Advocating for Birth Autonomy: Real talk with Traci Doula and Jen Hamilton

EPISODE 21: Being Teachable, Building Trust, and Keeping Birth Human — with Jen Hamilton

In this episode, I sat down with Jen Hamilton, labor and delivery nurse, advocate, and one of the brightest lights in the birth world. This conversation was honest, practical, and full of those “yep…that’s real” moments that remind you why agency and voice matter so much in birth.

We talked about:

• Self-reflection, blind spots, and how bias shows up in birth work

• Why being “teachable” matters more than being right

• How defensiveness and fear can block informed consent

• The difference between supporting agency vs. pushing compliance

• Trust, accountability, and why apologies matter even when harm wasn’t intended

• How Jen educates patients in real time through “narration” and clear communication

• Birth trauma that comes from not being listened to, dismissed, or rushed

• Jen’s book Birth Vibes and how families can communicate what matters most

We laughed, we got real, and we kept coming back to the same truth: people may not remember every detail, but they will remember how they felt. Birth is not just physical. It’s emotional. It’s personal. And families deserve to leave feeling respected, informed, and whole.

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