Your Pain Control Options for Labor (It’s Not Just the Epidural!) with Nurse Sydney | Episode 45

Join YBYB: www.thelabormama.com/birth & use the code PODCAST to save 20%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.comFollow her on Instagram, FaceBook, TikTok, or YouTube: @nursesydneyHelpful Timestamps:00:00 Comfort Tools During Labor02:29 Meet Nurse Sydney10:28 Ranking Birth Pain Tools15:02 Hydrotherapy and Environment17:43 TENS Unit Breakdown21:48 Birth Combs and Spiky Balls24:32 Sterile Water Injections28:56 IV Pain Meds Explained33:51 Nitrous How It Works38:33 The Epidural43:17 Pudendal Block Option47:09 Eating Disorder Pregnancy Prep52:36 Building Support Care PlansAbout 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 | FACEBOOKDisclaimerOpinions 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 ServicesMentioned in this episode:YBYB 20% off ad link