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 hundreds of thousands of followers on-line because the comedic, enlightening Mama Nurse Tina.
“What I’ve develop into actually captivated with is educating and educating individuals advocate and reduce delivery trauma and have a extra educated, optimistic delivery expertise,” the mom of 4 mentioned.
“I like speaking about it — I may discuss all of it day.”
She didn’t intend to develop into a properly of knowledge, 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 feel, one video about labour and supply and childbirth — and it went fairly large.”
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 enormous want for data this present day. And I used to be like, ‘You have got the knowledge. You have got a very enjoyable option 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 mentioned is her favorite.
“It’s an unimaginable platform for kind of longform, actually, actually good data for individuals to seize on to and watch via and have that to arrange for his or her delivery.”
Mama Nurse Tina will not be about euphemisms or flowery “what to anticipate once 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 occasions — was sort of a snoozefest for me,” she mentioned. “I actually get pleasure from including the comedy in there, to permit extra individuals to narrate to it and make the most of that data to have an empowered delivery.”
Mama Nurse Tina tells ladies they may poop themselves throughout supply (“You don’t must apologize. This occurs on a regular basis!“) and that they don’t want to fret about trying put collectively.
“It isn’t a magnificence contest. For those who 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 all 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 mentioned many parents-to-be are in search of as they embark on a life-changing journey nobody can actually perceive till they’re in it.
“Being pregnant and labour is horrifying for lots of people. For those who haven’t performed it, you haven’t been round it, it may be actually scary,” she mentioned.
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She mentioned bringing a little bit of humour into the state of affairs will help individuals relate and digest the knowledge they’re in search of.
“They really feel comfy 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 likewise — 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 individuals in locations like america.) She mentioned 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 in a position to kind of create partnerships with manufacturers, then you definately’re ready to herald cash that manner. However for views itself, it’s a non-paid gig.
“It’s only a labour of affection.”
She does, nonetheless, make cash 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 off-the-cuff schedule as soon as their children arrived, explaining with little one 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 offers Bitangcol time to create content material for Mama Nurse Tina — a gig she says is extra financially profitable than nursing ever might be.
She uploads a video every day, and mentioned there was a studying curve to find out what labored and what didn’t.
“I discovered that our consideration spans are so, so brief that you just actually need to seize any person in these first few seconds to really have them have interaction with the video.
“Your video might be superb (however) in the event you don’t seize them in that first little bit, they’re simply going to scroll on to the subsequent.”
For Bitangcol, creating participating content material begins with good high quality lighting and sound, plus an aesthetic persons are drawn to. That mentioned, she data most of her content material in a nook below her basement stairs.
“I feel anyone can do it, if in case you have your personal character and your personal shtick and you’ve got somewhat little bit of house — my studio is teeny tiny,” she mentioned.
“You probably have one thing to say and you may 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 data a number of the academic labour and supply movies posted to her social media accounts “Mama Nurse Tina.”
Equipped by Tina Bitangcol
So what are her viewers most thinking about?
“A variety of movies that I do about delivery trauma often go pretty viral and I put loads of effort into these movies as a result of they’re tremendous vital to me. I feel it’s actually vital to speak about these issues.”
Different matters her viewers relate to vary from 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 change a child’s diaper.
“Persons are consuming that up and also you suppose that is widespread data, but it surely’s actually not.
“Until you’ve performed it — and that’s the identical with something in childbirth — until you’ve performed that factor earlier than, it’s a totally new space for individuals.”
Her greatest demographic, not surprisingly, is ladies aged 18 to 44. Bitangcol mentioned she sometimes will get acknowledged when out and about within the Edmonton space.
“It’s been the wildest experience,” she laughed. “I’ll run into individuals 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 greatest recommendation for first-time mother and father: do your analysis and be ready. Learn the books, watch movies like hers, choose the brains of fellow mother and father, and the most important of all, take pre-natal programs.
“It’s actually helpful to present you that basis of understanding as to what’s occurring in your physique,” she mentioned.
“Encompass your self with actually optimistic people who find themselves there to assist you — not simply to look at you’ve got a child — after which simply take data 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 mentioned she’s made a few of her finest friendships by being a parenting content material creator.
“I’ve met like-minded ladies who’re passionate, who love what they do as properly, who’re on the market to genuinely assist individuals have a greater birthing expertise.”
She now works full-time as a content material creator however Bitangcol mentioned nursing remains to be her major ardour. Plus, she feels with the intention to keep credibility along with her viewers, she must be an lively, working health-care skilled — even when solely on an off-the-cuff foundation proper now as a result 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 mentioned. “I don’t suppose I might ever give that up utterly.”
Past the each day movies, Bitangcol does public talking about delivery trauma, has launched a web site and is placing collectively two programs on breastfeeding and pre-natal training.
“I’ve loads of ardour initiatives and it’s actually cool to have the time in my life to discover them.
“I’m tremendous grateful. I really feel tremendous blessed.”
