Lo & Behold | Pregnancy, Birth, Motherhood

My husband Kelvin is back on the podcast, and this time we’re getting real about deciding to have more babies and what life actually looks like with four kids. I asked you guys on Instagram for your questions, and we answered them candidly. We’re not coming at this with all the answers. We’re very much in the thick of it with you! We talk through the practical stuff we weighed before trying for our fourth: age, money, cars, school, daycare, and the trade-offs every family makes differently. We also get into the thing I was most naive about, which was support. Without family nearby, having people to call on a hard Tuesday changes everything. Kelvin shares his take on “margin,” and why one-on-one time with each kid is the one thing that just doesn’t scale.Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20%We also share which transitions were hardest for each of us, how we handle sick seasons with little ones, and the never-ending to-do list that comes with managing six lives. And we answer the big one: does it get easier? Our honest answer is yes, and also give yourself time. Kelvin and I parented our way into four, and I hope this conversation gives you the space to parent your way into whatever feels right for your family. We also talk about feeling complete while still missing the baby season. Plus, I share a little announcement: this is our last episode for a while as we take a pause through the holidays. Thank you for being here, mama friends!Mentioned in this episode:Birth Prep, Labor, & The Things We Got Right (and Wrong): Q & A with Lo x Kelvin Helpful Timestamps:00:00 Four Kids Reality Check03:41 Should We Have More? Age, Timing & Finding Your Number09:57 Daycare, Cars, Money & Trade-offs15:12 Support Systems, Margin & Community23:21 The Hardest Transitions28:57 Sickness, Systems & the Never-Ending To-Do List38:04 Does It Get Easier?44:03 Feeling Done at FourAbout your host:Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama.For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here.For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOKDisclaimerOpinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here.Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love.Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast ServicesMentioned in this episode:YBYB 20% off ad link

I’m so excited to bring you a topic we’ve never covered on the podcast before: prenatal yoga! Deb Flashenberg is the founder and director of the Prenatal Yoga Center in NYC and creator of the PYC Method. She’s also a Lamaze childbirth educator, postpartum corrective exercise specialist, Spinning Babies parent educator, former labor support doula, mom of two, and host of the Yoga Birth Babies podcast for over 10 years. I’ll be honest, yoga isn’t part of my own routine, so I asked Deb to talk to me like the person who’s never rolled out a mat. Before you skip this one thinking, “I’m not a yogi,” stay with me, because this conversation is for every kind of birth. We talk about why yoga is such a powerful tool for calming your nervous system, building coping skills through “safely uncomfortable” poses, and creating balance and mobility in the pelvis. We also get into why your pelvic floor should be springy like a trampoline, not tight. And Deb explains why prenatal yoga done well is so much more than sitting and stretching. Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20%We also dig into the real-life questions I know so many of you have. Where do you start if you’re 34 weeks and have never done any of this? Why do movement and position changes still matter if you’re planning an epidural? And how do these tools support you during a cesarean, too? Deb shares practical ways to get your birth partner involved, from cheat sheets in your hospital bag to her upgraded ice water test for practicing discomfort together. We also talk about what to do if a doula isn’t in the budget. These practices aren’t just for birth. You’ll carry them into recovery, parenting, and so many moments beyond. I loved this conversation, and I think you’re going to walk away feeling more confident in your body, whatever your birth looks like.More from Deb Flashenberg:prenatalyogacenter.com Connect with her on Instagram, TikTok, & YouTube: @prenatalyogacenterGrab her free guide: 5 Simple Solutions to Pregnancy Aches & PainsListen to her podcast: Yoga Birth BabiesHelpful Timestamps:00:00 Yoga for Every Birth07:15 Why Yoga for Birth Prep09:53 Pelvic Mobility and Strength14:45 Yoga Plus Cardio and Strength29:23 Epidurals and Smart Movement37:10 Doula Alternatives and Partner Prep45:54 Where to Find DebAbout your host:Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama.For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here.For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOKDisclaimerOpinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here.Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love.Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast ServicesMentioned in this episode:YBYB 20% off ad link

Beth Gaskill, aka Miss Beth from Big City Readers, is back on the podcast, and this time she’s holding her baby girl! I’ve been so excited to hear this one. A routine 36-week appointment, after a seven-mile walk in 100-degree heat with no shower, turned into “you’re having a baby today” when Beth’s ultrasound showed low amniotic fluid. We talk through her induction from start to finish: a Cytotec and Foley balloon start, a rough night of cervical checks that went sideways, a partner who stepped up as her advocate, and a midwife who showed what real consent during an exam looks like. Then her body took over, with Pitocin, an epidural that needed a few adjustments, and a baby born in just two pushes. I also share my nurse perspective on why I don’t want us treating “risk” as “reality,” and why a first-degree tear is not a failure.Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20%But Beth’s story didn’t end in the delivery room. After a perfect first night, her daughter was admitted to the NICU for breathing support and stayed 12 days. Beth opens up about how disorienting that was: being separated from her baby, fighting to protect breastfeeding, and how much the right nurses changed everything. We also talk about what providers, and the people who love you, can do better, like simply acknowledging that it feels unfair instead of jumping straight to “we just want baby to be safe.” If you’ve ever had a birth plan take a sharp turn, or a NICU stay you didn’t see coming, I think you’ll feel so seen in this one.More from Beth Gaskill:Follow her on Instagram @bigcityreadersbigcityreaders.comMake Reading Click, our first free learning to read workshop: https://my.demio.com/ref/NdBsEKF5wWoY4TbsListen to the Play On Words Podcast & her episode with Lo: Third Trimester: What's Worth Doing... and What's Just Internet Noise with Lo Mansfield @TheLaborMamaMentioned in this episode:Listen to episode 25: School Readiness and Kids Who Love to Read with Beth Gaskill of Big City ReadersHelpful Timestamps: 00:00 Beth Gaskill’s Birth Story06:18 Trying For Baby13:07 Low Fluid Surprise24:26 Induction Begins26:22 Painful Cervix Checks30:05 Confronting Mistreatment32:24 Midwife + Consent Done Right34:44 Balloon Induction Pain36:30 Pitocin and Epidural Hiccups40:06 Lightning Fast Delivery44:23 NICU Admission Shock51:40 Making NICU More HumaneAbout your host:Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama.For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here.For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOKDisclaimerOpinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here.Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love.Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast ServicesMentioned in this episode:YBYB 20% off ad link

I was so excited to speak with our guest today, Britta Bushnell, PhD. Britta is the author of Transformed by Birth, host of the Transformed by Birth podcast, a mother and grandmother, a mythologist, and a childbirth educator who has spent the last 25 years walking families through one of life’s biggest thresholds: birth and new parenthood. We talked about why birth is truly a rite of passage, and why that transformation doesn’t stop when your baby is born. Your identity shifts, your marriage shifts, even what you mean by “my family” shifts. And it happens again with every single baby. Britta also shares her “turning of the family wheel,” which is so helpful for anyone working through new dynamics with in-laws (or, like her, learning how to step into the grandparent chair!).Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20%We also got real about control. As a type-A mom of four, I felt this one. Britta tells an unforgettable story about trekking the Himalayas that shows the difference between what we can prepare for and what we simply have to respond to in the moment. We talked about how to learn about birth without overstuffing ourselves with an overload of information, what to do if a doula isn’t in the budget, and how to take the next step even when you don’t feel confident. We ended on one of my favorite parts: how to speak to yourself with kindness through these transformations instead of judging the version of you who didn’t know then what you know now. You’re going to walk away with stories that stick, I promise. More from Dr. Britta Bushnell:BrittaBushnell.com Grab her book: Transformed by BirthListen to her podcast: Transformed by Birth PodcastFollow her on Instagram & FaceBook @brittabushnellphdMentioned in this episode:Listen to episode 24: Boundaries, Babies, You & Your Mother-in-Law with Dr. Tracy DalgleishHelpful Timestamps:00:00 Welcome Dr. Britta Bushnell08:15 Redefining Family After Baby17:05 Parenting Keeps Evolving24:04 Each Baby Rocks the System31:15 Do You Need a Doula?43:21 Self Compassion After BirthAbout your host:Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama.For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here.For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOKDisclaimerOpinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here.Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love.Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast ServicesMentioned in this episode:YBYB 20% off ad link

Today’s conversation is a heavier one, and I want to say that up front: if you’re not in a place to take it in, it’s okay to skip this one and come back when you’re ready. I’m joined by Kayleigh Summers, a licensed clinical social worker, perinatal trauma specialist, amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) survivor, and the voice behind The Birth Trauma Mama. She shares how her own experience shaped the work she does now, and we talk about what it looks like to prepare for birth with hope at the center while still making room for the “what ifs.” We get into what Kayleigh calls catastrophic birth planning: not as a way to plan for the worst, but as a way to have a say in situations where you might not be able to speak for yourself. We also talk about why that preparation matters for partners, who may end up making the big decisions, and we cover the gift of putting your wishes in a notes app and sharing it with someone you trust.Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20%I also wanted this to be real and practical. AFE is incredibly rare, about 1 in 40,000 births, and Kayleigh and I both agree that “it won’t happen to you” isn’t a helpful thing to hear.We talk about:How to ask your provider what protocols and training they have in placeHow to respond when a question gets brushed offWhy you don’t have to deliver at any particular type of hospital to be doing this “right”Keeping your awareness on the shelf instead of letting it take over your feedThe reminder that surviving something hard doesn’t mean you owe the world anythingIf you’re a provider, Kayleigh shares a free course through the AFE Foundation, and I’ll link it, along with her website, podcast, and social handles, in the show notes. Wherever you are in your own prep, I hope you walk away feeling a little more informed, a little less alone, and still free to get excited about the parts of your birth you’re hoping for.Mentioned in this episode:Course Name: AFE: A Practical Approach CourseThe AFE Foundation Contact hotline is 1-307-363-2337 (or 1-307-END-AFES)More from Kaleigh Summers, LCSW, PMH-C:Visit thebirthtraumamama.comFollow her on Instagram & TikTok: @thebirthtrauma_mamaListen to her podcast: The Birth Trauma Mama PodcastHelpful Timestamps:00:00 Meet Kayleigh Summers05:15 AFE and Emergency C-Section11:41 Why She Started Sharing16:45 Privilege and Access to Care19:08 Catastrophic Birth Planning29:14 Partner Decision Burden33:20 Questions for Your OB39:14 Preparedness Without Doomscrolling41:10 Provider Resources and HotlineAbout your host:Lo Mansfield, MSN, RNC-OB, CLC is a registered nurse, mama of 4, and a birth, baby, and motherhood enthusiast. She is both the host of the Lo & Behold podcast and the founder of The Labor Mama.For more education, support and “me too” from Lo, please visit her website and check out her online courses and digital guides for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum/newborns. You can also follow @thelabormama and @loandbehold_thepodcast on Instagram and join her email list here.For more pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood conversation each week, be sure to subscribe to The Lo & Behold podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you prefer to listen! A request: If this episode meant something to you, would you consider a 5 star rating and leaving us a review? Yes, we read them, and yes, they help keep L & B going! ♥️Connect with Lo more on: INSTAGRAM | TIK TOK | PINTEREST | FACEBOOKDisclaimerOpinions shared by guests of this show are their own, and do not always reflect those of The Labor Mama platform. Additionally, the information you hear on this podcast or that you receive via any linked resources should not be considered medical advice. Please see our full disclaimer here.Additionally, we may make a small commission from some of the links shared with you. Please know, this comes at no additional cost to you, supports our small biz, and is a way for us to share brands and products with you that we genuinely love.Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast ServicesMentioned in this episode:YBYB 20% off ad link