Trish: [00:00:00] Hey mama. Welcome to Pregnancy unpacked. I'm Trish, a labor nurse of 16 years, mom of seven, and your birth vesting. I'm gonna be walking you through not just baby bumps and fruit sizes, but the entire identity shift that pregnancy will be for you. Each episode drops every Wednesday, and we're gonna unpack what's happening in your body, what to expect, what to do, what's normal.

Even when it feels extremely weird and how to actually feel supported emotionally and physically, you're gonna hear from me where I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, but I'm gonna be cheering you on along the way. You can follow along each Wednesday because pregnancy deserves more than outdated advice and Google anxiety.

There's a [00:01:00] moment in every pregnancy where everything just clicks. When you go from hoping everything works out to realizing, wait, I get to make decisions. I get to choose. I get to lead this. And if that moment hasn't hit yet, this episode might be it.

Welcome to Pregnancy Unpacked. I'm Trish, labor nurse of 16 years and mom of seven birth educator. And the voice in your ear reminding you that your body is amazing and your voice is important. So this week we're unpacking weeks 14 to 16 and it's a powerful window for two things.

But first, let me tell you, you might hear little Tula in the background 'cause she will not leave me today. That's my sweet little puppy. Okay, so we're gonna talk about building your actual birth team. And learning to trust your gut before things get noisy later on. So let's unpack it. Your baby is now about four to five inches long.

Can you guys believe it? Oh my gosh. It went from a tiny little speck to four to five [00:02:00] inches long. And guess what? That little baby boo is moving constantly wiggling, stretching, sucking, even hiccuping. You probably can't feel it yet unless you've had a baby before. If you have before, you might be thinking, wait.

Is that it? And it might be it. Here's what else is going on. The baby is forming what is called lanugo, which is fine. Little baby hairs all over their body and they're developing their taste buds. They're beginning to hear sounds, and your uterus is now up and out of your pelvis.

Hello, little tiny baby bump, and you might be scheduled soon for your anatomy scan around 20 weeks. Internally, your blood volume is increasing and your heart is working harder and. You might even be starting to hear your little intuition voice. It might be starting to speak louder, and that's not really [00:03:00] an accident because your body is so incredible and it's starting to prepare for.

Motherhood and for this birth. So today I wanna talk about prep. I, this is, this is so stinking important. We're gonna talk about your birth team. Most women assume their team is whoever's on call when labor hits. But I'm here to say this clearly. You are not a passenger. You are the queen girl. You are the leader and leaders.

Build teams that reflect their values. I want you to hear that again. Leaders build teams that reflect their values. So who should be on your birth team? Let's go beyond the obvious. Your provider for sure. Just make sure they are a right fit for you. Do they support the kind of birth you want?

And do you feel respected and heard? Now, here's what I tell my students, whether they're inside the full birth classes. Or they've [00:04:00] bought our calm labor birth pod, which is our new streamlined for you gals who don't wanna take the time to watch all the videos and do all the things and have all the support.

If you just wanna do it quickly, you can snag the birth pod and you can go to Labor nurse mama.com/calm for the full birth class. Or you can go to labor nurse mama.com/guide for the Calm Labor birth pod, which is an audio style class, first of its kind ever.

And for a limited amount of you, you can get into it for $97, which is a steal. Okay? So back to what we're talking about. You need to be. Choosing your provider and you need to be watching and auditing. So if you don't know what you don't know, that's gonna be really hard. That's why I say go ahead and jump in the classes.

Now, do the full birth classes or the birth pod and then join the full classes later. But girl, I want you to be [00:05:00] aware of what you're not aware of already because it's easier to switch providers even though you can do it at 28 weeks, 32 weeks. You can do it at 40 weeks.

The earlier, the better. So watch their body language. When you introduce things that are really important to you, the next person who could be on your birth team is a doula. And doulas are not just for unmedicated birth, or I say it in quotes, natural birth, therefore, emotional support, physical support, advocacy, and a calming presence.

They're gonna help your partner know what to do and when they're gonna help your partner keep from sitting on the couch. They'll know when to step in because the doula will be guiding them. Statistically, having a doula reduces your risk of unnecessary interventions.

Hello, win, and increases your chance of a vaginal birth that you love again, a win. So some of the questions you can ask a doula is, what is their birth philosophy? How do they handle hospital staff [00:06:00] dynamics or if there's complications or if there's conflict, and will they be supporting your partner as well?

Ask them, when do you come to my house? When do you go to the hospital? Ask them all the things. Now, some bonus team members that I really recommend is go see a pelvic floor physical therapist, get a baseline. Because they can help you with alignment with pain and prepping for pushing. A lot of you guys think in your brain, a lot of us thought in our brain that you have to use your pelvic floor to push, but actually you don't.

You have to relax it so you can push, which is a spin. Another thing that I recommend is a Webster certified chiropractor, and they are. So helpful for back pains, aches, and, and pregnancy pains, baby positioning. And if for some reason your baby ends up Bree, both of those I would recommend going and seeing throughout your pregnancy.

The other is your birth class educator. Hi, that's [00:07:00] me, and I want you to stop consuming random Instagram content. Here's the thing. I heard about a bartender who just decided she wanted to teach birth, and she started a birth class. One of my clients told me this. You do not want that. You do not want that.

You want to learn from someone who has experienced hello, 16 years high risk labor and delivery nurse. All over the country at the top facilities, and I've given birth six times. So I wanna teach you how your body works, what is happening inside of it, and I'm also gonna teach you how to navigate the hospital system, how to navigate your team.

That's so important. Okay? Your team will shape how you feel in labor more than your birth plan ever could, and you will never forget how you were made to feel during your birth. So think about this. Would you rather have a perfect plan? In the hands of someone who doesn't listen to you or a flexible plan surrounded by people who respect your voice, who honor you and guide you with gentleness [00:08:00] and integrity. You get to decide that now. So how do you know who's right for you? Here's your. Filter. Do I feel calm in their presence? Do I feel safe asking questions?

Do I trust them with my vulnerability? 'cause girl, you've never been as vulnerable as you are when you're giving birth and postpartum. If any of those answers are leaning to a no, reevaluate. I always say, if it's not a hell yes, it's a no. You are not asking too much. You're not dramatic. You're building the most sacred support circle of your life, and people don't just get to witness your birth.

They imprint into the story, and we want it to be a good one. So here's what I want you guys to do. This week here, your action steps for weeks 14 to 16, start a birthday. Team vision list. Write down your current provider. Who else do you wanna invite into your sacred space? And a short list of what I need from them to feel safe.

Remember, enroll in your birth class. [00:09:00] It's not too soon. This is where you stop hoping and start preparing, and it allows you to put your team together. With knowledge, so you've got two options with me. You've got the calm labor birth pod, or you have our full birth class. The Calm Labor birth pod is perfect if you want the essentials now, and prefer audio teaches you the stages of labor breathing, birth plans, and how to advocate for yourself without feeling overwhelmed. The full birth class is my Deep Dive program for mamas who want to feel fully in control covers everything. We've got videos, we've got support. Both are designed to help you make powerful decisions no matter what kind of birth you have.

And the earlier you start, the more confident you become. So links are in the show notes. You can also download the second trimester prep pack. Inside I give you questions to ask your provider space to create your birth plan and reminders for what's coming [00:10:00] next. So go to labor nurse mama.com/second.

Remember, if you're going to hire a doula, now's the time. To interview her. Make sure you jive, make sure you like her. Even just talking to one can expand what's possible for your birth. I recommend you go into a Facebook group for moms and ask there for recommendations. The next thing is, I want you to know this.

This is the truth. The people who walk into their birth feeling calm, powerful, and respected. They didn't just get lucky. They didn't just wing it. They prepared. They learned to trust their body and their voice. They made bold choices when others were sticking quiet and they didn't wait to be given permission.

You don't need permission. You need support and you need to trust that still small voice inside you that says, I want something more than routine care. I wanna really love my birth, and you deserve that. And that starts now.[00:11:00]

Next week we're diving into where baby movements are really kicking in. Emotions are.

Around anatomy and advocating for yourself. But for now, build your list. Choose your people. Don't forget Wednesday. Bye.