There's something so special about hearing a labor nurse tell her own birth story, and today's guest, Lauren, delivers exactly that. Lauren's been a labor and delivery nurse for over 10 years, mom to a three year old, is an IBCLC, and runs Labor Lauren - a faith-based birth education platform. She brings us into her journey from years of trying to conceive, through a peaceful unmedicated labor at home with her midwife, all the way to a hospital birth that went about as smoothly as she could have hoped. But what happened after birth is the part of this story that changes everything - a rare, fast-escalating complication that neither Lauren nor her coworkers saw coming, even with all of her clinical experience in the room.

I loved getting to sit with Lauren in this one, not just because her story is wild (it truly is), but because of how honestly she talks about being both the nurse and the patient - and what it taught her about advocacy, humility, and trusting her care team even when things don't go according to plan. We talk about hypnobirthing, placenta painting, the messy reality of "the plan" versus what labor actually gives you, and how her faith carried her through the scariest hours of her postpartum recovery.

More from Labor Lauren:

Follow her on Instagram @labor.lauren

Grab her Free Third Trimester Prayer Journal

Helpful Timestamps:

• 00:00 Labor Lauren's Birth Story
• 07:24 Infertility and Miscarriage
• 11:49 Post-Due Date Spiral
• 14:03 Balloon Catheter & Early Labor
• 21:54 Nurse Mode at the Hospital
• 26:51 Epidural
• 28:28 Water Break To Pushing
• 30:08 Birth Moment And Joy
• 31:13 Placenta Painting
• 33:38 Hematoma Emergency
• 37:42 Breast Pumping While Unconscious
• 43:07 Humility For Care Teams

About 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 | FACEBOOK

Disclaimer

Opinions 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 Services

Mentioned in this episode:

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I wanna show up complete and push a baby out in the bathroom just to piss you guys off.

I woke up and I was like, "Was that a dream?" And it was just the next day.

And throughout all of that, it was just, like, the Lord provided for us in small little ways that, yeah, I just felt safe, even though that was, like, a crazy situation.

You know what I mean?

My experience made me an even better nurse

Motherhood is all-consuming.

Having babies, nursing, feeling the fear of loving someone that much.

Then there's this baby on your chest, and boom, your entire life has changed.

It's a privilege of being your child's safest space and watching your heart walk around outside of your body.

The truth is, I can be having the best time being a mom one minute, and then the next, I'm questioning all my life choices.

I'm Lo Mansfield, your host of the Lo and Behold podcast.

Mama of four littles, former labor and postpartum RN, CLC, and your new best friend in the messy middle space of all the choices you are making in pregnancy, birth, and motherhood.

If there is one thing I know after years of delivering babies at the bedside, and then having, and now raising those four of my own, it is that there is no such thing as a best way to do any of this, and we're leaning into that truth here.

With a mix of real life and what the textbook says, expert insights, and practical applications, each week we're making our way towards stories that we participate in, stories that we are honest about, and stories that are ours.

This is the Lo and Behold podcast.

I have one of my favorite things for you in this episode, and that is when a labor nurse comes on and shares their birth story.

You know I've talked about this so many times.

I love the nuance, the perspective, all this experience they've had at the bedside.

I love when labor nurses then go through birth too, and have all of that stuff kind of color their experience, both when they're experiencing the birth, obviously, and then even when they tell it.

I just think there's something so sweet about hearing a labor nurse retell their birth story.

So that's what you're gonna get today.

I have Lauren with me.

She is a mom to one.

Her, her husband, her daughter, they live in Arizona, and Lauren has been a labor nurse for over 10 years.

She also does lactation work.

You're gonna hear about that as well, and she works online as well, supporting families who are having babies.

So we are gonna hear about all of that from her a tiny bit.

I want you guys to know who she is and what she does, and then we are gonna get into that birth story for you Lauren, thank you so much for coming today.

I am very excited to get into this with you.

I'll just tell you guys right off the bat, Lauren's also a labor nurse, so two labor nurses talking about birth is always fun in my opinion.

And I told her I'll try not to interrupt, 'cause sometimes I feel like I really wanna interrupt nurses and say, "What were you thinking?

Tell me about this." So Lauren, why don't you introduce yourself a little bit more, just how you would introduce yourself to whoever if you ran into someone on the street, and then we'll just get into it.

Yes.

Yeah.

I'm Lauren.

I have been a labor and delivery nurse for over 10 years now, and I'm married to my husband, Adam.

We have a three-year-old, Madison, and, we live in Arizona.

And yeah, just labor nursing, two days a month now.

I went down to PRN, and then I do lactation.

I'm also an IBCLC.

How often do you do the lactation stuff?

If you're doing the two days at the bedside, is that more full-time?

'Cause also, she's not telling you that she runs an online business as well, so she's doing a lot, so let me hear- Yeah

about that real quick.

Yeah.

Lactation, g- every day.

It's just every day.

You know, moms need help, and so it's not really, like, a set schedule.

But I do work through Easy Breastfed Babies for my lactation, so it's private, you know, outpatient.

And then I do have Labor Lauren, which, yeah, come follow me on Instagram.

Okay, tell us a teeny bit more about what Labor Lauren is Okay.

Okay, sorry.

I want you to.

Do it.

I know, I know.

I don't wanna overstep.

No, I want you to.

so Labor Lauren is, my Instagram handle, and I created a online faith-based birth course.

But it actually started when I was a labor and delivery nurse.

I started teaching childbirth classes in the hospital setting, and after only being a nurse for a few years.

And I really didn't love teaching in the hospital because it was such large classes, and I was also limited on what I could do and say, and I just didn't like that.

So I started Labor Lauren, not faith-based.

I actually went and did private in-your-home classes, and that was so… It was so fun, so valuable.

But then once I got pregnant, I realized it was not sustainable to do that.

And you know- As many things are

not … raising a family.

Yeah.

Yes, right?

And so yeah, it actually started because I wanted more one-on-one time with families.

And so yeah, I w- I drove all around the valley and just showed up with some birth balls at people's houses and taught them how to prepare for birth.

And then, after having my daughter is when it kind of morphed more into faith-based and online because as we're gonna get into my birth story today, God showed up, and I was like, "Wow, more people need this."

So, that's really what changed all of it for me.

Yeah.

I love hearing about it.

I don't know that I knew about the traveling around to houses for birth stories.

That's actually, Kell and I with two of our best friends, it was so sweet, we were all pregnant at the same time, due within, like, four weeks of each other.

we hired a lo- a local doula.

Shout out to Sarah in Boulder, Colorado.

And she came to our house, and all six of us were there together- Mm-hmm … and she taught us in our friend's living room.

And it was just the coolest, sweetest, most intimate way to learn.

Felt like all the- Mm-hmm … the husbands were really, a lot more open, you know- Mm-hmm

and not being stared at by 18 other people.

And so it was like we're with friends, we're laughing, we're joking, we're definitely learning.

The other two moms and I had similar birth goals, which was helpful, right?

So we really were all like- Yeah … "Yeah, teach us how to have this unmedicated birth at the hospital."

Mm-hmm.

And so it's just, I just, obviously it's not sustainable always or scalable, right, to do these in-person- Mm-hmm … things.

But it is a really special treat, I think, to have that- Yeah … intimate, type of birth education, for sure.

So, I, I- I know you say, "I showed up with my birth balls," like, ha ha, but I bet people loved it- It-

'cause I know I would

for sure … it is so fun.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, really fun.

It's so fun.

I actually just did it for some of my coworkers last week.

Yeah.

I, two of my coworkers are due in a couple of months, and so I just showed up and we all… We had snacks, you know?

And it-

It's

the best, yeah … it was so fun.

They're labor nurses, but they're li- they both were like, "Wow, I learned something new." And then their husbands were comfortable to learn- Yeah … you know, some hands-on techniques.

Yeah.

No, I was the same.

I was a labor nurse, too, but I'm like, "Mm, being the actual person having the baby is different." Like, I need to take off my nurse scrubs and put on-

Mm-hmm

my mom hat and think- Yeah … about this a lot differently.

And so, yeah, I loved- Well, and- … being taught like that

… Lauren: that, that, but also in labor you can't doula yourself.

No.

I was convinced- Although a lot of us probably try, and then we're all like- Yes.

… messed up and in our own heads, so

it doesn't really work.

Yes.

Yeah.

I was so convinced that I didn't need a doula because, one, we couldn't afford it, but two, I was like, "I'll just tell him what to do." Like- Right … "I know what to do.

I'll just tell him." Right.

And then when labor came, I was like, "Oh, that's funny." Yep.

Yep.

That's not happening.

Okay, well, perfect.

Let's get into this.

Yeah.

So why don't you start with birth as well?

So we, um, we had been married.

We decided we wanted to wait five years into marriage to start trying to get pregnant, and, it took us almost three years to get pregnant with our daughter.

So we did a year of trying on our own, and then we did another year of working with a naturopath.

So I saw her once a week, did acupuncture, red light on my uterus, all the supplements, all the things.

We did all of the meds, and we ended up getting pregnant and having a miscarriage with the naturopath, and that is what led her to want to do some progesterone after ovulation.

So I did IM progesterone after ovulation through, you know, pregnancy, and we did that for months of just stabbing myself every day, in hopes of getting pregnant.

And it was, like, after the third month or so of doing that that we got pregnant with our daughter.

So I did estrogen patches, you know, all of the things.

IM progesterone, and that I did it through ovulation and then through, like, 12-ish weeks of pregnancy.

And so although it was really hard to have a miscarriage, and I was not prepared for that experience.

It was so painful, and I was like, wow, nobody talks about this.

And, like, physically… Emotionally painful, sure, because, you know, we had been wanting this for so long, but also physically painful.

And so yeah, so once we got pregnant with my daughter, work really I was full-time labor and delivery.

I also worked, at a med spa, which was so fun, and, it was my friend's med spa, and so that was fun.

I did that part-time, full-time labor and delivery, and just so excited.

Like, I… You know, pregnancy can be hard on your body, and I live in Arizona, and she was born in July, so it was hot.

And so working 12-hour shifts, I'd go lay in the pool for hours just floating.

And so pregnancy, it was great.

It was hard.

You know, nausea throughout the whole time.

It wasn't, It didn't stop in the first trimester.

But overall, like, I just wanted it so badly that I feel like I really enjoyed the pregnancy, although I wish I documented it more or journaled it more, 'cause I really thought I would remember everything.

And then now, three weeks, three years out, I'm like, "Oh, man, I wish I would've, you know- Yeah … took some more notes."

No, it's true.

And so going into, like, the final third trimester, you know, working in labor and delivery, I have seen every kind of birth, and I knew exactly what I wanted.

And, I told my coworkers, I was like, "I wanna show up complete and push a baby out in the bathroom just to piss you guys off."

Like,

the… I wanted that so bad.

Okay, wait.

Tell everyone why that would piss them off.

Oh, okay Maybe they think that sounds great … that, like, not to be rude.

No, we just- The hospital I work at is very, we don't have a ton of unmedicated deliveries.

Right.

Very intervention, not intervention heavy.

That feels rude to say, but it is, we're a higher risk hospital, and so we have a lot of really sick patients.

And we have, you know, pro- different programs for, OUD, so, withdrawing.

So we have just that is kind of our population that we serve.

And a lot of, like, preeclampsia, a lot of mag, a lot of insulin drips.

Like, it's just very high risk, and so it's not super common that we have a healthy, unmedicated, fun, you know, delivery.

Well, the nurse part of me too is like, "Oh, the charting." Then you just have to like- Ugh … backtrack all this charting, and it's so great you had this baby in the bathroom.

I know, right?

Yeah, I just- But then

I have to sit down and chart for 90 minutes about what just happened in five minutes.

Yes.

That is true.

I wish charting wasn't as intense it is, as it is.

But yeah, I like, I, that's what I wanted so, so bad.

I really wanted an unmedicated birth, and I really, yeah, just wanted to show up complete.

Just to like, I don't know why.

I just, I wanted that so bad.

And, as m- my midwife was actually one of my really good friends.

She was a labor and delivery nurse and became a midwife, and we, her and I volunteered together for years with Young Lives, which is a teen mom ministry.

And so her and I are really good friends, and I trusted, I trust her fully, and was so happy that I got to have her in my care.

So she, took excellent care of me, of course.

We're, since we're such good friends, but her practice that she worked at was leaving my hospital and going to another hospital, and I really wanted to give birth where I worked.

And so she still had privileges, but it was, like, a different doctor overseeing her.

so the week that I… Like, my due date, I went past my due date.

On my due date, I walked the mall 'cause it was 120 degrees outside.

Mm-hmm.

So I just walked the mall, and I'm like, "All right, let's get some things going." Did a little shopping, did some walking.

And, the next day, I had my, like, post due date ultrasound appointment with my midwife, and they told me that my baby was measuring nine pounds, and it got in my head.

And I, I know- It does, though … Yes, I know that that is so inaccurate.

It could be a pound off, right, in either direction.

And the whole time, I was like, "I can't push out a nine-pound baby. That's insane." and it really messed with me.

So she swept my membranes, and we went and saw freaking Mission Impossible-

Tom Cruise movie.

It's like a three-hour movie.

Yep.

It's really long.

I contracted every five minutes, and I'm sitting in the movie theater, like, on the edge of the seat, just contracting the whole movie.

And the whole time, I was like, "This is so dumb. Why am I here?"

It's funny 'cause we're always like, "Make cookies.

Take a walk." Yeah.

Like, we're not… Don't go see- Distract yourself … Mission Impossible for three hours.

Maybe that would work- I thought- … for some,

but yeah.

I know, right?

I thought it would be distracting, and no, now I just hate Tom Cruise.

Like, ev- Yeah.

He pissed me.

It was not fun.

And the chairs, you know, even though they're upgraded, not comfortable.

So, we watched, you know, the movie.

Made it home.

My contractions kind of spaced out, and then the next day, I still had not gone into labor.

And s- again, in my head, this baby's nine pounds.

This baby's not coming out of me.

And my… This is what's fun to share with a labor nurse, is that every time I had a cervical exam, it was unbearably uncomfortable.

And my cervix, like, if you went in, my cervix was, like, over here And so if this was baby's head, my cervix was, like, off to the side, and just unbearable for the exams.

And in my head, I was like, "Well, I'm not going into labor because my cervix isn't, like, midline." You know what I mean?

Mm-hmm.

Um, and I really did not wanna do an induction.

I didn't want, like, any medications, again, 'cause I really wanted to go unmedicated.

And so I was asking my midwife about doing the balloon, and she's like, "Yeah, let's do a balloon." So we go, I go into triage at 10:00 PM because of course they're busy, and that's the, that's the only time they can get me in.

I'm, like, texting the charge nurse, who's my friend.

And so I go in.

They, uh, put in a Cook's catheter, so it has the balloon in the uterus, the balloon up against the cervix to kind of compress, the cervix.

And that was not painful at all, and I was so shocked- That's shocking … because just an exam in general was so uncomfortable.

Right.

So they put in the balloon, and we did not know that was only an in-patient thing to do, and I went home with it.

Just breaking rules, right?

Yeah.

And you know- We actually never put them in and sent people home either.

A foley.

But my sister-in-law has had that.

Oh, yeah.

Are you saying the cooks- A foley

specifically?

Yeah.

Yeah, the

cooks- Oh, gotcha … specifically were supposed to- Yeah, that's true.

We never would do the cooks.

Mm-hmm.

Hmm.

That's funny.

Mm-hmm.

She just went home.

I just went home.

Don't mind me.

So we, we did the balloon, and as they're doing the balloon, the nurse that's helping in triage, they're talking about how big to inflate it, and I'm laying there.

I know what they're talking about.

And, my midwife was like, "Oh, let's do 80/80," and my coworker was like, "Every time we've done that, like I've seen a cord prolapse." And I was like, "Don't do 80/80, please.

I don't want that." So I don't know.

Maybe she did 50 or 60, but, I went home, and now we're ho- It's midnight.

So at 10:00 PM they put in the balloon.

It's midnight.

I'm home.

I told my husband, "Go to bed," like, "I'm good.

You go to bed.

I'm just gonna, like take a shower and then I'm gonna rest." Well, I was sitting on the toilet, and I was like, "Man, I feel so much pressure in my vagina," and so I tugged on the balloon and it came right out, and there was like a little bit of blood on the balloon, but I texted my midwife and I said, "You didn't put it in.

You…" Like, that was for sure just sitting in my vagina.

There's no way it came out in two hours.

Like, they can stay in for 12 hours, and my plan was have a balloon in for 12 hours and sleep for like 10 of those 12 hours.

Right?

I was like, "I'm gonna go home and rest. I'm gonna wake up, have a baby. It's gonna be great."

This is so funny.

So- I'm sorry.

I'm interrupting you.

I love it.

Last person I recorded with, Sarah, you know her.

She's a labor nurse.

she was like speaking about this just like you, where her plan… Which makes me laugh when y'all say, "My plan," because, like, as you know from your work, you don't get to decide, but we all still do that, and we're like-

Yeah

"I'm gonna get my nails done, and then the balloon will come out, and then I'll take a nap." It's like it's, it's good to think about what you're gonna do, but it cracks me up that… Well, it just, it shows, like labor nurses- Right … are human, too, right?

And we- For sure … are still… Yeah, you… The nurse part kinda goes away and you're like, "This is how I think it's gonna play out, and this is what I need to happen right now," and, and then it doesn't.

Totally.

Yeah, and just like loose, like holding it loosely, right?

Mm-hmm.

And that's just so good in life.

So yeah, the balloon came out.

I told her, I was like, "You didn't even put it in right. There's no way it came out this early." And she was like, "Okay, go rest. You're fine." And so I laid- She's like,

" Lo: Yes, I did, but whatever."

Yeah, I know, right?

So I laid down for like a few hours, and then I got up, and throughout my whole pregnancy, I did Christian hypnobirthing, like the tracks that you listen before bed.

And so I was like, "I'm gonna listen to that in labor. It's gonna be lovely." So I woke up at like 2:00 AM.

I'm contracting consistently.

I go in our backyard n- butt naked, and I get in our swimming pool.

And I don't know how to turn the lights on in our backyard.

Yeah.

So it's just pitch black.

I have my headphones in of my Christian hypnobirthing, and I'm like doing laps, like I'm walking in laps in the pool, thinking that that's gonna help.

Like water is supposed to be soothing, right?

And as I'm in the pool, I'm like, "This sucks. Hate it." Like the water was just cold enough for it to be uncomfortable.

You know what I mean?

Like it wasn't soothing.

And I was like, "Forget this. I hate it." So got out of the swimming pool after an hour or so, and I got in my shower.

But the house that we live on, we have a septic tank, and you can't take long showers.

And I was so stressed.

I'm like in labor, and I am so stressed that my shower is not gonna be… Like I can't take a long one 'cause I'm gonna ruin our whole septic tank.

And so which shows I probably wasn't really in labor if I was thinking of that.

Yeah.

I mean- I don't know … yes and no.

Those septic tanks are finicky.

Yeah.

So I'm showering and I am texting my midwife while I'm in the shower.

And my husband, I'm still telling him to sleep, like I'm handling everything well.

Texting my midwife though, and I'm like, "I'm not really sure where I'm at." So we're on the phone, and I made a joke, and she was like, "Oh, you're not in labor."

I was like, "What do you mean?" She goes, "You're laughing.

You're not in labor." So she was like, "Text me in another hour." So I stayed in the shower that whole time, and then, it just, they weren't… The contractions were so consistent, and it was, like, really all in my back.

And so I texted my midwife again, and I was like, "Yeah, this is what I'm feeling.

This is where I'm at." Well, she, so she's a hospital-based midwife.

She does not go to people's homes.

She's one of my good friends.

So at, like, 4:00 AM, she comes to my house.

so sweet.

And at this point I'm like, "Well, I sh-" It's so sweet.

Mm-hmm.

I was like, "I should wake my husband up so that, you know, it doesn't look like he's not doing anything."

It's fine.

That's normal.

So I get… Yeah, I'm like, "Get up. Help. Participate." You know?

So he's making us breakfast.

She is checking my cervix on my couch.

We brought gloves home, you know.

So she's checking my cervix, and she's like, "Okay, you're, like, five centimeters," but she's like, "I don't think it's time yet."

I'm like, "Okay." So she puts me in side-lying release.

My hubby's making breakfast.

Like, it was beautiful.

It was so wonderful.

I, like, was on the yoga ball.

I had the heating pad on my back.

Our dogs were around us.

Like, it was just, it was really sweet.

And my husband said to her, " Hey, I don't really understand.

Like, when do we go to the hospital?

Can you lay it out for me?" And my midwife goes, "Oh, you'll know." And he goes, "No, I'm sorry.

I need you to describe to me, when do we go to the hospital?" And she goes, "You'll know." And that was the, that was the answer.

So she goes home, and he's helping me.

We're, you know, we're just kind of laboring.

And I told him, I was like, "Maybe let's just start putting some stuff together. Maybe you should go shower. Like, just get ready for the day." And so he's in our bathroom showering, which is, this is attached to my bedroom, and I'm in here, and this is like, there's, like, a little step-down right here.

And I'm doing steps, like, up and down, moaning.

Just moaning, 'cause I'm in labor.

And he can't see that I'm right there, and I just hear him laugh.

And I, when I was not contracting, I said, "Excuse me?" Like, "What do you think you're doing?" And he was laughing- … 'cause he thought it was our husky, our dog.

And I was so mad, and I said some words to him that I would never say normally.

Mm-hmm.

And he goes, "Oh, it's time to go

to the hospital." Exactly.

"That's what she meant." So we, like, we pack everything up in the car, and we bought a minivan before we got pregnant.

Yeah, you did.

When I say I wanted a family, like w- it was time to get a new car.

I'm like, "We're gonna fill this minivan. Okay, let's buy it." So he's driving in the minivan.

We pack up the car.

He… We also, throughout the last two weeks of pregnancy, I hand expressed and pumped every day and collected colostrum.

And so I brought that with us to the hospital in, like, a little lunchbox, which is important for later.

And so he's driving.

I'm in the back of the minivan on hands and knees.

I put down a towel, and I'm convinced I'm giving birth in the car.

The- things… I'm for sure in transition.

Things have escalated, and so I'm on hands and knees.

He's- That's

right.

You're going in 10 centimeters dilated, right?

Yeah.

That was the plan.

Right?

He's driving, and I also had to call out sick.

I was supposed to work this day at the hospital.

I call out sick 'cause I'm in labor, and they're sending out help texts.

They don't have enough staff.

And I'm like, "Oh, no.

I need a nurse." So I call my my coworker, one of my good friends, Sarah, and I said… I call her at 5:00 AM, and I say, "Can you please come be my nurse?"

And she said, "I'm on my way." And so I was like, "Okay, at least I have a nurse." Like, we're good.

So we're driving to the hospital.

I also was so stressed at when anesthesia changed, their shift change.

' Cause even though I wanted to go unmedicated, the night shift anesthesia doctor, I did not like him.

I really liked the day shift one.

So I'm texting the charge nurse phone, and I said, "Tell him to clock in early just in case." Like, I'm being so bossy.

I could concur with that.

Not to- Right … I'm interrupting again.

But we had- No, I love it … one anesthesiologist that was so good, a CRNA.

I used to say he could, like, throw the needle across the room and hit it, and he was done in, like, literally done in 14 seconds.

Like- Yes … I, he was so fast.

So I always said, " I don't want an epidural." You know, like you, I wanna do it unmedicated.

But I'm like, "But if I do, it's coming from him." Mm. So just- Same … so we're all aware who's doing it, if I need one.

Right.

So I totally get it.

Like- Yes … if you have that ability as a nurse, you are orchestrating all of this because you've gotten to work with these people, and you know.

And it's really this- Yes … kind of cool opportunity to orchestrate the things that other people don't get to, you know?

So I think it's pretty cool.

Yeah.

It definitely perks of the job, right?

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

So we're driving to the hospital.

I'm in hands and knees, and my sweet husband, who I taught a birth class to, okay?

He goes, "Babe, what happens if they ask me to choose you or the baby?"

And I was like, "That's not going to happen." I'm, like, yelling at him.

I was like, "Are you freaking kidding me right now?" Oh my gosh.

Like, that is in the movies.

And he's so distraught.

He's so concerned that that's gonna happen.

And I was like, "That's not a thing.

Shut up." Like, I was so annoyed.

And this whole time, I just kept thinking, like, "I just have to get to the hospital." Like, I was so uncomfortable, I feel like I didn't feel like I was safe until I got there, which I don't know why.

I think I'm comfortable there.

It's my job.

You know what I mean?

But… And then also the shower, unlimited water.

That's a perk

as well.

That was in, that was in the back of my head.

And so I was just so convinced, like, "I just have to get to the hospital," and how am I gonna physically get from the car to the, third floor?

I didn't think I could do that, you know?

And so, we're driving.

It's traffic.

So we make it through traffic, get to the hospital.

We get upstairs.

Right when I walk into triage, I just walked past triage.

It's like, I'm not check- No.

No, we're not going in a triage room.

Tell me what room I'm going to.

And my sweet coworkers set up, we have, labor room eight is our princess room because it's wall-to-wall windows, and the view is just gorgeous.

And so my sweet coworkers set up that room.

They decorated it.

I just walked in, and it was so… I was like, "Okay, I'm here. We made it." You know?

And immediately, my coworker Sarah, she's, like, doing the hip squeeze.

Like, we're getting settled in.

And I, yeah, I was like, "Oh, we made it. This is so good." And I was still kind of toying with the idea of getting an epidural, though, because my sweet husband tore a muscle in his arm the week I went into labor from bowling.

He did get all strikes.

But, yeah, good for him, but he couldn't do the hip squeeze, like, strong enough.

You know what I mean?

Mm-hmm.

And so not that he, it's his fault, but it kind of is.

Just a little bit.

He, like, he just wasn't able to do… Like, I really needed some intense counter-pressure.

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Okay, let's get you back to the episode

And, so I get in the shower in the hospital.

My sweet nurse coworker, she's squeezing my hips, and I'm just, like, debating on what to do.

And I did not sleep all night.

I was exhausted.

And so finally, I was like, "You know what? Whatever. I'll get an epidural." At least the doctor's on that I love, you know?

So he comes in to do the epidural, and I, the whole time, I was like, "Sir, we lie to our patients.

Like, this is not how we describe it.

This is so unfair." Like, "Oh, a little pinch, like a little burn." No, it was much more than that, for the numbing shot, for the lidocaine.

I was like, "Absolutely not. We are liars. This is intense." And then it took him forever to put it in, and I… I mean, I don't know exactly how long it took, but in my mind it was much too long.

And I told him that.

I was like, "It is taking you too long to do this." And he goes, "Lauren, you're freaking me out." Like, he was like, "If I make a mistake, you're never gonna let me live it down." I said, "It's true." Also true.

Yeah.

So he, he took his sweet time.

And then finally, after he placed the epidural, I didn't know that legs existed anymore.

And I told him, I was like, "Sir, you overdosed me." And he goes, "Yeah, I did.

I did." He was like, "I was so nervous."

Like, I'm such a nice person.

Why are you afraid of me?

I'm so nice.

Come on." So I took a nap.

It was wonderful.

All of my coworkers, like, are coming in and out.

We're chatting.

It was so sweet.

We put on… I love, like, a Christian lo-fi playlist.

We put on a playlist.

I took a few naps, and it was amazing.

So after a couple of hours of having the epidural, I felt my water break, which I was like, "Holy cannoli." That was, like, a gush.

Like, it was an explosion, and you're half numb, and so that was kind of strange.

And at that point, immediately after the epidural, I was six centimeters.

And so a few hours later, my water broke, and my daughter's heart rate was perfect on the monitor.

Category one, A+, the whole time.

And I told my coworker, I was like, "Well, I don't want you to check me 'cause I don't feel pressure." And I thi- Not that that was a mistake, but I think that plays into what happened next.

So I said, "No, I don't feel pressure.

Let's not check.

Her heart rate looks good.

You know, my contractions are consistent.

Let's wait till I feel pressure." So everyone was like, "Yeah, cool.

Reasonable," right? And so, a few hours later, I still did not feel pressure. And they were like, "Okay, you h- you are complete by now.

Like, come on," you know?

So, she emptied my bladder, and her head was right there.

I felt nothing.

And so they…

We turned down my epidural.

I was like, "Yeah, I'm not gonna be able to push like this. Let's turn it down." we turn it down, and I really wanted to breathe her down.

I did, like, pelvic floor PT all through pregnancy.

I did not want to, like, hold my breath and push.

But then I was like, "I'm so numb. I don't even know if that's gonna be possible."

And so I was like, "Well, let's just try. Let's see what happens." So I ended up pushing, breathing her down.

I only pushed for, like, 45 minutes Which as a first-time mom, I was like, "Yeah, love it." And, I did not tear also, which I was like, "Oh, we breathed her down." It was nice and calm and controlled.

And then, she was eight pounds.

Okay.

So not nine- Yeah … but that's a big baby.

Not nine, but eight pounds.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And my midwife was so sweet.

She, like, let me reach down and pull her up to me, which was just such a special moment, too.

And especially, I was just so emotional because I was like, "This is real. Like, she's here." And we tried for so long for her and, like, prayed for so many years for a baby.

And then to finally get to hold her, it was like, "Aha, this is happening," you know?

So the whole labor, the whole birth, a dream.

Like, everything that I could have hoped for.

Obviously, I didn't push her out in the bathroom, you know, but maybe, maybe another time.

But, all of that was a dream.

Like, having my coworkers there.

Even, like, as I was pushing, a bunch of friends came in, and I could just hear them cheering me on, and it was so sweet to hear, like, two of my coworkers that were in there.

One of them was, like, videotaping on my phone.

The other one, she's been there for, like, 30 years, and she's just a mom to everyone.

Just to hear her cheer me on, I was, like, so encouraged.

I don't have a mom anymore.

And so, like, having that, like, motherly role in the room, too, was so special to me.

So yeah, like, just overall amazing experience.

So while I'm doing the skin-to-skin with her, I told my midwife, I was like, "Hey, I really wanted to paint my placenta, but I did not bring supplies."

Like, I didn't even think to pack the stuff that you need to do that.

And she was like, "Okay, I'll go to Target." So she goes to Target, she goes to Starbucks, she comes back, and I sat there with all of my friends.

Like, my midwife is sitting on the bed with me.

I'm with the bedside table.

I've set up a whole painting situation.

My husband's, like, holding the baby, and I painted my placenta and did a little print with it back here.

I've never heard of this.

Oh, really?

So you did it right there right after birth, like a stamp?

Yeah.

I mean, I can see it- Yeah … behind you on the wall.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah, so I just… I kind of… It's acrylic paint, and you kind of water it down a little bit, and we used, like, the mouth cleaner, you know, that has paintbrushes, you know, disposable.

Uh-huh.

Uh-huh.

And- Perfect … yeah, just painted it, and then I stamped it, and then we tossed, you know, we tossed it.

I didn't want to encapsulate it or anything.

Okay.

So I still wanted to be able to, like, have that memory, you know, and have it… It's here now- Yeah … on a tree.

Yeah.

So yeah.

So I, like, am painting my placenta.

We're holding the baby, and I was like, "This is, this is a dream." Like, it just was everything that I could have hoped for, and then, I, get in the wheelchair to go up to postpartum, and I… my bottom hurt.

And I was like, "Oh, like, this is really uncomfortable." but I just pushed out an eight-pound baby.

Like, maybe this is what it's supposed to feel like.

So we get upstairs to postpartum, and throughout labor, like, the shower was for sure my favorite pain relief, tool.

And so when I get up to postpartum, my sister-in-law's there, so she's meeting the baby.

Adam's sitting on the couch, and I was like, "Something's not right.

I'm in a lot of pain." So I get in the shower.

I don't even ask the nurse.

I just, like, get in the shower 'cause I'm in so much pain, and I stick my head out of the bathroom to my husband, and I said, "Hey, you need to text my midwife and tell her to come look at my butthole." And he goes- What?

And I said, "Tell her that right now."

And so I stay in the shower.

She comes upstairs.

She, like, comes into the bathroom.

She goes, "Do, do you need me to look at something?" And I said, "Yeah." She goes, "Can you get in the bed?" Like, I was like, "Yeah, I'll get in the bed.

I just was gonna be here till, you know, stay in the shower till you got here." So I get in the bed.

I don't even realize my sister-in-law is like… I'm naked now, and my sister-in-law's in the room.

I'm like, "Oh, whatever. I'm in so much pain." It was, like, in my perineum, was hurting.

So my midwife looks, and gosh, maybe five or six years ago, I had a patient that I was caring for who had a vaginal hematoma.

Mm-hmm.

And it's incredibly difficult to diagnose, and it is excruciating pain.

s- so in that experience of me being that patient's nurse, I look at my midwife and I said, "It's a hematoma." And she was like, "Oh, okay.

You know, whatever, Lauren.

Let me look." And then she looks.

She goes, "Ooh, it is a hematoma." And at this point, I mean, it was probably four or five hours after I'd given birth, and she was like, "It's maybe two by two, and it's, like, on the left vaginal wall."

And so at this point, my other best friend, who's also a labor nurse at a different hospital, shows up, because I told her to come meet the baby, you know.

And so she's walking in, again, to me naked, losing my mind.

And she immediately goes into work mode.

She knows my midwife.

They're friends.

So she's like, "All right.

What do you need?" We literally, they went to ultrasound to get the probe covers, for the vaginal ultrasound.

They packed it with ice, so I could put ice up there to, like, put up against the hematoma.

Mm-hmm.

And like my, my husband's like, "What is happening?" 10 out of 10 pain.

Like, I would have rather have been in labor than experience this.

So we're icing.

We're emptying my bladder again.

We're, like, trying to do some things.

I also did not get postpartum Pitocin 'cause I did not want it, and my bleeding was fine.

But this, I mean, this wasn't coming from my uterus.

It was, like, unrelated.

So we're icing it.

They're trying some pain meds.

Nothing is working.

And that's, like, 8:00 PM now.

So she was born around 4:00 PM, so this is maybe, like, 8:00 or 9:00 PM.

And so everyone goes home.

And from that time until 4:00 AM, I was in excruciating pain.

Like I couldn't hold my baby.

Adam w- my husband was holding her the whole time.

I was 10 out of 10 pain on my call light, trying not to be annoying because then I was so stressed.

Like, I work here, I don't want them to think I'm drug-seeking, my gosh, or, you know, like that I'm annoying or crazy or anything like that.

And so I was just like suffering and not really… You know, like I would put my call light on, but I don't really remember the nurse that I had coming in.

It just, like awful, absolutely awful.

And they, I think they did some blood work.

I think they did like a CBC, which like… And they ordered a CT scan that never got done.

And so I'm texting my midwife, and I'm like, "Okay, like I actually wanna die. This is awful. I am not okay." And she did not realize that the things that she had ordered were like not being done.

so she came in, now it's 4:00 AM, and she came in and they called a rapid response on me.

And from like 8:00 PM, the hematoma was two by two, and by 4:00 AM it was like eight by 10.

Gosh.

Yeah.

And so they call a rapid response on me.

Another doctor who I adore and love, who is like our in-house group, she took over on my care.

She took me to the operating room, and they took me back down to labor and delivery's operating room, which is where I work.

And I remember like, you know, not really being alert.

Like you can, you can have like these like blurriness of the memory, right?

I remember like trying to move over to the OR table, and the scrub tech was like, "Wait."

And I'm like, "Fix this," like, "I'm getting over there." You know, like, " Let's get going.

Let's count.

Let's go." And so they opened me up, and the doctor said she just saw bright red arterial bleeding.

Like, they, she opened me up, like, through the vagina.

Mm-hmm.

She said it, it was just arterial bleeding.

So then they took me to the ED, for a CT scan, and it confirmed just my left uterine artery had ruptured, and I'm just, like, bleeding out internally.

And so then they took me to interventional radiology, where they embolized both my uterine arteries.

And so from 4:00 AM through all of that, like OR, ED, IR, and then back to labor and delivery PACU, was probably, like, eight or nine hours that I was separated from my hubby and my baby.

And my nurses knew.

They knew how badly I wanted to breastfeed and how important it was to me, and literally pumped me while I was unconscious that whole time.

And I woke up at one point to them pumping me, and it was my two coworker friends, and I, like, ca- kind of came to, and my, my friend Sarah, she goes, "We asked Adam for consent, I promise."

I know.

It's such a weird thing.

But, like-

Right

… Lo: that's really what people want sometimes.

Yes.

So

it's like,

" Lo: I guess we'll do this." Yes.

"And you're gonna be happy about it."

Yes.

Right?

Yeah, it is such a weird… I feel like that, that is honestly one thing, like thinking back to the car ride to the hospital when my husband was like, "Do we save you or the baby?"

Yeah.

That's something that's actually a different conversation to have, of like, if an emergency happens, how important is breastfeeding to me?

And are you okay, like, being pumped unconscious, right?

I think that that's, like, a good conversation to have.

And they knew how important it was to me.

But the colostrum that I brought from home was everything she needed the time we were separated, which was so God.

Like, that was just so sweet that if I would've woken up after all of that and they were like, "Yeah, we, you know, had to give her a bottle," I think I would've been crushed, you know?

Not that that in and of sense is, like, bad, but it just wasn't my goal, you know?

So between that and then everyone pitching in to pump and provide that milk, for my baby was so important.

And I was like, "Okay, I at least got that," right?

Even in this, like, crazy story, crazy situation.

So yeah, we were separated that whole time.

And like my midwife, my coworkers were communicating with my hubby.

But he did tell me at one point he thought, like, I was gonna die.

He was like telling himself, he called his mom, he said, "You know, Lauren might not make it.

We think…" Y- he thought he was gonna raise this baby alone.

But that whole time he was like doing skin-to-skin with her, you know, feeding her, and their relationship now is just so, they're so close.

And he really I think needed that, you know?

Like, they, he needed that bonding time with her, and so that was amazing.

And then for me, like I didn't really need to experience this.

Just kidding.

But it did like bring me so much closer to the Lord in the sense of like I was not in control, and I had to really trust that He was gonna provide, and He did.

Like, He provided the hospital that I was at, having interventional radiology.

If I would've delivered at the two other hospitals closest to us, I probably would've lost my uterus, which is wild.

And so that was like a huge blessing.

And then just the people that were there, so my friend that came in the day before to take care of me, when I woke up in the PACU after everything was said and done, it was her again.

And I woke up and I was like, "Was that a dream?" Like, what just h- how are you still here?

And it was just the next day.

She was, she came back into work and they were like- Her regularly scheduled shift.

Yes.

Yeah, yeah.

And so, so she was there again

and so I was like, "Okay, like, I'm safe. My people are here," you know?

And throughout all of that, it was just, like the Lord provided for us, in small little ways that, yeah, I just felt safe even though that was like a crazy situation.

You know what I mean?

So yeah, after that, I went back to the postpartum room, and we ended up having to stay an extra day just to monitor everything, and they packed me with gauze and yeah, we had to, like, figure all that out.

But it was just so, so sweet to, like, finally get to be all together again.

And, healing has been a lot harder than I thought, like postpartum-wise.

I mean, she just turned three years old, and I'm still in pain.

And so that's a point, too, that I feel like is a good lesson for nurses to learn of, like our inaction has consequences for our patients.

You know what I mean?

I actually, when I was going house to house to teach birth classes, I taught a birth class for an oncology nurse for her second baby, and I was like, "Oh, interesting. This is your second baby. Why are we taking a birth class?" I thought.

And with her first baby, they had her push in stirrups for four hours straight, and she fell after, and you- had to use a walker for like three or four months after her baby was born.

And so she wanted to learn, you know, what to do different for her next birth, and that just hit me that I was like, "Oh, no," like we can cause harm, you know, unintentionally, right?

And how important it is to be educated and to, you know, know how to support our patients.

And even though we aren't seeing them again, like, they are going home and having complications, right, because of what they experienced.

And so I don't know.

Like, that's not to sound negative or anything, but it just really, my experience made me an even better nurse.

And even on my unit now, like there's, in the last three years, there has been a few times where a patient has, like, kinda described a similar pain, and I've been a little PTSD.

Like, I'm not even her nurse, and I said to the doctor, "You're gonna check it's a hematoma, right? Like you're gonna, you're gonna act quickly, right?" You know what I mean?

but just thinking, like it's even helped some of my colleagues learn a little bit on, like how to act, and what to do maybe a little bit sooner.

And yeah, I think the value of just education, too, right, and how to advocate for yourself is so important, and to how, yeah, picking your care team, all of it, right?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Actually, I, I mean, I love hearing the stories from care providers and specifically from labor nurses because I think Or I would say maybe even specifically from you.

I mean, mine was so similar, delivering where I work, surrounded by people I love.

But the ability to say and learn from and teach from, like, "Hey, actually, there were still things that went wrong," like, that we can all have that humility, right?

That you're not sitting here going, "They were all my best friends.

They did everything perfect." But actually to acknowledge the humanness of all these- Yeah … care providers, right?

These are your friends.

You love these women.

Mm-hmm.

You love these men, and still there were some things that were imperfect, right?

And so I actually just love the idea for someone listening to go, "Okay, like, she had an experience that was equal parts wonderful, and she learned something from it with these coworkers who she loves deeply."

I just think there's a lot to be said for that, right?

There's a humbleness coming from you or even from your coworkers or your friends to also be like, " Lauren, we have stuff to learn, and you showed us that too." Mm-hmm.

And just for all of us, both, like, patient or the clinical provider, just recognizing, I don't know, that not just, "Oh, we're doing the best we can," 'cause that feels a little trite.

Mm-hmm.

But just that we all need to have that humility and that grace- Mm-hmm … like for ourselves, for each other.

Mm-hmm.

That that's true for all of these births and all of these experiences.

Yeah.

That is so- Yeah … so good and so true.

And yeah, I mean, we're all human, and we're all learning, right?

And it's whether we take the experiences that we experience and, you know, move forward for the better or not.

Yep.

Yeah.

Yep.

Yeah.

I just love hearing, like, your nurses aren't perfect either, and that's a good thing to know.

Mm-hmm.

Right?

Like, that is… I want you to know that so you know how to advocate, just like you said.

Like, all those things.

You're walking in there, and we want you to be strong and advocate for yourself and ask questions and be curious, because it will make us better providers, too, and that, that should be, that should be the goal, right- Yes

for all of us.

So.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

I love that.

Okay.

So I know we already mentioned Labor Lauren, but tell us really quickly, I… certainly if people wanna talk to you about your birth story, vaginal hematomas, whatever it is, where can they find you?

Or look into your course as well, 'cause I do think you're doing something really special with this specific, like, faith-based birth education as well.

Yeah, yeah.

Well, I mean, really my entire birth experience is what led me to know, like, we can prepare well, right?

We can learn and we can advocate, we can prepare well, but that doesn't guarantee a perfect birth, right?

Like, I did all the things- Definitely … I thought, right?

And so, really, where does our hope come from?

Where is our identity in?

And if you're a Christian, and if you love Jesus, that's what I want to help you prepare for in your birth, of we can prepare and learn all the medical things and all the things that we should, but if things go wrong, like, we need… and even if things go right, actually, we need our faith to stand back on.

And so that's how it was for me in that experience, of things were not going well but I had Jesus, and I was at so much peace, and that's what I want for you as well.

So, you can find me at Labor Lauren, labor.lauren on Instagram, or laborlauren.com and my birth course is Faith Greater Than Fear Birth, and it's all online, self-paced, and it is, helping you keep Christ at the center for your birth.

Perfect.

Unrelated to any of that, but I always told my mom I wish she had named me Lauren and not Laura, because my name is Laura, but I go by Laur.

So part of me is like, "What if I could have also been Labor Lauren in a different world?"

Yes.

I

love it.

Stupid, but my brain was thinking about that just now.

Like, I could also be Labor Lauren, but I'm not 'cause it's not my name.

Anyway-

I love it

… Lo: one last question I always ask everybody before they go.

Yeah.

Just what's something in your life that's bringing you a ton of joy right now?

Ooh.

I have to say, I mean, gosh, my toddler.

Like, she just turned three, and although it is hard, as you know, the opinions and, ooh, attitude, which I have no clue where she gets that from, it's definitely not me, but the-

Maybe you should ask your anesthesiologist where she gets that from.

Right.

He could tell us.

This is very true.

But just, like, the little stories or how she's connecting things, it's just been such a joy to, yeah, to really get to watch her learn and grow, and yeah, I'm just thankful.

Like, every day, I'm like, "What?" We are spicy and funny.

Like, she just makes me laugh.

Yeah.

I have a two-and-a-half-year-old, so we're right behind you with that.

But man, I look at Kelvin, mm, maybe two or three times a week and I'm like, "She is so cute right now." I just… Like, all those things you said, the way they're putting things together- Mm-hmm … the way they think they can do everything for themselves.

Comes with challenges, yeah, yeah, yeah, but, like, ugh, they're fun little people right now, for sure.

Yes.

Yeah, they are.

It's a joy.

Well, Lauren, thank you for sharing her birth story with us.

Yeah.

It was very interesting, very educational for me as a nurse, too.

Oh, thank you.

I'm like, "Oh, hematomas, I need to look, look into that more."

And again, I just appreciate you being really honest about, yeah, people, you know, needing to continue to learn and stay humble and all that, too.

Yeah.

I think that's so valuable for all of us in the healthcare field, and for all of us who are patients in the healthcare field.

Yeah.

So thank you.

Yeah, of course.

Thank you for having me.

Thank you so much for listening to the Lo and Behold podcast.

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