Trish is joined by Danielle Sherman-Lazar, creator of Living Full and author of Mothers Are Made.

Danielle shares her journey from battling eating disorders to becoming a mental health advocate and mother of four. She discusses the challenges of postpartum body image, mental health in motherhood, and how her experiences have shaped her into a better mother.

Trish and Danielle discuss how each child changes you as a mother, the identity shifts that happen in postpartum, and the importance of community.

No matter where you’re at in your motherhood journey, you are powerful, capable, and doing a darn good job. Stop the self-doubt, give yourself grace, and remember: You’re not alone.

Connect with Danielle Sherman-Lazar:

Grab her book: Mothers Are Made

http://www.livingfull.me/

Follow her on Instagram @livingfullaftered

Follow her on FaceBook

01:07 Danielle's Journey with an Eating Disorder

02:15 Motherhood and Mental Health

04:45 Postpartum Struggles and Body Image

10:01 Empowering Moms and Living Fully

14:52 Danielle's Book: Mothers Are Made

Resources:

Join our 5 Days to A Fearless Birth Experience and watch 5 Online Birth Classes FOR FREE!!

Connect w/ Trish:

On Instagram

On Facebook

On YouTube

On Pinterest

On TikTok

For more pregnancy & birth education, subscribe to The Birth Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services

If you are ready to invest in your pregnancy & postpartum journey, you are in the right place. I would love to take your hand and support you in your virtual labor room!

If you are ready to dive into a birth class and have your best and most powerful birth story, then Calm Labor Confident Birth or The VBAC Lab is your next step.

If you have a scheduled cesarean, take our Belly Birth Masterclass and own that experience.

If you are a newly pregnant mama or just had the babe, you want to join our private pregnancy and postpartum membership, Calm Mama...

Welcome to this week's episode of Pregnancy Unpacked with Trish, RN, who is unpacking weeks 8 to 10 of pregnancy.

 You've got hormones flying, symptoms ramping up, and maybe even your very first prenatal appointment on the calendar. Trish is going to walk you through exactly what to expect at that appointment, what to ask, and what's normal to feel right now.

Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms

Leave a review and include your Instagram username for a chance to win our monthly raffle!

What you’ll learn:

• The rapid development happening with your baby.
• What to expect at your first prenatal appointment, what key questions to ask, and how to take charge of your pregnancy journey.
• What to expect during your first ultrasound.
• Practical tips for managing morning sickness.
• Understanding the importance of a strong mindset.
• The benefits of starting a birth class early to ensure you're prepared for every stage of your pregnancy.

00:59 Weeks 8 to 10: What to Expect

03:03 First Prenatal Appointment: What You Need to Know

05:49 Mindset Matters: Advocating for Yourself

07:36 Morning Sickness Relief Tips

10:33 The Importance of Early Birth Education

Resources:

Join our 5 Days to A Fearless Birth Experience and watch 5 Online Birth Classes FOR FREE!!

Grab the First Trimester Prep Pack

Connect w/ Trish:

On Instagram

On Facebook

On YouTube

On Pinterest

On TikTok

For more pregnancy & birth education, subscribe to The Birth Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services

If you are ready to invest in your pregnancy & postpartum journey, you are in the right place. I would love to take your hand and support you in your virtual labor room!

If you are ready to dive into a birth class and have your best and most powerful birth story, then Calm Labor Confident Birth or The VBAC Lab is your next step.

If you have a scheduled cesarean, take our Belly Birth Masterclass and own that experience.

If you are a newly pregnant mama or just had the babe, you want to join our private pregnancy and postpartum membership, Calm

Hey mama! In this short and sweet episode Trish breaks down everything you need to know about second trimester pregnancy testing. Get ready to feel educated, empowered, and like the queen you are as you navigate your pregnancy with confidence.

Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms

Leave a review and include your Instagram username for a chance to win our monthly raffle!

What You'll Learn:

• Second Trimester Visits: Expect weight checks, blood pressure monitoring, urine tests, and hearing your baby’s magical heartbeat with the Doppler. Plus, fundal height measurements to track baby’s growth.
• Fetal Movement: Those fluttery kicks start between 18-22 weeks, signaling your baby’s thriving.
• Multiple Marker Screening (Triple/Quad Screen): Done at 16-18 weeks, this blood test checks for Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18, and neural tube defects.
• 20-Week Anatomy Scan: The big ultrasound! It measures baby’s organs, bones, and more, plus reveals the gender (if you want to know). Be prepared for a long appointment!
• Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT): Between 24-28 weeks, you’ll drink the dreaded glucola to screen for gestational diabetes.
• STI Screening & Emotional Check-Ins: High-risk mamas may get STI tests, and your provider will check on your mental health. Be honest—there’s zero shame in needing support.

Walk into every appointment informed and ready to advocate for you and your baby. It’s your body, mama!

More from this episode:

Comment "#second" on any @labor.nurse.mama Instagram post for Second Trimester Prep Pack

Grab the First Trimester Prep Pack

Grab the Third Trimester Prep Pack

Listen to Navigating Your 20-Week Anatomy Scan with Confidence | 150

Listen to 11 Things to Do During the Second Trimester of Pregnancy | 82

Connect with the Gestational Diabetes Nurse

00:53 Second Trimester Overview

01:51 Routine Checkups and Measurements

03:05 Important Tests and Screenings

04:10 Emotional Well-being and Support

04:37 The 20-Week Anatomy Scan

05:54 Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT)

06:40 Gestational Diabetes Management

07:53 Empowerment and Resources

Resources:

First Trimester Secret Podcast

🎙 FREE Birth Workshop: 3 Secrets to a Confident Birth! 🎙

Want to feel prepared and in control? Watch my free workshop now!

Connect w/ Trish:

On Instagram

On Facebook

Welcome to the second episode of Pregnancy Unpacked. I'm Trish, your birth bestie, and I'll be guiding you through every stage of pregnancy.

Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms

Leave a review and include your Instagram username for a chance to win our monthly raffle!

In this episode, we focus on the critical, yet often surprising, weeks 6 to 8 of pregnancy. Learn about what's happening in your body, the hormonal changes, and the development of your baby at this stage.

We'll talk about common symptoms, how to manage them, and why they're actually good signs, and  how to care for yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally through this wild hormonal ride.

00:59 Navigating Early Pregnancy: Weeks 6-8

02:43 Understanding Hormonal Changes

05:10 Common Symptoms and Remedies

08:33 Emotional Well-being During Pregnancy

09:27 Practical Tips for the First Trimester

Resources:

First Trimester Secret Podcast

🎙 FREE Birth Workshop: 3 Secrets to a Confident Birth! 🎙

Want to feel prepared and in control? Watch my free workshop now!

Connect w/ Trish:

On Instagram

On Facebook

On YouTube

On Pinterest

On TikTok

For more pregnancy & birth education, subscribe to The Birth Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services

If you are ready to invest in your pregnancy & postpartum journey, you are in the right place. I would love to take your hand and support you in your virtual labor room!

If you are ready to dive into a birth class and have your best and most powerful birth story, then Calm Labor Confident Birth or The VBAC Lab is your next step.

If you have a scheduled cesarean, take our Belly Birth Masterclass and own that experience.

If you are a newly pregnant mama or just had the babe, you want to join our private pregnancy and postpartum membership, Calm Mama Society.

Remember, my advice is not medical advice. Always discuss what you learn with your team. See my Disclaimer here! Also, We make a small commission from some of the links (you don’t pay any more for using our links); however some of the recommendations, we do not earn anything; we love ’em and want you to know about...

 Today we're getting real about C-sections, not as a worst case scenario, but as a valid, powerful, and yes—a beautiful way to bring your baby into the world.

Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms

Leave a review and include your Instagram username for a chance to win our monthly raffle!

Trish is sitting down with two incredible women. Jen Wagner, a trained OB anesthesiologist and Bethany, a doula turned nurse and three times C-section Mama. Together they host this C-section Experience podcast.

These women are flipping the narrative on surgical birth, and this conversation is honest, emotional, and packed with tips that every pregnant woman should hear, not just those planning a cesarean, because birth isn't about a plan. It's about your power, and you are the queen of your story no matter how your baby arrives.

Connect with Jen & Bethany:

Listen to The C-Section Experience Podcast

Follow them on Instagram @thecsxpodcast

00:00 Introduction to C-Section Experiences

01:17 Meet Jen and Bethany

03:49 Changing the Narrative Around C-Sections

20:35 The Importance of Advocating for Yourself

23:39 Challenging Medical Norms

26:17 Creating a Positive C-Section Experience

26:53 Medication and Anxiety Management

28:10 Capturing the Birth Moment

33:11 Normalizing C-Section Births

Resources:

First Trimester Secret Podcast

🎙 FREE Birth Workshop: 3 Secrets to a Confident Birth! 🎙

Want to feel prepared and in control? Watch my free workshop now!

Connect w/ Trish:

On Instagram

On Facebook

On YouTube

On Pinterest

On TikTok

For more pregnancy & birth education, subscribe to The Birth Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services

If you are ready to invest in your pregnancy & postpartum journey, you are in the right place. I would love to take your hand and support you in your virtual labor room!

If you are ready to dive into a birth class and have your best and most powerful birth story, then Calm Labor Confident Birth or The VBAC Lab is your next step.

If you have a scheduled cesarean, take our Belly Birth Masterclass and own that experience....

This is Pregnancy Unpacked, a week-by-week series where Trish walks you through every stage of pregnancy. This isn’t your standard “what size fruit is the baby?” podcast - this is real talk bringing you the truth, the science, the symptoms, the “what’s normal?” and “what’s not?” during each stage of pregnancy.

Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms

Leave a review and include your Instagram username for a chance to win our monthly raffle!

Today, Trish is unpacking the “Am I Pregnant?” phase, and what you need to know before you know.

She’s getting into:

• Navigating the “maybe” phase, common fears, and uncertainties.
• Fertilization, ovulation, implantation–and more.
• Timing and accuracy of pregnancy tests.
• Taking care of your body and your mental health.
• Guidance for women trying to conceive.
• The importance of honoring the present moment.

Whether your test is positive, negative, still too early to tell, or you're just wondering what the heck your body is doing right now —this episode is for you.

00:00 Welcome to Pregnancy Unpacked

03:09 Your Week-By-Week Pregnancy Series

05:04 Am I Pregnant?

06:24 Understanding Pregnancy Tests

10:17 Taking Care of Yourself

Resources:

Calm Labor Guide

First Trimester Secret Podcast

🎙 FREE Birth Workshop: 3 Secrets to a Confident Birth! 🎙

Want to feel prepared and in control? Watch my free workshop now!

Connect w/ Trish:

On Instagram

On Facebook

On YouTube

On Pinterest

On TikTok

For more pregnancy & birth education, subscribe to The Birth Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services

If you are ready to invest in your pregnancy & postpartum journey, you are in the right place. I would love to take your hand and support you in your virtual labor room!

If you are ready to dive into a birth class and have your best and most powerful birth story, then Calm Labor Confident Birth or The VBAC Lab is your next step.

If you have a scheduled cesarean, take our Belly Birth Masterclass and own that experience.

If you are a newly pregnant mama or just had the babe, you want to...

What happens when you create your birth plan, you're super adamant about it, but then in the moment during your birth, you change your mind? Maybe you swore you'd go unmedicated, but now that epidural's calling your name or maybe you planned for hospital birth, but now you're really dreaming about a home birth?

Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms

Leave a review and include your Instagram username for a chance to win our monthly raffle!

This is YOUR BIRTH and you do not owe anyone an explanation! So in today's episode, Trish is breaking down why your birth plan's a guide, a map, not a contract, and why changing your mind is your right.

Don't miss out on this supportive discussion reminding you that your birth journey is uniquely yours.

00:00 A Birth Plan is Your Guide

01:07 The Guilt of Changing Your Birth Plan

02:59 Empowerment and Decision Making

05:08 The Importance of Birth Plans

08:21 Common Reasons for Changing Your Mind

11:02 Resources and Support

Resources:

Calm Labor Guide

Grab this Birth Plan Workshop and Visual Birth Planning Template: Birth Plan Mastery: Crafting Your Roadmap to Empowered Birth

First Trimester Secret Podcast

🎙 FREE Birth Workshop: 3 Secrets to a Confident Birth! 🎙

Want to feel prepared and in control? Watch my free workshop now!

Connect w/ Trish:

On Instagram

On Facebook

On YouTube

On Pinterest

On TikTok

For more pregnancy & birth education, subscribe to The Birth Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services

If you are ready to invest in your pregnancy & postpartum journey, you are in the right place. I would love to take your hand and support you in your virtual labor room!

If you are ready to dive into a birth class and have your best and most powerful birth story, then Calm Labor Confident Birth or The VBAC Lab is your next step.

If you have a scheduled cesarean, take our Belly Birth Masterclass and own that experience.

If you are a newly pregnant mama or just had the babe, you want to join our private pregnancy and postpartum membership, Calm Mama...

Get ready for a raw, real chat with Trish and Kim Perry, a pre/postnatal fitness certified mom of four! Trish and Kim get into everything from birth preparation - both physically & mentally - to postpartum life, and the chaos of motherhood sharing expert tips and real stories. Trish shares how to master the mental game of labor and advocate in the delivery room, while Kim offers quick, safe workouts for pregnancy and beyond. From birth stories to pregnancy prep, they cover it all—proving you don’t need perfection, just grit and grace.

Join the Calm Mama Membership: labornursemama.com/cms

Leave a review and include your Instagram username for a chance to win our monthly raffle!

More from Kim Perry:

Checkout Kim’s Pregnancy Workout Programs, Afterglow, & Labor Intensity Interval

Find Kim on Instagram @kimperryco

Visit her website KimPerry.com

01:32 Welcome back - Kim Perry!

02:20 Motherhood and Real-Life Struggles

10:51 Reality TV and Personal Stories

18:47 Preparing for Birth: Mentally and Physically

24:44 The Importance of Education and Support During Labor

37:06 Castor Oil, Midwives and Home Birth

40:54 Importance of Birth Education

45:01 Navigating Birth Choices and Trauma

56:23 Community Support for Moms +05:29s

01:01:52 Motherhood Challenges and Joys

01:10:02 Fitness Programs for Moms

Resources:

Listen to episode 101: Empowering Pregnancy Fitness: Insights & Tips

First Trimester Secret Podcast

🎙 FREE Birth Workshop: 3 Secrets to a Confident Birth! 🎙

Want to feel prepared and in control? Watch my free workshop now!

Connect w/ Trish:

On Instagram

On Facebook

On YouTube

On Pinterest

On TikTok

For more pregnancy & birth education, subscribe to The Birth Experience on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services

If you are ready to invest in your pregnancy & postpartum journey, you are in the right place. I would love to take your...