Birth With Power

This is it—the start of a new era! All About Pregnancy & Birth is now Birth With Power! Birth isn’t just something that happens to you; you can take charge and step into your power. In this episode, I’m sharing why I made this change, what it means for YOU, and what’s coming next, including the Birth With Power Pathway, my brand-new framework that will get you ALL the way ready to trust your p...

Birth With Power is the go-to podcast for expecting mothers who want to take charge of their birth experience. 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 episod...

In this episode, I'm sharing important updates about the podcast and a special opportunity for expectant mamas! I'm also reflecting on my wishes for pregnancy and birth and the importance of empowerment and support for women. Plus I announce a limited-time sale for The Birth Preparation Course to help you feel confident and prepared for your childbirth experience. It's the lowest price...

Get empowering pregnancy and birth tips delivered to your inbox each week! Join my email list here ! 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 w...

Get more great info to help you have an empowered pregnancy and birth by joining my email list here ! 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 down...

Stay in the know by joining my email list! 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...

What happens when you’re a physician and you experience a childbirth-related injury? Are you treated any differently? Today’s guest experienced exactly that and you’re going to hear her unique perspective. Gina is an ophthalmology resident who had a birth complication that left her paralyzed in one leg. She has regained her mobility but this very rare injury still has lasting effects. Despite bein...

When exploring ‘alternative’ therapies, it’s crucial to understand the training and qualifications of practitioners. Although licensure and certification aren’t guarantees, they certainly help give you some assurance that the person is trained and capable. This week’s guest, Meaghan Beames, is a Registered Massage Therapist and Craniosacral Therapist who teaches perinatal professionals how to inco...

I’ve said it many times: the only predictable thing about birth is that it’s unpredictable. But you can absolutely navigate that unpredictability by being prepared - which is exactly what Alexa did. After what she calls a “smooth pregnancy,” things took some surprising twists and turns which ended in a cesarean birth. At 35 weeks, her husband noticed she was unusually swollen and urged her to visi...

Did you know that almost one in ten pregnancies in the United States is affected by gestational diabetes? While that might sound scary, the good news is that with the right information and care, people with gestational diabetes will most likely have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. When it’s time to be screened, don’t focus on “passing” the test. If you have gestational diabetes, you want t...

I have a FANTASTIC Black Friday Sale coming! Join my email list at drnicolerankins.com/email so you'll be the first to get notified! 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 P...

Did you know the U.S. is one of just four countries in the world - and the only developed nation - without guaranteed paid maternity leave? While we’ve made great strides in workplace fairness, the fight for equity is far from over. In a country where pregnancy can still jeopardize someone’s career, these protections are more crucial than ever. That’s why advocates like today’s guests are so impor...

In this shorty episode I answer this listener question from Kate. And if you want me to answer a question for you DM me on Instagram @drnicolerankins or shoot me a message on my website contact form ! "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...

Rachel always wanted to be a mother, but before she could begin that journey, she felt it was important to get off of depression and anxiety medication. After spending three months weaning off her meds, she very quickly got pregnant. Her pregnancy, although a source of great excitement, also brought unexpected difficulties, including two falls - and then her water broke during her baby shower! A b...

In this short episode I address this really thoughtful comment from a listener - "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 th...

Dealing with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is no fun. You’ve probably heard of “morning sickness” but that’s a misnomer - queasiness can happen at any time of day (and during any stage of pregnancy too). The good news is, for most people, it’s nothing to worry about. Even though it’s uncomfortable (and sometimes downright miserable), it’s generally not harmful to you or your baby. In this e...

How did a birth described as “a series of traumatic events” end up being the best experience of Jenna’s life? Despite all of the unexpected challenges, getting through the 65 hour labor and birth helped her find peace and confidence in her intuition.  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...

In honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month this October, in this episode we have secondary infertility and baby loss survivor Bernice Quesenberry (and quick note I inadvertently mispronounced her last name in the episode, my apologies!). She has repurposed her pain into something positive by starting a national nonprofit called Chasing the Rainbows, which offers FREE, trauma-informed su...

I just turned 50 - yes, 50! I know people - and women especially - can feel some kind of way about sharing their age. But I have no problem with sharing my age because every day is truly a gift. To mark this milestone, I wanted to take a few moments to reflect, express my gratitude, share some thoughts on what helped me get here, and what’s next. This episode is also a bit different, as I want to...

This episode may be about the NICU but it’s for any and every person who’s having a baby. The reason I say that is because it’s actually way more common than you think that a baby needs to receive intensive care. Nearly 40% of babies who go to the NICU are full-term. 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...

Martha hoped and prepared for a low intervention birth and ended up getting just about every intervention! She tried everything to get labor to start on its own but she ultimately was induced at 41 weeks. After 40 hours of labor with no pain medication other than nitrous oxide, she opted for an epidural. Soon after she was advised to get a non-emergency C-section because unfortunately things had p...

This episode was inspired by a message from long-time listener Sierra. She has experienced multiple miscarriages and, though she appreciated the episodes I have done discussing pregnancy loss, there are some issues specific to recurrent miscarriage that I haven’t gotten into yet. Sierra says “You've had some women who gave birth stories that had elements of miscarriage or infertility, but most...

Medical recommendations surrounding eating and drinking in labor are evolving, but not quite where they should be. 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 Fr...

Nicole (yes, another Nicole!) is here to share her empowering story of a successful VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) followed by a challenging postpartum. Because she was intentional about her care team, she set herself up for success in the ways that she was able to control. However, nobody could control the liver issues her daughter would experience after birth. It took four hospital transfer...

In this short episode I'm answering this listener question from Cat! "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 m...