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 tens of millions of followers on-line because the comedic, enlightening Mama Nurse Tina.
“What I’ve turn out to be actually obsessed with is educating and educating individuals the right way to advocate and reduce start trauma and have a extra educated, constructive start expertise,” the mom of 4 stated.
“I really like speaking about it — I might discuss all of it day.”
She didn’t intend to turn out to be a effectively of knowledge, however by probability 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.”
Provided by Tina Bitangcol
It was her lightbulb second.
“There’s this enormous want for data nowadays. And I used to be like, ‘You have got the knowledge. You have got a extremely enjoyable technique to ship it. Folks 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 unbelievable platform for kind of longform, actually, actually good data for individuals to seize on to and watch by way of and have that to arrange for his or her start.”
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, 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 individuals to narrate to it and make the most of that data to have an empowered start.”
Mama Nurse Tina tells ladies 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 trying put collectively.
“It isn’t a magnificence contest. For those who are available in and your legs are usually not shaved, your toenails are usually not completely manicured and your woohoo will not be trimmed into an ideal do — woman! Me neither and I’m not 9 months pregnant!” she tells followers in one among her movies.
Edmonton nurse Tina Bitangcol making an academic labour and supply video for her social media accounts “Mama Nurse Tina.”
Provided 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 actually perceive till they’re in it.
“Being pregnant and labour is horrifying for lots of people. For those who haven’t achieved 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 scenario may help individuals relate and digest the knowledge they’re looking 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 persona.”
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 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 beneficial properties. When you’re capable of kind of create partnerships with manufacturers, you then’re ready to herald cash that method. However for views itself, it’s a non-paid gig.
“It’s only a labour of affection.”
She does, nevertheless, earn 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, selecting up shifts right here and there was the perfect 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 brief that you simply actually must seize anyone in these first few seconds to really have them interact with the video.
“Your video may very well be wonderful (however) when 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 beneath her basement stairs.
“I believe anyone can do it, when you have your individual persona and your individual shtick and you’ve got a little bit little bit of house — 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 a few of the instructional labour and supply movies posted to her social media accounts “Mama Nurse Tina.”
Provided by Tina Bitangcol
So what are her viewers most desirous about?
“A whole lot of movies that I do about start trauma normally go pretty viral and I put a whole lot of effort into these movies as a result of they’re tremendous vital to me. I believe it’s actually vital to speak about these issues.”
Different matters her viewers relate to vary from the right 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 right way to change a child’s diaper.
“Individuals are consuming that up and also you suppose that is frequent data, but it surely’s actually not.
“Until you’ve achieved it — and that’s the identical with something in childbirth — except you’ve achieved that factor earlier than, it’s a very new space for individuals.”
Her greatest demographic, not surprisingly, is ladies 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 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?’ 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 largest of all, take pre-natal programs.
“It’s actually helpful to offer you that basis of understanding as to what’s taking place in your physique,” she stated.
“Encompass your self with actually constructive people who find themselves there to help you — not simply to observe you’ve a child — after which simply take data in about constructive experiences.”
Edmonton nurse Tina Bitangcol making an academic labour and supply video for her social media accounts “Mama Nurse Tina.”
Provided 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 ladies who’re passionate, who love what they do as effectively, 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 stated nursing continues to be her principal ardour. Plus, she feels to be able to preserve credibility together with her viewers, she must be an lively, working health-care skilled — even when solely on an off-the-cuff foundation proper now because 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 fully.”
Past the every day movies, Bitangcol does public talking about start trauma, has launched a web site and is placing collectively two programs on breastfeeding and pre-natal training.
“I’ve a whole lot 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.”
