Lauren DMed me on Instagram and asked me to talk about CMV and pregnancy so here it is!

In this short episode you'll learn

• What is CMV
• How it’s transmitted
• How it can impact pregnancy
• How it’s diagnosed
• How it can be prevented or treated

If you have a question you want me to answer in an upcoming episode, shoot me a DM on Instagram @drnicolerankins!

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Ginny had an elective labor induction that went so smoothly she calls it a “dream.” But that doesn’t mean that everything about her pregnancy experience was easy. Multiple people in her personal life experienced birth-related complications while Ginny was pregnant including stillbirth. This caused Ginny a lot of anxiety. Also, she struggled with depression - both during pregnancy and postpartum.

Learn how Ginny was able to successfully navigate these challenges in this great episode!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• Why Ginny scheduled an induction
• What subchorionic hemorrhaging means
• How she initially felt about induction
• How she made her hospital room feel like home
• Which induction medications and pain management she received
• How the epidural made her feel
• What made her so happy with her birthing team
• How work helped Ginny find herself after pregnancy

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode270

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the RIGHT Way

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Epidurals provide excellent pain relief during labor but there are risks and side effects. Learn how epidurals work and things you need to know before you get one.

And no need to take notes, you can grab my comprehensive guide to managing pain in labor here!

Our Sponsors:
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In today's episode, you’re going to learn about vaccines and pregnancy. Vaccines -also called immunizations- are important in order to help prevent moms and babies from getting certain potentially serious infections. I know there’s a lot of concern about vaccines. But let me assure you, although vaccines are not risk free, they are very safe.

There are 2 vaccines that are recommended to be up to date prior to pregnancy - MMR and Varicella, as well as 4 vaccines that are recommended during pregnancy - Flu, Tdap, COVID, and RSV. I want to make sure you have the latest information in order to stay safe so you’re going to learn all about these and why they’re important in this episode.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How vaccines protect you and your baby
• Whether vaccines are safe and effective (they are!)
• Why the best time to get a couple of important vaccines (MMR and Varicella) is before you get pregnant
• The four vaccines that are recommended and why - Flu, Tdap, COVID, and RSV
• What the risks and side effects are
• Which vaccines are not safe during pregnancy

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode269

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

Register for the class How to Make 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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In this short episode you'll learn about medications to manage pain in labor that are not an epidural, specifically opioid medications and nitrous oxide. You'll learn how they work, the side effects, risks, pros and cons of each.

Grab the free guide to managing pain in labor - drnicolerankins.com/pain

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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David Arrell is a coach, consultant, and returning guest! About three years ago David joined us for a conversation about the WTF moments of fatherhood. Since then, his empire of dad advice has grown and he’s back with more helpful tips.

Welcome to Fatherhood (or WTF as it’s appropriately called at times) is his fatherhood brand. What began with a book is now a podcast, blog, and even a course! As a partner, it’s not always easy to know how to show up in the most supportive and helpful way. If only there was a how-to guide. Well thanks to David, there is! 

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What the “Dude Zone” is and why it’s important
• Which two traps are on the way from the Dude Zone to the Dad Zone
• What it means to “team up” vs “team out”
• Which challenges dads are most worried about
• How often dads deal with postpartum depression
• How partners can be supportive through each trimester
• How to redefine masculinity in the role of fatherhood

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode268

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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In this short episode you'll learn why it's really important to think about labor pain differently, tips to approach a medication free birth, and techniques to manage pain.

Grab my free labor pain management guide here!

Join The Birth Preparation Course here (use code DRNICOLE for an additional 10% off!).

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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Katie calls her second birth an amazing experience - night and day from her first. The standard hospital birth she had for her first baby was fine, but this time she wanted a more holistic prenatal experience. This led her to a private birth center with a group of amazing midwives.

I don't usually share birth center birth stories because I’m not familiar with that setting. For the podcast, I tend to ‘stay in my lane’, which is the hospital setting. However if I want to improve our maternal health care system, I need to learn about diverse birth experiences. I learned a lot from this birth center episode and I know you will too!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• What made Katie realized she wasn’t satisfied with her first birth experience
• How a playgroup conversation led her to the birth center she loved
• How the midwives made her feel safe and respected
• Why she felt shame when she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes
• Which steps she took to control her gestational diabetes
• Why she almost left the birthing center partway through labor
• How an emotional release may have progressed her labor

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode267

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
* Head to AvocadoMattress.com today to save 10% on all bedding and 50% on clearance bedding!


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In this shorty episode I answer this question from Keri.

"Hi Dr. Nicole! I love the podcast and have a question for the Q&A. I have a 2 year old daughter. Easy pregnancy and delivery at 40w6d and healthy baby! At the hospital, it is routine to send the placenta to pathology. The report stated that I had “patchy chorangiosis” with a note that it is associated with tobacco or drug use during pregnancy and a bunch of other medical issues. This was alarming to me, but Google did not provide much information, but it seems rare to have with a healthy pregnancy. Thinking about baby #2. Should this be a concern? Thank you for the podcast!"

If you have a question you want me to answer shoot me a DM on Instagram @drnicolerankins!

Our Sponsors:
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This episode is one I originally did back in 2020. Since it comes up from time to time and can be a contentious topic, I decided to rebroadcast it today.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through what circumcision is, its benefits and risks, and why some families choose to have this elective procedure. There are also some ethical questions you may want to consider before choosing to have your baby circumcised, so I talk about those too. My own thinking around this procedure has changed over time and maybe yours will too!

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode75

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
* Head to AvocadoMattress.com today to save 10% on all bedding and 50% on clearance bedding!


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

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