Some of you may have heard about the tragic incident in Atlanta involving a case of shoulder dystocia during childbirth. In light of this case, I thought I’d take the opportunity to explain exactly what shoulder dystocia is, how likely it is to occur, and what makes it so dangerous.

I delve into this topic in more detail in the episode, but essentially shoulder dystocia occurs when a baby’s shoulder gets stuck behind the pelvic bone during delivery. Nine times out of ten the situation will resolve with no harm to the birthing person or baby. However, there’s no way to predict when it might happen so maternity care providers like myself need to stay prepared to handle it during childbirth.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What shoulder dystocia is
• How likely is it to occur
• What some of the common risk factors are
• Why addressing dystocia needs to happen as quickly as possible
• What hospitals and medical providers do to stay prepared to handle it
• What maneuvers are used to deal with shoulder dystocia
• Which injuries are most common
• How to reduce complications
• How care decisions should be made
• What to do after baby comes out

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode223

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This Dr. Nicole Says episode is about the August 2023 CDC study examining mistreatment and discrimination in birth.

Approximately one in five (20.4%) respondents reported experiencing at least one type of mistreatment.

28.9% of respondents reported experiencing at least one form of discrimination during maternity care.

Yet, 90.5% of respondents were satisfied with the care they received during pregnancy Why is that?

I break all of it down and you'll also learn how you can avoid mistreatment.

Link to CDC Study

The Birth Preparation Course

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It’s not very often we get to speak to someone who plans for an induction. But when Rachel’s husband only had TWO DAYS of parental leave and was assigned an out-of-town position, induction was the perfect solution!

What she wanted was an unmedicated birth preferably without Pitocin and incredibly that’s what she got! However, it wasn’t by accident. Rachel refers to herself as “type A” and she was very, very prepared (including taking The Birth Preparation Course!). All of her planning paid off because she was able to give birth with her husband at her side and they’ve even gone on to have a second baby since. You’re going to love this story!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What a preconception consultation is and how it helped Rachel
• Why she thinks we should abandon the term “morning sickness”
• How she struggled with self-blaming thoughts after an accidental fall at 7 months
• What made the birth plan class so much more valuable to her than a generic birth wish sheet
• Why she wanted an unmedicated birth
• How she knew it was time to push
• What makes her feel like postpartum parents are being underserved

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode222

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Our Sponsors:
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Welcome to the first episode of Dr. Nicole Says! In this episode you'll learn why it's not only ok, but NORMAL to fear birth and what you should do with that fear.

These Dr. Nicole Says episodes will be short episodes (about 10 minutes or less) where I share a little pregnancy and birth gem with you :).

The only way to know about these episodes is to subscribe to the podcast so be sure you're subscribed!

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the RIGHT Way (next LIVE class is August 29th!)

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Have you heard of birth story medicine? Today’s guest, Amelia Kriss, is a therapist who helps parents work through unresolved issues connected to the experience of giving birth. Not everyone will necessarily need to work through their delivery narrative with someone else. But for those who experience trauma it can be a helpful tool.

When people are unhappy with their birth it’s generally not because of the specific course it took but rather because they hadn’t anticipated the possibility of it deviating from what they envisioned. Even if you’re sure of the birth you want, it’s important to explore all possibilities. You can’t control birth so the best thing you can do is educate yourself so you can be prepared.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why it’s important to process your birth story
• What a drama therapist does
• How to balance processing your birth story while staying in the present moment
• What you can do during your pregnancy to help shape your birth story to be more positive
• How our narratives about our birth stories affects us in the long term
• How your opinion of your birth story can affect your opinion of yourself
• What the most common reasons are that people seek counseling for their birth
• Why it’s important to acknowledge that not everything about parenting is great

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode221

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

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Amber had the picture perfect pregnancy that ended with an emergency induction. Her daughter couldn't tolerate the contractions and her heart rate kept decelerating. The birth almost ended up in a c-section but Amber was determined to at least have the vaginal birth she hoped for.

She succeeded in having a vaginal birth but her care team was not very supportive. In fact, they rushed her every step of the way. 99% of the time, the heart rate can drop and your baby will be just fine. Amber says now that she wishes she would have been more firm in what she wanted but honestly her care team should have been listening to her. I would say she did a great job of standing her ground.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How Amber could tell she was pregnant
• How her pregnancy affected her immune system
• Why she recommends pelvic floor therapy
• How her husband supported her throughout her pregnancy
• What her birth wishes were
• Why her doctor pushed for an induction
• What made her disappointed with her doula
• How she coped with postpartum depression

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode220

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

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I'm taking a little time of to reset and recharge so enjoy this fan favorite rebroadcast episode on 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

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

Take a quick, fun labor pain quiz

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In this episode you’re going to get excellent information and strategies to help with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) from RN Kimber MacGibbon of The Hyperemesis Foundation. Her organization works to dispel the misconception that hyperemesis is a short-lived condition without consequences for the mother or child.

After her own experience with HG during two pregnancies, she was shocked to find that her doctor was not willing to help her. It was difficult to find information and resources so she decided to tackle the problem herself. Working with other experts in the field, she developed HER Foundation, a non-profit which is taking the lead in advancing HG research, advocacy, and education.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What hyperemesis is and how it’s different from morning sickness
• How long it can last
• What complications are possible
• Which strategies and medications can be helpful
• How to tell if it’s time to reduce medication
• What some home care options are that can keep people with HG out of the hospital
• Why it can be so difficult to get support for HG

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode219

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Our Sponsors:
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I’m sure you’ve heard me say how much I love doulas. Studies show that having a doula can shorten labor, decrease the need for pain medicine, and increase your chances for having a vaginal delivery. They provide physical and emotional support during labor and the postpartum period. But just like any other practitioner, not every doula is going to be the right fit for you.

In this episode I’m going to walk you through the process of finding the right support specialist to help you along your birth and postpartum journey. We’ll go over where to look and the questions you should ask potential candidates. Remember that it’s your birth and your money. Hire the person who is going to make you feel comfortable and be your ally.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What a doula is and how they help during labor and postpartum
• Why you might consider hiring one
• Where to find a doula
• Why it’s important to interview multiple candidates
• Which questions to ask when interviewing a doula
• How available you can expect them to be
• How a doula can help both you and your partner

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode218

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Our Sponsors:
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Kristine had a very positive birth experience. In her words, her pregnancy “wasn’t easy but it wasn’t hard.” It’s good to remember that even though birth is unpredictable, it’s possible to have the experience you want. Kristine hoped for an unmedicated hospital birth and that’s what she got.

A birth plan doesn’t come with any guarantees but if you don’t have one it can make getting what you want a lot harder. Multiple people along the way asked Kristine for her plan and that’s great but a lot of birthing people don’t have that experience. You need to show up prepared to advocate for yourself and preferably with a birth partner who can help support your wishes.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Which uncommon pregnancy symptoms Kristine experienced
• Why she recommends everyone do pelvic floor PT
• Why she chose to hire a doula and how she felt that helped on her journey
• What made her 39 week appointment a bad experience
• How she handled her pain without medication
• How quickly she progressed from 5-10cm
• Why she wishes she had booked an outpatient lactation consultant earlier

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode217

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Our Sponsors:
* Check out Ritual Prenatals and get 25% off! https://ritual.com/DRNICOLE
* Give Armoire a try and get up to 50% off your first month, that’s up to $125 OFF! Just visit armoire.style/DRNICOLE
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