Birth Advocacy, Switching Nurses & Breaking Cookie-Cutter Care with MamaNurseTina
This week, Nikki welcomes Tina, aka MamaNurseTina: a labor and delivery nurse, mom of four, content creator, and aspiring stand-up comedian who's on a mission to empower women through birth and postpartum. With years of experience in emergency and labor & delivery, Tina brings an insider's perspective on hospital birth culture, patient advocacy, and why "be kind but firm" might be the most important advice you'll hear.
Together, they dive into the reality of cookie-cutter hospital births, why asking questions doesn't make you a difficult patient, and even tips on switching nurses if you're not vibing in the delivery room. Tina shares practical scripts for advocating in labour, why cervical exams aren't always necessary, and how proper prep work can transform your birth and postpartum experience. This is a fun one!
Tina shares:
The reality of "cookie-cutter" hospital births and why interventions become automatic
You can switch nurses—here's the exact script for how to ask without being "difficult"
"Need to know" vs. "nice to know" cervical exams and the two questions every provider should answer
How to be "kind but firm" when advocating and why the BRAIN acronym helps with decisions
Consent can be withdrawn at any moment—even mid-exam—and why this needs to be in training
Why Black moms face unique challenges advocating (3x maternal mortality rate) and how tone matters
The failure of breastfeeding support: we promote it but don't provide accessible lactation services or adequate maternity leave
Why prep for postpartum and breastfeeding matters just as much as your birth plan
Show Notes:
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*Warning- this podcast is completely unfiltered. If you are around young children, we suggest headphones.*
*Disclaimer: All opinions of our guests are their own and in no way represent that of Lexi Miles Corrin and or Nikki Bergen.*