I sat down with Sydney, better known online as Nurse Sydney, a labor and delivery nurse with six years of hands-on experience. We had such a fun, practical conversation about all the different pain management tools and comfort measures available during labor – from TENS units and birth combs to sterile water injections, IV pain meds, nitrous oxide, and of course the epidural. We even ranked them like we’ve been seeing trending online, and we get real about what actually helps, what’s underrated, and how so many of these tools work best when you combine them together.
We also touched on something really important toward the end of the episode (check timestamps) – Sydney opened up about her history with an eating disorder and how she’s thoughtfully preparing for pregnancy and postpartum, making sure she has the right support in place. It was such an honest and compassionate conversation about how body image, food relationships, and the rapid changes of pregnancy can feel complicated, and why it’s so valuable to talk openly with your care team and surround yourself with positivity. Whether you’re planning a birth, supporting someone through it, or just love birth education, this episode is packed with real-talk tools and heartfelt reminders that you deserve compassionate care no matter what.
More from Nurse Sydney:
Visit www.nursesydney.com
Follow her on Instagram, FaceBook, TikTok, or YouTube: @nursesydney
Helpful Timestamps:
- 00:00 Comfort Tools During Labor
- 02:29 Meet Nurse Sydney
- 10:28 Ranking Birth Pain Tools
- 15:02 Hydrotherapy and Environment
- 17:43 TENS Unit Breakdown
- 21:48 Birth Combs and Spiky Balls
- 24:32 Sterile Water Injections
- 28:56 IV Pain Meds Explained
- 33:51 Nitrous How It Works
- 38:33 The Epidural
- 43:17 Pudendal Block Option
- 47:09 Eating Disorder Pregnancy Prep
- 52:36 Building Support Care Plans
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.
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Produced and Edited by Vaden Podcast Services
