What is a stall in labor, really? Is it an arrest of dilation, a hold up in the rotation and descent of the baby, or a misfire of hormones resulting in a dystotic contraction pattern? There is no one answer, because like most things when it comes to birth, the real answer is: it depends.
What’s really happening in most labors is subtle, but the more you look for patterns, the more you begin to notice one thing: that for the labor to unfold, there has to be a sense of safety. Safety in the internal environment: that the adrenaline is not putting the brakes on the oxytocin. Safety in the external environment: both the physical and the social environment.
As a labor and delivery nurse, there is a lot that is out of your control. You cannot control whether people take childbirth ed classes prenatally or what the staffing is like on your next shift. You can, however, control your own growth edges–learning to deepen your labor support skills and ability to read the room. You can hold to facilitating that sense of safety as a cornerstone of your practice. This makes our work more enjoyable and sustainable.
The paradox of modern obstetrics is that it seeks progress through management. And as we get more algorithms, more bedside huddles, more updated guidelines (Pitocin up 6 by 6?!) – we still miss the mark. There are so many tools that seek to improve care, and in fact DO improve outcomes in many ways. BUT we do families (and our profession) a disservice when we don’t equally look at the tools that involve doing LESS. Instead of seeing dystocia as a mechanical failure, what if we saw it as a regulatory state?
Registration Open For Next Cohort of BirthWise Mentorship Series
You became a labor nurse to protect the body's wisdom. To support labor without unnecessary interference. To care for families in ways that feel grounded and aligned. But practicing this way inside modern healthcare is complicated!
What if we could practice nursing in a way that honored physiology, protected families, and restored our own sense of purpose? This is the work of the 4-week Mentorship Series: Supporting Physiologic Birth.
Registration Spring Mentorship Series is open. See you there!
May 6, 13, 20, & 27
Meeting 1-3pt PST on Zoom
May 6 - Physiologic Birth
-Birth as an altered state of consciousness
-Hormonal blueprint of labor & the nervous system lens
-How the baby moves through the pelvis
-Observing labor progress & cultivating hands off tools
May 13 - Holistic Postpartum Care
-Hormonal blueprint for the postpartum
-Lactation & feeding the baby
-How an anthropological and mythical lens informs care
-Restoring the role of community
May 20 - Labor Support Skills
-How to read the room
-What do people in labor really need?
-Communication skills
-Hands on skills for each phase of labor
May 27 - Advanced Labor Support
-Challenges with coping
-Facilitating second stage
-Working with epidurals
-Managing the environment
An interactive class format, including case scenarios from the group, embodiment practices, & more…
Cost: $297 or 4 monthly payments of $74.25
Enrollment is limited to preserve depth and connection. Join us!
New Offering Coming September 2026... Groundwork: Group Debrief Series
Four weeks with a small group. When you need a break, this is a place to land.
Birth work is beautiful! But it can also be intense, exhausting, euphoric, and even heartbreaking.
If you're holding onto a hard shift, a difficult birth, or just the cumulative weight of this work, you are not alone.
Groundwork is a new 4-week group series for birthworkers to process experiences, regulate the nervous system, and reconnect to their purpose. We’ll gather weekly in a small, facilitated group. This group debrief series builds self awareness, mitigates burnout, and offers practical debrief skills you can bring back to your unit.
This is a no pressure meeting with real conversation, a somatic approach, and space to be human in this work.
Suggested donation $167 for 4 week series.
Learn more & join the next cohort
2025/2026 Calendar:
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Spinning Babies® Workshops: Springfield OR, 3/26 Suffern NY, Eureka CA 4/18 & 4/19, Concord NC 5/6 & 5/7
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Spring 4 Week Mentorship Series Online: May 6, 13, 20, & 27
- Groundwork Debrief Series Online: September 9, 16, 23, 30
Looking for more resources? Dive into some of my favorite birth podcasts and books.
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