Episodes
Published 03/26/24
Amniotic fluid (AF) is the liquid that surrounds your baby after the first few weeks of pregnancy. An adequate amount of amniotic fluid is absolutely, positively critical for fetal health. If it’s too low, there can be a risk of severe fetal deformations, umbilical cord compression, and in extreme cases, fetal death. On the other side, if it’s too high, there’s a range of other fetal disorders that can occur affecting both you and your baby. Neither extreme is very common, but they both...
Published 03/26/24
Social media will have you believing you have to do SO MUCH when you are having a baby. I'm here to tell you that you don't! Learn exactly that things you don't have to do just because you're having a baby. Make A Birth Plan The Right Way - FREE Class! Click here to support All About Pregnancy & Birth! Our Sponsors: * Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm at drmombuttbalm.com. Also available on Amazon and at Walmart! * Check out Ritual and use my code DRNICOLE for a great deal:...
Published 03/21/24
This week’s guest is Dr. Andrea Wadley. She is board certified in both pediatrics AND breastfeeding medicine. In fact she’s one of only 100 physicians in the country who is board certified in breastfeeding medicine. With all of the unreliable information out there, it’s so important to seek out authorities like her. It would be great if your doctor was an expert in breastfeeding but the fact is, whether it’s your OB/GYN or pediatrician, that’s rarely the case. That’s where you’re going to...
Published 03/19/24
I have a terrible time with seasonal allergies! And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you have a hard time too, they might get worse in pregnancy. Get info on medication-free techniques (where I recommend you start) and medications to help with those turrrrible seasonal allergies! Also, please do me a big favor and leave a review of the podcast in Apple podcasts. It's SUCH a huge help! Our Sponsors: * Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm at drmombuttbalm.com. Also available on Amazon and...
Published 03/14/24
I think this might be the first time I’ve had a guest describe their birth as “beautiful,” “joyful,” and even “relaxing”! Erin wasn’t expecting to be somebody who loved her birth story but she absolutely does. Today, she’s here to share her perspective that a hospital birth can be beautiful. I didn’t realize until we started talking, but Erin actually gave birth in the hospital where I work! I was not a part of her birth but I know her doctor, nurses, and midwife. It was so nice to hear from...
Published 03/12/24
In this shorty episode I'm answering a listener question that was sent to me via Instagram DM - "Hi Dr. Rankins! I love your podcast and just signed up for your free birth class. I’m [in my first trimester]. This is my first pregnancy and I’m a little nervous. I was born with one kidney and a bicornuate uterus. I am learning I may be at higher risk for breech and may have to have a c-section. Maybe this can be a small topic for a future podcast. Any information you have about women with a...
Published 03/07/24
This episode is all about helping you during those first six weeks postpartum! The reality is that once you get discharged from the hospital, your doctor likely won't see you for six weeks. Experts recommend some degree of contact within the first three weeks postpartum. However, the reality is that it isn’t common. So in this episode, you're going to get some great information to help you during that time. This episode is taken from The Birth Preparation Course, my online childbirth...
Published 03/05/24
IV (intravenous) fluids are extremely common and even routine during labor but are they really necessary? In this shorty episode I’ll break that down for you! You’ll learn what IV fluids arewhy they're given during laborMy recommendation for IV fluids during labor use the code DRNICOLE and get 10% off my online childbirth education class, The Birth Preparation Course! Our Sponsors: * Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm at drmombuttbalm.com. Also available on Amazon and at Walmart! * Check out...
Published 02/29/24
If you’ve been listening to this show for a while, you’ll know that I’m a big proponent of doulas. What you might not know is that doulas can assist at all kinds of births - even planned cesareans! Today’s guest, Hehe Stewart, is the founder of Tranquility by HeHe Maternity Concierge and is a doula herself. Finding the right support for your birth can be overwhelming and there is a ton of good information in here to help you make informed and empowered choices. In this Episode, You’ll Learn...
Published 02/27/24
Your baby should be with YOU after birth! I break down the 3 pieces to that in this episode: skin to skin contact after birthdelayed cord clampingbaby being in your room at all times Be sure to get these things by making a birth plan! I teach you the RIGHT way to do that in my FREE class: drnicolerankins.com/birthplan Our Sponsors: * Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm at drmombuttbalm.com. Also available on Amazon and at Walmart! * Check out Informed Pregnancy Media: www.informedpregnancy.tv *...
Published 02/22/24
Today Caitlin is here to share her story of having a baby with a cleft lip and palate. Usually, we talk mostly about the birth in birth story episodes of the podcast, but this episode is a little different. Caitlin reached out because despite it being relatively common, she noticed that I’d never touched upon cleft lip and palate on the podcast before and she wanted to share her experience and help others. So what is cleft lip and palate? They are congenital conditions that occur during fetal...
Published 02/20/24
The concern about pregnant women changing kitty litter comes from the possibility of getting infected with something called toxoplasmosis. What is toxoplasmosis, what problems does it cause, and can you really get it from kitty litter? Take my free birth plan class! - drnicolerankins.com/birthplan Join my community on Instagram - instagram.com/drnicolerankins Our Sponsors: * Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm at drmombuttbalm.com. Also available on Amazon and at Walmart! * Check out Informed...
Published 02/15/24
In this episode you're going to learn exactly what happens during your menstrual cycle. I decided to talk about this because, quite frankly, it’s something that many of us don’t fully understand. We talk about our cycles in relation to pregnancy but there’s a lot more to periods than ovulation! Your cycle can influence so many aspects of your life: libido, mood, energy, skin, appetite, and more! Better understanding your periods can help you make informed decisions regarding reproductive...
Published 02/13/24
In this shorty episode you'll learn the changes that can happen with your sleep during pregnancy, why we recommend you don't sleep on your back during pregnancy, and strategies to get a good night's sleep (don't drink chamomile tea!). Take my free birth plan class! - drnicolerankins.com/birthplan Our Sponsors: * Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm at drmombuttbalm.com. Also available on Amazon and at Walmart! * Check out Informed Pregnancy Media: www.informedpregnancy.tv * Check out Ritual and use...
Published 02/08/24
What can an attorney teach you about your labor and birth? A lot, it turns out! Gina Mundy specializes in childbirth cases defending medical professionals. Over the course of her 20+ year career, she has learned about the mistakes that can happen in hospitals and she’s here to share those insights with us. Her book, "A Parent's Guide to a Safer Childbirth," helps parents prevent errors and have a healthy baby. In today’s episode we are going to go through the 12 lessons covered in her...
Published 02/06/24
Listen in to learn what's considered a safe amount of caffeine during pregnancy. Get info on the amount of caffeine in many common beverages (like Starbucks) at the Center For Science In The Public Interest - https://www.cspinet.org/caffeine-chart Take my FREE birth plan class! - drnicolerankins.com/birthplan Our Sponsors: * Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm at drmombuttbalm.com. Also available on Amazon and at Walmart! * Check out Informed Pregnancy Media: www.informedpregnancy.tv * Check out...
Published 02/01/24
Fibroids, two C-sections, and one myomectomy. Denise showed incredible strength and bravery along her difficult path to motherhood. In addition to carrying her baby, she had fibroids that grew to enormous size - one was the size of a grapefruit! She had a myomectomy (fibroid removal) and two months afterward she discovered that she was pregnant again. She was told specifically not to get pregnant for at least 24 months to let her uterus heal but, as Denise says, “things happen”! Since...
Published 01/30/24
The concern about eating deli meat in pregnancy revolves around the bacteria listeria. You'll learn what is listeria, how it can be very serious for your baby and what you can do to prevent it - including whether or not you should eat deli meat. Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way - Free Class! drnicolerankins.com/birthplan Our Sponsors: * Check out Dr. Mom Butt Balm: https://drmombuttbalm.com/ * Check out Ritual and use my code DRNICOLE for 20% off: https://ritual.com/drnicole * Visit...
Published 01/25/24
Today I'm sharing a lesson from my online childbirth education class - The Birth Preparation Course! In this episode, you’re going to learn about the stages of labor. Every labor is different but there are some common generalities that are true most of the time. From the first contractions to pushing out your baby, I’ll walk you through the steps so you’ll know what to expect. This lesson is great in audio but it's even better in video! If you want to check out the course after listening to...
Published 01/23/24
This is adult content so if you have kiddos, pop in those headphones! You'll hear me share how I pulled a sex toy from someone's vagina that had been in there for 4 - yes 4 - days. You'll also hear about whether sex in pregnancy is safe (spoiler alert it's very safe!) and some other helpful info (like some women actually have an increased sex drive during pregnancy - that's normal!). Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way - FREE Class! drnicolerankins.com/birthplan Our Sponsors: * Check out Dr....
Published 01/18/24
Pregnant women and people who need psychiatric medication are uniquely underserved. There’s a big knowledge gap and it’s not just the general public. Med school doesn’t teach much about mental health medication and pregnancy. Fortunately, today’s guest is here to share information and dispel myths! Dr. Stephanie Waggel is a psychiatrist certified in perinatal mental health, specifically, advanced studies in perinatal psychopharmacology (medication for pregnant people). She’s one of very few...
Published 01/16/24
Only about 5% of women give birth on their actual due date! Yes 5%! The due date is still important as we use it to track how far along you are in your pregnancy so we can make sure your baby is growing as expected and we do tests at the appropriate time. Learn when most women give birth in this short episode. And to get the details on all the tests that are done during pregnancy (we as ob/gyns don't always do a great job of explaining this) grab my free guide to prenatal tests at...
Published 01/11/24
Kelsey had a cesarean for her first birth and when she got pregnant with her second baby VBAC wasn’t exactly on her radar. After discussing it with her doctor, her hope was to either have a medicated vaginal birth or a c-section but, of course, neither of those happened. The delivery went so quickly that, even though she was “screaming bloody murder,” it was too late for her to get pain meds. A lot of people hope for a quick labor and birth but that can have its drawbacks, too. For Kelsey,...
Published 01/09/24
In this short episode I tell you a bit about my background, training and how I came to do this work. This is important because these days there are more and more people popping up (especially on social media) talking about pregnancy, birth and women’s health topics in general. And It’s really important that you get information from reliable and trustworthy sources. But here's the thing - YOU have to decide what you consider a reliable and trustworthy source.  So listen and learn my education,...
Published 01/04/24