Tina Bitangcol spends her days doing what she loves: when the Edmonton girl will not be working as a registered nurse in labour and supply, she’s sharing her ardour for all issues pre- and post-partum to thousands and thousands of followers on-line because the comedic, enlightening Mama Nurse Tina.
“What I’ve grow to be actually enthusiastic about is educating and instructing folks the best way to advocate and reduce delivery trauma and have a extra educated, optimistic delivery expertise,” the mom of 4 stated.
“I really like speaking about it — I may discuss all of it day.”
She didn’t intend to grow to be a nicely of data, however by likelihood and within the trenches of motherhood, Bitangcol found there was an urge for food for evidence-based being pregnant and childrearing recommendation.
“I really began with mother comedy after which I put up, I believe, one video about labour and supply and childbirth — and it went fairly huge.”
Edmonton nurse Tina Bitangcol making an academic labour and supply video for her social media accounts “Mama Nurse Tina.”
Equipped by Tina Bitangcol
It was her lightbulb second.
“There’s this big want for info these days. And I used to be like, ‘You’ve gotten the data. You’ve gotten a very enjoyable method to ship it. Individuals appear to essentially relate to it.’
“I simply kind of ran with it.”
That was in 2022.
Bitangcol began on TikTok, earlier than including accounts on Instagram, Fb and YouTube — the latter of which she stated is her favorite.
“It’s an unimaginable platform for kind of longform, actually, actually good info for folks to seize on to and watch by and have that to organize for his or her delivery.”
Mama Nurse Tina will not be about euphemisms or flowery “what to anticipate whenever you’re anticipating” language, as Bitangcol calls it.
She’s trustworthy, blunt, and humorous.
“For me, that ‘what to anticipate,’ that flowery stuff, once I was pregnant — I’ve been pregnant 4 instances — was form of a snoozefest for me,” she stated. “I actually take pleasure in including the comedy in there, to permit extra folks to narrate to it and make the most of that info to have an empowered delivery.”
Mama Nurse Tina tells girls they are going to poop themselves throughout supply (“You don’t must apologize. This occurs on a regular basis!“) and that they don’t want to fret about wanting put collectively.
“It’s not a magnificence contest. In case you are available in and your legs usually are not shaved, your toenails usually are not completely manicured and your woohoo will not be trimmed into an ideal do — lady! Me neither and I’m not 9 months pregnant!” she tells followers in one in every of her movies.
Edmonton nurse Tina Bitangcol making an academic labour and supply video for her social media accounts “Mama Nurse Tina.”
Equipped by Tina Bitangcol
It’s the relatable, no-nonsense, tongue-in-cheek humour that Bitangcol stated many parents-to-be are looking for as they embark on a life-changing journey nobody can really perceive till they’re in it.
“Being pregnant and labour is horrifying for lots of people. In case you haven’t completed it, you haven’t been round it, it may be actually scary,” she stated.
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She stated bringing a little bit of humour into the state of affairs will help folks relate and digest the data they’re looking for.
“They really feel snug listening to it versus being like, ‘Oh my God, what am I studying about?’ In order that’s why I put the comedy in there. And in addition — that’s my character.”
It’s clearly working. Her Mama Nurse Tina accounts have a big following: 513,000 on TikTok, 360,000 on Fb, 352,000 on YouTube, and 245,000 on Instagram. Mixed, it’s over 1.5 million subscribers.
As is the case with all content material creators in Canada, she doesn’t obtain any cash from TikTok (Canadians are ineligible for the platform’s profitable creator fund that pays out folks in locations like the USA.) She stated she additionally doesn’t get cash from Instagram.
“So that you’re mainly simply giving your time and your effort with none monetary features. When you’re capable of kind of create partnerships with manufacturers, then you definately’re ready to herald cash that means. However for views itself, it’s a non-paid gig.
“It’s only a labour of affection.”
She does, nevertheless, earn money from views off YouTube and Fb.
Bitangcol began nursing 17 years in the past within the emergency room — the place her doctor husband nonetheless works — earlier than transitioning over to labour and supply.
She went to an informal schedule as soon as their youngsters arrived, explaining with youngster care and her husband’s shift work, choosing up shifts right here and there was the very best transfer for his or her household life.
It now additionally provides Bitangcol time to create content material for Mama Nurse Tina — a gig she says is extra financially profitable than nursing ever may very well be.
She uploads a video every day, and stated there was a studying curve to find out what labored and what didn’t.
“I discovered that our consideration spans are so, so quick that you just actually need to seize someone in these first few seconds to really have them have interaction with the video.
“Your video may very well be superb (however) for those who don’t seize them in that first little bit, they’re simply going to scroll on to the following.”
For Bitangcol, creating participating content material begins with good high quality lighting and sound, plus an aesthetic individuals are drawn to. That stated, she information most of her content material in a nook beneath her basement stairs.
“I believe anyone can do it, in case you have your individual character and your individual shtick and you’ve got somewhat little bit of area — my studio is teeny tiny,” she stated.
“You probably have one thing to say and you’ll say it together with your entire chest, then get on the market and do it.”
Edmonton nurse Tina Bitangcol’s basement studio the place she information among the instructional labour and supply movies posted to her social media accounts “Mama Nurse Tina.”
Equipped by Tina Bitangcol
So what are her viewers most concerned with?
“Loads of movies that I do about delivery trauma often go pretty viral and I put a number of effort into these movies as a result of they’re tremendous essential to me. I believe it’s actually essential to speak about these issues.”
Different matters her viewers relate to vary from the best way to go to the washroom after having a child — a course of involving peri bottles, mesh underwear, ice packs and in a single day pads, witch hazel wipes and numbing sprays or lotions — to easily the best way to change a child’s diaper.
“Persons are consuming that up and also you assume that is widespread data, however it’s actually not.
“Except you’ve completed it — and that’s the identical with something in childbirth — except you’ve completed that factor earlier than, it’s a very new space for folks.”
Her largest demographic, not surprisingly, is girls aged 18 to 44. Bitangcol stated she sometimes will get acknowledged when out and about within the Edmonton space.
“It’s been the wildest journey,” she laughed. “I’ll run into folks they usually’ll be like, ‘Do I do know you?’ And I’ll be like, ‘Are you pregnant? Did you simply have a child?’ And so they’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah!’”
Her largest recommendation for first-time mother and father: do your analysis and be ready. Learn the books, watch movies like hers, decide the brains of fellow mother and father, and the largest of all, take pre-natal programs.
“It’s actually useful to offer you that basis of understanding as to what’s occurring in your physique,” she stated.
“Encompass your self with actually optimistic people who find themselves there to assist you — not simply to observe you will have a child — after which simply take info in about optimistic experiences.”
Edmonton nurse Tina Bitangcol making an academic labour and supply video for her social media accounts “Mama Nurse Tina.”
Equipped by Tina Bitangcol
Past educating others, Bitangcol stated she’s made a few of her greatest friendships by being a parenting content material creator.
“I’ve met like-minded girls who’re passionate, who love what they do as nicely, who’re on the market to genuinely assist folks have a greater birthing expertise.”
She now works full-time as a content material creator however Bitangcol stated nursing remains to be her foremost ardour. Plus, she feels as a way to keep credibility together with her viewers, she must be an energetic, working health-care skilled — even when solely on an informal foundation proper now on account of her household’s hectic schedule.
“To really feel prefer it actually issues, I would like to have the ability to say I’m a bedside nurse,” she stated. “I don’t assume I might ever give that up utterly.”
Past the each day movies, Bitangcol does public talking about delivery trauma, has launched an internet site and is placing collectively two programs on breastfeeding and pre-natal training.
“I’ve a number of ardour tasks and it’s actually cool to have the time in my life to discover them.
“I’m tremendous grateful. I really feel tremendous blessed.”
