Labor Horror Stories vs. Empowered Birth: What No One Tells You

Send us a text

EP:94

Let’s talk about the thing nobody warns you about—why some moms leave the hospital traumatized, while others walk out feeling strong, empowered, and proud.

Is it luck? Nope. The doctor you get? Not really. Pain tolerance? Definitely not.

In this episode, Stephanie breaks down the real reason behind labor horror stories—and how to flip the script so YOU feel in control, confident, and ready to rock your birth. You’ll learn the four most important ways to prepare for a positive, powerful labor—and why now is the time to start.

What You’ll Learn:

• The #1 difference between birth trauma and birth empowerment
• Why prenatal education is EVERYTHING (and backed by research)
• How knowing your rights protects your peace
• The truth about building a supportive birth team
• Why most birth plans don’t work—and how to make yours powerful

Resources & Links:
🔥 Grab the Bump To Bundle Blueprint childbirth course
🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube Channel for pregnancy + breastfeeding tips:
🎧 Listen to: 5 Red Flags Your Doctor Isn’t Supporting You 

Connect with Stephanie:
Website: birthprepacademy.com

Leave a Review & Subscribe!
If this episode helped you, take 30 seconds to leave a review—it helps more moms find this life-changing content!

Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Hi, I'm Stephanie Poole, founderand CEO of Birth Prep Academy.
I'm on a mission to helppregnant moms prepare for their
first hospital birth.
I'm sharing revealingconversations about what it
really takes to successfullytransition into motherhood.
So join me.
Here to discover things likewhat to expect in childbirth,

(00:27):
how to prepare for your birth.
We'll also talk aboutbreastfeeding and so much more.
I'm so grateful to share it allwith you right here on Oh Baby,
the podcast created for pregnantmoms preparing for their first
hospital birth.
Let's get started.
Have you ever heard a birthstory that made you feel

(00:48):
terrified to give birth?
I'm talking about you hear aboutsomeone's labor and suddenly
you're thinking, oh my goodness,what did I get myself into?
Or maybe on the flip side,you've heard a story that made
you feel totally confident andnow you're like, okay, I got
this.
I can do this.

(01:10):
Well, in today's episode, you'lllearn what the real difference
is between a labor horror storyand an empowered birth.
Is it just luck?
Is it the doctor you get?
Or some magical pain tolerance?
I'm here to tell you no, no andno.

(01:31):
There's actually a bigdifference between the two.
And today I'm gonna break it alldown for you in case you're new
here.
My name is Stephanie Poole.
I'm a doula and a clinicallytrained lactation consultant.
So I've worked in labor anddelivery and I've.
Actually seen both sides of thecoin.

(01:52):
I've seen all kinds of momsafter birth and it's crazy
because there's always ones thatleave the hospital looking and
feeling traumatized.
I'm talking, they look likebirth just happened to him.
Just hit him dead on like.
A Mack truck, like boom.

(02:14):
It just happened and there wasno control, no preparation, just
it happened those moms seem tofeel helpless, scared, and even
sometimes unheard.
And meanwhile, I've helped womenwho walk away feeling like a
total birth boss.

(02:35):
I'm talking, they are confident.
They're strong and they're proudof what they just did, proud of
what their body justaccomplished.
So you might be asking, well,what's the difference?
What happened?
How could that be?
Right?
Well, it's not just about thepain.

(02:56):
It's not just about whether ornot you have a C-section or a
vaginal birth, and it's not justabout the luck of the draw with
the hospital that you go to.
in fact, the difference comesdown to one thing, and that is
preparation and not the packyour hospital bag and hope for

(03:17):
the best type of preparation.
That's not what I'm talkingabout.
I'm talking about something waymore important, and by the way,
If you want to avoid a birthhorror story, I'm not gonna drag
it out all the way through thevideo.
I'm gonna tell you upfront, it'ssimply preparation.

(03:37):
But not the kind of preparationthat just tells you to write a
birth plan and cross yourfingers.
No, ma'am.
We are not doing that this year.
Let me say that again.
We're not doing that this year.
This year, right now with thispregnancy and this birth, you're
going to be prepared.
I mean the kind of preparationthat actually puts you Yes.

(04:01):
You right there on the otherside of this computer screen.
You, my friend, it puts you incharge of your birth experience.
So.
I'm gonna give you a few keythings that you can do to have
what I would call a moreempowered birth.

(04:21):
Okay?
So with that being said, goahead and get your pen, get your
paper, break out your phone app.
If you need to hop into, um, thenotes app is what I mean, so
that you can really catch thisand.
Hit the ground running.
I want you to pick this stuffup.
and I want you to have anempowered birth.

(04:44):
Okay?
All right, so.
The very first way or the veryfirst thing that you can do to
have an empowered birth issimply by getting educated.
Now, let me say this again veryplainly'cause I know it sounds
real basic, but y'all educationis everything.

(05:05):
Everything.
And we know this, not justbecause it's my opinion, because
it is my opinion.
Um, you know, I feel verystrongly about this, which is
why my area of focus has reallyshifted from the clinical aspect
to the education aspect, Thatalone is enough for you to just

(05:26):
trust me at this, but in caseit's not, in case you want
evidence, we know that researchshows that women who get
education prenatally before theygive birth, those women are more
likely to have a positive birthexperience.
Now I need to lean forward andhopefully kind of.

(05:49):
Ring in your ears a little bit.
Okay.
Women who get educationprenatally before birth are more
likely to have a positive birthexperience.
That's what the data shows.
So we know this and because weknow that it's important to

(06:09):
reiterate that education isabsolutely everything.
As a matter of fact, the momswho feel the most in control,
well, they didn't just wing it.
They learned what to expect.
They learned what's normal inlabor.
They learned what's not normaland how to navigate the

(06:31):
unexpected.
So when you have that knowledge,you don't feel blindsided.
You feel ready?
All right.
Okay.
Moving on to step two of thingsthat you can do to feel more
empowered.
All right.
Step number two is to know yourrights.
And yes, you do have rights inthe delivery room.

(06:53):
You have options.
You have a choice.
And when you know the differencebetween what's medically
necessary and what's just ahospital policy, you can make
informed choices instead offeeling pressured into things
that you don't really want Allright.
Moving on to the next thing thatyou can do to have a empowered

(07:15):
birth.
I keep saying that over and overagain because these things are
really important.
The next thing is to build yourbirth team wisely.
Build your birth team wisely.
You've heard me say this inother videos, and I'm gonna
reiterate it here because that'show important it is.

(07:37):
This is absolutely huge.
Listen, not every doctor ormidwife is gonna support your
birth goals.
And if you've ever feltdismissed or rushed at an
appointment, then that is a bigred flag my friend.
Pay attention.

(07:58):
Your birth team should make youfeel heard.
They should make you feelrespected and confident, not
scared and not silenced.
And if you missed my last videoon the five red flags that your
doctor isn't supporting yourbirth, then I'm gonna link it
here so that you can go andwatch that.

(08:18):
Okay?
It'll be your homework.
Just check in the card sectionand also in the description box
below.
So yeah, be sure to check thatout.
Alright, the next thing that Iwanna talk about, last, but not
least as they say, is to have asolid birth plan.
Now listen, this isn't justabout writing out a list and

(08:42):
handing it to your doctor,right?
I told you we're not doing thatthis year.
They get those all the time.
But you, you mama, you're gonnabe different.
You're gonna write a good birthplan.
A good birth plan is one thatactually shows you how to
navigate labor and not justsomething that you hope your

(09:04):
provider follows.
It's a tool for communication,and I teach you exactly how to
create one of those inside ofBump Tob bundle blueprint.
Now you might be wondering,okay, I get it.
Preparation is key, but how do Iactually prepare for my birth
the right way?
And that's exactly what I'mcovering.

(09:25):
In the next episode, I'm gonnago over, step by step a plan
that you can use to prepare foryour birth the right way so that
you can go from, I don't knowwhat the heck I'm doing to, oh,
watch out.
'cause I got this.
Okay.
It's in the next video.
I am breaking it all down foryou so that you can walk into

(09:46):
your birth feeling confident andnot scared.
Just go ahead and click the nextvideo and I'll see you there.
Bye.