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

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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

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 experts in her specialty so she’s working overtime to spread the word. If you need pharmaceuticals, there’s a good chance you can do so safely. Tune in and learn how to explore your options with your doctor.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Dr. Waggel uses the term “perinatal mood & anxiety disorders” (PMADs)
• What makes prescribers err on the side of a no-medication approach
• How common it is to suffer from PMADs
• When it’s the baby blues and when it’s time to seek help
• Why Dr. Stephanie encourages people to participate in medical studies
• How therapy factors into her treatment plans
• How medication can interact with breastfeeding
• When it’s time to restart medication postpartum

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode241

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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

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 drnicolerankins.com/prenatal.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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

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, she wishes it would’ve gone more slowly so she could have been more present and remembered her experience. Instead she came away feeling like it was all a blur. As frustrating as that was, it’s an important reminder that a VBAC is possible and if you want to try for it, you should tell your doctor!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why her first birth ended in cesarean
• Why she moved to another state alone at 34 weeks pregnant
• How she prepared for the c-section she was expecting
• Why she thought it would be fine to drive herself 50 minutes to the hospital while having contractions
• How close to fully dilated she was at the first check
• What her experience with pain was like
• How her medical team approached changing positions
• How quickly her pushing went from start to finish
• Why it took a while for her to process her birth experience
• How her VBAC recovery compared to her c-section recovery
• What granulation tissue is and how her doctor helped get rid of it

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode240

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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

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, my experience, and my why so you can decide.

DM me on Instagram! I'd love to hear from you!

Check out all the great resources I have for you at my website drnicolerankins.com.

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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

It's 2024 and although I don't do new year's resolutions per se, I do like to take some time to think about what I can do to set myself up for a good year ahead. In this episode, I want to share some of the energies that we can bring into this 2024 to help set ourselves up for great experiences in pregnancy, birth, and life in general.

Now I’m going to go through a few intentions but do NOT feel like you have to implement all of them. Start with picking a couple and bookmark this episode for later. Becoming our best selves is always a work in progress and this episode will be here whenever you need it.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How to open yourself up to the possibility of an easy pregnancy
• Why it’s ok to keep things simple
• How to be intentional about where you spend your time and energy
• What it means to be confident
• How to embody your truest self
• How you can take power over your birth
• What the reality is about stress and peace
• How joy is different than pleasure
• Why I love being able to serve YOU!

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode239

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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

We all need to look back on our accomplishments from time to time! In this shortie episode I'm looking back on 2023 accomplishments for

• The All About Pregnancy & Birth Podcast
• The Birth Preparation Course (drnicolerankins.com/enroll)
• Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way Class (drnicolerankins.com/birthplan)
• Social Media
• My work at the bedside as a practicing OB/GYN
• Personal life accomplishments

What did you accomplish in 2023 that you're proud of? DM me on Instagram @drnicolerankins and let me know!

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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

At the end of the year, I like to do a recap of the most downloaded episodes. Looking back at the number of times the podcast was streamed in 2023 amazes me. You all listened to the show over 583,000 times this year - that's over 1,500 times a day! I am so grateful that you tune in and find this information helpful.

Now today I’m sharing the top three solo episodes, top four interviews, and top five birth stories. You’re going to love revisiting the best of 2023 and I can’t wait to see where the show goes in 2024!

The Most Downloaded Episodes of 2023:

• Episode 205: Chelsea’s Birth Story - Being Informed and Advocating for Yourself
• Episode 202: Charlotte’s Birth Story - Choosing to Have a Miracle Baby
• Episode 217: Kristine’s Birth Story - An Unmedicated Hospital Birth with Premature Rupture of Membranes
• Episode 211: Monique’s Birth Story - Prioritizing Peace
• Episode 208: Candace’s Birth Story - Reclaiming Your Birth Story After Obstetric Violence
• Episode 204: Preparing for Your Newborn with Pediatrician and CEO of Newborn Prep Academy Dr. Emeka Obidi 
• Episode 216: What You Need to Know About Pumping with Dr. Dianna Dixon from Pump with Purpose
• Episode 213: Breastfeeding Education with Kelly Kendall, IBCLC, of The Balanced Boob
• Episode 210: The Freedom to Choose Your Birthing Position with Dr. Rebecca Dekker of Evidence Based Birth
• Episode 215: 11 Must Know Tips to Have the Best Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum Experience
• Episode 212: What Happens During Labor - A Sneak Peak Inside The Birth Preparation Course!
• Episode 209: The Umbilical Cord - What Is It, What Does It Do and What Problems Can Occur
• Honorable Mentions: Episode 190: Physiologic Birth, Episode 196: Postpartum Psychosis, Episode 237: Pelvic Floor PT, & Episode 234: Hyperemesis

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode238

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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

It started with abdominal pain and ended with a medical helicopter ride... and a detour in the middle at the airport.

Listen to hear the story and lessons learned from it.

Make A Birth Plan The RIGHT Way - FREE Class! - drnicolerankins.com/birth-plan

Check out The Birth Preparation Course, my online childbirth education class - drnicolerankins.com/enroll

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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

The American healthcare system doesn’t value preventative care, especially when it comes to reproductive health. One tool that could help in preventing injury and improving healing after birth is pelvic floor physical therapy. It’s not a standard part of maternity care so its benefits aren’t widely known by practitioners - even I didn't know that pelvic floor physical therapists could help with pregnancy and birth related issues until years into my practice. It may not even occur to providers to recommend it to you.

That’s where clinicians like Marcy Crouch come in. With over 180K followers on Instagram, Marcy, AKA The Down There Doc, is spreading the word of the benefits of pelvic floor PT. She believes in and practices pregnancy-related preparation and recovery through manual therapy and functional training just like you would with any other muscle. Someday I hope to see pelvic floor physical therapists as a routine part of birth including in-hospital care but until then, listen to this episode and ask your healthcare provider about pelvic PT.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What makes Marcy so passionate about her work
• How and why Marcy began offering pelvic floor physical therapy online
• What, exactly, a pelvic floor therapist is
• What kind of training and certifications are required to do her work
• What to expect if you go see a pelvic floor physical therapist
• Whether PT is covered by insurance
• What the most common types of pelvic pain are
• Which tools are helpful in healing and how to choose the right ones
• What are vulvar varicosities and what can be done

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode237

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Free Resources to Help You Birth With Power

Get the support, clarity, and confidence you deserve. Download any of my free tools designed to help you prepare for a calmer, confident, and more empowered hospital birth:

• Hospital Tour Scorecard — Know exactly what to look for so you can choose the right hospital

• How to Tell If Your OB Is Right for You — Ask the right questions and spot red flags early

• Labor Pain Management Playbook — Learn the tools and strategies I teach my own patients

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/birth-with-power/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

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