Birth With Power

Latest Episodes:

Ep 205: Chelsea’s Birth Story - Being Informed and Advocating for Yourself Apr 25, 2023

Show notes

It’s a good thing Chelsea is a lawyer because she had to defend herself all through labor. She did a lot of research and was incredibly prepared for her birth. However, when she asked informed questions her doctors were impatient and annoyed instead of giving her the attention she needed. After her water broke, a doctor literally didn't believe her until she saw the ultrasound to prove it.

As a Black woman, Chelsea’s biggest fear was dying in childbirth. The way her doctors dismissed her concerns is exactly why it is so dangerous to be Black in the maternal healthcare system. Despite being mistreated and nothing going according to plan, she has now gone through counseling and is feeling proud of her birth.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-How she prepared for her birth

-What made her favorite doctor so special

-How she managed several days of contractions at home

-How some of her doctors were dismissive of her concerns

-How long she labored without pain medication before being induced

-What her attitude was towards pain

-How she felt rushed into her c-section by her doctor

-What ultimately convinced Chelsea to opt for a cesarean

-Why it’s important to think about alternatives to your preferred birth

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode205

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Ep204: Preparing for Your Newborn with Pediatrician and CEO of Newborn Prep Academy Dr. Emeka Obidi Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

What happens with your newborn in the hospital and at that first doctor's visit after you go home? No really, what happens? Because as an OB/GYN I don’t know. Once mom and baby are separate, the pediatrician takes over! Lol.

Today’s guest, Dr. Obidi, is here to fill us in on all of that. He is a board certified pediatrician and the CEO of Newborn Prep Academy, an online newborn preparation course. There is a lot of great advice in this episode for how to get the most out of your visits with your baby’s doctor. I love, love, love his “confident moms mindset” approach and I know you will too!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

When you should start looking for a pediatrician
Which tests are done in the hospital for baby and why
What are some of the most common postnatal tests and treatments
What some of the intervention options are for treating infant health concerns
Why you shouldn’t panic if your baby loses weight in the first few days
When you should bring your baby to the pediatrician
How pediatricians screen for postpartum depression

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode204

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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Ep 203: Maternal and Pregnancy-Related Morbidity and Mortality and What You Can Do About It Apr 11, 2023

Show notes

This episode covers a very difficult subject but it’s important for EVERYONE to hear. Pregnancy-related deaths are on the rise in the U.S. and Black women/birthing people are dying at more than twice the rate of their white counterparts. As the richest country in the world, we have the resources to do better and it’s honestly embarrassing.

Because it’s Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17), I wanted to focus on racial inequities in care. When controlling for other factors, it comes down to systemic racism. I know race can be hard to talk about but things aren’t going to get better unless we do. We can specifically address disparities that affect Black folks AND we can acknowledge other problems at the same time. It’s not an either/or.

Resolving healthcare inequality starts with listening so please really listen. If you feel moved to help, there’s a lot you can do. What you say, how you vote, and where you put your money makes a difference. Listen till the end and check the website notes linked below for how you can!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

What the differences are between “maternal mortality” and “pregnancy-related death”
How common maternal death is in the United States
Which factors contribute to pregnancy-related death
How risk factors vary by demographic
What you can do to help reduce maternal disparities
What “implicit bias” means and how we all have room to grow
What my top 10 tips are for keeping yourself safe during pregnancy

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode203

Help a Black Mama enroll in The Birth Preparation Course

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Ep202: Charlotte’s Birth Story - Choosing to Have A Miracle Baby Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

You’ll definitely want a box of Kleenex for this episode but spoiler: Charlotte’s baby is doing just fine! A very low risk pregnancy became high-risk almost overnight when an irregular scan revealed a heart problem. This very rare condition meant her baby would be born with a partially-formed sternum and an exposed heart.

Eventually she delivered her daughter via c-section but before that she had to decide whether to proceed with the pregnancy at all. Termination was a viable option and she discussed it with her husband. However, it didn’t feel right. Charlotte is an ardent supporter of a woman’s right to choose and when it came time to make a decision about the path of her own pregnancy, she chose to continue. She has some really wise words for anyone going through the unpredictable parts of pregnancy so you are definitely going to learn something by listening to this powerful episode.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

Why childbirth education is important even for someone who works in maternal and children’s health like Charlotte
How her care changed after the defect was discovered
Why she had to make a very quick decision about the best course of action for the pregnancy
What life circumstances made it possible for her to choose to continue her pregnancy
What congenital conditions affected her baby and what they mean (even I had to look some of it up!)
How a therapist and a doula helped Charlotte with her mental wellness
Why you should make a birth plan even if you aren’t getting the birth you wanted
What it means to consider “quality of life”

Full website notes:https://drnicolerankins.com/episode202/

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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Ep201: Everything You Wanted to Know About Twins with Perinatologist Dr. Nathan S. Fox Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

Aren’t twins so fascinating? Today we have Dr. Nathan (Nate) Fox here to tell us all about them! He’s a maternal fetal medicine specialist, also known as a high-risk pregnancy doctor or a perinatologist, which is an OB/GYN that works with more complex pregnancies.

The truth is a lot of doctors don’t have much training or experience with twins and as a result, you might not get the level of care you need or have all the birth options open to you. You want doctors on your team who know which screenings/tests to do, how often you should be seen, and what your nutrition should be like (it’s different for twins). You also want doctors who feel confident offering vaginal birth instead of just going straight to cesarean, which happens more than it should. Whether you are pregnant with twins or just want to learn more about twins, this episode is a must listen.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-What it means to be a maternal fetal medicine specialist

-How common it is to have twins

-What some of the risk factors are for having twins

-What distinguishes different kinds of twins from each other

-How the prenatal care for single babies and twins differ

-What the models of care are for twins

-Why you should consider seeing a specialist

-How a high-risk doctor works with other perinatal care providers

-What additional risks come with twin pregnancy

-How perinatologists approach (the almost inevitable) early term twin birth

-How much more important Dr. Fox says weight gain is in twin vs. singleton pregnancy

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode201

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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Episode 200 - UPDATED FILE Celebrating 200 Episodes! Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

Sorry, the first file was initially cut off. Here's the full episode. Enjoy!

__________________

Wow! Can you believe it’s been 200 episodes?! Thank you, thank you, thank you for being on this journey with me. If you had asked me a few years ago if I thought I was going to be a podcaster, I probably would’ve said “What’s a podcast?”

I never could’ve imagined having this opportunity to help and serve so many people beyond what I do at the bedside. Whether I realized it or not, I was guided along a path here. Thanks to God, the “Universe,” or whatever it may be, I wound up in the right place to do the most good. Everything fell into place and I’m so grateful to have what I never knew I wanted.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-How my medical school epiphany struck me

-What aspects of medicine I was specifically drawn to

-How I wrestled with parting from a career in academia

-Why it’s important to remember that you can get what you want and not be happy

-How the universe lined up some coincidences that set me on my way to becoming an OB/GYN hospitalist

-What a twisty-turny path it was to go from a health coaching side-hustle to this podcast

-How this show has changed my life

-What’s next…

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode200

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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Ep199: Haley’s Birth Story - An Extremely Prepared Mom with an Extremely Fast Labor Mar 14, 2023

Show notes

I am particularly delighted with Haley’s birth story! She was just about as prepared as you can be. Not only did she do childbirth education (including taking my birth prep course!) but she prepared physically. Before she and her husband even started trying she was taking vitamins, minding her physical fitness, and getting tests at the doctor.

In this episode we literally laugh and cry. Her birth was relatively straight-forward. What makes this story so special is the joy you can hear in Haley’s voice when she talks about her birth experience and meeting her baby. Tune in for an interview that will remind you what makes birth beautiful.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-Why I call Haley “textbook” prepared

-How knowledge made her feel empowered in her decisions

-How she and her provider came to a compromise over induction

-How she was able to instinctively tell when labor was starting

-What her husband did to support her every step of the way

-What her nurse did to advocate for Haley’s needs

-Why her sister encouraged her to go to the ER four days after giving birth

-How pelvic floor therapy helped her postpartum

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode199

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

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Ep198: Everything You Need to Have in Your Hospital Bag Mar 07, 2023

Show notes

So today we’re talking about how to get ready for the hospital, specifically what to pack. Packing your hospital bag can feel stressful and getting ready in advance will give you one less thing to worry about when the time comes.

Of course there’s more you can do to prepare for your trip than just packing. I also offer some helpful logistical tips to make navigating your labor and birth easier. As an OB/GYN I’ve seen a lot of what works and what doesn’t and I’d love to share some of that knowledge with you today!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-What it means to “pre-register” with the hospital and how it can make your birth easier

-Why it’s a good idea to visit the hospital and find labor and delivery ahead of time

-What “GBS” refers to and why your GBS status is important

-What to bring for while you’re in labor

-What to bring for after your baby is born

-What to bring for going home

-What not to bring

-What your partner should bring

-Why it doesn't matter what you look like "down there"

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode198

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

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Ep197: Perinatal Mental Health with Anne Wanlund from Canopie Feb 28, 2023

Show notes

Continuing on the topic of mental health, this week’s episode is an interview with the CEO and founder of Canopie, Anne Wanlund. Canopie is an app that works in tandem with top perinatal mental health experts to give parents access to clinically-effective therapies. Their mission is to make mental wellness support universal and a standard part of pregnancy and postpartum care.

I appreciate the preventative approach of Anne’s work. It helps bridge the gap between those who need care and the services that can help them. Her own experience inspired her to create a solution: something streamlined, easy to use, and affordable - she’s even working to make it FREE!

I want you to know that I am not being compensated for this episode. I think Canopie is doing great work and I just love to bring you all information about tools that may be helpful in your pregnancy, birth and postpartum journey.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-How prevalent perinatal issues are

-How screening tools are deficient

-What the financial and societal impacts are of maternal mental health issues

-What types of preventions are shown to be effective

-What the Canopie app is and who it works for

-How shame and stigma stop some people from seeking mental health care

-What research has been done to evaluate the effectiveness of the app

-How Canopie interfaces with traditional mental health services

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode197

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

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Ep196: Marielis’s Birth Story - Healing from Postpartum Psychosis Feb 14, 2023

Show notes

In this episode we have Marielis sharing her experience with postpartum psychosis. I usually don’t do two birth stories in a row but in light of the Lindsay Clancy case I thought it was important to release this one today. If you haven’t heard about it yet, Lindsay Clancy strangled her three children and is now a paraplegic as a result of a suicide attempt. It is suspected that this was due to postpartum psychosis.

Postpartum psychosis is relatively rare, occurring in only 1 to 2 births out of 1,000. And homicidal behavior is uncommon among those with the diagnosis. Psychosis is a disturbance in an individual's perception of reality which can manifest in the form of delusions and hallucinations among other symptoms.

This is what Marielis experienced after giving birth. Once she realized something was wrong, she did everything right: listened to her intuition, communicated that she felt off, sought help early, and followed through on her medication and therapy plan. Today she is doing well and wants to spread awareness in hopes of preventing future tragedies.