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Published on:

26th Jan 2026

How to Advocate in Your Birth: Saying No, Good RNs & Preventing Birth Trauma with Mama Nurse Tina | Episode 36

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Today I’m welcoming Mama Nurse Tina on the show - she's an incredible labor and delivery nurse who's been rocking it since 2012, after switching from the ER, and she's a mom of four who's turned her passion into evidence-based education online since 2022. We chatted about maternity leave perks in Canada versus the US (jealous much?), and she shared what she'd do differently with her own births now, like staying home longer, moving more, and delaying epidurals to make labor smoother and more empowered.

We dive into advocacy and how intentional communication can minimize birth trauma. Tina's expertise shines here, stressing how crucial communication is in the delivery room, from scripting ways to decline interventions kindly but firmly, to curating your birth team and asking for a new nurse if the vibes don't match. We got real about epidurals not always keeping up with fast labors, the myth-busting around hospital births being ‘industrial’, and how even small touches like eye contact or a play-by-play communication during emergencies can prevent feeling violated or scared. She's all about that informed, joyful birth experience, and honestly, this convo was such a gift for anyone prepping for birth.

Helpful Timestamps:

  1. 00:00 Welcome Mama Nurse Tina
  2. 06:55 Tina's Journey: From ER to Labor and Delivery
  3. 13:19 Birth Stories and Lessons Learned
  4. 28:51 Advocacy and Patient Empowerment
  5. 35:32 The Importance of Nurse-Patient Compatibility
  6. 38:57 The Role of Nurses in Birth
  7. 47:01 Preventing Birth Trauma
  8. 51:31 The Power of Communication in Birth
  9. 01:05:19 Final Thoughts and Personal Reflections

More from Mama Nurse Tina:

Visit https://www.bumptolatch.com/

Follow her on TikTok an Instagram @mama_nurse_tina

Subscribe to her YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@mamanursetina

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

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About the Podcast

Lo & Behold | Pregnancy, Birth, Motherhood
with The Labor Mama
What if your best motherhood choices aren’t my best motherhood choices?
Each week on Lo & Behold, we’re leaning into that real, messy, necessary question as we navigate all the choices you’ll find yourself making in pregnancy, labor and delivery, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and modern motherhood.

Hosted by Lo Mansfield — former labor and postpartum nurse, certified lactation counselor, mom and RN behind The Labor Mama, and real life mama of four — this show is your judgment-free space to explore all the options in front of you. Whether you’re navigating a birth plan, wondering about labor induction methods, worried about breastfeeding challenges, or figuring out how to advocate for yourself or your littles, you’re not alone here.

On Lo & Behold, we’re cutting through the noise of the motherhood space and ditching the black-and-white takes. Each episode, Lo brings her years of experience in maternity care, lactation support, and real-life motherhood straight to your earbuds — through candid insights from her own successes and mistakes, expert interviews, and other real mom and dad story shares you’ll actually relate to.

Each week, you’ll find relatable, honest stories and reflections that help you make intuition-led, evidence-informed decisions in your own birth, postpartum, breastfeeding, and motherhood stories — with zero shame and zero slant. Because your best story is the one that feels right to you — and no one else gets to tell you what that is.

If you’re craving confidence, clarity, friendship, and a space that says “you get to choose” and “I trust you,” this podcast is for you.

Whether you’re pregnant with your first baby, planning a hospital birth, or knee-deep in the chaos of raising toddlers and raising babies, grab your coffee, your electrolytes, or your raspberry leaf tea, hit play, and let’s chase down your best story — together.

About your host

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Laura Mansfield