Birth With Power – Details, episodes & analysis

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!

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.

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

• 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

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 conversation about wellness and I know you’re going to learn a lot of practical tips!

• 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

In this episode you’re going to learn 11 must-know tips to have the best pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experience. As you know, I’ve delivered thousands of babies and I’ll be the first to tell you that you can’t predict how any birth will go. The only predictable thing about birth is that it’s unpredictable.  

BUT….you can absolutely be ready for that unpredictability! I’ve put together a list of tips that everyone having a baby can benefit from. Whether it’s your first or your last, whether you’re giving birth in the hospital, a birth center or at home, whether you have a midwife or a physician, this advice will be super helpful to you!

-What making the most of your prenatal care looks like

-Why it’s essential to attend all of your prenatal checkups

-What a support system is and how to build one

-Why you need a birth partner who you can communicate with

What are some ways you can bond with your baby (even before they’re born!)

-Why you need to understand that SELF CARE ISN’T SELFISH

-How to manage the inevitable stress that will come with pregnancy, birth, and parenthood

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode215

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Donate your umbilical cord blood and help save lives! thecordbloodgroup.com/drnicole

A challenging pregnancy doesn’t necessarily mean a difficult birth. Jade had an awful nine months. She experienced nausea, severe pelvic pain, and adverse reactions to medication. Her hope was to have an unmedicated birth but as she struggled with her pregnancy she wondered if she would be able to get through her delivery without assistance.

Well, Jade not only had her baby without medication but the birth almost moved too quickly. She barely made it to the bed! There’s so much to learn from her story and you’re going to love the way she tells it.

• How Jade prepared both her mind and her body for birth
• Why she chose to work with midwives for this birth
• What medication actually cured her persistent nausea
• …and how that medication wound up putting her in the hospital
• What pica is and what causes it
• How chiropractic care helped her with pain

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode214

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Learn more about donating your cord blood and get up to $100 Amazon gift card! --> thecordbloodgroup.com/drnicole

**This episode is sponsored by The Lactation Network, the largest network of accredited breastfeeding experts in the country. Visit tln.care/AAPB to learn more and schedule your own insurance-covered consultation today!

I always say that breastfeeding is a labor of love. It’s rewarding but it can also be extremely challenging. Just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean it’s going to come naturally. That’s where education comes in. Although first-hand experience is valuable, you need someone with expertise and training, someone like today’s guest.

Kelly Kendall is a Nurse and IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant). She is also the founder of The Balanced Boob, an educational resource and support community for breastfeeding families. I’ve been in maternity care for a long time and she even taught me some new things so I know you’re going to learn a lot from this episode!

-What it takes to become an international board certified lactation consultant

-How COVID forced Kelly to pivot to becoming an online educator

-What hand expression is and why it is a helpful technique to learn

-Whether or not pain in breastfeeding is an inevitability

-How common it is to have trouble with latching and breastfeeding in general

-How to handle clogs and mastitis

-How often and how much you should be feeding your newborn

-What some tips and products are that can prevent and treat nipple pain

-What are some causes and solutions to under and over supply

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode213

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

**This episode is sponsored by The Lactation Network, the largest network of accredited breastfeeding experts in the country. Visit tln.care/AAPB to learn more and schedule your own insurance-covered consultation today!

Today you’re getting a special sneak peek inside the Birth Preparation Course! If you’ve been listening for a while, you’ve heard me talk about it. For those who don’t know, it’s my signature online childbirth education class designed to get you calm, confident, and empowered to have the beautiful birth experience you deserve.

In this episode, I’ll be going through the lesson on exactly what happens during labor, from the moment you get to the hospital until your baby is born. This episode is great in audio but it’s even better in video because you can see the things I demonstrate. Hop on over to the BPC and check it out!

-What happens when you arrive at the hospital

-How common it is to be sent home

-Why it’s helpful to have someone with you who can answer medical history questions on your behalf

-How much more you’ll see your nurse than your doctor

-What it’s like in the labor room

-What vaginal exams are checking for and how frequently they need to be done

-How position changes can help with more than just pain

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode212

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

**This episode is sponsored by The Lactation Network, the largest network of accredited breastfeeding experts in the country. Visit tln.care/AAPB to learn more and schedule your own insurance-covered consultation today!

Monique thought she was going to have a vaginal birth with an epidural. She was scheduled to be induced just after 40 weeks but as it goes with labor, things took a bit of a turn and you’re going to hear about all those twists and turns in today’s birth story episode.

Being a recent transplant from Suriname in South America, she was still adjusting to a strange country when she got pregnant. Going into motherhood away from home meant she had to be extra prepared. She did a ton of research, hired doulas, and asked friends for help. Because of all the work she did to make sure she was supported, she had the beautiful birth she deserved.

-Why Monique was concerned about pregnancy loss from the start 

-What made birth customs in the U.S. different from those in Suriname

-Which resources she used to get very, VERY prepared for her birth

-What preferences she discussed with her doctor ahead of time

-How she made a plan to deal with her low pain tolerance

-How she used doulas intentionally and strategically to ease stress

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode211

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

**This episode is sponsored by The Lactation Network, the largest network of accredited breastfeeding experts in the country. Visit tln.care/AAPB to learn more and schedule your own insurance-covered consultation today!

Dr. Rebecca Dekker is back! You may remember Dr. Rebecca from way, way back in episode 18. Since then, my work and hers have both grown tremendously. If you enjoy what I’m doing here I think you would also enjoy the resources she provides through her organization, Evidence Based Birth.

Today’s conversation is all about the topic she has dedicated so much of her work to: birthing positions. A majority of US births are supine, or on the back. This is what we always see in tv and movies but it’s actually not the ideal, or more importantly, ONLY way to give birth. There isn’t a perfect or best labor position. Instead, what really matters is that you have the freedom and support to move your body and find what works best for you.

• What the classifications are for birthing positions
• What does research show about which positions people opt for if given the choice
• Why most people in the US give birth on their backs
• What makes lithotomy/stirrup birth dangerous
• What evidence says about birth positions with and without an epidural
• How birth seats are used
• How medical culture affects birth outcomes

The umbilical cord is truly your baby’s lifeline. It provides a pathway for the exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and waste. After birth the cord is cut and the fetal circulation ends, leaving behind a small stump. And when that stump falls away it makes the belly button, a permanent reminder of the physical connection between you and your baby.

In this episode you’re going to learn about what potential problems can happen with the umbilical cord including those diagnosed during pregnancy (marginal cord insertion, velamentous cord insertion, vasa previa, 2 vessel cord), and those that can occur during birth (cord compression, cord prolapse, nuchal cord, cord knots). Now, even though I go over a lot of cord-related issues in this episode, the chances of a true emergency are unlikely. I want you to be informed and aware of the potential risks but mostly I want you to come away from this episode feeling amazed and appreciative of what your body can do.

• What the umbilical cord delivers to your baby and how it works
• Which cord-related issues can be diagnosed during routine ultrasound exams
• What cord complications can happen during the course of labor
• What delayed cord clamping is and what the benefits are
• What umbilical cord blood banking means
• What the types of cord blood banking are and which might be right for you
• How different cultures around the world commemorate the umbilical cord

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode209

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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