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My husband Kelvin is back on the podcast, and this time we’re getting real about deciding to have more babies and what life actually looks like with four kids. I asked you guys on Instagram for your questions, and we answered them candidly. We’re not coming at this with all the answers. We’re very much in the thick of it with you! We talk through the practical stuff we weighed before trying for our fourth: age, money, cars, school, daycare, and the trade-offs every family makes differently. We also get into the thing I was most naive about, which was support. Without family nearby, having people to call on a hard Tuesday changes everything. Kelvin shares his take on “margin,” and why one-on-one time with each kid is the one thing that just doesn’t scale. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% We also share which transitions were hardest for each of us, how we handle sick seasons with little ones, and the never-ending to-do list that comes with managing six lives. And we answer the big one: does it get easier? Our honest answer is yes, and also give yourself time. Kelvin and I parented our way into four, and I hope this conversation gives you the space to parent your way into whatever feels right for your family. We also talk about feeling complete while still missing the baby season. Plus, I share a little announcement: this is our last episode for a while as we take a pause through the holidays. Thank you for being here, mama friends! Mentioned in this episode: Birth Prep, Labor, & The Things We Got Right (and Wrong): Q & A with Lo x Kelvin Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Four Kids Reality Check03:41 Should We Have More? Age, Timing & Finding Your Number09:57 Daycare, Cars, Money & Trade-offs15:12 Support Systems, Margin & Community23:21 The Hardest Transitions28:57 Sickness, Systems & the Never-Ending To-Do List38:04 Does It Get Easier?44:03 Feeling Done at Four About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

I’m so excited to bring you a topic we’ve never covered on the podcast before: prenatal yoga! Deb Flashenberg is the founder and director of the Prenatal Yoga Center in NYC and creator of the PYC Method. She’s also a Lamaze childbirth educator, postpartum corrective exercise specialist, Spinning Babies parent educator, former labor support doula, mom of two, and host of the Yoga Birth Babies podcast for over 10 years. I’ll be honest, yoga isn’t part of my own routine, so I asked Deb to talk to me like the person who’s never rolled out a mat. Before you skip this one thinking, “I’m not a yogi,” stay with me, because this conversation is for every kind of birth. We talk about why yoga is such a powerful tool for calming your nervous system, building coping skills through “safely uncomfortable” poses, and creating balance and mobility in the pelvis. We also get into why your pelvic floor should be springy like a trampoline, not tight. And Deb explains why prenatal yoga done well is so much more than sitting and stretching. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% We also dig into the real-life questions I know so many of you have. Where do you start if you’re 34 weeks and have never done any of this? Why do movement and position changes still matter if you’re planning an epidural? And how do these tools support you during a cesarean, too? Deb shares practical ways to get your birth partner involved, from cheat sheets in your hospital bag to her upgraded ice water test for practicing discomfort together. We also talk about what to do if a doula isn’t in the budget. These practices aren’t just for birth. You’ll carry them into recovery, parenting, and so many moments beyond. I loved this conversation, and I think you’re going to walk away feeling more confident in your body, whatever your birth looks like. More from Deb Flashenberg: prenatalyogacenter.com Connect with her on Instagram, TikTok, & YouTube: @prenatalyogacenter Grab her free guide: 5 Simple Solutions to Pregnancy Aches & Pains Listen to her podcast: Yoga Birth Babies Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Yoga for Every Birth07:15 Why Yoga for Birth Prep09:53 Pelvic Mobility and Strength14:45 Yoga Plus Cardio and Strength29:23 Epidurals and Smart Movement37:10 Doula Alternatives and Partner Prep45:54 Where to Find Deb About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

Beth Gaskill, aka Miss Beth from Big City Readers, is back on the podcast, and this time she’s holding her baby girl! I’ve been so excited to hear this one. A routine 36-week appointment, after a seven-mile walk in 100-degree heat with no shower, turned into “you’re having a baby today” when Beth’s ultrasound showed low amniotic fluid. We talk through her induction from start to finish: a Cytotec and Foley balloon start, a rough night of cervical checks that went sideways, a partner who stepped up as her advocate, and a midwife who showed what real consent during an exam looks like. Then her body took over, with Pitocin, an epidural that needed a few adjustments, and a baby born in just two pushes. I also share my nurse perspective on why I don’t want us treating “risk” as “reality,” and why a first-degree tear is not a failure. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% But Beth’s story didn’t end in the delivery room. After a perfect first night, her daughter was admitted to the NICU for breathing support and stayed 12 days. Beth opens up about how disorienting that was: being separated from her baby, fighting to protect breastfeeding, and how much the right nurses changed everything. We also talk about what providers, and the people who love you, can do better, like simply acknowledging that it feels unfair instead of jumping straight to “we just want baby to be safe.” If you’ve ever had a birth plan take a sharp turn, or a NICU stay you didn’t see coming, I think you’ll feel so seen in this one. More from Beth Gaskill: Follow her on Instagram @bigcityreaders bigcityreaders.com Make Reading Click, our first free learning to read workshop: https://my.demio.com/ref/NdBsEKF5wWoY4Tbs Listen to the Play On Words Podcast & her episode with Lo: Third Trimester: What's Worth Doing... and What's Just Internet Noise with Lo Mansfield @TheLaborMama Mentioned in this episode: Listen to episode 25: School Readiness and Kids Who Love to Read with Beth Gaskill of Big City Readers Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Beth Gaskill’s Birth Story06:18 Trying For Baby13:07 Low Fluid Surprise24:26 Induction Begins26:22 Painful Cervix Checks30:05 Confronting Mistreatment32:24 Midwife + Consent Done Right34:44 Balloon Induction Pain36:30 Pitocin and Epidural Hiccups40:06 Lightning Fast Delivery44:23 NICU Admission Shock51:40 Making NICU More Humane About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

I was so excited to speak with our guest today, Britta Bushnell, PhD. Britta is the author of Transformed by Birth, host of the Transformed by Birth podcast, a mother and grandmother, a mythologist, and a childbirth educator who has spent the last 25 years walking families through one of life’s biggest thresholds: birth and new parenthood. We talked about why birth is truly a rite of passage, and why that transformation doesn’t stop when your baby is born. Your identity shifts, your marriage shifts, even what you mean by “my family” shifts. And it happens again with every single baby. Britta also shares her “turning of the family wheel,” which is so helpful for anyone working through new dynamics with in-laws (or, like her, learning how to step into the grandparent chair!). Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% We also got real about control. As a type-A mom of four, I felt this one. Britta tells an unforgettable story about trekking the Himalayas that shows the difference between what we can prepare for and what we simply have to respond to in the moment. We talked about how to learn about birth without overstuffing ourselves with an overload of information, what to do if a doula isn’t in the budget, and how to take the next step even when you don’t feel confident. We ended on one of my favorite parts: how to speak to yourself with kindness through these transformations instead of judging the version of you who didn’t know then what you know now. You’re going to walk away with stories that stick, I promise. More from Dr. Britta Bushnell: BrittaBushnell.com Grab her book: Transformed by Birth Listen to her podcast: Transformed by Birth Podcast Follow her on Instagram & FaceBook @brittabushnellphd Mentioned in this episode: Listen to episode 24: Boundaries, Babies, You & Your Mother-in-Law with Dr. Tracy Dalgleish Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Welcome Dr. Britta Bushnell08:15 Redefining Family After Baby17:05 Parenting Keeps Evolving24:04 Each Baby Rocks the System31:15 Do You Need a Doula?43:21 Self Compassion After Birth About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

Today’s conversation is a heavier one, and I want to say that up front: if you’re not in a place to take it in, it’s okay to skip this one and come back when you’re ready. I’m joined by Kayleigh Summers, a licensed clinical social worker, perinatal trauma specialist, amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) survivor, and the voice behind The Birth Trauma Mama. She shares how her own experience shaped the work she does now, and we talk about what it looks like to prepare for birth with hope at the center while still making room for the “what ifs.” We get into what Kayleigh calls catastrophic birth planning: not as a way to plan for the worst, but as a way to have a say in situations where you might not be able to speak for yourself. We also talk about why that preparation matters for partners, who may end up making the big decisions, and we cover the gift of putting your wishes in a notes app and sharing it with someone you trust. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% I also wanted this to be real and practical. AFE is incredibly rare, about 1 in 40,000 births, and Kayleigh and I both agree that “it won’t happen to you” isn’t a helpful thing to hear. We talk about: How to ask your provider what protocols and training they have in placeHow to respond when a question gets brushed offWhy you don’t have to deliver at any particular type of hospital to be doing this “right”Keeping your awareness on the shelf instead of letting it take over your feedThe reminder that surviving something hard doesn’t mean you owe the world anything If you’re a provider, Kayleigh shares a free course through the AFE Foundation, and I’ll link it, along with her website, podcast, and social handles, in the show notes. Wherever you are in your own prep, I hope you walk away feeling a little more informed, a little less alone, and still free to get excited about the parts of your birth you’re hoping for. Mentioned in this episode: Course Name: AFE: A Practical Approach Course The AFE Foundation Contact hotline is 1-307-363-2337 (or 1-307-END-AFES) More from Kaleigh Summers, LCSW, PMH-C: Visit thebirthtraumamama.com Follow her on Instagram & TikTok: @thebirthtrauma_mama Listen to her podcast: The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Meet Kayleigh Summers05:15 AFE and Emergency C-Section11:41 Why She Started Sharing16:45 Privilege and Access to Care19:08 Catastrophic Birth Planning29:14 Partner Decision Burden33:20 Questions for Your OB39:14 Preparedness Without Doomscrolling41:10 Provider Resources and Hotline About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

Friends, it's finally here: my fourth (and final) birth story. I'm sharing how Kelvin and I went from "we'll have three" to parenting our way into a fourth baby, and what it was like to get pregnant and receive maternity care as an expat in the Netherlands. As someone who loves this work, I got to see that midwifery model up close, and I'll be honest about the hard parts too, like language barriers and a fragmented system that left me biking home twice after a midwife couldn't find a heartbeat. Then we moved back to the U.S. halfway through the pregnancy and I felt amazing, but I was wrestling with a due date that landed right around my mom's heaven day, and with the question of when we grieve and when we celebrate. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% Then we get to the birth itself: a sneaky Sunday morning, a very precipitous labor, and just 19 minutes in the hospital. I talk about laboring on hands and knees, experiencing the fetal ejection reflex for the first time, the baby girl who came out screaming, and why I was so sure I'd torn when I hadn't at all. I also talk about what it's like to process a birth this fast, when your brain needs time to catch up to what your body just did, and the gift Kelvin was as a birth partner who owned that room. This birth felt redemptive and normal in the best way, and it was bittersweet to close the book on this chapter. Grab a snack, because this one is full of joy and gratitude. Listen to my other birth stories: Labor Nurse's First Unmedicated Hospital Birth with Midwives | Episode 01Labor Nurses's Second, Unmedicated, Fast Birth with D-MER and PPA During PostpartumEpisode 13Labor Nurse's 3rd Fast, Unmedicated Hospital Birth with Midwives | Episode 40 Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 My Fourth Birth Story07:33 Pregnant in the Netherlands15:05 Due Date and Grief Milestones16:25 Early Labor Signs Overnight22:55 Active Labor Car Ride30:49 Water Breaks On Floor34:13 Afterbirth And No Tear36:21 Processing The Fetal Ejection Reflex37:26 Redemptive Final Birth About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

I sat down with Stephanie Lauri, registered dietitian, also known as the Pregnancy Nutritionist, to talk about something almost all of us experience in some form: nausea, food aversions, and that first-trimester question of whether we'll ever feel like ourselves again. Stephanie started this work while pregnant with her second daughter, after realizing just how little nutrition guidance actually gets offered during prenatal care, and she's since helped thousands of moms-to-be manage their symptoms, feel more confident in their food choices, and head into delivery and postpartum recovery feeling supported. We talked through what's actually "normal" across that first trimester spectrum, why symptoms don't magically disappear at 12 weeks for most people, and how blood sugar balance, timing, and small additions (not restrictions) can make a real difference even when you can't control the hormones driving it all. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% We also got into what to eat when nothing sounds good, how to build a more balanced version of the carby, bland foods you're already craving, the role of electrolytes and hydration, and when medication might genuinely be the right and non-guilty answer. Stephanie's whole philosophy is about addition over restriction: instead of a list of what to avoid, focusing on what you can add to support yourself and your baby, wherever you're starting from. If you've ever felt like "just survive it" was the only advice on offer for how you're feeling, this conversation is the permission slip to expect more and try a little more, too. More from Stephanie Lauri, RD: Follow her on Instagram @pregnancy_nutritionist Check out her meal plans: Pregnancy Symptom Management Meal Plan2nd & 3rd Trimester Meal PlanPostpartum Meal Plan Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Meet Stephanie, RD06:19 Dietitian Vs Nutritionist11:42 Common First Trimester Struggles16:41 Blood Sugar & Nausea Fixes22:49 Meal Ideas That Work26:55 Meds, Ginger, Electrolytes35:26 Bad Advice To Ignore41:42 Where To Find Stephanie About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

Nine years ago, when I had my first baby, infant physical therapy wasn't even on my radar - it just wasn't something being talked about, especially not the way it is now. So I sat down with Dr. Brita DeStefano, founder of Progress Through Play in Denver, a mom of two and an infant physical therapist who's spent the last seven years specializing exclusively in that first year of life, to change that for you. We get into what infant PT actually is (spoiler: it's so much more than "my baby isn't rolling yet"), and Brita breaks down how womb positioning, delivery, and even reflux can all show up in your baby's body as tension - impacting everything from feeding to tummy time to sleep. We talk about torticollis, head flattening, and her favorite at-home "boomerang test" that can help you catch tightness before your pediatrician might even notice it. Join The Breastfeeding Blueprint: www.thelabormama.com/breastfeeding & use the code PODCAST to save 20% What I loved most about this conversation is how Brita reframes the whole thing - it's not about parents needing to be on high alert, it's about approaching your baby's body with curiosity instead of worry. We also get real about the accessibility side of things, because I don't think we talk enough about how frustrating it is that this kind of proactive, whole-body care isn't always covered by insurance or easy to access. If you've ever wondered why your lactation consultant is asking questions your pediatrician isn't, or you've just felt like something's a little off with how your baby is feeding or sleeping and couldn't put your finger on it, this episode is going to hand you the language - and the confidence - to advocate for your baby. More from Dr. Brita DeStefano: Visit ptpdever.com Follow her on Instagram @progressthroughplay Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Meet Dr. Brita, Infant PT05:47 Why Infant PT Matters09:33 Feeding Referrals and Early Support15:29 Curiosity Over Anxiety20:44 Womb Position and Birth Tension26:37 Torticollis Signs and Screening29:49 Flat Head Prevention Tips33:35 Reflux Digestion and Movement40:50 Resources About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: TBB 20% off ad link

This is part two of our Pitocin deep dive (if you haven't listened to episode 68 yet, hit pause and go do that first - it lays the foundation for everything we talk about here). In this episode we're tackling the question I get asked about more than almost anything else on social media: are Pitocin contractions more painful than spontaneous ones? I walk you through the real differences between Pitocin and oxytocin - how they act on your uterus in similar ways but flow through your body completely differently, why Pitocin tends to be more rhythmic and relentless compared to the natural ebb and flow of spontaneous labor, and why the fact that Pitocin doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier (so you miss out on some of that natural endorphin flood) matters so much for how contractions feel. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% But here's the thing - I'm not going to give you a flat yes or no on this one, and I explain exactly why. I share two totally opposite experiences with Pitocin to show you just how much nuance is actually at play here, and then I walk you through the questions I think you should actually be asking yourself before you're ever in an induction situation - things like your environment, your care team, your relationship with your nurse, and your own mindset going in. My hope is that you leave this episode not with a scary verdict about Pitocin, but with a roadmap: real understanding, real questions to ask, and genuine empowerment for whatever your induction story ends up looking like. More from this episode: Listen to episode 68: Yes or No to Pitocin? 8 Things You Need to Know Before Your Birth Listen to episode 60: Induction Part 2: Induction Methods - Foley Bulbs, Pitocin, AROM, & More Listen to episode 59: Induction Part 1: What You Need to Know Before We Talk About How it's Done Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Pitocin Changes Things01:41 The Big Question03:16 Pitocin vs Oxytocin05:41 How Labor Flows10:55 Real Stories and Nuance12:54 Questions to Ask15:24 Hopeful Takeaways About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

Pitocin is one of those topics that comes up in almost every birth conversation, and it can feel so spicy - like you have to pick a side before you even understand what it is. So in this episode, I'm pulling the spice out of it and just giving you the practical, foundational stuff: what Pitocin actually is (hint: it's synthetic oxytocin, not the real thing, even though the bag says otherwise), how it's different from the oxytocin your body naturally makes, and why the fact that it doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier actually matters for how your labor might feel. I'm walking you through eight things I think every person giving birth should know - from how it's dosed and titrated, to what your nurse is actually watching for on that monitor, to the difference between Pitocin during labor versus that standard dose you get afterward to help prevent hemorrhage. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% My goal here was never to tell you whether to say yes or no to Pitocin - that's not my job, and it never will be. What I want is for you to walk away understanding it well enough that when it comes up in your own labor, you feel educated instead of overwhelmed, and you know exactly what questions to ask. Because at the end of the day, you don't have to be pro-Pitocin or anti-Pitocin. You just deserve to understand what it is so you can be part of that conversation when the time comes. Mentioned in this episode: Listen to episode 60: Induction Part 2: Induction Methods - Foley Bulbs, Pitocin, AROM, & More Listen to episode 59: Induction Part 1: What You Need to Know Before We Talk About How it's Done Listen to episode 20: Active Management or Hands Off? Your Third Stage of Labor Options with Miri Halliday, BS, CPM, LM Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Pitocin04:05 What Pitocin Is06:15 Risks And Tradeoffs09:08 Pitocin Vs Oxytocin11:24 Blood Brain Barrier13:18 Dosing And Bishop Score18:25 Nurse Monitoring And Titration22:12 Contraction Goals And IUPC23:49 Third Stage Pitocin Choice About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

There's something so special about hearing a labor nurse tell her own birth story, and today's guest, Lauren, delivers exactly that. Lauren's been a labor and delivery nurse for over 10 years, mom to a three year old, is an IBCLC, and runs Labor Lauren - a faith-based birth education platform. She brings us into her journey from years of trying to conceive, through a peaceful unmedicated labor at home with her midwife, all the way to a hospital birth that went about as smoothly as she could have hoped. But what happened after birth is the part of this story that changes everything - a rare, fast-escalating complication that neither Lauren nor her coworkers saw coming, even with all of her clinical experience in the room. I loved getting to sit with Lauren in this one, not just because her story is wild (it truly is), but because of how honestly she talks about being both the nurse and the patient - and what it taught her about advocacy, humility, and trusting her care team even when things don't go according to plan. We talk about hypnobirthing, placenta painting, the messy reality of "the plan" versus what labor actually gives you, and how her faith carried her through the scariest hours of her postpartum recovery. More from Labor Lauren: Follow her on Instagram @labor.lauren Grab her Free Third Trimester Prayer Journal Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Labor Lauren's Birth Story07:24 Infertility and Miscarriage11:49 Post-Due Date Spiral14:03 Balloon Catheter & Early Labor21:54 Nurse Mode at the Hospital26:51 Epidural28:28 Water Break To Pushing30:08 Birth Moment And Joy31:13 Placenta Painting33:38 Hematoma Emergency37:42 Breast Pumping While Unconscious43:07 Humility For Care Teams About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

Today I’m welcoming Nina Spears - founder and CEO of Baby Chick, author of The Baby Chick Guide to Positive Pregnancy, and honestly, a bit of a unicorn in this space. She's a certified baby planner, birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, newborn care educator, infant massage instructor, and perinatal nutrition expert. Over the past 15 years she's supported more than 800 families in person and thousands more online. We get into it all - the mental load that sneaks up on you the second you see that positive test, why bringing your partner into the decision-making early (not after you're both exhausted) changes everything, and the very practical ways partners can actually show up during pregnancy instead of just feeling helpless on the sidelines. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% We also talked about something I think about constantly: how to take in information without drowning in it, and why finding a few trusted voices matters so much more than trying to listen to everyone. Nina got real about the stuff nobody prepares you for - how birth is so much more mental than physical, how much you lean on your people (yes, even your nurse) more than you expect, and how lonely postpartum can feel even when you're surrounded by support. If you've ever felt like you're supposed to have it all figured out before baby even arrives, this episode is your permission slip to slow down, ask for help, and trust your own intuition along the way. More from Nina Spears: Baby-Chick.com The Baby Chick Guide to Positive Pregnancy Checkout her podcast: Chick Chat Follow her on Instagram @thebabychick Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Simple Birth Prep with Nina Spears07:05 The Pregnancy Mental Load12:47 Partner Tips That Help23:49 Avoiding Information Overload29:53 Mental Side of Labor33:43 How to Prep Mentally45:43 Postpartum Support Plan About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

Hey friends! Today I wanted to sit down and talk about something I know so many of you are wrestling with - the connection between fear and your labor. If you've ever seen those posts online that say things like "labor isn't painful, you're just scared," I want to meet you in that confusion, because I've felt it too, even with everything I know. I'm breaking down the actual physiology behind the fear-tension-pain cycle - what's really happening in your body when anxiety creeps in before or during labor, and why it's not as simple as those posts make it sound. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% But this isn't just the science - I wanted this episode to feel really practical. I'm walking you through exactly what to do with the fears you already have: how to turn them into a plan instead of letting them grow in the dark, why separating "possible" from "probable" is such a game-changer for your mindset, and how trusting your body's design (and your own breath!) can completely shift how you move through birth. My hope is you walk away from this one not trying to eliminate every fear before labor starts, but knowing exactly what to do with the ones you've got. More from this episode: Listen to episode 07: Is Pain Free Birth Real, Should You Want it, and Can You Do It? Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Understanding Birth Fears05:25 Fear Tension Pain Cycle08:41 How Fear Affects Labor10:30 Turn Fears Into Plans13:49 Possible Versus Probable16:52 Your Body Can Do This18:32 Practical Tools20:30 Reframes And Breathing About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

You guys, I have been dying to share this one with you. Sara - our gestational diabetes nurse from episode 16 - is back, and this time she's telling me her third birth story, which might be one of the wildest I've ever heard. This mama had two calm, controlled, epidural-at-the-right-moment hospital births under her belt, and she was so sure baby number three would follow the same script that she scheduled a wax, a mani-pedi, and acupuncture on what turned out to be the day she went into labor. Less than two hours after her water broke, she was pushing in the back of an ambulance, surrounded by four volunteer EMTs, delivering completely unmedicated - something she never planned for. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% What gets me about this story isn't just the chaos - it's what it says about how unpredictable birth really is, even for someone who lives and breathes labor and delivery for a living. Sara spent the whole ambulance ride in denial, convinced she couldn't possibly be that far along. This episode is such a beautiful reminder that no amount of professional expertise or birth-plan certainty can fully prepare you for what your body decides to do, and that having an educated, attentive support system isn't optional - it's everything. More from Sara Alayev, MSN, RN: Find Sara on Instagram:@gestational.diabetes.nurseCheckout the GDM Nurse Membership Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Sara’s Birth Story05:07 Births One and Two09:30 Planning Baby Three12:44 Labor Begins22:38 EMTs Arrive Fast25:25 Crowning in Ambulance28:40 Baby Out and Warming33:34 Hospital Arrival41:07 Epidural Takeaways43:21 Processing Fast Birth45:58 Education and Coping Tools49:12 Where to Find Sara About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link

This week I'm joined by Dr. Sujay Kansagra - you probably know him as That Sleep Doc, where he's built a following of 700K+ across social media. He's a professor at Duke and director of their Pediatric Neurology Sleep Medicine Program, he's authored five books (including My Child Won't Sleep), and he even invented a smart crib mattress along the way. His expertise spans sleep disorders across every age, from infants through adults, and he brought all of that knowledge into this conversation with total ease and zero judgment. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20% Here's what we got into: How to spot credible sleep info online- what to look for (and watch out for) in a space with no real regulationLate-pregnancy sleep struggles- what's actually going on (iron, sleep apnea, caffeine metabolism) and when to loop in your OBGYNThe 0–6 week newborn phase- why it's normal for this stretch to feel like chaos, and the small routines that can helpSafe sleep, realistically- what to do when your baby won't sleep anywhere but on you, and the safest way to handle those exhausted middle-of-the-night momentsSleep myths, rapid-fire- "sleep begets sleep," "never wake a sleeping baby," "wake windows," "nursing to sleep is a crutch," and what the actual sleep science says about eachWhat "sleeping through the night" really means- (hint: there's no official definition, and the number you're picturing is made up) If you've ever felt like everyone else has figured out sleep and you're just surviving - this one's your permission slip to relax the rules a little. More from Dr. Sujay Kansagra: Check out the Lullabee Smart Crib Mattress Grab his book: My Child Won’t Sleep Follow @ThatSleep Doc on Instagram, TikTok, FaceBook, & YouTube Checkout Dr. Jade Wu More from this episode: Listen to episode 54: What I Wish I Knew About Baby Sleep Before they Were Born (from a mom of 4) Helpful Timestamps: 00:00 Baby Sleep with That Sleep Doc09:49 Pregnancy Sleep Troubleshooting13:40 Zero to Six Weeks Normal15:11 Early Routines and Tools19:39 Safe Sleep Versus Reality27:20 Sleep Begets Sleep29:37 Wake a Sleeping Baby31:40 Sleep Drive and Caffeine33:19 Wake Windows and Cues42:51 Define Sleeping Through the Night About your host: Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama. For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here. For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️ Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOK Disclaimer Opinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here. Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love. Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services Mentioned in this episode: YBYB 20% off ad link