Ep. 431: re-air 154 Understanding Your Rights in the Labor Room w/ Sarah Martin

In this episode of The Birth Lounge Podcast, HeHe sits down with former labor and delivery nurse, mom of nine, and founder of Transformational Motherhood, Sarah Martin, for a real talk conversation about labor room rights, hospital policies, and what it actually looks like to advocate for yourself during birth.

Together, they pull back the curtain on how hospital systems work, why many hospital birth classes can be biased, and why evidence-based childbirth education outside the hospital can make such a difference. Sarah shares practical ways families can navigate the system with more confidence, from choosing a provider who aligns with your goals to requesting a specific provider, hiring a doula, and understanding your right to informed consent.

They also talk about fear-based maternity care, how to decline students or procedures you are not comfortable with, when it is appropriate to request a different nurse, and how to report concerns if you feel disrespected or mistreated. This conversation is all about helping parents understand their options, protect their autonomy, and walk into the birth room feeling informed, supported, and in control.

This episode originally aired Tuesday Mar 02, 2021 and can be found here: https://podcast.thebirthlounge.com/e/ep-154-rights-in-the-labor-room-with-sarah-martin-rn/

Guest Bio:

Sarah Martin is a mother of 9, an experienced OB nurse, and founder of Transformational Motherhood (previously Traditional Motherhood). Sarah has taken her passion, knowledge and experience in pregnancy, birth and postpartum to create a community dedicated to education, empowerment and support of expectant and new mamas to take them from feeling scared to confidently prepared! Traditional Motherhood is taking expectant and new mamas from scared to confidently prepared through education.

Connect with Sarah:

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/transformationalmotherhood/

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Connect with HeHe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tranquilitybyhehe/

BIRTH EDUCATION:

Learn how to stay in control of your birth and reduce the risk of unnecessary interventions in our Avoid a C-Section Webinar. HeHe breaks down the cascade of interventions, explains what’s really happening in the hospital, and shares practical strategies to protect your birth plan, advocate for yourself, and navigate labor with confidence. Perfect for anyone who wants a positive, informed hospital birth experience: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/csection

Feeling nervous about speaking up in labor? Our Scripts for Advocacy give you the exact words to handle the most common conversations that can make or break your birth experience. From declining unnecessary interventions to asking the right questions about procedures, these scripts empower you to stay in control, speak confidently, and protect your birth plan — even when the pressure is on. Think of it as your personal toolkit for advocating like a pro, so you can focus on your baby, not the stress: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/Scripts-for-Advocacy

And if you haven’t grabbed it yet… Snag my free Pitocin Guide to understand the risks, benefits, and red flags your provider may not be telling you about, so you can make informed, powerful decisions in labor: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/pitocin

Join The Birth Lounge for judgment-free, evidence-based childbirth education from HeHe that shows you exactly how to navigate hospital policies, avoid unnecessary interventions, and have a trauma-free labor experience, all while feeling wildly supported every step of the way: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/

Want prep delivered straight to your phone? Download The Birth Lounge App for bite-sized birth and postpartum tools you can use anytime, anywhere: https://www.thebirthlounge.com/app-download-page

LINKS MENTIONED:

Temp Drop If you’re over peeing on sticks, overthinking charts, or trying to take your temp at the same time every morning, Tempdrop does the work for you while you sleep. Grab a discount with code AFHEHE at tempdrop.com/discount/AFHEHE