Trish, RN - Birth & Postpartum

⬇️ Comment with your water breaking story Mama, sometimes your water breaks, like in the movies. 🌊A loud pop and boom. 💣 Many times, it is a slow, deceptive dribble. 💦 🤰🏼Hey Mama, take our popular online birth class! Labor Nurse Mama Calm Labor Confident Birth Class and The VBAC LAB are comprehensive and empowering birth classes, self-paced and online, see link in Bio for more info. ⭐️⭐️ The baby is floating around in its fluid-filled amniotic sac. The amniotic fluid cushions and protects the baby. ⚡️ What happens when it breaks? For many women, their water will not break until later in active labor. However, some of you may experience your water breaking at home or somewhere else less convenient!) Sometimes, it is a slow trickle, sometimes a tiny gush every time you contract or move. But it might just EXPLODE for some of the lucky mamas out there. This happened to me with Gavin. Luckily I was in the hospital. I was sitting in a chair, and afterward, the chair looked like it was sitting in a pond. ⚡️ How do you know for sure it broke (and it's not pee)? This isn't always easy. I tell my students and patients (who call in) to do a heavy cough. For many, this will cause the fluid to come out. (Make sure you have on a pad!) If you are not sure, call your provider. We can do some tests to determine. ⚡️ Does this mean labor is starting? Technically (unless you are preterm), this means the baby will be coming. However, sometimes it can be HOURS before your labor contractions start. If you have no high-risk diagnoses, are GBS neg, and are healthy, you can wait at home for labor to start (up to 6-8 hours, you may need help after that). ⚡️ Does it always break on its own? Technically, it can and will before the baby comes out, or the baby can come out in it. But....not many providers wait. They like to break your water early in labor (Not a fan 🛑) This is called AROM (artificial rupture of membranes) Thank you for attending my Tedtalk about your water.

Breaking Your Water Isn’t a Quick Fix You may hear this a lot: “Let’s break your water to move things along.” But guess what? 💡 Studies say it only makes labor about 30 minutes faster. That’s it. The real problem? Once your water is broken, your timer starts. Doctors and nurses start watching the clock. And that can lead to: • More checks • More pressure • More risk of a c-section Your water protects your baby from germs. Breaking it too early means more risk for infection. That’s why we teach our students (over 15k mamas and counting!) to wait until active labor—around 6 cm—before saying yes. Or to say no altogether. Because labor should flow with your body, not against it. Let’s be honest… Sometimes they just want to speed things up to fit their schedule. But your birth isn’t about them. It’s about you and your baby. ⚖️ You deserve time. You deserve to choose. You deserve to trust your body. 👇 Drop a “💧” if you want to let labor flow naturally—not be rushed.

Now, ya'll all know how I feel about unnecessary cervical checks. But if you need one, which at some point you probably will. Then read my tips below: 🤰🏼Sign up for our FREE LIVE CLASS⭐️❤️ Your Better Birth Map: How to Push Like a Pro (Even If You’ve Never Done it Before) LINK IN BIO ❤️⭐️ (Birth Courses are open this week!) If you can roll something under your booty, it is easier for the provider to reach your cervix. This makes it less painful. When they do the exam, ask them to go slow and steady. Put your feet together like you are clapping the soles of your feet. Relax your knees out and lower them to eh bed. Now practice relaxing while wiggling your toes. Hopefully, your brain will be working on that and not paying attention to the provider. What are your thoughts? Comment below with tips for my mamas!!👇🏼 #13weeks #14weeks #15weeks #16weeks #pregnant #labornursemama #17weekspregnant #17weeks #childbirtheducation #birthclass #18weeks #19weeks #20weeks #21weeks #22weeks #23weeks #24weeks #25weeks #26weekspregnant

Here’s the thing they don’t tell you: cervical checks during labor are mostly for THEIR information, not yours. Your cervix doesn’t dilate on a schedule. You can go from 4cm to baby in 30 minutes, or hang out at 8cm for hours. The number doesn’t predict when your baby will arrive. What cervical checks DO increase: ✅Infection risk (every check introduces bacteria) ✅ Discouragement (when progress seems “slow”) ✅Unnecessary interventions (when you don’t fit their timeline) When they ARE needed: 🔥If there’s a medical concern about baby 🔥Before an epidural placement If YOU want to know for decision-making 🔥True emergency situations When they’re just routine: ❌”Hospital policy” every 2 hours ❌ “Checking progress” with no plan change ❌Multiple staff members wanting to check ❌Just because you’ve been there X hours You have the RIGHT to decline routine checks. Ask “What will you do differently based on this information?” If the answer is “nothing unless there’s a problem,” you can skip it. Well you can skip it no matter the answer. And knowing when to skip and when to agree is power. Your body doesn’t need their permission to birth your baby. Ready to learn what you can actually refuse and when to say yes? My BIRTHPOD birth class (podcast style + interactive guide) teaches you exactly this. Comment BIRTHPOD 👇

Happens. A lot. 16 years as a labor nurse. I’ve heard a lot of astonishing complaints. lol

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