The Labor Mama

Directions Website

The Labor Mama Hi. I'm Lo. ♥️ Mama to 4, birth & baby nurse, lactation counselor.

Sharing my birth, baby, motherhood & home tips, tricks, and favorites for you and your family too.

💻 Learn: my online courses
🎧 Listen: The Lo & Behold Podcast
👯‍♀️ Join: IG & TikTok

10/15/2026

Maybe keep the warnings to yourself, ok?👌🏼

Because we really have no idea, do we, what it is they’ve been desperate for.

10/14/2026

But seriously, how do you know it’s time?

First thing to know? There are NO hard and fast rules for when you should head in, because this is an INDIVIDUAL thing specific to you and your situation and the birth you’re envisioning and hopeful for.

Ok, some details:

You’ve probs heard of the 4-1-1 or the 5-1-1 rule for contractions? 1 min long, 1 min apart, for 4-5 minutes and then they say go in?

This is a decent baseline. BUT, I think it’s so much more than this.

So - it’s also ⤵️

- What’s your labor history (if you have one)?
- What’d your provider say when you asked them?
- What number baby is this?
- Will there be traffic/weather on the commute?
- How far away from the hospital are you?
- GBS status, getting those abx?
- How have things changed over time? (This one is HUGE to me).
- Are you feeling pressure too (or more now)?
- What type of birth do you want? Is the hospital going to help that?
- Are your waters broken?
- What other signs of labor do you have?
- Do you want to be sure you have time to get an epidural?
- Would you rather be there a while and settle in or just go in and push out your baby?
- Are your emotions changing and indicating more active labor? (I have a podcast episode on this - comment E10 for that!)

If I (and a lot of you) based this off the 4-1-1 or 5-1-1 rule, we’d have car babies. Or we’d get sent home from triage a couple times (that’s ok btw - I just know most don’t want that to happen)!

SO, you gotta put all of this together to answer that question!

Anyone go in too early (or too late)? I def cut it a little too close for baby number 4 - but hey, no one is perfect in this birth stuff anyway, right?!

👉🏽 comment E38 for my podcast episode that deep dives this question!!!

       

10/13/2026

Laboring at home doesn’t have to be complicated, but def give it some thought now so you have some good ideas of what to try BEFORE you’re contracting.

If you’re new here, hi, I’m Lo! I’m a labor and mom/baby nurse, lactation counselor, and mama x 4. If you’re pregnant, mommin’, or are prepping for birth, postpartum, or breastfeeding, stick around, particularly if you’re NOT into the “you’re wrong, I’m right, this is the best way” type of mom content. This space is definitely for you. ♥️

10/12/2026

Here’s the deal:

Dilation AND effacement both matter. That’s 10000% true.

Neither one is automatically more important than the other, and changes in EITHER (or both) can be part of cervical progress.

But here’s something I want you to understand:

Dilation = the opening of your cervix (0–10 cm)
Effacement = the thinning of your cervix (0–100%)

And while they can happen simultaneously, effacement OFTEN starts before significant dilation. In my experience, the VAST majority of my patients were 100% effaced before they reached 10 cm.

Think about those hard candies with the hole in the middle? 👉🏼 As you suck on them, the candy gets thinner before that hole dramatically increases in size, right?

That’s kind of how I think about the cervix.

As your cervix thins, it’s changing and preparing to open as labor progresses.

So personally? I LOVE to see that effacement.

To me, that tells me that my (or yours!) cervix is getting nice and thin and baby’s head is well applied to it.

So I don’t care if I’m “only” 0 or 1 cm in that scenario. I’m much more interested in the fact that my cervix is thinning, changing, and getting ready for what’s next.

Which is of course - DILATION.

Again, both matter!!!! Either can change at any time. And neither measurement tells us the whole story of how labor will progress.

But personally and professionally, I love seeing a nice, thin cervix getting ready to open.

Make sense?

If you’re new here, hi, I’m Lo! I’m a labor and mom/baby nurse, lactation counselor, and mama x 4. For more easy to apply tidbits about birth, follow along Lo RN, MSN, CLC | Birth, Postpartum, Breastfeeding Making birth easier to understand for you is my fav!

10/12/2026

How do you prepare for birth without letting fear take over? This is SUCH an important question, especially when we all know that really hard things can and do happen in your birth stories.

Kayleigh Summers, The Birth Trauma Mama, Kayleigh Summers LCSW, PMH-C | Birth Trauma Therapist joins me on the podcast this episode to talk about birth trauma, amniotic fluid embolism, catastrophic birth planning, preparing for birth complications, and how to make sure your wishes are heard if you can’t speak for yourself.

Comment E73 for the episode, ok?

Episode 73 of the Lo & Behold | Pregnancy, Birth & Motherhood Podcast : Catastrophic Birth Plan & Centering Hope with Kayleigh Summers, The Birth Trauma Mama

10/08/2026

That wait before the cesarean can be tough - and hard to not know what’s going on. BUT, it’s also normal, and there’s a pretty typical routine happening in the OR before they grab whoever is going back with you!

Ask! Always ask. There is no issue with wanting to know what’s going on or wanting to be reassured.

👉🏽 OG TikTok vid is from Mitch Hamilton !!

** If you’re new here, hi, I’m Lo! I’m a labor and mom/baby nurse, lactation counselor, and mama x 4. If you’re pregnant, mommin’, or are prepping for birth, postpartum, or breastfeeding, stick around, particularly if you’re NOT into the “you’re wrong, I’m right, this is the best way” type of mom content. This space is definitely for you. ♥️

10/07/2026

My fourth baby was my fastest birth yet.

I went from “I think I’m in labor” to baby in my arms veeeeerrry quickly — a true precipitous labor, with only 19 minutes in the hospital before Dad caught them! Also, hands and knees delivery? Wasn’t what I wanted!

Comment E72 to hear this story!

In my 4th story — deciding to have a 4th, pregnancy in the Netherlands, what fast labor actually felt like, the fetal ejection reflex, and what it was like to process a birth that happened so quickly.

Episode 72 of the Lo & Behold | Pregnancy, Birth & Motherhood Podcast : Labor Nurse’s Fourth Birth Story: 19-Minute Unmedicated Hospital Birth Caught by Dad with Lo Mansfield, Lo RN, MSN, CLC | Birth, Postpartum, Breastfeeding

Love this! This choice is personal, but it is SO VALID to want and pursue this type of birth!
10/07/2026

Love this! This choice is personal, but it is SO VALID to want and pursue this type of birth!

10/07/2026

Just in case you’re early holiday shopping like me (I reaaaallly want a chill December), some of the most beloved toys in our house are discounted through today.

Comment TOYS for the list!

A few favs from me and our home for pregnancy, labor & birth, babies, breastfeeding, raising littles, health, toys, and ...
10/07/2026

A few favs from me and our home for pregnancy, labor & birth, babies, breastfeeding, raising littles, health, toys, and good old mom life - all discounted right now!

Comment PRIME22 for all of the deals! ♥️

Address

Denver, CO

Website

, ,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Labor Mama posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category