Birth With Power

In this episode I’m chatting with Rachel Somerstein about her traumatic experience having a C-section without adequate anesthesia. Already a professional journalist, this experience led Rachel to write her first book, Invisible Labor: The Untold Story of the Cesarean Section. In Invisible Labor Rachel weaves her personal narrative and investigative journalism with medical, social, and cultural his...

Lauren DMed me on Instagram and asked me to talk about CMV and pregnancy so here it is! 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...

Ginny had an elective labor induction that went so smoothly she calls it a “dream.” But that doesn’t mean that everything about her pregnancy experience was easy. Multiple people in her personal life experienced birth-related complications while Ginny was pregnant including stillbirth. This caused Ginny a lot of anxiety. Also, she struggled with depression - both during pregnancy and postpartum. L...

Epidurals provide excellent pain relief during labor but there are risks and side effects. Learn how epidurals work and things you need to know before you get one. 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...

In today's episode, you’re going to learn about vaccines and pregnancy. Vaccines -also called immunizations- are important in order to help prevent moms and babies from getting certain potentially serious infections. I know there’s a lot of concern about vaccines. But let me assure you, although vaccines are not risk free, they are very safe. There are 2 vaccines that are recommended to be up...

In this short episode you'll learn about medications to manage pain in labor that are not an epidural, specifically opioid medications and nitrous oxide. You'll learn how they work, the side effects, risks, pros and cons of each. 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...

David Arrell is a coach, consultant, and returning guest! About three years ago David joined us for a conversation about the WTF moments of fatherhood. Since then, his empire of dad advice has grown and he’s back with more helpful tips. 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...

In this short episode you'll learn why it's really important to think about labor pain differently, tips to approach a medication free birth, and techniques to manage pain. 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...

Katie calls her second birth an amazing experience - night and day from her first. The standard hospital birth she had for her first baby was fine, but this time she wanted a more holistic prenatal experience. This led her to a private birth center with a group of amazing midwives. I don't usually share birth center birth stories because I’m not familiar with that setting. For the podcast, I t...

In this shorty episode I answer this question from Keri. "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...

This episode is one I originally did back in 2020. Since it comes up from time to time and can be a contentious topic, I decided to rebroadcast it today. 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 ci...

If you like the way I approach pregnancy and birth then you’re going to love this conversation with pediatrician Dr. Joel Warsh. He has a really balanced, common-sense approach to pediatrics that blends modern medicine with non-Western elements. 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...

In this birth story episode, you’re going to hear what a true emergency cesarean is like. Lillie was induced due to gestational diabetes and preeclampsia at 37 weeks. After 36 hours in labor, just as she was transitioning to push, her baby went into distress and she was rushed to the operating room for an emergency cesarean birth. Now Lillie felt like this was a pretty scary and traumatic birth bu...

July is Fibroid Awareness Month, so today I’m re-airing an episode on what happens when you have fibroids during pregnancy. I’ve actually gotten quite a few questions about this, more than I expected, and the questions indicate that there’s a lot of uncertainty and misunderstandings about this topic. In this rebroadcast episode, you’ll learn what fibroids are, the risk factors and symptoms associa...

Dr. Ream describes first-time parenthood as an experience that rocked her world. When she found herself crying and screaming because her baby wouldn’t fall asleep, she knew she needed to seek help. Of course, she had heard of postpartum anxiety and depression but postpartum rage was something she hadn’t been prepared for. When she went looking for support and didn’t turn up much, she decided to so...

Erica experienced two miscarriages prior to the birth story we're going to hear today. After over a year and a half of heartbreaking loss, this pregnancy was completely normal - no nausea, no sickness, no pain. 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 p...

Real talk: things have been a little crazy for me these past couple weeks and I didn’t have an opportunity to record a new episode. So, I decided to pick one of my favorites to replay: physiologic birth. 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 thi...

It’s a miracle that today’s guest, Kayleigh Summers, is even alive. She is an amniotic fluid embolism survivor and went into cardiac arrest twice during labor. When you hear her story, you’re going to be blown away. 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 creat...

Sometimes a “beautiful” birth doesn’t mean getting what you wanted - it means making the right decisions for yourself along the way. After being stuck at 5 cm for TWELVE HOURS, Nicole decided that it was time to change course. I’ll give away that she did have a vaginal birth, but it was nothing like she planned or anticipated. In this Episode, You’ll Learn About: Why Nicole eventually agreed to a...

Group B strep, or GBS, is a relatively common bacterial infection found in the gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts. Most people can be carriers and not have any symptoms. However, GBS can present problems for newborns and during pregnancy. 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 an...

So many parents feel like they have to choose between sleep and breastfeeding and today’s guest, Hillary Sadler, says that's not the case - and she knows what she’s talking about! A registered nurse, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and mom of four, Hilary is a true expert in the art of balancing feeding and sleep. Getting enough sleep is going to be vital for your mental he...

For many parents, selecting where they’re going to give birth is an important part of the planning process. However, Jodi lives on a small island with only one hospital and didn’t have a choice in the matter. 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 acknowle...

Normally the umbilical cord has 3 vessels - 2 arteries and one vein. What does it mean when your baby's umbilical cord has 2 vessels instead of 3? How do you know if this is a concern for your baby? I answer this listener question from Jessica in this episode! 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...

In this episode, you'll learn all the tests that are recommended during pregnancy. I’ll break things down by trimester and talk about why the tests are done and what the results of the tests mean. You can use this information to prepare for upcoming tests or go back and ask questions about ones that were done in the past. The bulk of testing is done in the first trimester. Early screening is v...

The term high risks gets used a lot and can mean very different things depending on your unique circumstances. Learn what "high risk" actually means as well as questions you need to ask if you've been told you're "high risk". 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 P...