Tina Bitangcol spends her days doing what she loves: when the Edmonton girl is just not working as a registered nurse in labour and supply, she’s sharing her ardour for all issues pre- and post-partum to tens of millions of followers on-line because the comedic, enlightening Mama Nurse Tina.
“What I’ve grow to be actually keen about is educating and instructing folks methods 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 might discuss all of it day.”
She didn’t intend to grow to be a effectively 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 truly began with mother comedy after which I put up, I feel, 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 enormous want for data at the present time. And I used to be like, ‘You have got the knowledge. You have got a extremely enjoyable option to ship it. Folks appear to essentially relate to it.’
“I simply type 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 type of longform, actually, actually good data for folks to seize on to and watch by and have that to organize for his or her delivery.”
Mama Nurse Tina is just not 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, after I was pregnant — I’ve been pregnant 4 instances — was form of a snoozefest for me,” she stated. “I actually get pleasure from including the comedy in there, to permit extra folks to narrate to it and make the most of that data to have an empowered delivery.”
Mama Nurse Tina tells girls they’ll poop themselves throughout supply (“You don’t have to 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 and your legs should not shaved, your toenails should not completely manicured and your woohoo is just not trimmed into an ideal do — woman! Me neither and I’m not 9 months pregnant!” she tells followers in certainly one 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 searching 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. For those who 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 can assist folks relate and digest the knowledge they’re searching for.
“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 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 US.) 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 type of create partnerships with manufacturers, you then’re ready to usher in cash that means. However for views itself, it’s a non-paid gig.
“It’s only a labour of affection.”
She does, nevertheless, earn a living 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 youngsters arrived, explaining with baby 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 could possibly 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 brief that you just actually need to seize someone in these first few seconds to really have them have interaction with the video.
“Your video could possibly be wonderful (however) in the event you 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 below her basement stairs.
“I feel anyone can do it, in case you have your personal character and your personal shtick and you’ve got a bit little bit of area — my studio is teeny tiny,” she stated.
“If in case you 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 information a few 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 keen on?
“A variety of movies that I do about delivery trauma often go pretty viral and I put plenty 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 methods 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 methods to change a child’s diaper.
“Persons are consuming that up and also you suppose that is widespread data, but it surely’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 totally new space for folks.”
Her greatest demographic, not surprisingly, is girls aged 18 to 44. Bitangcol stated she often will get acknowledged when out and about within the Edmonton space.
“It’s been the wildest trip,” she laughed. “I’ll run into folks and so they’ll be like, ‘Do I do know you?’ And I’ll be like, ‘Are you pregnant? Did you simply have a child?’ They usually’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah!’”
Her greatest recommendation for first-time dad and mom: do your analysis and be ready. Learn the books, watch movies like hers, choose the brains of fellow dad and mom, and the most important 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 help 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 stated she’s made a few of her finest friendships by being a parenting content material creator.
“I’ve met like-minded girls who’re passionate, who love what they do as effectively, 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 with a purpose to preserve 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 stated. “I don’t suppose I’d ever give that up utterly.”
Past the every 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 plenty 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.”
