This week, Nikki sits down with HeHe Stewart, a leading childbirth educator and doula based in Boston, Massachusetts, who has supported over 2,000 families in the last decade. HeHe is known for her fierce advocacy around informed consent, reducing unnecessary interventions, and ensuring patient autonomy—all while her husband works as a physician in the ER, giving her a unique insider perspective on the American hospital system.

Together, they unpack the reality of hospital birth culture, why the system isn't designed to support laboring women, and how to advocate for yourself without apology. HeHe shares practical scripts for setting boundaries with providers, why hospital childbirth classes often teach compliance over options, and how to avoid the kind of birth trauma that ripples through your entire postpartum experience. Recorded when HeHe was 37 weeks pregnant with her first baby, this conversation is both deeply personal and powerfully educational.

HeHe shares:

• Why the hospital system is designed for compliance, not support—and the only person happy in the equation is the system itself
• "You can't make a wrong choice if you don't know all your options"—powerful reframe for releasing mom guilt about past births
• Why hospital-sponsored childbirth classes teach you to be a "good compliant patient" instead of an informed decision-maker
• Practical advocacy scripts including "No thanks" as a full sentence and how to request a different provider mid-labor
• The ripple effect of birth trauma on mental health, parent-child bonding, and your entire family ecosystem
• Her own comprehensive birth planning approach: birth plan, C-section plan, transfer plan, and even an ICU plan
• Evidence-based practices vs. hospital policies: eating in labor, breaking waters, suspected big baby inductions, and more
• Why flexibility (not rigidity) is the key to avoiding compounded trauma in birth

Ways to Connect with HeHe: Instagram | Web

This week, Nikki welcomes Tina, aka MamaNurseTina: a labor and delivery nurse, mom of four, content creator, and aspiring stand-up comedian who's on a mission to empower women through birth and postpartum. With years of experience in emergency and labor & delivery, Tina brings an insider's perspective on hospital birth culture, patient advocacy, and why "be kind but firm" might be the most important advice you'll hear.

Together, they dive into the reality of cookie-cutter hospital births, why asking questions doesn't make you a difficult patient, and even tips on switching nurses if you're not vibing in the delivery room. Tina shares practical scripts for advocating in labour, why cervical exams aren't always necessary, and how proper prep work can transform your birth and postpartum experience. This is a fun one!

Tina shares:

• The reality of "cookie-cutter" hospital births and why interventions become automatic
• You can switch nurses—here's the exact script for how to ask without being "difficult"
• "Need to know" vs. "nice to know" cervical exams and the two questions every provider should answer
• How to be "kind but firm" when advocating and why the BRAIN acronym helps with decisions
• Consent can be withdrawn at any moment—even mid-exam—and why this needs to be in training
• Why Black moms face unique challenges advocating (3x maternal mortality rate) and how tone matters
• The failure of breastfeeding support: we promote it but don't provide accessible lactation services or adequate maternity leave
• Why prep for postpartum and breastfeeding matters just as much as your birth plan

Ways to Connect with Tina: Instagram: @mama_nurse_tina TikTok: @mama_nurse_tina Breastfeeding Course: bumptolatch.com

This week, Nikki welcomes Abbey Sharp, a registered dietitian with over 15 years of experience, award-winning cookbook author, podcaster, YouTuber, and the voice calling out nutrition BS across social media. Abbey specializes in helping people navigate the minefield of diet misinformation, wellness culture, and the return of toxic "skinny tok" online.

Together, they discuss how diet culture has evolved from the heroin chic of the '90s to today's "wellness" rebrand, why under-eating actually causes bloating, the truth about Ozempic and muscle loss, and how to support your gut health without falling into restrictive patterns. Abbey shares her personal recovery from orthorexia and why she's dedicated her career to fighting the algorithms that trap young people in dangerous diet rabbit holes.

Abbey shares:

• Her personal journey recovering from orthorexia and how it shaped her anti-diet approach
• Why "skinny talk" is making a dangerous comeback on social media—and what parents need to know
• The hidden truth: how undereating slows your digestion and creates the bloating you're trying to avoid
• The "migratory motor complex"—aka the witch's broom sweeping through your gut (and why constant snacking stops it)
• Ozempic reality check: why you still need protein and strength training to avoid muscle loss
• How wellness culture is just diet culture with "a new coat of lipstick"
• Protein myths debunked: how much you actually need and why fiber matters just as much
• The 13-year-old girls in her DMs eating 700 calories—and why she keeps fighting
• Practical gut health tips: straws, carbonation, meal timing, and what actually helps with bloat
• Why there's no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition (and how to find what works for you)

Ways to Connect with Abbey: Instagram: @abbeyskitchen YouTube: Abbey's Kitchen Podcast Website: abbeyskitchen.com

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