Birth With Power

Latest Episodes:

Ep 185: Erin’s Birth Story - Delivering a Big Baby Vaginally After a C-Section Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

Erin is sharing the amazing story of her successful VBAC. Despite her first birth ending in a cesarean after pushing for 2 hours, she was crystal clear that she wanted to try for a vaginal birth for her next pregnancy. In order to have the best chance of success she took it upon herself to get incredibly prepared, including childbirth education and making different choices in her pregnancy care.

You have to find a supportive provider and hospital if you want to try for a VBAC; actually for whatever you want for your birth. Many doctors would have discouraged Erin’s birth wishes but she sought out a team that was willing to try and make it work. Having agency and being listened to is so important for getting the birth you want and that’s just what happened for Erin. This is a great birth story and I know you’re going to love it as much as I did!

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode185

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Ep 184: How Your Microbiome Can Affect Your Baby with CEO and Founder of Tiny Health, Cheryl Sew Hoy Nov 15, 2022

Show notes

I’m really excited to bring this interview to you today. Our guest, Cheryl Sew Hoy, is CEO & Founder of Tiny Health, a gut microbiome startup that focuses on expecting parents and their babies. I met Cheryl because she reached out to me about being a medical advisor for Tiny Health and I was happy to do so. I do want to be transparent: my role as medical advisor does involve financial compensation but that's not why I agreed to the role or why I wanted to have her on the podcast.

My fascination with the microbiome actually goes back a long way. When I was a faculty member in academic medicine at the beginning of my career, that’s what I had planned to research. If you don’t know, the microbiome is the collection of microbes (bacteria, fungi, viruses) that live in and on us - we actually have at least as many microbes as human cells! Now, the microbiome and how it affects health is an emerging area of study so keep that in mind if you decide to pursue testing. However I really believe that as time goes on we’re only going to learn more and more about its importance.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-Why are gut and vaginal health testing important during pregnancy or even when trying to conceive

-How Cheryl’s own experience lead her to start Tiny Health

-How microbes are passed along to baby

-What factors impact the vaginal and gut microbiome

-What vaginal seeding is and how exactly it’s done

-What the most common microbes are and which ones you want

-How the Tiny Health tests work, the results and reports you get, and some surprising results they’ve found

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode184

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Take a quick, fun labor pain quiz

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

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Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ep 183: Labor Induction - Updated! Nov 08, 2022

Show notes

On today’s episode you’re going to learn about labor induction. I covered this topic 3 years ago and there is new information in this updated episode. I get a lot of requests to talk about this and I get why. It’s one of those topics that makes a lot of pregnant people nervous. You may have heard horror stories about induction and pitocin. Plus there’s concern about the cascade of interventions or increasing the risk for c-section - so I get it. And on today’s episode I will answer your questions and shed some light on what labor induction is all about!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-What labor induction is

-Why labor may be induced (you’ll be surprised to hear that there are only 2 reasons)

-When induction is NOT appropriate

-How labor is induced and the efficacy of different methods

-What constitutes a failed induction

-Which questions to ask before being induced

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode183

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Take a quick, fun labor pain quiz

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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ep182: Megan’s Birth Story - Knowing Which Questions to Ask Makes SUCH A Huge Difference Nov 01, 2022

Show notes

Megan is here to share her experience of moving cross country during her pregnancy, having to find a new OB, and then needing to be induced at 39 weeks. Although things didn't go exactly as she would have liked she was ultimately very happy with her experience and she says a big part of that was because of the education that she got from being a member of The Birth Preparation Course!

We talk a lot in this episode about the shortcomings of the American healthcare system when it comes to pregnancy and birth. Even with the best care staff you’re oftentimes very much on your own. Megan does a great job of exemplifying how to pick up where medical care leaves off by educating herself and asking others in her community for help.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-What made Megan choose to sign up for the birth prep course

-How Megan got proactive with her birth experience

-What it was like for Megan to have PUPPP

-What cholestasis is and how it affected Megan’s pregnancy

-How childbirth education helped Megan to understand vacuum assisted delivery and feel more confident when it came time to make that decision

-How she worked through breastfeeding issues

-When she decided it was time to be done with nursing and how that made her feel

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode182

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Take a quick, fun labor pain quiz

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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ep181: Demystifying Hormones with Holistic Pharmacist Heather Rhodes Oct 25, 2022

Show notes

Hearing the word “hormones” is a bit like nails on a chalkboard to an OB/GYN. There is so much misinformation out there that it’s hard not to feel skeptical about this topic. However, today’s guest, Dr. Heather Rhodes, takes a balanced, science-based approach to her work that I find really refreshing.

Dr. Rhodes is a holistic pharmacist with a passion for women's health. Haven’t heard of a “holistic pharmacist” before? Neither had I! She’ll tell you all about it in the episode - essentially it means that she’s taking what she learned form pharmacology and applying it to holistic hormone healthcare. I love getting to the root cause of issues and her approach is all about treating the cause more than the symptoms.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-Why Heather chose to classify herself as a holistic pharmacist

-What made her decide to focus her work on hormone balance

-Which hormones are most important for fertility and overall health

-How she defines hormone balance / imbalance

-Why she advocates for a combination of traditional and modern medicine

-How hormones are affected by our daily choices

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode181

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Take a quick, fun labor pain quiz

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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ep180: The Amazing Placenta Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

The placenta is an incredible organ (that’s right, it’s an organ!). Developing soon after conception, it is your baby’s lifeline to your body - literally. Everything the fetus needs is delivered through the umbilical cord which is connected to the placenta.

Nutrients and oxygen are brought in while carbon dioxide and wastes are taken out. Hormones to regulate pregnancy are secreted and your body’s rejection of the fetus is prevented. All of this happens within the placenta. It’s really an amazing part of your body and I know you’re going to love learning all about it including what it does, the most common issues that can occur (placenta abruption, placenta previa, placenta accreta) as well as information about consuming the placenta, and lotus birth (where the placenta is left attached to the baby to fall off naturally).

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-What the placenta is and what it does

-What happens when there are concerns with the placenta

-What the most common placental issues are

-What puts you at higher risk

-How common it is to have problems with the placenta

-What makes placenta accreta so dangerous

-Why some parents choose to consume the placenta

-What lotus birth is and whether it provides any benefits

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode180

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Take a quick, fun labor pain quiz

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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ep179: Deundria’s Birth Story - Prioritizing Childbirth Education for a Successful Unmedicated Birth Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

Deundria’s birth took a lot of unexpected twists and turns. She went into labor a month early, switched care teams at 34 weeks, and was diagnosed with COVID while in labor! But because she decided to pursue childbirth education during her pregnancy, she was able to roll with the punches.

This was her third pregnancy and she knew she wanted something different this time. After negative experiences with epidurals during her first two births, she decided to try for unmedicated this time. In order to do this successfully, she knew she needed childbirth education and she actually chose to take my birth plan class! What she learned helped her to make empowered decisions for herself and you’re going to hear all about that today.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-How the birth plan class helped Deundria spot red flags in her medical care

-What were some of those indicators that her medical team wasn’t a good fit

-What made the midwife prenatal care experience so much better

-How Deundria was treated differently by staff as soon as she received the positive COVID diagnosis

-How the medical team induced labor without pitocin

-How her doula helped her with pain management during birth despite the fact that she wasn’t allowed in the room

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode179

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Take a quick, fun labor pain quiz

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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ep178: Preparing for Parenthood with Lindsay Garrett LCSW Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

We talk a lot on this show about pregnancy and birth (of course!) but we don’t talk as much about what happens after that. That’s where today’s guest, Lindsay C. M. Garrett, LCSW comes in. An expert in the field of adoption, parent preparation, and child welfare, she has spent ten years supporting parents at The Gladney Center for Adoption.

Her background may be in adoption but no matter how you choose to approach parenthood she’s got great practical advice that I know everyone can find useful. This episode can hopefully remind you that it’s ok to feel your feelings and reach out to your support system.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-How the challenges of adoption inspired Lindsay to focus her career on preparing parents to have children

-Why it’s important to explore your fears leading up to parenthood

-How establishing strong communication with your partner beforehand can help in coparenting later

-What some specific strategies are for building a sustainable support system

-What are some ideas for things you can ask for when you reach out for help

-What it means to define your family’s mission statement and values

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode178

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Take a quick, fun labor pain quiz

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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ep 177: How Age Affects Pregnancy Sep 27, 2022

Show notes

I’ve talked about advanced reproductive age before but I realized I’d never devoted an entire episode to it. After having a lot of requests for this subject, I decided to cover it today. More and more people are opting to delay parenthood. However there seems to be a commonly accepted myth that the minute you turn 35 you can no longer expect to have a healthy baby or a vaginal birth.

What defines a healthy age to get pregnant is on a spectrum. It depends on too many factors to list here so you’ll have to listen to the episode! The bottom line is that if you want to have a baby in your thirties, forties, or even fifties, you can likely expect positive outcomes!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-How common it is to get pregnant over the age of 35

-Why some people are choosing to delay having children

-How the advancing of age can correlate to higher rates of miscarriage

-How age affects the prevalence of chromosomal abnormalities and congenital anomalies

-How preexisting conditions, especially hypertension and diabetes, can affect the chances of these issues

-What the effects are on morbidity and mortality

-How pregnancy care differs according to age

-How age affects rates of induction and c-section

-How children can benefit from being raised by older parents

-Why you should plan for your family’s future if you decide to get pregnant when you are older

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode177

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Take a quick, fun labor pain quiz

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

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ep176: Christina’s Birth Story - An Uncomplicated Pregnancy That Ended With Severe Preeclampsia and a C-Section Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

This is really a great story of managing through a difficult and unexpected birth course. After a completely uneventful and easy pregnancy, around 37 weeks Christina felt like something just wasn’t right so she went to the hospital. She was subsequently diagnosed with something called HELLP syndrome, one of the most severe forms of preeclampsia. After being transferred to another hospital, she ultimately delivered via c-section and you are going to hear all about her experience today.