Disrupting Obstetric Violence

Dr. Maggie Runyon and The Birth Nurse, Mandy Irby, dove into research on obstetric violence culture to explore its multi-layered components and why it’s so challenging to change. They discovered countercultural archetypes that disrupt the culture of obstetrics. Are you ready to be critically reflective of your clinical practice? Listen to this episode to understand where you’re positioned and how you can expand to become an effective advocate for your patients and yourself.

Meet our guests:

Mandy Irby, BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, LCCE, NSI-L1

Mandy Irby is a leading authority in transforming birth care culture through the prevention of birth-related trauma by co-creating The Embodied Trauma-Informed Care Framework. Since founding The Birth Nurse, she’s worked with state quality collaboratives, departments of health, and hospital teams to strengthen psychological safety in childbirth and improve family outcomes across generations. Her paradigm-shifting workshops, keynote speeches, and consultations drive the change to patient-centered care within a safe and ethical framework for nurses.

Maggie Runyon, MSN, RNC-OB, CYT-200

Maggie Runyon is a nurse, educator, writer, and speaker. She began her nursing career in 2009 and has since practiced in hospitals and communities around the country. In 2019, Maggie founded the non-profit Your BIRTH Partners with a mission to cultivate inclusive, collaborative birth care environments rooted in autonomy, respect, and equity. Maggie recently earned her PhD in Nursing and loves educating, mentoring, and learning alongside nurses. In 2025, she authored her first book, I Thought I Was Here to Help, which chronicles her early career journey and the lessons she has learned. Her advocacy focuses on improving perinatal care in hospital environments through trauma-informed care, affirming nurses’ agency, and community collaboration.

Episode Resources

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2025). Pain management for in-office uterine and cervical procedures. Clinical Consensus No. 9. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 146, 161-177.
Morse, B. (2026). Pain care during intrauterine device insertion: Nurses taking the lead. Nursing for Women’s Health, 30(3), 234-247. doi: 10.1016/j.nwh.2025.12.004.
2026 NWH Excellence in Writing Award Winning Paper
Morse, B. (2025). Sleepy but supported: Helping caregivers navigate newborn sleep. Nursing for Women’s Health, 29(6), 383-392. doi: 10.1016/j.nwh.2025.07.005.