11 Things to Know Before You Go Into Labor (That No One Tells You) | Episode 56

I’m giving you 11 quick and essential things I really wish every mama knew before heading to the hospital - whether it's your first baby or your fourth. We're pulling back the curtain on the real-life stuff that doesn't exactly make it into the textbooks, and honestly? That's my favorite kind of episode. From the moment you pull into that parking lot to the moment you're trying to catch a nap postpartum with a revolving door of hospital staff, there are just so many things that can catch you off guard if no one ever tells you about them. And that's exactly what I'm here for.

We're covering all of it:

• The check-in process and how to make it less clunky
• Why you might get sent home (and why that's okay!)
• When to actually sound the alarm with family and friends
• Why things justtake timeat a hospital
• Whether there will even be a room waiting for you
• The two-bag strategy I love for your hospital bag
• Why you should stay home longer than you think
• What your birth partner is and isn't allowed to do
• How long you'll actually be there postpartum
• Why that car seat needs to be installednow
• How to actually get some rest when it feels nearly impossible

My goal is always the same - to make the unfamiliar familiar so that when any of this shows up for you, you're saying "oh yeah, I knew this might happen" instead of feeling thrown off. Let's get into it!

Mentioned in this episode:

• Grab my Free Third Trimester Prep Pack
• Listen to episode 01: Labor Nurse's First Unmedicated Hospital Birth with Midwives
• Listen to episode 37: Is it Real Labor: Braxton Hicks Contractions, False Labor & Prodromal Labor
• Listen to episode 38: You're Contracting! When Do You Go to the Hospital?
• Listen to episode 44: What Happens in OB Triage & Will They Send You Home?

Helpful Timestamps:

• 00:00 11 Things to Know Before Labor
• 03:04 Check In Can Feel Clunky
• 05:46 OB Triage And Getting Sent Home
• 10:49 Hold Off On Telling Everyone
• 12:42 Everything Takes Longer in the Hospital
• 17:21 Pack Two Hospital Bags
• 20:49 Stay Home Longer
• 23:51 Partner Can Step Out
• 25:11 Postpartum Stays
• 28:05 Car Seat Before Labor
• 30:03 Rest And Cluster Care

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:

YBYB 20% off ad link