Reclaim your autonomy in the delivery room. You have the right to say NO in your birth!
In this episode, Trish discusses the critical importance of maintaining autonomy during pregnancy and birth.
She challenges the societal norm where strong, capable, pregnant women defer to healthcare authorities without question, emphasizing the need for women to be informed, ask questions, and confidently make decisions about their birth experience.
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She underscores the importance of practicing autonomy during prenatal appointments to build confidence for labor and delivery.
Trish highlights the benefits of her online birth classes, designed to empower expecting mothers by providing them with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate labor confidently.
“ I am so passionate about changing this birth culture, not just for you guys, but for my own daughters, for my daughter-in-laws, because I don’t want you guys to go through what I had happened to me and what I’ve seen thousands of women go through – we can’t do this anymore. We have to stand up and bring that power into the birth room.” – Trish
Tune in for tips on how to advocate for yourself and transform your birth story into a powerful, positive birth experience.
More from this episode:
Listen to Episode 19: Your Pregnancy Rights: What if Your Provider says “Don’t Let” or “You Can’t?””
Listen to Episode 156: Birth Fears: Why You Feel Anxious and How to Feel Confident Instead
00:21 Autonomy During Pregnancy
01:46 The Importance of Advocating for Yourself
03:41 Building Autonomy Throughout Pregnancy
04:33 Empowerment Through Education and Support
07:47 Resources
Resources:
First Trimester Secret Podcast
🎙 FREE Birth Workshop: 3 Secrets to a Confident Birth! 🎙
Want to feel prepared and in control? Watch my free workshop now!
Connect w/ Trish:
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
Next Steps with LNM:
If you are ready to invest in your pregnancy & postpartum journey, you are in the right place. I would love to take your hand and support you in your virtual labor room!
If you are ready to dive into a birth class and have your best and most powerful birth story, then Calm Labor Confident Birth or The VBAC Lab is your next step.
If you have a scheduled cesarean, take our Belly Birth Masterclass and own that experience.
If you are a newly pregnant mama or just had the babe, you want to join our private pregnancy and postpartum membership, Calm Mama Society.
Remember, my advice is not medical advice. Always discuss what you learn with your team. See my Disclaimer here! Also, We make a small commission from some of the links (you don’t pay any more for using our links); however some of the recommendations, we do not earn anything; we love ’em and want you to know about them.
Transcript
Women, we are out here fighting tooth and nail for autonomy, for our rights, for our voices to be heard in healthcare and politics and beyond. But then we get pregnant and somewhere between peeing on that darn stick and showing up to our 36 week appointment, we morph into the Yes, ma'am. Yes sir. Whatever you think is best patient and that, that is a problem, a big one.
So pour yourself a cozy [:I see it all the time. A badass woman walks into l and d, college, educated, career savvy, big opinions on all sorts of things, but yet she puts on her hospital gown and she doesn't question a single I. Thing she's afraid of, and I'm putting up quotes, being difficult, afraid of being labeled that patient like girl.
Since when did having a choice make you difficult? And listen, I'm not blaming you. We've been raised to defer to authority. We've been conditioned to be good girls. This episode might get me in trouble. I hope not, but that's okay. But birth, birth is not the time to be quiet and agreeable. Birth is your moment.
et one shot at birthing this [:You need to refuse because you're educating. You understand it's not about just having your rights, it's about being knowledgeable and exercising them. If this is already hitting you deep, I want you to go back and listen to episode 46. What's really behind your fear of birth and how to reclaim your power.
It's all about unraveling that fear that keeps us playing small during pregnancy. So I want you to imagine this. You walk into a room, it's bright, it's sterile, you're half naked. There's a doctor, a nurse, a computer, and they're all talking fast using words you've never heard. They say, we need to induce you.
et's go ahead and get you an [:Let me tell you something, I need you to tattoo on your heart. Just because they offer it doesn't mean you have to take it. Again, if you need some more tools on how to ask better questions and get real answers, go to to episode 41, which talks all about advocating yourself.
Really bookmark that one. Okay. Because it's, it's a really powerful one. So here's where we're going to flip the script. Autonomy isn't something you just magically summon during labor. It's something you build throughout pregnancy. That means at your next OB appointment, I want you to practice sane. What are the benefits and risks of that?
some time to think about it? [:Works for you. Your birth space should be collaborative, not a dictatorship. You deserve a seat at the table. It's your damn table. Not because you have a medical degree, but because you are the one birthing an actual factual human. I am so fired up, y'all. Now if you're sitting there thinking, okay, Trish, but I don't feel confident.
DFs, it is a class that goes [:We meet live three times a month on Zoom, so you're not just learning, you're talking with me, my doulas, hearing other mom's stories. Working through your questions and getting so darn confident and prepared that you walk into your birth like a boss. Because when you hear advice in real time and you talk through real issues and you realize you're not alone, it changes everything.
You're not googling at 2:00 AM or drowning in Reddit threads. You're educated, you're supported, you're empowered, and I've got the link in the show notes for you to check out And yes. Most of the time you can pay with HSA or FSA, and we can also get you reimbursed by most insurances. Here's where we miss it.
thing like, I'd like to talk [:These little reps build the muscle of autonomy and they help you identify if your provider is really for you or just expecting you to be a good little girl and super compliant. Here's the deal. You don't have to walk into birth scared. You don't have to be quiet. You don't have to hand over your power because someone says, that's just how we do it. That's the, that's our policy.
You get to write this story and you don't have to do it alone. I. You do not have to do it alone. You need to learn how to respond, how to pivot, how to make powerful informed choices no matter how your birth unfolds. Every time we meet live with our mamas, I watch them throughout this process go from anxious to excited, from unsure, to unstoppable.
s is your body. This is your [:And I get so many moms who come to me for their second, their third, their fourth birth, just like me. Their first birth felt like it happened to them. That they weren't a part of it, and I do not want that with you guys. I love y'all so much. I am so passionate about changing this birth culture, not just for you guys, but for my own daughters, for my daughter-in-laws, because I don't want you guys to go through what I had happened to me and what I've seen.
Seen thousands of women go through, we can't do this anymore. We have to stand up and bring that power into the birth room.
ur notification so you never [:I wanna hear, does this make sense or does it. Scare you or you like hell yeah. Remember, you have a right to your voice, your power, and your birth. Let's make it one you own.