In this episode you'll learn why we prescribe baby aspirin, who should take it and how much.

Low-dose aspirin (81 mg/d a.k.a. baby aspirin) reduces the frequency of preeclampsia, as well as related adverse pregnancy outcomes (preterm birth, growth restriction), by approximately 10-20%.

Low-dose aspirin should be started after 12 weeks and ideally before 16 weeks and continued daily until delivery.

Low-dose aspirin is recommended for:

• Pregnant individuals with one or more of the following risk factors:
• History of preeclampsia
• Carrying more than one baby (twins, triplets, etc)
• High blood pressure that was present before pregnancy (chronic hypertension)
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes that was present before pregnancy
• Kidney disease
• Autoimmune disease (ie, systemic lupus erythematous, antiphospholipid syndrome)

Pregnant individuals with 2 or more of the following risk factors:

• Having your 1st baby
• Obesity (ie, body mass index > 30)
• Family history of preeclampsia (ie, mother or sister)
• Black race (as a proxy for underlying racism)
• Lower income
• Age 35 years or older
• Personal history factors (eg, low birth weight or small for gestational age, previous adverse pregnancy outcome, >10-year pregnancy interval)
• In vitro fertilization

Learn how to make a birth plan the right way in my FREE class - drnicolerankins.com/birth-plan

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

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This is a hard story but I hope that you listen. It’s such a demonstration of strength and resilience through an incredibly challenging time. After a normal pregnancy, Kerry lost her daughter to a rare epileptic condition at 3 months old.

What happened to Kerry and her family is rare but rare does not mean it doesn’t happen. The reality is that sometimes very difficult and painful circumstances happen during pregnancy and birth and things aren’t going to be ok. We need tools to deal with those unfortunate, tragic, and painful circumstances. Kerry does a beautiful job of sharing her story and it is an incredible demonstration of the tools that help with navigating the unimaginable.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Kerry went to see the midwives at 40 weeks
• What made her midwife’s “spidey senses” go off
• Why her care team urged her to be induced as soon as possible
• How long she was in labor before undergoing a c-section
• Why her baby was taken to the NICU
• How long it took to figure out what was wrong
• What her daughter’s diagnosis was
• What her baby’s short life was like
• How hospice staff helped her postpartum
• What she wishes people would say (and not say) to those experiencing loss

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode236

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

The physical environment around you can make a HUGE impact on your labor and birth! There are 4 things you can influence in your hospital room to help create a positive, supportive energy around your birth (lights, smells, sounds, things).

Take my FREE birth plan class drnicolerankins.com/birth-plan

Join The Birth Preparation Course - 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 blessing and curse of living in the digital age is the overwhelming amount of information. How are you supposed to know what’s reliable and what’s not? It can feel paralyzing to have every fact at our fingertips. Fortunately, you’ve got experts like myself and Sharon Mazel to help cut through the noise.

Sharon is an internationally recognized parenting and pregnancy expert, author, journalist, speaker, parenting coach, and mom of four with over 25 years experience in the field. She wrote her new book, Bite-Size Parenting: Your Baby's First Year, to distill all of that content down to what you really need for baby’s first year!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why modern parenting feels so overwhelming
• How to tell if information is trustworthy
• What to expect from baby in the first few weeks
• Which parenting rules are actually myths
• How you can stimulate baby’s growing mind
• When to start reading to your baby
• How to balance your personal identity and your role as a parent

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode235

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

These are great gift ideas to help postpartum. You can give them or ask for them in your registry!

And learn more about postpartum doulas in episode 115 of the podcast.

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

Mary Rose’s labor went so fast she wouldn’t have had time for medication if she wanted it. She went from “let’s do this” to “your baby’s here” in only 20 minutes of pushing! After struggling through a violently ill pregnancy, she got the beautiful birth she dreamed of.

Hyperemesis gravidarum made the first 20 or so weeks of Mary Rose’s pregnancy a nightmare. It’s more than just morning sickness. Hyperemesis refers to extreme nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. She couldn’t keep anything down and eventually had to go for in-person liquid infusions after losing an unsettling amount of weight. But after that phase passed, she was able to have a normal pregnancy and a birth that went more smoothly than she could’ve anticipated.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What hyperemesis gravidarum is and how it affected Mary Rose
• How her care team could have done more to support her condition
• Whether or not Zofran helped with her nausea and vomiting
• How infusions helped her feel better
• Why she chose a doctor who didn’t have the best bedside manner
• What she expected labor to look like versus what really happened
• How she used breathwork to cope with her contractions
• Why she’s grateful to have worked with a doula
• How quickly she was in and out of the hospital
• What her experience was like with placenta encapsulation

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode234

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's Thanksgiving this week so I’m sharing 10 things I’m thankful for. I have so much gratitude and a big part of that is YOU. I know your time is valuable and I appreciate that you choose to spend it with me.

It’s such a privilege to serve people during one of the most meaningful events of their lives. Whether it’s at the bedside or sharing information on this podcast, I don't take it lightly that what I get to do is really special and I am incredibly, incredibly grateful to do this work.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How my openness has helped me grow over the course of my career
• What makes me excellent at my job
• How many different skills I’ve had the opportunity to learn and practice
• Why I say that education is in my blood
• Who has helped and taught me during the course of my career
• Why on earth social media made the list of things I’m grateful for
• Who works on the show behind the scenes
• How my family inspires and energizes me

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode233

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

My NICU baby is turning 16 this week! So I'm sharing 5 things I remember from that difficult time.

Also if you have a baby in the NICU, do check out episode 76 of the podcast with neonatologist Dr. Terri Major-Kincade. It's the episode I wish I had when I had my NICU baby! https://drnicolerankins.com/episode76/

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

Why does Dr. Lauren Cook call Gen-Z and Millennials “Generation Anxiety”? There are a lot of reasons and you’re going to learn about them - and a lot more - in this fascinating episode on mental health.

 Whether you’re pregnant, in the postpartum, or even if you’re still trying, a lot of challenging feelings can come up. Today’s guest is a clinical psychologist and a mother. She brings a healthy blend of science and personal experience and I know you’re going to learn a lot from her!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What makes anxiety different from stress
• How to tell if your anxiety is normal
• How psychological issues can manifest during pregnancy and postpartum
• How to recognize and treat mental health challenges
• What role therapy can play
• When to consider medication
• What the difference is between therapy and coaching

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode232

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

This week’s episode is a rebroadcast all about midwifery care. It's a “Dr. Nicole Favorite” because the midwifery model of care is outstanding. All of us who work in maternal health should learn about it, implement midwifery care aspects into the care we provide, and you should look for these elements in the care you receive regardless of whether or not you have a midwife.

I was initially inspired to do this episode after hearing Heidi (episode 119) talk about how her midwife worked so well with a physician in order to help her have a beautiful birth. I’ve been working with midwives since my residency training and currently work with midwives today. I fully support working collaboratively with midwives to help provide the best care for patients.

So enjoy this Dr. Nicole's favorite episode all about midwifery!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What midwifery is and what values midwives uphold
• What makes each category of midwifery different: certified nurse midwives, certified midwives, and certified professional midwives
• How education and training varies across classifications
• How the scope of midwifery extends beyond pregnancy and birth
• Whether insurance covers midwifery
• How models of midwifery vary from state to state
• What collaborative agreements are and how they can help or hinder the care midwives provide
• Why it’s so important for physicians and midwives to work together

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode120

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