selection of your most commonly asked questions to create...

We're honored to have Dr. Robyn Thompson joining us, an experienced midwife, Maternal Child & Family Health Nurse, Breastfeeding Specialist, and founder of The Thompson Method (TTM) Breastfeeding Program. During her 45 years as a hospital and home birth midwife, she observed that many women were being discharged from the hospital with painful breastfeeding complications, while those who gave birth at home were breastfeeding successfully. Passionately inquisitive by nature, she made it...

I could probably come up with a list of 100 or more, but today I’m going to focus on 20 pregnancy milestones that you definitely don’t want to miss. Pregnancy is a time that’s typically filled with lots of emotions. But there’s no doubt that whether it’s your first or your 8th, there is a lot that goes on in the nine (give or take) months of growing your baby. Pregnancy to-dos piling up already? Get your FREE Second Trimester Prep Pack to create your registry with ease and know you’re...

In this week's episode, I am going to answer two questions submitted by mamas to the MLN listener line!! The first question is from Sarah, who is currently pregnant and looking for more information about placenta previa! I love this question because it is actually pretty common to get told you have a previa at your anatomy scan - but there is still a LOT of time for it to move. Listen in as I answer her question and educate about previas in general! The second question will have us...

This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast, we’re talking about a twin birth story. But it’s not just any old twin birth story - it’s about MoMo twins! MoMo twins are the rarest type of twins out there - occurring in less than 1% of twins, and .1% of all pregnancies. Most people don't realize that when it comes to twins, it's not just fraternal versus identical. There are actually quite a few types! Molli joins me on the podcast to share her story of pregnancy and birth with MoMo...

This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast we're going to tackle a topic that many of you may relate to: keeping your pregnancy a secret during those early stages.  I remember this all too well with BOTH of my pregnancies...cue the image of me stealthily filling an empty beer bottle with water – gotta love those clever hacks! It's incredibly common for women to want to keep their pregnancy under wraps until the end of the first trimester when the risk of miscarriage tends to...

This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast we're talking all about newborn reflexes! Did you know that when your sweet baby is born they come into this world with 6 distinct reflexes? Yep, it’s true. And if you’ve got a newborn at home, you’ve probably already witnessed them without even knowing it! Have you ever tickled the sole of your newborn’s foot and watched their toes curl? Or maybe you brushed their cheek with your finger, and they instantly opened up their mouth.  Sure, these...

This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast we have a very important and insightful episode for you. We'll be taking a deep dive into a topic that has sadly been coming up more and more in the national news and quite frankly deserves our attention: postpartum psychosis. These news stories have shed light on the impact of postpartum psychosis and brought this issue to the forefront of our minds, highlighting the importance of awareness and understanding. We'll be joined by my friend,...

On this week's episode of The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast, we'll be discussing second-trimester topics in an "ask me anything" style episode. I love doing these for you all, and it seems that you enjoy them too! We'll cover subjects such as peeing while sneezing, kick counts, the glucose tolerance test, birth classes, placenta previa, and more! All the questions on today's show were submitted via Instagram stories, and I've selected a few that I want to answer in more detail than I can...

In this episode, I’m going to talk about how to prepare for your labor induction by going through the do's and don'ts before your big day. Some are more obvious than others, but I'm going to be as thorough as possible.  I also want you to know that this list is intended for low-risk moms with uncomplicated pregnancies and scheduled inductions. It’s a bit different if you have a high-risk pregnancy with complications like preeclampsia or being preterm. Want to eliminate stress before...

This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast, I am joined by MLN Community mama, Andrea, where she shared her inspiring natural birth story. Inside the episode, you'll hear Andrea talk about the calm and focus she felt during the labor process, which she attributes to all the physical, mental, and educational preparation she did ahead of time. Andrea tapped into breathing techniques, movement, and mindset to labor at home for the majority of her birth, arriving at the hospital at 7...

This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast, I'm excited to be answering some questions submitted by listeners from the podcast hotline! First, we have a mom-to-be who is hoping for a VBAC. She explains that she's already feeling some discomfort around her C-section scar. She is wondering if this could indicate an increased risk for uterine rupture and if pursuing a VBAC is a safe option for her. Next, we have Taylor, a second-time mom who is curious if her second labor will be similar...

Today, we dive into one of the most common questions that I get asked about epidurals: How do you push a baby out with an epidural?  This is a question that can cause a lot of anxiety for expectant mothers. So, I'm going to share all the juicy details on epidural pushing positions, tips, and tricks to make pushing a breeze. I'll also talk about what to expect during labor and how to work with your body to help you deliver your beautiful baby.  Want to feel confident before your...

This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast I'm interviewing Daphne Delvaux who is also known as the Mamattorney!! Daphne is a practicing attorney with her own law firm that specializes in gender discrimination cases and helping women at work.   Her platform, the Mamattorney aims to empower and inspire women to become educated about their rights at work so that they can embrace their motherhood journey without compromising their career growth.   Inside of today's episode, you'll hear...