What is the renaming revolution. Recently, as I was scrolling Instagram, which by the way never happens anymore, I saw a new movement. I was LIKE HELL yes! I can get behind this movement fo sho!
Hey mama, I am Trish— AKA Labor Nurse Mama. I am a labor and delivery nurse with over 15 years of high-risk OB experience. I am also a mama to 7 kids and have given birth to 6. This means I am quite familiar with the postpartum period and how to navigate it. I am the online birth class educator for Calm Labor Confident Birth and The VBAC Lab birth classes and the mama expert inside our Calm Mama Society a pregnancy & postpartum membership community! I am passionate about your birth and motherhood journey! You can find me over on IG teaching over 230k mamas daily. I am passionate about your birth and motherhood journey!
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When I do a birth plan consult with one of my students or readers, I always emphasize the importance of the "vibe" in your labor room. In fact, I start my consult off with this question, "When you visualize your labor and birth, what is the most important thing to you?".
The answers I get vary, but they almost always center around how she feels or the feeling her labor room engulf her with.
"I want my labor to progress naturally and without interference, I want to be respected and feel supported."
"I want my labor room to be quiet & CALM."
"The golden hour and delayed bathing."
"Your support & Communication!"
"To stay calm and time for the process."
"A calm and peaceful environment and hep decreasing my anxiety."
"A peaceful and calm environment, and I want to be as informed as possible!"
"To be as comfortable as possible."
"For my room to be filled with positivity!"
"A peaceful, Calm & positive environment!"
"A peaceful, Calm & positive environment! I want to be informed every step of the way!"
"A Positive environment filled with energy! I want to be informed every step of the way!"
"A peaceful and calm environment , filled with encouragement!"
"No negativity at my birth. No negative words. No negative tones. No negative glances at others."
Can we say empowered mama ='s empowered birth ='s empowered memories? When I say negativity I mean things like, "Oh, you're only 3 cm." Or your doctor asking your nurse, "How is she pushing?" and the nurse says, "She isn't pushing good."
The words we use matter. How we use them matter. They matter tremendously.
I get so frustrated. I am so passionate about birth trauma, and the more I have studied it and spoke to so many mamas, the more saddened I have become.
My frustration surrounding this exact topic is what led to the creation of The VBAC Lab and Loving Your Labor Academy.
Inside both of my birth courses, we talk about how negativity can adversely affect your labor and birth.
It is not only words that need to change concerning birth.
How about things like…Oh, your ONLY 1 cm! 1 out of 10 is FANTASTIC!
I have my birth plan mamas, add to their birth plan, be positive when you do a cervical exam. No negativity!
Or what about, "She's not pushing, right." UM HELLO! NO! Encouragement works much better.
I am so excited about this movement to change the culture surrounding birth. It is TIME!
Each of us enters into our birth with expectations of how our birth story will play out. We have a vision if you will, of what it may look like to give birth to our sweet baby. When our birth takes massive turns away from what our expectations, we may leave our birth feeling sad and traumatized by the experience.
Something I like to point out is that birth trauma can occur whether or not a catastrophic event occurred. I have had a lot of people call me out on this one. Well, I am here to say, just because your baby is healthy, does not negate the fact that you experienced psychological trauma from your birth.
A feeling of losing your power during your birth.
Injury (or threat of injury)
Negativity
Complications
The use of unplanned or unwanted interventions
Being coerced into decisions or not being a part of making decision
Poor care by the healthcare team
Lack of communication to mama by the team
Lack of support
NEGATIVE TERMS used by healthcare providers
Not being informed
emergency or unplanned cesarean
and on and on.....
Peanut App and Chrissy Teagan are starting a revolution to rename terms used in the birth world.
