I’m joined by Dr. Stephanie Waggle — psychiatrist, perinatal mental health–certified physician, cancer survivor, marathon runner, and passionate advocate for improving maternal mental health care. With over 17 years of experience, she brings a rare mix of clinical expertise, research knowledge, and deep empathy for the mental health challenges people face during pregnancy and postpartum.

Together, we break down what PMADs truly look like, why they’re much more than “postpartum depression,” and how to make informed decisions about medication and therapy — including what to do if you were taking medication before pregnancy or are considering restarting postpartum.

This conversation is especially powerful if you’ve ever had intrusive thoughts, felt overwhelmed by anxiety, or been unsure whether what you’re experiencing is simply “new mom adjustment” or something more.

What you’ll learn:

• What PMADs include (it’s far more than postpartum depression)
• How common these conditions really are — in both birthing parents and partners
• Risk factors and why even those without them can still develop PMADs
• How to recognize the difference between baby blues and clinical depression
• What intrusive thoughts are — and why having them does not mean you’re unsafe or “crazy”
• When to seek help and where to turn for reliable support
• How psychiatrists approach medication decisions before, during, and after pregnancy
• The truth about breastfeeding, medication safety, and making choices that protect both you and your baby
• A breakdown of the first FDA-approved medication specifically for postpartum depression — and what you need to know

Resources Mentioned:

• Postpartum Support International: www.postpartum.net
• Improve Life - Dr. Waggle’s practice
• MommyMeds app

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard: Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital
• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You: Ask the right questions and spot red flags early
• Labor Pain Management Playbook: Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Note: This episode is a rebroadcast as part of our Postpartum Power Replay series — spotlighting vital postpartum conversations to support your mental health, your confidence, and your well-being during a season when you deserve exceptional care.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jessica Daigle — pediatrician, NICU hospitalist, and founder of Mom & Me MD — whose passion for caring for NICU families shines through in everything she does. With warmth and clarity, Dr. Jess breaks down what truly affects families after a NICU stay, how to ease the transition home, and how parents can let go of unnecessary guilt and step into confidence.

Her insights come from both her professional expertise and her deeply personal journey: miscarriage, extreme preterm delivery, and raising two NICU graduates. This episode is a gift for any parent who needs reassurance, practical tools, or simply a reminder that they’re not alone.

What you’ll learn:

• The five areas of life most impacted when you bring home a new baby (especially after the NICU)
• How to release guilt and self-blame when birth or postpartum don’t go as planned
• Key questions every NICU parent should feel empowered to ask
• Why advocacy and communication with the care team matter
• How to prepare for postpartum while you’re still pregnant
• Practical tips for building support systems that actually make life easier
• 
  

Resources Mentioned:

• Mom & Me MD (concierge NICU + 4th trimester care)
• Dr. Jess on Instagram: @momandme_md

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard: Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital
• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You: Ask the right questions and spot red flags early
• Labor Pain Management Playbook: Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Note: This episode is a rebroadcast as part of our Postpartum Power Replay series — sharing conversations that make postpartum feel more supported, less overwhelming, and filled with the kind of guidance every new parent deserves.

In this replay, I sit down with Kaylee Summers — the Birth Trauma Mama — to unpack what birth trauma actually is, why it’s so common, and how you can begin to heal. Kaylee brings both clinical expertise and lived experience as an amniotic fluid embolism survivor, and her honesty, clarity, and compassion make this episode a must listen if you had a traumatic birth experience.

What you’ll learn:

• What “birth trauma” really means (and why it’s more common than most people think)
• Why trauma is subjective — and why your experience matters
• The signs and symptoms of birth trauma in the early postpartum period
• How treatment works, including what EMDR and other trauma-focused therapies actually do
• When (and how) to seek support if you’re struggling after birth
• The role communication and care team dynamics play in shaping your birth experience

Resources Mentioned:

• Kaylee’s Instagram + TikTok: @thebirthtrauma_mama
• The Birth Trauma Mama Podcast
• Postpartum Support International provider directory
• Touchstone Institute provider directory

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard: Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital
• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You: Ask the right questions and spot red flags early
• Labor Pain Management Playbook: Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Note: This episode is a rebroadcast as part of my December “Postpartum Power Replay” series — revisiting some of the most powerful episodes to support you during a season when postpartum needs often go unseen.

In this reflective end-of-year episode, I’m sharing the milestones, challenges, and growth that shaped my 2025 — from sending my NICU graduate to college, to navigating perimenopause, to choosing rest over hustle. I’m also walking you through the non-negotiable holiday boundaries that matter most during pregnancy and postpartum, and how to give yourself permission to honor what you need this season.

You’ll learn:

– Why rest is a necessary part of preparing for birth, postpartum, and motherhood

– How I’m protecting my peace during the holidays — and how you can too

– Simple, clear scripts for setting boundaries with family and visitors

– What my family milestones taught me about growth, identity, and motherhood

– Why I’m stepping back for the remainder of December (and how you can build your own pause)

Resources Mentioned:

Instagram: @drnicolerankins

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

This week, I’m in conversation with Dr. Nathan Riley, an OB-GYN and palliative care physician who left conventional medicine to support home birth and midwifery-led care. We talk about what the system gets wrong, what it does right, and how honoring true autonomy can transform the birth experience.

You’ll hear two OBs with very different paths, get real about training gaps, liability fears, and what actually supports healthy birth. Whether you’re planning a home birth, a hospital birth, or you’re just curious about your options, this is an episode that challenges assumptions and opens possibilities.

You’ll learn:

• Why Dr. Riley left the hospital system — and what he does now
• How hospital training limits women’s birth choices
• What really happens during an emergency C-section
• The untold truth about vaginal breech birth
• What autonomy actually looks like in labor (and how to prepare for it)

Resources mentioned:

• Dr. Nathan Riley on Instagram
• Born Free Method
• Beloved Holistics

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this birth story, I’m joined by Leah, a writer, mom of two, and aspiring childbirth educator who planned a home birth after a positive but impersonal hospital birth with her first child. Despite navigating insurance barriers, and anticipating a large baby, Leah created the low-intervention experience she wanted, and welcomed her 11-pound daughter after just a three-and-a-half-hour labor. 

Her story is full of advocacy, intuition, humor (yes, she was poked in the eye mid-contraction), and practical insights you’ll walk away with.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What made Leah choose a planned home birth after a hospital birth
• How she advocated for weight-inclusive prenatal care
• The realities of insurance challenges for home birth families
• How she prepared mentally and physically for a fast, intense labor
• Why her postpartum experience at home was dramatically different — and better
• What she wants every pregnant person to know about big babies and birth options

Resources Mentioned:

• Bradley Method book: Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

After more than two decades in obstetrics, raising a family, and building this platform — I’m pausing to name what I’m deeply grateful for. It’s more than a holiday checklist. This is about honoring the anchors that carry me through birth work and life.

Whether you’re cooking, commuting, or just catching your breath, I hope this episode reminds you to reconnect with what’s holding you up this season.

In this special episode, I share:

• How my body is still showing up strong at 51 (yoga poses included!)
• What I’ve learned from 20 years of marriage and motherhood
• Why my OB-GYN skills go beyond technique — and why that matters
• The power of a team that truly supports women
• How you — yes, you — keep this platform alive and impactful

Resources Mentioned:

Serial Season 1 (my first podcast love!)

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this eye-opening episode, I sit down with Dr. Katie Lee, dentist, entrepreneur, and author of Saved by the Mouth, to uncover the powerful connection between oral health and reproductive outcomes. We break down how bacteria in your mouth can influence conditions like PCOS, endometriosis, and even stillbirth—and what you can do to protect your fertility, pregnancy, and long-term health.

You’ll Learn:

• How oral bacteria affect fertility and pregnancy outcomes
• Why inflammation in your gums triggers inflammation throughout your body
• The truth about dental care during pregnancy (and why skipping the dentist could backfire)
• How salivary testing works—and what it can reveal about your reproductive health
• Everyday oral care habits that protect your fertility
• 
  

Resources Mentioned:

• Dr. Katie Lee: collectivehealthsociety.com
• Saved by the Mouth by Dr. Katie Lee
• Follow Dr. Lee on Instagram

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this short episode, I’m unpacking what it means when you’re told there’s a subchorionic hematoma. I’ll walk you through what’s actually happening in your body, how it’s diagnosed, what it means for your baby, and — most importantly — why it’s usually not your fault.

You’ll learn:

• What a subchorionic hematoma is and how common it really is
• Why it happens (and why you didn’t cause it)
• How doctors monitor it over time
• What to expect with follow-up ultrasounds
• Practical tips to protect your peace during the waiting period
• 
  

Resources Mentioned:

• Follow me on Instagram for more pregnancy education: @drnicolerankins

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this honest and heartfelt episode, I chat with Dr. Allison Altman, a Bay Area psychologist who specializes in women’s mental health and trauma, about her deeply personal journey through infertility, IVF, and an unexpectedly fast hospital birth. Allison opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of pregnancy after infertility, how her professional training shaped her experience, and why advocacy and flexibility made all the difference.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What it’s really like to go through IVF — and how uncertainty takes a toll on your mental health
• How anxiety can show up during pregnancy after infertility (and what helps)
• What an IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) diagnosis means and how to navigate induction decisions
• How Allison balanced her birth preferences with hospital protocols — and why she said “no” to breaking her water early
• The surprising speed of her labor (from 4 cm to baby in 20 minutes!) and how she processed it afterward
• Why setting up postpartum support before birth matters more than you think
• 
  

Resources Mentioned:

• Dr. Allison Altman’s website
• The Birth With Power Pathway — my online childbirth class

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode, I sit down with Alexandra Galaska, founder of Just the Inserts, to talk about what true informed consent looks like and how to decode medical product information with confidence. From navigating medication inserts to advocating for yourself in pregnancy and postpartum, this conversation will help you feel grounded — not fearful — in your choices.

You’ll Learn:

• What informed consent really means (and why it’s more than signing a form)
• How to find and read medication and vaccine inserts
• The CLEAR framework for informed decision-making
• How to balance medical recommendations with your personal values
• How to ask your provider informed, respectful questions during pregnancy and birth

Resources Mentioned:

• Just the Inserts – Free Training & Resources
• Is Your Doctor Right For Your Birth? - Dr. Nicole’s Question Guide

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

If you’re pregnant and dealing with headache, fever, or pain, this short episode gives you a clear, guilt-free way to think about acetaminophen (Tylenol). I walk you through what the research actually says, why observational studies can confuse the conversation, and how to make a smart, individualized decision with your clinician.

You’ll learn:

• Why “safe” ≠ “risk-free,” and how OBs should communicate benefits vs. risks
• What big studies say about acetaminophen and neurodevelopment—and what they don’t prove
• Why untreated fever and significant pain carry their own real risks in pregnancy
• A simple decision framework: lowest effective dose, shortest time, with guidance
• Non-drug options to consider for pain (PT, yoga, chiropractic)

Resources Mentioned:

• Evaluation of the evidence on acetaminophen use and neurodevelopmental disorders using the Navigation Guide methodology (cautious, judicious use; association ≠ causation)
• Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability (no association in sibling-controlled analyses)

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode, I’m giving you a sneak peek inside The Birth With Power Pathway, my upcoming childbirth education program. We’ll demystify vaginal exams — what they measure, how often they should be done, and how to make them more comfortable and respectful. By the end, you’ll understand how to stay informed, set boundaries, and keep your power every step of the way.

You’ll learn:

• What dilation, effacement, and fetal station actually measure
• How to interpret those numbers (and why they can vary between providers)
• How often vaginal exams are typically done — and when you can say “no”
• Tips to make exams more comfortable and less painful
• What true informed consent looks like during labor

Resources Mentioned:

The Birth With Power Pathway — join the waitlist: drnicolerankins.com/email

Follow me on Instagram: @drnicolerankins

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode, Ashley shares how she faced ICP not once, but twice — from an unexpected early labor that left no time for pain meds to finding peace and confidence in her second birth. Her story is a raw and empowering reminder to trust your instincts, speak up when something feels off, and lean on your care team.

You’ll learn:

• What ICP is and why early detection matters
• How Ashley’s lightning-fast first birth unfolded (and what she wishes she’d known)
• How her second birth experience was completely different — and healing
• Practical signs to watch for if you ever experience unexplained itching
• Why listening to your body can literally save lives
• 
  

Resources Mentioned:

• ICP Care — support and information for families affected by ICP

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode, I walk you through five essential truths about epidurals—from how well they work (and when they don’t) to timing, side effects, movement, and what they do not do to your cesarean risk. You’ll leave feeling informed, confident, and ready to make the choice that fits you.

You’ll learn:

• Why epidurals are highly effective—yet not “magic”—and what hot spots and uneven relief mean in real life.
• How timing works (IV, fluid bolus, anesthesiologist availability) and realistic relief onset.
• When you can request one (spoiler: anytime—even fully dilated in select cases).
• Common side effects vs. rare complications—and simple ways we manage them.
• Why there’s no true “walking epidural,” but how we adjust dosing so you can push effectively.
• 
  

Resources Mentioned:

• Labor Pain Management Playbook (free): drnicolerankins.com/labor

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode, we’re welcoming back award-winning prenatal chiropractor and childbirth educator, Dr. Elliot Berlin. He was a guest on the podcast way back on episode 44 and he’s back to talk about how chiropractic care can support your body during recovery. If you're curious about safe, effective ways to care for your body after baby, this one's for you!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How personal fertility struggles shifted Dr. Berlin from medicine to holistic care
• What chiropractors really do (and no it doesn’t always involve cracking)
• How restoring joint motion supports recovery
• What the postpartum “golden window” is and how it makes chronic issues easier to resolve
• What physical stress pregnancy places on joints, muscles, and posture
• Whether chiropractic care is safe after giving birth
• How laser therapy can support C-section recovery and pelvic floor healing
• How integrating physical therapy and chiropractic care can improve outcomes
• What to look for in a chiropractor
• Why postpartum recovery works best with team-based, collaborative care

_________

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode303

Feel calm and confident before birth with the $37 Mindset Bundle! Grab it at drnicolerankins.com/calm.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode, my husband Falcon takes over the mic and interviews me the very week we dropped our oldest—who started life in the NICU—off at college! It’s a raw, unscripted conversation about the joy, grief, pride, and growth tucked inside every goodbye. I share how NICU memories never really leave, why presence matters more than perfection, and the mindset shift that helped me loosen my grip while keeping our bond strong.

You’ll hear:

• How our NICU beginning still shapes my heart today
• The one mindset that made move-in day gentler (presence > perfection)
• How I prepared myself (not just my teen) for launch
• Why honoring your child’s personality builds lifelong confidence
• The NICU resources I wish I’d had back then

Resources Mentioned:

• Episode 76: Navigating the NICU with neonatologist Dr. Terry Major-Kincade drnicolerankins.com/episode76

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

This mini episode is me sharing five lessons from my summer reset—family first, listening for divine guidance, returning to my core values, remembering I am what I teach, and using social media with intention. I’m back with more joy, more clarity, and a big update on the Birth with Power Pathway.

You’ll learn:

• Why time with family is never a regret—and how presence restores you.
• How stillness opens space to hear what you’ve been asking for.
• The 3 values that ground Birth with Power: service, authenticity, simplicity.
• A reminder that you can be calm, confident, and powerful—because I live it, too.
• A healthier way to use social media (yes, I deleted the apps from my main phone).

Resources Mentioned:

• Join my email list for first access + launch bonus: drnicolerankins.com/email.
• Follow me on Instagram: @drnicolerankins.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

You’ll hear how I navigate using terms like “pregnant woman” and “pregnant person,” and how my experiences as a Black woman and as a parent have shaped my approach. This episode is all about honoring diverse identities while still seeing and affirming yourself.

Whether you’ve never thought much about this topic or it’s something that sparks strong feelings for you, I hope you’ll listen with an open heart.

I’d love to hear your thoughts! Send me a message through my website at drnicolerankins.com/contact or DM me on Instagram @drnicolerankins.

👉🏽 Sign up for my email list to stay connected and get more great pregnancy and birth content: drnicolerankins.com/email

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

We’re revisiting one of the most insightful and important topics I've covered: physiologic birth. I was inspired to do this episode by Certified Nurse Midwife Gianna Fay, who raised a critical question - how do we define and support physiologic birth, especially in a hospital setting?

As an OB/GYN, I wasn’t taught much about this, and I had to dig in and learn myself. In this episode, I break down what physiologic birth really means, what disrupts it, why it’s beneficial, and how YOU can be supported in having one.

You’ll learn:

• How normal physiologic birth is defined
• Which factors can disrupt the process (and how many of them are routine in hospitals)
• What benefits physiologic birth can offer to both you and your baby
• Why hospital protocols often contradict best practices
• The truth about pushing techniques, fetal monitoring, labor positions, and more
• How you can advocate for yourself and demand change in a system slow to evolve
• 
  

Whether you're planning a physiologic birth or not, this episode will leave you informed, empowered, and ready to make the best decisions for your birth experience.

👉🏽 Be sure to sign up for my email list for more helpful resources at drnicolerankins.com/email.

You deserve a beautiful pregnancy and birth!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

We often hear the phrase, “just be happy to have a healthy baby.” But that mindset overlooks something deeply important - your birth experience matters too. In this short but powerful episode, I share why it's not only okay to have birth wishes beyond physical health, it's necessary.

Birth is a rare and transformational event. Of course you want a healthy baby. But you also deserve to be listened to, respected, and treated with compassion throughout the process. Your emotional well-being and how you’re treated during labor and delivery are just as vital as your physical health.

Let this episode be a reminder: the bare minimum is physical health. You deserve so much more.

👩🏾‍⚕️ Ready to stay informed and empowered? Join my email list for updates, resources, and support at drnicolerankins.com/email

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

You'll learn all about what the placenta does, where it forms, and how it supports your baby’s growth and development. I also break down common (but thankfully rare) complications like placenta abruption, placenta previa, and placenta accreta, including who’s at risk and why they matter.

We also explore some of the more debated practices—placenta encapsulation and lotus birth. Curious about eating your placenta or leaving it attached to your baby? I’ve got you covered with the facts and what to think about before making your decision.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• What the placenta is and how it functions
• How and why placental issues occur
• What makes conditions like placenta accreta so serious
• The real deal on placenta encapsulation
• Why some parents choose lotus birth and whether it's beneficial
• 
  

Whether you're preparing for your first birth or brushing up your knowledge, this episode will leave you more informed and empowered about this incredible organ.

🎧 Tune in now—and don’t forget to join my email list for more empowering pregnancy content at drnicolerankins.com/email

Join me as we dive into what the research says (and doesn't say) about caffeine during pregnancy. We'll talk about why the data is mixed, what a “safe” amount of caffeine looks like, and how things like brewing method and even your body’s metabolism affect caffeine's impact. I’ll also share what I did during my own pregnancies and how to be mindful about your caffeine intake without stressing too much.

Plus, I point you to a helpful resource from the Center for Science in the Public Interest that gives you the caffeine content of your favorite drinks (Starbucks lovers, take note!).

Whether you're newly pregnant, trying to conceive, or even breastfeeding, this episode is packed with the practical info you need to enjoy your daily cup (or two) with peace of mind.

🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a replay or a new episode!

💌 Want more helpful tips delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for my email list at drnicolerankins.com/email

Amniotic fluid might not be something you think about every day, but let me tell you, it plays a huge role in your baby’s health. Whether it’s too little or too much, the amount of amniotic fluid matters. And understanding it can help you feel more confident and informed as you navigate your pregnancy journey.

In this replay, I’m breaking it all down for you:

• What exactly is amniotic fluid and why it's so important
• What it's made of and how it's created
• How we measure it (and why those measurements matter)
• What happens when there’s too little (oligohydramnios) or too much (polyhydramnios)
• What causes these conditions and how we manage them
• 
  

I'll also share personal insights from my own pregnancies—yes, I had polyhydramnios myself—and what that experience was like.

Whether you're preparing for birth or just want to deepen your understanding, this episode is a must-listen.

👉🏽 Be sure to sign up for my email list at drnicolerankins.com/email to stay in the know and get even more empowering pregnancy info delivered right to your inbox.

Tune in as I dive into:

• How your sleep changes across each trimester
• Why back sleeping is discouraged (and what the real risks are)
• What “supine hypotensive syndrome” means for you and your baby
• Easy strategies to help you get better rest (including why chamomile tea might not be your friend!)
• 
  

And if you ever wake up on your back and panic? Don’t! I explain why it’s not something to stress about and what to do instead.

Get the reassurance and tips you need to sleep better during pregnancy.

Want more helpful info like this? Be sure to sign up for my email list at drnicolerankins.com/email!

But here’s the truth: only about 4% of babies are actually born on their due date. In this updated episode, I explain why I actually hate the term “due date” and what I think we should be doing instead. You’ll learn how due dates are determined, why accuracy matters so much, what a suboptimally dated pregnancy means, and what your real options are if you go past your due date.

We also talk about the risks of late-term and post-term pregnancies, and why informed, individualized decision-making is the most empowering approach.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why your due date is so much more than just a countdown
• The most accurate way to determine your due date (hint: it's all about timing)
• What happens if your pregnancy goes beyond 40 or even 42 weeks
• Why due dates shouldn’t be treated like expiration dates
• What stillbirth risk actually looks like — and how it changes week by week
• Your options if you go past your due date and how to make the best choice for you
• 
  

✨ Ready to stay informed and empowered throughout your pregnancy journey? Join my email list at drnicolerankins.com/email for exclusive updates, discounts, and more expert tips delivered straight to your inbox.

You’ll hear the unexpected twists and honest moments from my own journey to motherhood, including how I nearly scheduled surgery before realizing I was pregnant and how I completely missed the signs the second time around. Yes, even OB/GYNs can be totally surprised by a positive test!

Plus, I share a few tips about pregnancy tests and early signs that might surprise you too.

If you’ve got your own “I didn’t know I was pregnant” story, I’d love to hear it! DM me on Instagram @drnicolerankins or email me through my website.

✨ Don’t miss the chance to join my email list for even more insights, tips, and support: drnicolerankins.com/email

With nearly 15 years of experience as an OBGYN and thousands of births under my belt, I know firsthand that while birth is unpredictable, you can absolutely be prepared. In this replay, I’m sharing 11 powerful, must-know tips that will help you be calm, confident, and empowered—no matter what your birth looks like or where it happens.

From building a support system and preparing for the unexpected, to taking care of yourself and bonding with your baby before they’re even born, these tips are relevant whether it’s your first baby or your fifth. Trust me, you’ll want to take notes.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• How to make the most of every prenatal care visit
• The importance of attending all your checkups and being prepared for them
• What a strong support system looks like and why it matters
• How to have better communication with your birth partner
• Sweet ways to bond with your baby during pregnancy
• Why self-care is necessary, not selfish
• Tools for managing the stress that comes with this transformational time

If you want to feel more grounded, informed, and in control during this journey, this episode is a must-listen.

🎧 Tune in now and take the first step toward a beautiful experience.

👉🏽 Be sure to sign up for my email list for more pregnancy and birth tips at drnicolerankins.com/email

In this short and information-packed replay, I break down everything you need to know about baby aspirin—what it is, why it’s prescribed, and most importantly, who should be taking it. You’ll learn how this simple, low-cost medication can significantly reduce the risk of preeclampsia and related pregnancy complications like preterm birth and growth restriction.

We’ll also talk about when to start taking baby aspirin, how much is recommended, and which risk factors make someone a good candidate. Spoiler alert: you may be eligible even if your pregnancy seems low-risk.

If you’re looking for clarity and peace of mind around this common prenatal recommendation, this episode has you covered.

👉🏽 Want more evidence-based tips like this delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for my email list at drnicolerankins.com/email.

In this heartfelt episode, I share 10 loving-kindness wishes inspired by Metta meditation—a practice rooted in compassion and goodwill. Originally shared at the start of 2025, these wishes are just as powerful now as they were then, and they continue to represent what I want for the people I serve and for the world we live in.

These wishes speak to safety, respect, support, empowerment, healing, and more. They are for you, your loved ones, and anyone walking the path of parenthood. Let them be affirmations, reminders, or moments of pause throughout your day.

Whether you’ve heard this before or it’s your first time, I hope it offers inspiration, healing, and connection.

💌 Be sure to join my email list at drnicolerankins.com/email so you never miss updates, insights, and support for your pregnancy and birth journey.

Whether it's a vaginal exam, breaking your water, starting Pitocin, or performing an episiotomy, your provider must have a clear, informed discussion with you about the benefits, risks, and alternatives, and receive your explicit consent before doing anything.

In this short but powerful “Dr. Nicole Says” episode, I walk you through what real consent sounds like, how it differs from the all-too-common “I’m just here to check your cervix” script, and why being informed and empowered is non-negotiable for your birth experience.

💡 You’ll learn:

• How “nice” providers can still bypass consent
• Real-life examples of consent done right
• Why childbirth education is essential to advocating for yourself

You are the center of your birth. And you have the right to say YES—or NO.

📧 Want more empowering, evidence-based info straight to your inbox? Sign up for my email list at drnicolerankins.com/email

You’ll hear so many opinions about kick counts, what’s normal, and when you should call your doctor. It can feel incredibly confusing. So today I’m giving you the info you need on understanding your baby’s movement so you can feel calm, confident, and empowered through every kick, roll, and twist.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• When you should start feeling your baby move
• What's normal for fetal movement and what's not
• How to tune into your baby's pattern without stressing yourself out
• When counting kicks can be a helpful tool—and when it’s not necessary
• What the research says about tracking fetal movement and preventing stillbirth
• When to see your doctor or midwife for changes in your baby’s activity

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode302

Feel calm and confident before birth with the $37 Mindset Bundle! Grab it at drnicolerankins.com/calm.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

From the exhaustion of prodromal labor to the raw intensity of pushing and a third-degree tear, Melissa shares a beautifully honest and empowering account of her journey. There’s so much goodness in this episode—real talk, helpful tips, and lessons that can truly make a difference for your own birth experience.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What Melissa experienced during her miscarriage
• How therapy helped her process the loss and feel ready to try again
• How soon she got pregnant for the second time
• When she learned she had a fibroid and what it meant
• How she educated herself before giving birth
• Why she chose midwifery care and how her provider’s approach influenced her birth experience
• What it felt like to go through prodromal labor for days before true labor began
• What made labor so much harder than she expected
• Which degree of tearing she had during delivery
• What surprised her about postpartum healing

_________

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode301

Feel calm and confident before birth with the $37 Mindset Bundle! Grab it at drnicolerankins.com/calm.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Donna is here to share what everyone should know about this rare but potentially dangerous pregnancy complication. She’s sharing her critical insights about symptoms to watch for, the importance of self-advocacy, and how to get the right care. If you’re pregnant or planning to be, this is must-know information to help you protect your baby and your peace of mind.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What the signs and symptoms of cholestasis of pregnancy are
• Who is most likely to experience cholestasis of pregnancy
• What testing and treatment involve
• How long test results can take—and why timing matters
• Whether cholestasis of pregnancy can be prevented
• How to advocate for yourself
• Which kinds of support can make a difference in your care
• How ICP can affect future pregnancies

_________

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode300

Feel calm and confident before birth with the $37 Mindset Bundle! Grab it at drnicolerankins.com/calm.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

I first covered this topic back in 2020 but I want to circle back to it because I’d like to come out harder with my thoughts on consent, power, how doctors' habits can shape your birth, and things you can do to protect yourself. So whether this is brand new for you or something you've heard horror stories about, stay with me because I'm giving you the real deal on what to watch out for in labor so nothing is done to you without your consent.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What the biggest predictor of whether you will get an episiotomy is
• Why it’s important to discuss your doctor’s approach ahead of time
• How rates have changed over time
• What the two types are and how they differ
• When it may actually be necessary — and how rare that is
• What language during labor can signal an episiotomy is about to happen
• What the healing process is like and when to seek pelvic floor support

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode299

Feel calm and confident before birth with the $37 Mindset Bundle — grab it at drnicolerankins.com/calm.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

This is an emotional and important conversation about the realities of rare birth complications, the gaps that can exist between birth centers and hospitals, and why it’s so important to ask questions—no matter where you’re giving birth. And yes, even if you're planning a hospital birth, there are key lessons here around communication, continuity of care, and preparing for the unexpected. Megan’s story is one of strength, resilience, and ultimately, healing—and I’m honored to share it with you.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Megan chose a hospital for her first baby and a birthing center for her second
• What a cord prolapse is and why it’s a true obstetric emergency
• How her low-risk birth escalated to a life-threatening situation
• Why relationships between birthing centers and hospitals are so important
• What happens when the nearest hospital isn’t fully equipped for labor and delivery
• Why her cord prolapse required immediate delivery through emergency C-section
• How Megan is healing from birth trauma and preparing for a future VBAC

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode298

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode, I’m joined by clinical psychologist and sleep specialist Dr. Daniella Marchetti to break down why sleep can feel so elusive in motherhood and what you can do about it. We’re talking real strategies, the truth about melatonin and Benadryl, and why “sleep when the baby sleeps” just doesn’t cut it. Tune in—this episode might just change your nights.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What really causes insomnia during pregnancy & how it’s different than just having a tough night
• How long it takes most people to seek help for sleep issues
• How common insomnia is in pregnancy and postpartum
• How sleep slips through the cracks during pregnancy care
• Which sleep disorders are most common during pregnancy
• Why quality rest matters so much
• What CBT-I is (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia) — and why it works
• When to seek help for insomnia
• What sleep hygiene means
• Whether or not sleep trackers are actually useful

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode297

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

This episode is not about debating home versus hospital birth. It’s about asking a better question: what actually works? I walk you through the reasons some women choose home birth, what the research says about its safety, and—most importantly—what lessons the hospital system needs to learn from the home birth model.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why some people choose home birth
• Who attends a safe birth at home and why training matters
• How many U.S. births actually happen at home
• What the data says about safety
• Why fewer medical interventions happen at home
• How often planned home births transfer to hospitals
• Who out-of-hospital birth is for—and who it’s not for
• How the U.S. falls short on midwife-hospital teamwork
• Why emotional safety is just as important as clinical safety

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode296

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Lauren joins me to share her beautiful, deeply thoughtful journey into birthing from home after having her first baby in a hospital. This wasn’t a choice she made lightly - she did her research, worked with a trained provider, and had a backup plan in place. What she found was a level of trust, respect, and personalized care that’s worth talking about. Even if home birth isn’t on your radar, this story offers powerful lessons that anyone preparing for birth can take to heart.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Lauren chose home birth for her second delivery
• How she weighed the risks and benefits of hospital vs home birth
• Who made up her support team
• How she prepared for the possibility of a hospital transfer
• What changed when Lauren labored in a space that was hers
• Which position she gave birth in
• What it was like to rest in her own bed right after birth
• How the birth certificate and paperwork were handled

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode295

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

I am so excited to talk about this topic because I’ve never talked about it before and honestly, I haven’t really heard that much about it, and I suspect the listeners will feel the same. If you’re nursing past that first year, or thinking about it, this episode is a must listen!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What extended breastfeeding actually means
• How Erin’s personal journey led her to supporting others
• How to recognize breastfeeding burnout
• What the four emotional stages of extended nursing look like
• How to tell when it’s time to wean — for you or your toddler
• What the real benefits and challenges of toddler nursing are
• Why boundaries are essential for extended nursing
• How toddler nursing compares to infant nursing
• What it’s like to breastfeed a baby and a toddler at the same time

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode294

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Only for subscribers, so make sure you're signed up!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

The B.I.R.T.H. Blueprint is actually part of my brand-new Birth With Power Pathway online childbirth education class, launching this May! This course is designed to help you take charge of your birth with confidence and clarity. While I’m putting the finishing touches on the class, enjoy a sneak peek at one of the most important lessons!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• B - Begin at Arrival: What to expect when you arrive at the hospital
• I - IV Fluids & Monitoring: How it works & how to stay mobile
• R - Refuel: Eating and drinking in labor - What’s really safe to eat in labor
• T - Track Progress: How labor progress is assessed
• H - Hustle or Hold Still?: Movement & positioning during labor

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode293

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Want more tips to help you feel calm, confident, and empowered for birth? Get my weekly email, The Birth With Power Brief. You'll get exclusive insights, real talk, and practical tools delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up at drnicolerankins.com/email.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What it felt like to labor unmedicated after two epidural births
• Why she chose epidurals for her first two babies
• How support from her sisters-in-law helped her decision-making
• Which position gave her the most relief
• How her labor progressed quickly—especially after her water broke
• What made the moments after birth harder than she expected
• What her postpartum recovery felt like compared to her previous births
• Why she’s glad she experienced both medicated and unmedicated birth

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode292

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode, I break down exactly who should be on your birth team and how to ensure they align with YOUR birth wishes. Because a supported birth is a safe birth! 

LINKS MENTIONED

How To Choose A Doula - drnicolerankins.com/episode218

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How prenatal yoga differs from other types of yoga
• Which yoga poses and practices should be avoided during pregnancy
• What recent research reveals about prenatal yoga’s benefits
• Which common pregnancy issues it can help with
• How breathing techniques can support blood pressure regulation during pregnancy
• How yoga can potentially shorten labor and increase the chances of vaginal birth
• What role yoga and breathwork can play in labor preparation and pain management
• Why integrative medicine is gaining traction among high-risk pregnancy doctors

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode291

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode, I introduce the MAMA Mindset, part of my new Birth with Power Pathway framework.

You’ll learn how Meditation, Affirmations, Movement, and an Attitude of gratitude can transform the way you approach birth—helping you feel calm, confident, and empowered.

Tune in to discover simple yet powerful strategies to train your mind for the beautiful birth experience you deserve! 

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why All About Pregnancy & Birth is now Birth With Power
• What this change means for you and how it will impact the podcast
• How Birth With Power helps you take charge of your birth experience
• Which aspects of the podcast are staying the same and which are evolving
• When the Birth With Power Pathway will launch and what to expect from it
• Who this new framework is designed to help and how it prepares you for birth
• What mindset shifts can help you feel calm, confident, and in control during birth

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode290

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Hosted by Dr. Nicole Calloway Rankins, a practicing, board-certified OB/GYN with over 20 years of experience and thousands of births attended, this podcast delivers accurate, expert advice, real birth stories, and honest conversations to get you informed and empowered.

Through solo episodes, guest interviews, and inspiring birth stories, you’ll get the tools to navigate pregnancy, labor, and postpartum with calm and confidence.

Whether you’re planning your first birth or your fourth, Birth With Power will help you approach the journey feeling strong, prepared, and empowered.

Subscribe today and take charge of your birth!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Takeaways

• It's important to take breaks to recharge.
• Hear my 10 wishes that reflect my hopes for every pregnant woman.
• I express my gratitude for the engagement from you.
• Take ownership of your birthing experience.
• The Birth Preparation Course is available at it's lowest price ever!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

It’s 2025! In this first episode of the year, I’m sharing 10 wishes for pregnancy, birth, and maternal health inspired by metta meditation, a practice rooted in cultivating goodwill and compassion. I learned about this beautiful practice from Aditi Shah, a Peloton meditation instructor, and today we’re adapting it to reflect on pregnancy, birth, and maternal health through 10 loving-kindness wishes.

These wishes are heartfelt hopes for a better, safer, and more equitable world for parents, babies, and families. As you explore them, I encourage you to approach them with an open heart—whether for yourself, someone you know, or for all mothers and families. Carry these wishes with you as affirmations, reminders, or moments of pause in your day. Let’s start 2025 with kindness and care.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why feeling safe and supported is essential during pregnancy and birth
• What respectful and compassionate care looks like
• How access to resources helps families thrive during pregnancy and parenthood
• What parents need to feel empowered in their decisions
• How patience and care contribute to physical and emotional healing after birth
• What we can do to eliminate inequities in maternal and infant health outcomes
• Which experiences help cultivate joy and connection
• How helping birth workers helps families
• Why prioritizing mental health during pregnancy and parenthood is essential
• How childbirth education transforms the pregnancy and birth experience

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode288

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

It’s that time of year again: I’m recapping the most downloaded episodes of 2024. Think of this as a kind of greatest hits or playlist - a perfect place for you to start if you’re new to the podcast. If you don’t see your favorite episode on this list, remember that earlier episodes have more downloads simply because they’ve been available longer, not because they’re less valuable!

We’re closing out the year with over 435,000 downloads in 2024 and the total lifetime downloads are up to 2.6 million! I so appreciate each and every one of you who puts me in your ears and trusts me to help you through your pregnancy and birth experience.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How to tell when it’s time to go to the hospital
• What changes can happen to the body postpartum
• Whether or not you can have a period while you’re pregnant
• Which conditions are screened for in prenatal tests
• What colostrum is and why it’s important
• How to plan for a safer childbirth experience
• Which mental health conditions are common during pregnancy
• How feeding patterns influence your baby’s sleep
• How a hospital birth can feel joyful and relaxing
• What the difference is between pain and suffering during labor
• What a VBAC is and how to prepare for one
• How much caffeine is safe during pregnancy
• How pregnancy can affect intimacy

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode287

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

I know you want to exercise during pregnancy, but what are you supposed to do and how do you do it safely? Amy Keifer from Expecting and Empowered is here to answer that question and more!

After starting her personal training career working with pregnant clients, she realized there were a ton of misconceptions still floating around about exercising during pregnancy. That’s why she and her sister created their thriving maternal fitness community. As a registered nurse, doula, personal trainer, and having gone through three unmedicated births, Amy offers invaluable firsthand insight. This is a great conversation and I know you’re going to find it incredibly valuable.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Whether you should start strength training during pregnancy
• How you can start exercising during pregnancy
• What the benefits are of exercise during pregnancy
• What coping techniques Amy recommends for managing pain during labor
• How can movement and labor rituals help you manage contractions
• How water, like a tub or shower, can help alleviate labor pain
• Why it’s important to understand the stages of labor and what to expect during each
• Why you should take time to familiarize yourself with your birthing options
• Who should be on your support team and what roles they can play during labor
• What are the benefits of practicing breathwork and mindfulness for labor prep

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode286

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Despite being a physician herself, Gina faced dismissiveness from her medical team. In fact, one nurse even told her people with more medical backing actually get worse care because they have “more knowledge.” You don’t always know ahead of time when you’ll need to advocate for yourself. It is an absolute must that you are ready to do so.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What caused Dr. Gina Yu’s rare postpartum nerve injury
• What her team initially thought caused the injury versus what tests revealed
• How positional adjustments during labor could prevent nerve damage
• What steps she took to regain mobility after paralysis
• How she balanced recovery with caring for her newborn
• How support systems played a critical role in her recovery
• How gratitude helped her cope with trauma and uncertainty
• Why postpartum challenges often go overlooked in healthcare
• How her injury changed her perspective on patient care

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode285

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Now, I will be honest, I was a little hesitant about this episode. While craniosacral therapy is offered at many mainstream big institutions like the Cleveland Clinic, Duke, or Harvard, some folks say that craniosacral therapy is pseudoscience and it's relatively new in pregnancy and infants. But I ultimately decided that this is important information to share. I learned a lot and you will too.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What craniosacral therapy is and how it works
• Which pregnancy and infant conditions craniosacral therapy can help with
• How craniosacral therapy works and which areas of the body it targets
• How many sessions are typically recommended
• What to look for in a craniosacral therapist 
• What research says about the effectiveness of craniosacral therapy

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode284

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

At 35 weeks, her husband noticed she was unusually swollen and urged her to visit the doctor. What was supposed to be a checkup turned into delivery day! It was determined that she actually did have preeclampsia and, though at first she hoped she would be able to spend a couple more weeks on bed rest waiting, her baby had different plans.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why being pregnant alongside friends made a difference for Alexa
• When she decided to start looking for a doula and how she made her decision
• How Alexa and her family initially reacted to her swelling /// What signs of swelling Alexa experienced before her diagnosis
• What steps her husband took after noticing her swelling
• Why Alexa was hospitalized after her checkup
• When Alexa learned her baby was breech and how it changed the birth plan
• What factors led to Alexa’s C-section
• What it was like giving birth where her husband works
• What challenges Alexa faced during recovery
• Which support systems helped Alexa through postpartum depression

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode283

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

When it’s time to be screened, don’t focus on “passing” the test. If you have gestational diabetes, you want to know so you can treat it effectively. Many people can manage it with dietary changes so don’t stress too much if you don’t get the results you want. Just take the test - then manage the results with confidence. Listen to this episode to help you!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What gestational diabetes is and how common it is
• What complications it can pose for parent and baby
• How glucose tests are used in diagnosis
• How pregnancy hormones can affect blood sugar levels
• How GDM is treated: both with and without medication
• How it affects pregnancy and birth management
• What its lasting effects can be

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode282

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

You've heard of low intervention birth but what does it mean? In this episode I share how a low intervention birth under my care unfolded. Here's a peak -

• 8 AM - cervical check and 4 cm
• Intermittent monitoring, saline lock, moving, eating and drinking
• 8 PM - second cervical check and 6 cm
• starting pushing at 1130 PM
• and listen to hear the rest!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Jack Tuckner is a workplace rights attorney who specializes in gender discrimination, including pregnancy-related issues, and Catherine Kreider is a lawyer and doula. Through their legal work and advocacy, they’ve been instrumental in advocating for laws like the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act and strengthening protections for expectant workers. Make sure you know your rights, document everything, and don’t hesitate to seek out a local attorney if you need support - advocacy starts with awareness!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What constitutes pregnancy discrimination in the workplace
• Who qualifies for protections under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
• Why documenting workplace interactions is critical for protecting your rights
• When and how to notify your employer about your pregnancy
• How to request accommodations during pregnancy
• Whether state or federal laws provide better protections for pregnant workers

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode281

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

"I was checked at 5 cm, started feeling pressure after a few hours, and then a really strong urge to push after another few hours. I was unmedicated, so I could really feel those sensations, but was told to push against this urge and, I quote, ""hold it in"" because I was only at 8 cm and that I would tear my cervix if I pushed. This kept going for about an hour, at which point they called the doctor, who said, I quote again, “8, maybe 9, I guess you could push if you want to”. I wasn’t really able to talk, so I just pushed and everything went well. But then I started wondering why my body would give me such a powerful urge to push if it was too early. Is it possible that 9 cm was as far as my cervix would dilate? I’m a really small person, does that play a role? Does everyone get as far as 10? I’m curious and would love to hear more about this."

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

A breech baby, a failed turning procedure (external cephalic version), intubation during her cesarean for a “panic attack”, and more added up to a traumatic birth experience. Rachel gets a bit emotional and teary during her story and you can understand why. Her birth was definitely a challenge and there's so much to learn from her story. I cannot wait for you to hear it.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How Rachel and her psychiatrist created a plan to safely stop medication
• What tactics she used to manage anxiety and depression symptoms
• How limited food options triggered old disordered eating struggles
• How lower back and hip pain caused daily difficulties with mobility
• Why she wishes she would’ve chosen a different provider
• How the epidural created a sensation of being unable to breathe
• Why she underwent general anesthesia for her C-section
• What her healing process was like
• Whether or not she’ll return to psychiatric medication

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode280

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

"I've noticed that Dr. Rankins' position statements have gotten stronger on the negatives of a hospital birth over time (in the year+ that I've been listening). For instance her opening introduction now frames hospitals as a system that "too often takes away power from women over what happens in their own bodies." When she first started I think this was phrased more as "it can undermine women" or something a little softer. I've noticed the types of guests she welcomes onto the podcast are also more likely to have this stronger mentality against/suspicious of/worried about hospital births. I guess I'm curious if this reflects a true change in Dr. Rankins' position as she continued to gain knowledge herself through the podcast community, or if this reflects her willingness to simply say what she's known more strongly now, or if this is a trend of worsening conditions in hospitals. And overall does Dr. Rankins feel that hospital births still provide an overall positive service to women (do the goods outweigh the bads, especially for women who come in prepared with some knowledge), or does she feel that the scales are now tipped more negatively? I guess an updated "bird's eye" view of the whole system in the US might be helpful for some of us trying to understand the overall context as we work through our individual choices available to us in our regions. (For context on myself, if it matters/helps, my first birth was unmedicated in a hospital setting with a doula -- the doula was excellent, the overall birth experience was just ok, the after birth care was very good.)"

If you want to let me know your thoughts about the podcast head to drnicolerankins.com/survey!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode, you’ll learn about triggers, warning signs, and relief options for nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. It’s a challenging part of pregnancy, and it’s common so we need to talk about it! I’ll also touch upon hyperemesis gravidarum, which is when nausea and vomiting escalates to a more serious condition and a level of severity that requires more intense medical attention.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How common pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting are
• Whether symptoms can harm you or baby
• What some of the underlying causes are
• When digestive issues typically occur during pregnancy
• What hyperemesis gravidarum involves and how it’s handled
• How pregnancy sickness is evaluated and treated
• How diet, acupressure, and ginger could help
• Which medication options are available
• Why cannabis isn’t recommended for symptom management
• When to visit your doctor for help

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode279

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Jenna’s story reminds us that it’s okay to feel both grateful to a medical team and to feel upset about how certain aspects of care were handled. It’s well beyond time to stop saying that “all that matters is a healthy baby”—the full experience matters, too. I’m so excited for you to hear Jenna’s journey and how she navigated this incredibly challenging birth.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Jenna booked a preconception consultation
• How polyhydramnios and gestational diabetes affected the pregnancy
• Why she opted for a 39-week induction
• Which interventions her team used to help progress labor
• What challenges her baby’s position presented
• How she managed through a failed epidural experience
• How her intuition and persistence led to an emergency C-section
• What an Erb’s Palsy diagnosis meant for her baby’s recovery
• What role postpartum therapy played in reframing her experience

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode278

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

If you’ve experienced pregnancy or infant loss, it can feel very isolating because it’s not talked about often in media & mainstream culture. But you are not alone - unfortunately it’s a very common part of people's journey to being parents. I hope you never need this episode but if you do or know someone who might need it, then it's here with all of these amazing resources to help you.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why trauma-informed care is crucial in supporting those experiencing baby loss
• How reproductive trauma occurs and how frequently it happens
• What makes it difficult to find mental health support after baby loss
• How peer mentorship and support groups provide a sense of connection and support during healing
• What the grief journey may look like
• What you should (and shouldn’t) do to support someone after pregnancy or infant loss
• How grief from infant loss impacts mental health
• How to honor the memory of a lost baby while continuing with life

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode277

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

This episode is also a bit different, as I want to take time to honor two people very dear to me - my late father, who passed away just last month, and my sister, who I lost over 10 years ago. Though I still miss them deeply, I feel immense gratitude for the time we shared, and their memories serve as a constant reminder to appreciate life and the people in it. It’s a bit of a different episode today, but I know you’ll enjoy it!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why it doesn’t matter who you call family - it just matters that you spend time with them
• Why it’s so important to value your own time
• Whether you should invest in things or experiences
• Where true joy and happiness come from
• How staying true to your values can keep your peace of mind
• Why you should shoot your shot - even if you’re scared!
• How real clarity comes from action, not overthinking
• Why embracing both joy and difficulty is key to living fully

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/276

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

As a mom of two NICU babies, let me tell you: it’s the NICU nurses who are at your side. NICU nurses are angels and today’s guest is one! Mary Farrelly, a certified NICU nurse and trained doula, is leading the way in helping parents navigate the NICU journey. You know I always say it’s important to listen to real experts - and today’s guest is exactly that!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What NICU stands for and what the levels are
• Why babies go to the NICU
• What NICU nurses do and what training is required
• How to include the NICU in your birth plan
• Why blending NICU nurse and doula roles benefits families
• Which procedures are commonly used in the NICU
• What emotional support looks like for families post-NICU
• 
  

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode275

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

The C-section was fortunately not traumatic but it was the opposite of what she wanted. Her postpartum was beautiful but she also needed time to grieve the loss of the birthing experience she had hoped for. Today, she is feeling grateful to be bonded with her baby and wants listeners to take this story as a reminder that even if you have a challenging pregnancy and birth you can have a joyful and "easy" postpartum.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How she was envisioning her birth when she was preparing for it
• Why she opted for midwives in a hospital setting
• How she bargained for specifically 41 weeks and 3 days
• Which methods she used to try and induce labor
• Why she preferred Cytotec to Cirvidil
• Whether a balloon or Pitocin were helpful
• Why she said yes to an epidural and how she responded to it
• What doctors mean when they refer to your baby as “sleepy” during labor
• Why she was grateful her doctor used a clear curtain during the C-section

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode274

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

A successful pregnancy following miscarriage is the norm, it’s true. But for some, that’s not the full story. If you’re going through this painful experience, I hope this episode brings you both practical information and reassurance that you’re not alone. Even if you don’t think this episode applies to you, don’t shy away from it out of fear. Staying informed is empowering, not tempting fate!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What the difference is between miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage
• How common single miscarriage is compared to recurrent
• What causes are often behind pregnancy loss
• Which treatment options are available
• How likely a successful pregnancy is after miscarriage
• What the emotional impact of a pregnancy loss can be
• How to support someone who’s had a miscarriage
• What to say to someone who has recently experienced loss

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode273

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode learn the rationale for restricting eating and drinking in labor, why it's outdated, what our current guidelines are, and my evidence based recommendations for eating and drinking in labor.

Join my next FREE LIVE birth plan class! - drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

However, nobody could control the liver issues her daughter would experience after birth. It took four hospital transfers and a five-week stay in the NICU before her baby was stable enough to come home. While Nicole’s birth story had a different ending than she expected, she took on the challenges with incredible strength and patience.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Nicole needed a C-section with her first baby
• How she set herself up for a successful VBAC
• How her doula brought the whole birthing team together
• Why it was worth the effort for Nicole to find the right doctor
• How long she labored and pushed after induction
• When medical staff realized that baby’s health problems required a hospital transfer
• Why her daughter required so many hospital transfers and how far she was taken for care
• How long she spent in the NICU
• How the community around Nicole and her family supported her through this difficult time

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode272

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

"Hi Dr. Nicole! Long time listener & love your podcast!!. Question for you - a friend of mine recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl but unfortunately her birth didn't go as planned. She got to the hospital at 7.5cm, got an epidural, and then they told her she was "having too many contractions, 5 in 10 mins, and the limit is 6" so they gave her Terbutaline/Brethine to slow down her labor. I have listened to hundreds of birth stories and never heard of this! Then, of course, her labor stopped progressing, so they gave her pitocin a few hours later and well... you know what happened after that. I'm curious if you could do a short episode on the drug they used to slow down labor? Curious how common it is and learning more about the 6 contractions in 10 minutes rule? I definitely had more than that with both of my births, but maybe it's because I didn't have an epidural? Thanks so much!"

If you have a question that you want me to answer, shoot me a DM on Instagram @drnicolerankins!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

It’s very common not to prepare for the possibility of a cesarean birth (Rachel didn’t). Even if you are completely healthy and it seems unlikely, you need to understand that a C-section is possible. If you want to know which questions to ask in order to understand if it’s medically necessary and what your options are, you need to be educated on all potential outcomes.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Rachel didn’t plan for a C-section
• What happened when she told her OB she wasn’t numb during surgery
• How this experience affected her ability to bond with her new baby
• What long-term effects she experienced as a result of her traumatic birth
• How therapy helped her discover that she wanted a second baby but fear was holding her back
• Why it’s important to find a care team that enthusiastically supports your decision to try for a VBAC
• What challenges came with giving birth in 2020
• How her recovery was different in her first versus second birth
• How she processed her internalized stigmas about cesarean birth

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode271

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this short episode you'll learn

• What is CMV
• How it’s transmitted
• How it can impact pregnancy
• How it’s diagnosed
• How it can be prevented or treated

If you have a question you want me to answer in an upcoming episode, shoot me a DM on Instagram @drnicolerankins!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Learn how Ginny was able to successfully navigate these challenges in this great episode!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Ginny scheduled an induction
• What subchorionic hemorrhaging means
• How she initially felt about induction
• How she made her hospital room feel like home
• Which induction medications and pain management she received
• How the epidural made her feel
• What made her so happy with her birthing team
• How work helped Ginny find herself after pregnancy

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode270

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the RIGHT Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

And no need to take notes, you can grab my comprehensive guide to managing pain in labor here!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

There are 2 vaccines that are recommended to be up to date prior to pregnancy - MMR and Varicella, as well as 4 vaccines that are recommended during pregnancy - Flu, Tdap, COVID, and RSV. I want to make sure you have the latest information in order to stay safe so you’re going to learn all about these and why they’re important in this episode.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How vaccines protect you and your baby
• Whether vaccines are safe and effective (they are!)
• Why the best time to get a couple of important vaccines (MMR and Varicella) is before you get pregnant
• The four vaccines that are recommended and why - Flu, Tdap, COVID, and RSV
• What the risks and side effects are
• Which vaccines are not safe during pregnancy

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode269

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the RIGHT Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Grab the free guide to managing pain in labor - drnicolerankins.com/pain

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Welcome to Fatherhood (or WTF as it’s appropriately called at times) is his fatherhood brand. What began with a book is now a podcast, blog, and even a course! As a partner, it’s not always easy to know how to show up in the most supportive and helpful way. If only there was a how-to guide. Well thanks to David, there is! 

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What the “Dude Zone” is and why it’s important
• Which two traps are on the way from the Dude Zone to the Dad Zone
• What it means to “team up” vs “team out”
• Which challenges dads are most worried about
• How often dads deal with postpartum depression
• How partners can be supportive through each trimester
• How to redefine masculinity in the role of fatherhood

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode268

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Grab my free labor pain management guide here!

Join The Birth Preparation Course here (use code DRNICOLE for an additional 10% off!).

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

I don't usually share birth center birth stories because I’m not familiar with that setting. For the podcast, I tend to ‘stay in my lane’, which is the hospital setting. However if I want to improve our maternal health care system, I need to learn about diverse birth experiences. I learned a lot from this birth center episode and I know you will too!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What made Katie realized she wasn’t satisfied with her first birth experience
• How a playgroup conversation led her to the birth center she loved
• How the midwives made her feel safe and respected
• Why she felt shame when she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes
• Which steps she took to control her gestational diabetes
• Why she almost left the birthing center partway through labor
• How an emotional release may have progressed her labor

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode267

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

"Hi Dr. Nicole! I love the podcast and have a question for the Q&A. I have a 2 year old daughter. Easy pregnancy and delivery at 40w6d and healthy baby! At the hospital, it is routine to send the placenta to pathology. The report stated that I had “patchy chorangiosis” with a note that it is associated with tobacco or drug use during pregnancy and a bunch of other medical issues. This was alarming to me, but Google did not provide much information, but it seems rare to have with a healthy pregnancy. Thinking about baby #2. Should this be a concern? Thank you for the podcast!"

If you have a question you want me to answer shoot me a DM on Instagram @drnicolerankins!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode, I’ll walk you through what circumcision is, its benefits and risks, and why some families choose to have this elective procedure. There are also some ethical questions you may want to consider before choosing to have your baby circumcised, so I talk about those too. My own thinking around this procedure has changed over time and maybe yours will too!

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode75

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In addition to pregnancy and parenting advice, he recommends small changes you can make today that will impact your health in the future. We have a great conversation about wellness and I know you’re going to learn a lot of practical tips!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Dr. Warsh transitioned away from traditional pediatrics to integrative medicine
• What integrative medicine and integrative parenting refer to
• How the U.S. medical system falls short
• Why we should apply a balanced approach to traditional and modern medicine
• How integrative parenting can help with common infant challenges
• What constitutes a non-toxic home
• Why we should shift more focus to preventative care
• Who makes a good candidate for home birth

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode266

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Now Lillie felt like this was a pretty scary and traumatic birth but one of the things that really helped her was that she had learned about all possible birthing situations. Knowing what to expect isn't going to prevent trauma but it most certainly can make things easier.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How long Lillie took to prepare for parenthood once she decided to have a baby
• Which health concerns she had coming into the pregnancy
• Why she specifically sought out a Black woman OB-GYN
• Why she saw a maternal fetal medicine specialist for her pregnancy
• Why pitocin can’t be administered continuously
• How many attempts it took to place the epidural
• How a nurse with conveniently small hands helped dislodge Lillie’s baby from her pelvis

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode265

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this rebroadcast episode, you’ll learn what fibroids are, the risk factors and symptoms associated with fibroids, how fibroids are managed during pregnancy, how fibroids affect mom and baby during pregnancy, and also the impact of having myomectomy (fibroid removal) before pregnancy. Let's get into the episode on uterine fibroids and the impact they have on pregnancy!

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode103

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the RIGHT Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

When she went looking for support and didn’t turn up much, she decided to solve the problem herself. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who completed additional training to specialize in perinatal mental health. After that, she went on to found Psyched Mommy, the largest social media platform focusing on perinatal mental health. Postpartum rage and anger isn't something that we talk about enough –or even at all– so I'm really excited that we are diving into this important topic today!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What defines postpartum rage
• How it relates to postpartum depression
• What makes some people more susceptible
• How shame can prevent parents from seeking help
• What the cycle of anger is
• How sleep fits into the equation
• Why it’s important to look at anger as a “check engine light”
• What steps can be taken to address rage

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode264

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Now at 38 weeks, some symptoms developed that caused her doctor to recommend induction. Erica wanted an unmedicated birth and you’re going to learn all about how she used movement for pain management in this great episode. I felt so inspired by her strength and I know you will too!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Erica’s OB recommended induction
• Which medications were used to induce labor
• Why she felt unhappy with the initial on-call doctor
• How she describes the sensation of her water breaking
• What made her feel better about the new doctor at shift change
• Why the presence of a travel nurse trained as a doula was serendipitous
• Why she opted for a hands-and-knees birthing position

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode263

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

The reason I chose this is because it’s a term that gets mentioned a lot on social media but doesn’t get defined. It’s also a term that -quite honestly- I didn’t fully understand before I made this episode. I learned a lot when I researched and wrote this episode and I know you will too.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-How normal physiologic birth is defined

-Which factors disrupt physiologic childbirth

-What are the benefits of normal physiologic birth

-Whether any one position should be mandated or prescribed

-What are the factors that influence physiologic birth

-Why it’s vital for your medical team to support your wishes

-What makes it necessary to intervene

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode190

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

This lived-experience led her to center her career around perinatal trauma. As a licensed clinical social worker, she is supporting families experiencing perinatal trauma and has created a thriving community where survivors can feel less alone.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What birth trauma is and what causes it
• What the symptoms are
• How to determine whether or not an experience qualifies as “trauma”
• How to work through traumatic experiences
• What EMDR stands for and how it works
• What role medication plays in treatment
• How a postpartum plan can help prevent birth trauma

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode262

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Nicole eventually agreed to a low dose of pitocin
• What happened when the pitocin was increased
• Whether or not her water broke
• How her partner supported the decision to get an epidural
• What made her so happy with the anesthesiologist
• How quickly she progressed after the epidural
• Why doctors were concerned about her baby’s heart rate
• How a lactation consultant helped with breastfeeding issues

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode261

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

I’m doing this episode because some changes have been made since I first covered this topic back in 2019. In 2022 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) updated guidelines for testing and treating GBS. Staying informed and up-to-date is the best way to keep yourself and your baby safe.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What group B strep–GBS–is and why it matters
• How common it is and what the chances are that you may be a carrier
• Which risk factors increase the likelihood of GBS colonization
• How it can affect pregnancy and newborns
• What methods are used to screen for and treat GBS
• What the long-term implications can be
• Whether probiotics have been proven to be effective

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode260

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Getting enough sleep is going to be vital for your mental health. I’ve said it a hundred times and I’ll say it again: To have a healthy baby, you’ve gotta have a healthy parent. Do future-you a favor and understand the link between feeding and sleep before baby comes home.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How “quality, effective, efficient” feeds can impact sleep
• What the biological link is between feeding and sleep
• Why you should think about your sleep goals
• How to maximize your newborn’s wake time 
• What makes an efficient feeding pattern
• What the five S’s are
• Why you should approach day feeding and night feeding differently

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode259

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Though she and her baby are healthy, the birth was intensely challenging. Jodi’s pain went under-treated and many procedures were done without adequate communication. While I want to acknowledge that rural and remote medicine is complex, the pain Jodi suffered is unacceptable.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How long it took to get from Jodi’s home to the hospital
• How her “advanced maternal age” affected the care she received
• Why she was unable to leave the bed during delivery
• Why doctors were in a hurry to get the baby out
• How doctors could’ve done a better job of communicating
• Whether forceps are still commonly used
• What it was like for Jodi to experience an episiotomy & forceps delivery without adequate pain management
• What steps were taken to deliver/remove the placenta

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode258

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

If you have a question you'd like me to answer, shoot me a DM on Instagram @drnicolerankins.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

The bulk of testing is done in the first trimester. Early screening is vital for the health of you and your baby. Healthcare doesn’t often focus on preventative care so use this opportunity to be proactive and plan ahead.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Which tests are recommended and done during pregnancy
• Why you should register for access to your electronic medical records
• Why we don’t want you to go into birth having low platelets
• What happens in the case of an RH negative parent and an RH positive baby
• Which conditions can be passed on from parent to baby
• Why we screen for several STIs
• What we can learn from analyzing a urine sample
• Why genetic testing is done
• What an anatomy scan looks for
• Why it’s important to check for and address gestational diabetes

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode257

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Join me in my free LIVE class Make A Birth Plan The Right Way! Grab your seat at drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

To be clear, she’s not against breastfeeding, quite the opposite in fact! Her mission is to help parents make informed, confident, and supported infant feeding decisions–without guilt or shame. If that means all breastmilk, all formula, or someplace in between, all that matters is that your baby gets the nutrition they need!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How formula compares to breast milk
• Which “bioactive components” are found in breast milk
• What parents should look for in a formula - ignore the marketing hype!
• What types of formula are available
• How to figure out which formula is right for you
• What signs can indicate a formula is not working for your baby
• How long you should give it before you switch to a different formula
• How to feed a combination of breastmilk and formula
• What actually makes DIY formula risky
• Why it’s so important to destigmatize formula feeding
• What the difference is between absolute risk and relative risk

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode256

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

And to learn 4 more questions to ask as well as how to approach the process, tips to get your doctor and nurses to pay attention and what to include, join me in my FREE LIVE class Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way. Register at drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Amy was sick - she was showing symptoms of infection. As she faded in and out of consciousness, her family and care team discussed the options. Eventually it was decided that a C-section was the best choice.

After birth, Amy didn't get her “TV moment" with her baby. Her son was taken to the NICU and she had to spend a week in the hospital. Once they were reunited, it was still difficult to feel connected. She wanted to share her story to help others feel less alone. I guarantee you, you are going to be on the edge of your seat and really learn a lot from Amy's birth story.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How long Amy and her partner worked to get pregnant
• What a “push prep” class is and why Amy recommends it
• Why she describes the attending physician as “not friendly”
• How infection symptoms can affect a pregnancy
• Why she considers her breastfeeding experience “a miracle”
• How therapy helped Amy cope with difficult postpartum feelings

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode255

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Learn about this important and underrecognized condition in this short episode.

Join me LIVE on April 30th for my FREE class - Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way! Grab your spot at drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this episode you’re going to learn about pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality. Specifically, you’ll learn about the racial disparities in obstetric care as well as causes and solutions. You'll also learn how to keep yourself safe and how to help other pregnant people, too.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How maternal morbidity and mortality are defined
• How many people die from pregnancy-related causes each year
• How morbidity and mortality rates vary by race
• Why focusing on Black Mamas is essential
• How to interpret maternal data correctly
• What the most common causes are of pregnancy-related death
• What you can do to help

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode254

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this short episode I'm sharing some facts about Black Maternal Health.

As I've done before, during Black Maternal Health week I'm collecting donations to giveaway spots in my online childbirth education class, The Birth Preparation Course. I'd love for my community to come together and donate enough to give away 10 spots! Please donate whatever you can at drnicolerankins.com/help.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Since she was 10 years old, Dr. Jess Daigle (@momandme_md) knew she wanted to be a pediatrician and neonatologist. Now a board-certified pediatrician and CEO of Mom & Me MD, a concierge practice that focuses on providing in-home care and support for moms and babies after a NICU stay, she has made that dream a reality and then some.

Dr Jess’s dedication to NICU care is rooted in her own challenging experiences with pregnancy and birth including a loss at 19 weeks and bedrest for 65 days followed by a preterm birth with her second pregnancy. Her passion and commitment for her work really shines through in this episode and you can’t help but listen to her and think “Man, I would love for her to be my doctor!”. 

We have a great conversation about 5 areas to prepare for when you’re having a baby (mom, baby, relationships, household, and career) as well as the importance of advocating for oneself and asking questions.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How Dr. Jess’s personal experience shapes the kind of physician she is
• Why she wishes she would’ve done things differently after pregnancy loss
• What makes Mom & Me MD different from other postpartum care services
• Which unique emotional struggles affect families with babies in critical care
• What “fourth trimester” refers to and how this period can be more challenging for NICU parents
• How to create a postpartum “9-1-1 Crew”
• Why you should prepare for postpartum while you’re still pregnant

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode253

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

I was wondering if you could speak on partial-molar pregnancy in your podcast? My husband and I recently lost our baby due to this and I had to go through with a d&c, and this was something I hadn’t heard of until it happened to us. Thank you.

If you have a question you want me to answer in the podcast shoot me a DM on Instagram @drnicolerankins!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

A lot of things did not go great with her experience. Quite honestly, some of the things she experienced were just plain awful. Most of the nurses were great but one in particular made her feel like she was failing as a mom. Plus there were some other not ideal experiences which she’ll explain in the episode. These experiences resulted in postpartum depression and anxiety.

Now, despite those challenges, she's also going to share how she’s taking care of herself now. Working with a postpartum coach and a pelvic floor physical therapist have helped her grieve the vaginal birth she wanted but didn't have.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why she referred to her prenatal doctor’s visits as “conveyer belt care”
• How insurance limited what services she had access to
• How connecting with other expectant parents, both online and in person, helped her through a difficult pregnancy
• Which symptoms she experienced (basically every one you can imagine)
• How she felt when she realized she wasn’t going to have a vaginal birth
• What her c-section felt like
• What made her unhappy with her lactation support
• How medication has helped with her postpartum depression

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode252

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way - Free Class!

Check out The Birth Preparation Course and get calm, confident, and empowered for your birth.

If you like this podcast please support it at drnicolerankins.com/support.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What the purpose of amniotic fluid is
• What it is made up of
• Where it comes from
• How it is measured
• How low and high AF can affect development

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode251

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

If you like All Abou Pregnancy & Birth consider supporting it financially! You can do so here.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Make A Birth Plan The Right Way - FREE Class!

Click here to support All About Pregnancy & Birth!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

It would be great if your doctor was an expert in breastfeeding but the fact is, whether it’s your OB/GYN or pediatrician, that’s rarely the case. That’s where you’re going to have to take some initiative. Educate yourself, seek out a lactation consultant, and of course listen to this episode with Dr. Wadley! Even if you can’t visit her in person, you can find all kinds of resources and ways to connect with her through the links below!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What makes Dr. Wadley’s model of care unique
• Which factors can affect milk production
• What to expect with breastfeeding in the first 24 hours
• What is colostrum and how much is normal to produce
• When to consider using formula
• What the average timeline is for milk coming in
• Why having a proper latch is crucial
• Whether you should try hand expression

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode250

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

If you love All About Pregnancy & Birth, please support it here!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Also, please do me a big favor and leave a review of the podcast in Apple podcasts. It's SUCH a huge help!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

I didn’t realize until we started talking, but Erin actually gave birth in the hospital where I work! I was not a part of her birth but I know her doctor, nurses, and midwife. It was so nice to hear from a patient perspective that the place I work provides a great experience and validates that hospital birth can be beautiful!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why she fainted in her wedding dress
• How she managed high blood pressure caused by pregnancy
• When she decided to go to the hospital (and why she went back home)
• How long she labored at home
• Which pain management option she wanted
• How she stayed calm through the pain
• How long she pushed
• What parental support her job provided

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode249

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

If you like this podcast, please help support it! You can do so here - drnicolerankins.com/support

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

"Hi Dr. Rankins! I love your podcast and just signed up for your free birth class. I’m [in my first trimester]. This is my first pregnancy and I’m a little nervous. I was born with one kidney and a bicornuate uterus. I am learning I may be at higher risk for breech and may have to have a c-section. Maybe this can be a small topic for a future podcast. Any information you have about women with a “heart-shaped” uterus giving birth would be amazing, and if vaginal birth is possible. Thank you for all you do! You are wonderful! -Monica:)"

If you want me to answer your question on an upcoming episode, shoot me a DM on Instgram @drnicolerankins and be sure to follow me while you're there!

Check out my FREE birth plan class! drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

This episode is taken from The Birth Preparation Course, my online childbirth education class that gets you calm, confident, and empowered to have the beautiful birth you deserve. Of course this podcast is fantastic. It’s great for helping you get information and I put my heart and soul into it, but inside of The Birth Preparation Course you get important visual information and a structured format to help you really be READY for birth. Even if you don't choose my Birth Preparation Course for childbirth education, please choose something. It is so, so important and you should not skip it.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What physical transformations happen after birth
• How your body will be changed forever (and why that’s not a bad thing)
• How long it can take for your hair and weight to go back to normal
• Which items you need for baby to get started - it’s not as much as you think!
• What your baby needs more than anything else
• Why you don’t need to be too picky about where your baby sleeps
• Why you shouldn’t buy a lot of things in advance
• What my top 10 tips are to help with the first six weeks

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode248

Check out The Birth Preparation Course use the code DRNICOLE and get an additional 10% off!

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this shorty episode I’ll break that down for you!

You’ll learn

• what IV fluids are
• why they're given during labor
• My recommendation for IV fluids during labor

use the code DRNICOLE and get 10% off my online childbirth education class, The Birth Preparation Course!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Today’s guest, Hehe Stewart, is the founder of Tranquility by HeHe Maternity Concierge and is a doula herself. Finding the right support for your birth can be overwhelming and there is a ton of good information in here to help you make informed and empowered choices.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What kinds of births are doulas appropriate for
• How doula support differs based on the type of birth
• What you can expect from a doula during pregnancy
• How doulas can provide partner support
• What advocacy looks like in different scenarios
• When your doula should meet you at the hospital
• What you can expect from your birth doula postpartum

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode247

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

• skin to skin contact after birth
• delayed cord clamping
• baby being in your room at all times

Be sure to get these things by making a birth plan! I teach you the RIGHT way to do that in my FREE class: drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

So what is cleft lip and palate? They are congenital conditions that occur during fetal development. An incomplete closure of the lip and/or palate (the roof of the mouth) results in a gap or opening in the affected areas. We don't know exactly what causes cleft lip and palate but fortunately it can usually be treated with surgery. Caitlin shares everything from how she found out (the way the doctor delivered the news was terrible) to the surgeries her baby girl had after birth. I’m so excited to finally be discussing this topic!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How she found out about the cleft lip/palate - it was terrible
• How she felt after receiving the news
• What she did to prepare for a baby with these challenges
• Which kind of cleft condition her baby had
• Why she pumped instead of breastfed
• How she predicted that she was going to have a big baby
• How many surgeries her baby has had

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode246

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Take my free birth plan class! - drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Join my community on Instagram - instagram.com/drnicolerankins

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Your cycle can influence so many aspects of your life: libido, mood, energy, skin, appetite, and more! Better understanding your periods can help you make informed decisions regarding reproductive health, fertility, and overall well-being.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What constitutes a regular menstrual cycle
• What the phases of the cycle are
• Which hormones are associated with pregnancy
• When ovulation occurs
• How to track ovulation
• How fertilization and implantation work
• How IUDs prevent pregnancy
• Whether you can really have a period while you’re pregnant

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode245

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Take my free birth plan class! - drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Lesson 1 - Learning About Labor and Delivery
• Lesson 2 - The Delivery Team
• Lesson 3 - The Good Doctor
• Lesson 4 - Know Your Hospital
• Lesson 5 - Having a Plan
• Lesson 6 - Having an Advocate
• Lesson 7 - Knowing the Types of Fetal Monitors
• Lesson 8 - Knowing What Your Baby’s Heart Rate Means
• Lesson 9 - Understanding Tests and Interventions
• Lesson 10 - Common Facts and Issues in Legal Baby Cases
• Lesson 11 - Safety and Epidurals
• Lesson 12 - Understanding C-Sections

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode244

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Get info on the amount of caffeine in many common beverages (like Starbucks) at the Center For Science In The Public Interest - https://www.cspinet.org/caffeine-chart

Take my FREE birth plan class! - drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Since pregnancy number two was especially high-risk, she was referred to a maternal fetal medicine specialist. Even though she felt afraid, her peace was her priority throughout her unique and stressful birth experiences. She had a planned c-section and in the end she had a beautiful birth and a healthy baby.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How Denise got through two high-risk pregnancies
• Why her first birth ended in an emergency c-section
• When she was diagnosed with fibroids
• What symptoms Denise was experiencing before the fibroids were discovered
• How she felt after her myomectomy
• How any fibroids were removed and low large they were
• Why she wanted to have the same doctor for her pregnancy and the delivery
• How pregnancy felt with and without fibroids

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode243

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way - Free Class! drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

This lesson is great in audio but it's even better in video! If you want to check out the course after listening to this episode, grab all the details at DrNicoleRankins.com/enroll.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What the 3 stages of labor are
• What labor is actually like
• How to know when you’re in labor
• What the cervix is
• How cervical dilation is measured
• How long labor can last
• How to recognize a contraction
• What signals the beginning of active labor
• What happens when your water breaks
• How do you know when it’s time to go to the hospital

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode242

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

You'll hear me share how I pulled a sex toy from someone's vagina that had been in there for 4 - yes 4 - days.

You'll also hear about whether sex in pregnancy is safe (spoiler alert it's very safe!) and some other helpful info (like some women actually have an increased sex drive during pregnancy - that's normal!).

Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way - FREE Class! drnicolerankins.com/birthplan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Dr. Stephanie Waggel is a psychiatrist certified in perinatal mental health, specifically, advanced studies in perinatal psychopharmacology (medication for pregnant people). She’s one of very few experts in her specialty so she’s working overtime to spread the word. If you need pharmaceuticals, there’s a good chance you can do so safely. Tune in and learn how to explore your options with your doctor.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Dr. Waggel uses the term “perinatal mood & anxiety disorders” (PMADs)
• What makes prescribers err on the side of a no-medication approach
• How common it is to suffer from PMADs
• When it’s the baby blues and when it’s time to seek help
• Why Dr. Stephanie encourages people to participate in medical studies
• How therapy factors into her treatment plans
• How medication can interact with breastfeeding
• When it’s time to restart medication postpartum

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode241

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

The due date is still important as we use it to track how far along you are in your pregnancy so we can make sure your baby is growing as expected and we do tests at the appropriate time.

Learn when most women give birth in this short episode.

And to get the details on all the tests that are done during pregnancy (we as ob/gyns don't always do a great job of explaining this) grab my free guide to prenatal tests at drnicolerankins.com/prenatal.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

A lot of people hope for a quick labor and birth but that can have its drawbacks, too. For Kelsey, she wishes it would’ve gone more slowly so she could have been more present and remembered her experience. Instead she came away feeling like it was all a blur. As frustrating as that was, it’s an important reminder that a VBAC is possible and if you want to try for it, you should tell your doctor!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why her first birth ended in cesarean
• Why she moved to another state alone at 34 weeks pregnant
• How she prepared for the c-section she was expecting
• Why she thought it would be fine to drive herself 50 minutes to the hospital while having contractions
• How close to fully dilated she was at the first check
• What her experience with pain was like
• How her medical team approached changing positions
• How quickly her pushing went from start to finish
• Why it took a while for her to process her birth experience
• How her VBAC recovery compared to her c-section recovery
• What granulation tissue is and how her doctor helped get rid of it

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode240

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

This is important because these days there are more and more people popping up (especially on social media) talking about pregnancy, birth and women’s health topics in general. And It’s really important that you get information from reliable and trustworthy sources.

But here's the thing -

YOU have to decide what you consider a reliable and trustworthy source. 

So listen and learn my education, my experience, and my why so you can decide.

DM me on Instagram! I'd love to hear from you!

Check out all the great resources I have for you at my website drnicolerankins.com.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Now I’m going to go through a few intentions but do NOT feel like you have to implement all of them. Start with picking a couple and bookmark this episode for later. Becoming our best selves is always a work in progress and this episode will be here whenever you need it.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How to open yourself up to the possibility of an easy pregnancy
• Why it’s ok to keep things simple
• How to be intentional about where you spend your time and energy
• What it means to be confident
• How to embody your truest self
• How you can take power over your birth
• What the reality is about stress and peace
• How joy is different than pleasure
• Why I love being able to serve YOU!

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode239

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

• The All About Pregnancy & Birth Podcast
• The Birth Preparation Course (drnicolerankins.com/enroll)
• Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way Class (drnicolerankins.com/birthplan)
• Social Media
• My work at the bedside as a practicing OB/GYN
• Personal life accomplishments

What did you accomplish in 2023 that you're proud of? DM me on Instagram @drnicolerankins and let me know!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Now today I’m sharing the top three solo episodes, top four interviews, and top five birth stories. You’re going to love revisiting the best of 2023 and I can’t wait to see where the show goes in 2024!

The Most Downloaded Episodes of 2023:

• Episode 205: Chelsea’s Birth Story - Being Informed and Advocating for Yourself
• Episode 202: Charlotte’s Birth Story - Choosing to Have a Miracle Baby
• Episode 217: Kristine’s Birth Story - An Unmedicated Hospital Birth with Premature Rupture of Membranes
• Episode 211: Monique’s Birth Story - Prioritizing Peace
• Episode 208: Candace’s Birth Story - Reclaiming Your Birth Story After Obstetric Violence
• Episode 204: Preparing for Your Newborn with Pediatrician and CEO of Newborn Prep Academy Dr. Emeka Obidi 
• Episode 216: What You Need to Know About Pumping with Dr. Dianna Dixon from Pump with Purpose
• Episode 213: Breastfeeding Education with Kelly Kendall, IBCLC, of The Balanced Boob
• Episode 210: The Freedom to Choose Your Birthing Position with Dr. Rebecca Dekker of Evidence Based Birth
• Episode 215: 11 Must Know Tips to Have the Best Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum Experience
• Episode 212: What Happens During Labor - A Sneak Peak Inside The Birth Preparation Course!
• Episode 209: The Umbilical Cord - What Is It, What Does It Do and What Problems Can Occur
• Honorable Mentions: Episode 190: Physiologic Birth, Episode 196: Postpartum Psychosis, Episode 237: Pelvic Floor PT, & Episode 234: Hyperemesis

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode238

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Listen to hear the story and lessons learned from it.

Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way - FREE Class! - drnicolerankins.com/birth-plan

Check out The Birth Preparation Course, my online childbirth education class - drnicolerankins.com/enroll

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

That’s where clinicians like Marcy Crouch come in. With over 180K followers on Instagram, Marcy, AKA The Down There Doc, is spreading the word of the benefits of pelvic floor PT. She believes in and practices pregnancy-related preparation and recovery through manual therapy and functional training just like you would with any other muscle. Someday I hope to see pelvic floor physical therapists as a routine part of birth including in-hospital care but until then, listen to this episode and ask your healthcare provider about pelvic PT.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What makes Marcy so passionate about her work
• How and why Marcy began offering pelvic floor physical therapy online
• What, exactly, a pelvic floor therapist is
• What kind of training and certifications are required to do her work
• What to expect if you go see a pelvic floor physical therapist
• Whether PT is covered by insurance
• What the most common types of pelvic pain are
• Which tools are helpful in healing and how to choose the right ones
• What are vulvar varicosities and what can be done

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode237

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Low-dose aspirin (81 mg/d a.k.a. baby aspirin) reduces the frequency of preeclampsia, as well as related adverse pregnancy outcomes (preterm birth, growth restriction), by approximately 10-20%.

Low-dose aspirin should be started after 12 weeks and ideally before 16 weeks and continued daily until delivery.

Low-dose aspirin is recommended for:

• Pregnant individuals with one or more of the following risk factors:
• History of preeclampsia
• Carrying more than one baby (twins, triplets, etc)
• High blood pressure that was present before pregnancy (chronic hypertension)
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes that was present before pregnancy
• Kidney disease
• Autoimmune disease (ie, systemic lupus erythematous, antiphospholipid syndrome)

Pregnant individuals with 2 or more of the following risk factors:

• Having your 1st baby
• Obesity (ie, body mass index > 30)
• Family history of preeclampsia (ie, mother or sister)
• Black race (as a proxy for underlying racism)
• Lower income
• Age 35 years or older
• Personal history factors (eg, low birth weight or small for gestational age, previous adverse pregnancy outcome, >10-year pregnancy interval)
• In vitro fertilization

Learn how to make a birth plan the right way in my FREE class - drnicolerankins.com/birth-plan

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

What happened to Kerry and her family is rare but rare does not mean it doesn’t happen. The reality is that sometimes very difficult and painful circumstances happen during pregnancy and birth and things aren’t going to be ok. We need tools to deal with those unfortunate, tragic, and painful circumstances. Kerry does a beautiful job of sharing her story and it is an incredible demonstration of the tools that help with navigating the unimaginable.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Kerry went to see the midwives at 40 weeks
• What made her midwife’s “spidey senses” go off
• Why her care team urged her to be induced as soon as possible
• How long she was in labor before undergoing a c-section
• Why her baby was taken to the NICU
• How long it took to figure out what was wrong
• What her daughter’s diagnosis was
• What her baby’s short life was like
• How hospice staff helped her postpartum
• What she wishes people would say (and not say) to those experiencing loss

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode236

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Take my FREE birth plan class drnicolerankins.com/birth-plan

Join The Birth Preparation Course - drnicolerankins.com/enroll

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Sharon is an internationally recognized parenting and pregnancy expert, author, journalist, speaker, parenting coach, and mom of four with over 25 years experience in the field. She wrote her new book, Bite-Size Parenting: Your Baby's First Year, to distill all of that content down to what you really need for baby’s first year!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why modern parenting feels so overwhelming
• How to tell if information is trustworthy
• What to expect from baby in the first few weeks
• Which parenting rules are actually myths
• How you can stimulate baby’s growing mind
• When to start reading to your baby
• How to balance your personal identity and your role as a parent

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode235

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

And learn more about postpartum doulas in episode 115 of the podcast.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Hyperemesis gravidarum made the first 20 or so weeks of Mary Rose’s pregnancy a nightmare. It’s more than just morning sickness. Hyperemesis refers to extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. She couldn’t keep anything down and eventually had to go for in-person liquid infusions after losing an unsettling amount of weight. But after that phase passed, she was able to have a normal pregnancy and a birth that went more smoothly than she could’ve anticipated.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What hyperemesis gravidarum is and how it affected Mary Rose
• How her care team could have done more to support her condition
• Whether or not Zofran helped with her nausea and vomiting
• How infusions helped her feel better
• Why she chose a doctor who didn’t have the best bedside manner
• What she expected labor to look like versus what really happened
• How she used breathwork to cope with her contractions
• Why she’s grateful to have worked with a doula
• How quickly she was in and out of the hospital
• What her experience was like with placenta encapsulation

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode234

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

It’s such a privilege to serve people during one of the most meaningful events of their lives. Whether it’s at the bedside or sharing information on this podcast, I don't take it lightly that what I get to do is really special and I am incredibly, incredibly grateful to do this work.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How my openness has helped me grow over the course of my career
• What makes me excellent at my job
• How many different skills I’ve had the opportunity to learn and practice
• Why I say that education is in my blood
• Who has helped and taught me during the course of my career
• Why on earth social media made the list of things I’m grateful for
• Who works on the show behind the scenes
• How my family inspires and energizes me

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode233

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Also if you have a baby in the NICU, do check out episode 76 of the podcast with neonatologist Dr. Terri Major-Kincade. It's the episode I wish I had when I had my NICU baby! https://drnicolerankins.com/episode76/

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

 Whether you’re pregnant, in the postpartum, or even if you’re still trying, a lot of challenging feelings can come up. Today’s guest is a clinical psychologist and a mother. She brings a healthy blend of science and personal experience and I know you’re going to learn a lot from her!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About: