Birth With Power

Latest Episodes:

Ep165: How Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM) Contributes to Preterm Birth Jun 07, 2022

Show notes

This is the 3rd episode in a series about preterm birth. The first episode, 163, was about risk factors for preterm birth. 164 was about preterm labor which accounts for 40-50% of preterm birth. That episode covered what preterm labor is, how to recognize it, and how it’s treated. In this episode you will learn about preterm premature (or prelabor) rupture of membranes (PPROM).

Approximately one third of preterm births are associated with PPROM. Prelabor rupture of membranes, or PROM, refers to membrane rupture before the onset of uterine contractions - when this occurs before 37 weeks it is called PPROM. In this episode we’ll get into how common PPROM is and how it can be treated. Though the cause is unknown, there are risk factors that you can be aware of and ways to manage it that improve outcomes for your baby.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-What PPROM is and how common it is

-What the risk factors are

-How it’s diagnosed - it’s not always straightforward

-What warning signs to look out for

-What questions your doctor might ask if you are concerned you’re experiencing PPROM

-How your doctor determines the clinical course

-What “expectant management” is

-What the outcomes for PPROM babies can be

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode164

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

Ep164: Preterm Labor - What It Means and How to Manage It Jun 02, 2022

Show notes

Preterm labor might not mean what you think it does. You’ll learn all about what it is (and isn’t) in this episode. This is the second in a three part series on preterm birth - you can go back and listen to theprevious episodeif you’d like to hear about some of the risk factors.Now in today’s episode I’m not going to talk about what happens if you have a preterm birth, i.e. the outcomes for baby. Today is only about what happens when you experience preterm labor and how it is treated. Though preterm labor is one of the leading causes of preterm birth, it’s often treatable (50% of those who have preterm labor will not have a preterm birth) and you can go on and continue with your pregnancy relatively normally.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-What are the signs and symptoms of preterm labor

-When is it time to seek medical attention

-How is preterm labor diagnosed

-When is it better not to stop a preterm birth

-What are the medications used to stop labor (called tocolytics)

-What does recovery from preterm labor like

-What interventions are not proven to work

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode163

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

Ep163: Preterm Birth May 24, 2022

Show notes

Today’s episode is one that I’ve had in the works for quite a while. A lot of folks have been asking for it so I’m excited to bring you this episode about preterm birth. I will follow up this one with episodes on the two most common causes of preterm birth so stay tuned for those, as well.

Preterm birth is relatively common. There are some physical risk factors that you can't do anything about (like your height!) and there are behavioral factors that you are able to change, some more effective than others. Ultimately, there’s not a lot that we can do that will have an impact on whether you have a preterm birth or not but I’ll go over what we can.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-What is preterm birth

-How common is it

-What are some of the risk factors

-How does reproductive history impact level of risk

-What role do genetic factors play

-How does race affect the likelihood of preterm birth

-How to reduce risks

-What are some possible treatments

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode163

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 162: Molly’s Birth Story - Why She Wishes She Prepared Differently May 17, 2022

Show notes

This is a difficult birth story episode. Molly experienced an induction before her due date, was denied an epidural at the hospital, and was denied the ability to get up and move around during labor despite having an uncomplicated pregnancy.One of Molly’s regrets is that she took her doctor’s advice to skip birth education and birth planning. Molly felt blindsided by the twists and turns her birth took and wishes that she could have been more informed and confident so she could advocate for herself. She came away from the experience traumatized and disappointed in most of the interactions she had with hospital staff. In the end, though, Molly brought home her healthy baby daughter and gave her possibly the cutest name ever: Juniper.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-Why was Molly scheduled for an induction at 40 weeks

-What Molly wished she had known before having her induction

-What it’s like to have a negative reaction to pain medication

-How the attitude of staff can affect the overall birthing process

-How Molly handled latching issues with her baby

-What it was like coping with postpartum OCD

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode162

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

Ep161: Connecting with Your Baby Through Song with Music Therapist Vered Benhorin May 10, 2022

Show notes

This is a really fun episode about music! I really do wish I had this information when I was pregnant. I know it feels natural for a lot of us to sing to our babies and it turns out there’s a reason for that. As our guest Vered Benhorin explains, there may well be some compelling science behind the benefits of music both before and after birth.

A mother of three, Vered knows a thing or two (or three!) about birth and babies. Music was a powerful tool for her in parenthood and was central to her pre-mom life. Now a music therapist and psychotherapist, she has developed classes and techniques for parents to integrate the power of song into their babies lives.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-How Vered’s path shifted from aspiring rockstar to musical mom

-How music helped her connect with her baby

-Why it is so beneficial to sing to your baby during pregnancy

-How songs can help in developing a routine

-How to choose what songs to sing

-How to reframe what makes a “good” singing voice

-Why Vered recommends a labor playlist

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode161

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

Ep160: 9 Tips for an Unmedicated (Often Referred to as “Natural”) Birth May 03, 2022

Show notes

In today’s episode you’re going to learn 9 tips for having an unmedicated birth. This is an episode I initially did over 3 years ago. From time to time I like to go back and revisit older episodes as new information comes out or I learn new things. So we are revisiting those 9 things with some additional tidbits of advice.

Why do I say unmedicated instead of natural? Well, because that’s what it is! It’s giving birth without medication (most often people mean without an epidural). All birth is natural - procreation, continuing the species, that’s natural. The way that you manage pain doesn’t affect whether it’s natural or not.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-What are some questions you should ask yourself before committing to an unmedicated birth

-Why unmedicated birth requires a commitment

-Why you need to communicate your wishes to your support team in advance

-What makes preparation so vital to an unmedicated birth

-Why it’s a good idea to stay home as long as possible

-How to know when it’s time to go to the hospital

-Why you want to stay with the pain instead of fighting it

-What are the advantages of seeking out a nurse who has experience with unmedicated birth

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode160

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

Ep159: Sydni’s Birth Story - Rising to the Challenge of Parenthood Apr 26, 2022

Show notes

Sydni had her son at 19 and is now 25. Even though Sydni’s story is from a few years ago, there’s still a lot to learn from it. She had her baby a little early at 36 weeks and you’ll hear about how, after a slower start, things went super fast - so fast it shocked her mother and caused her to faint at the hospital!

She had her baby at a young age and although it forced her to step up, her partner at the time didn’t necessarily do the same. She also found out that some of her friends weren’t necessarily true friends. But now Sydni’s getting ready to get married, she’s in school and happy and doing well. You really do become a new person after you have a baby and Sydni was really intentional about becoming a better version of herself which is amazing.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-How rotating through all of the doctors at the practice made Sydni feel comfortable giving birth with whomever was on staff

-What made Sydni opt for an epidural after having planned for an unmedicated birth

-What it was like to jump from 6cm to 9 ½cm in five minutes

-Why it’s ok to prioritize your wishes and needs over what your friends and family might want

-How and why she plans to do things differently with the next baby

-Who stayed in her life and who didn’t after she became a mom

-How she shifted her life from being a teen to being a parent

-How her baby inspired her to change for the better

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode159

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

Ep158: How to Prepare for Postpartum with Nicole Makowka of LOOM Apr 19, 2022

Show notes

The earlier you can start thinking about the postpartum period, the better. Just like all other parts of birth, everyone’s postpartum experience will be different. There are both physical and mood disorders that can affect some people. Oftentimes even experienced care providers can overlook planning for this crucial period and that’s why Nicole Makowka is here today. Nicole is a licensed marriage and family therapist and an expert in early childhood development. She is also the Head of Education & Wellbeing at LOOM - an online platform for sexual and reproductive wellbeing. She has developed postpartum curricula for LOOM and has a lot of wonderful insight into how to be better prepared for what comes after pregnancy and birth.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-Why you should talk to your doctor about postpartum care beforehand

-What are some common emotions people can feel postpartum

-How common is postpartum ambivalence and why it’s completely ok

-Where is the line between what is tolerable and what is something that needs clinical attention

-What a “collective care map” is and why it’s a good idea to create one

-Why you should feel empowered to ask those around you for help

-What is LOOM and how is it helping birthing people

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode158

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 157: Disparities in OB/GYN - What They Are, The Causes, and What You Can Do Apr 12, 2022

Show notes

This episode is about racial disparities in ob/gyn and its release coincides with Black maternal health week. Founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, BMHW is a week of awareness, activism, and community building intended to deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health in the US.

To be honest I’m actually a bit tired of talking about disparities. The problems and root causes are well documented yet things are getting worse. People don’t want to talk about racism or are actively trying to suppress efforts to talk about race. But not talking about it doesn’t make the underlying issues go away. Helping address this problem starts with LISTENING. So especially if you are not Black, take a moment and listen (I explain why I say this in the episode). I hope that by the end you have some empathy and the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Also - if you are a Black woman, it’s ok to skip this episode. I understand that it can be traumatizing to repeatedly hear about these disparities.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

-What does disparity mean

-What are the statistics on racial disparities in healthcare

-What are the causes of these disparities

-How racism affects care and outcomes

-What does the term weathering refer to

-How I have been personally treated differently on the basis of race

-Why it matters if you speak up about race in your own community

-How you can help (donate to the groups linked below!)

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode157

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

Ep156: Headaches in Pregnancy Apr 05, 2022

Show notes

In this episode we’re talking about headaches in pregnancy. Headaches are common in general and also in pregnancy so I thought I’d tackle this topic. We will be focusing on primary headache syndromes today. A “primary headache” is when the headache itself is the disorder, whereas a “secondary headache” refers to one that is a symptom of an underlying issue. I do talk about when it’s time to take a headache seriously and talk to your doctor.

Primary headaches can be pre-existing (i.e., they began before pregnancy) or can occur for the first time during pregnancy, postpartum, or breastfeeding. Depending on what kind of headaches you suffer from, pregnancy may make the condition more or less severe. Both headache treatments and the headaches themselves can have an effect on your pregnancy so it’s important to learn about your options and make informed decisions.