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!

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!

--

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

If you like the way I approach pregnancy and birth then you’re going to love this conversation with pediatrician Dr. Joel Warsh. He has a really balanced, common-sense approach to pediatrics that blends modern medicine with non-Western elements.

In addition to pregnancy and parenting advice, he recommends small changes you can make today that will impact your health in the future. We have a great conversation about wellness and I know you’re going to learn a lot of practical tips!

• Why Dr. Warsh transitioned away from traditional pediatrics to integrative medicine
• What integrative medicine and integrative parenting refer to
• How the U.S. medical system falls short
• Why we should apply a balanced approach to traditional and modern medicine
• How integrative parenting can help with common infant challenges
• What constitutes a non-toxic home
• Why we should shift more focus to preventative care
• Who makes a good candidate for home birth

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode266

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

In this birth story episode, you’re going to hear what a true emergency cesarean is like. Lillie was induced due to gestational diabetes and preeclampsia at 37 weeks. After 36 hours in labor, just as she was transitioning to push, her baby went into distress and she was rushed to the operating room for an emergency cesarean birth.

Now Lillie felt like this was a pretty scary and traumatic birth but one of the things that really helped her was that she had learned about all possible birthing situations. Knowing what to expect isn't going to prevent trauma but it most certainly can make things easier.

• How long Lillie took to prepare for parenthood once she decided to have a baby
• Which health concerns she had coming into the pregnancy
• Why she specifically sought out a Black woman OB-GYN
• Why she saw a maternal fetal medicine specialist for her pregnancy
• Why pitocin can’t be administered continuously
• How many attempts it took to place the epidural
• How a nurse with conveniently small hands helped dislodge Lillie’s baby from her pelvis

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode265

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

July is Fibroid Awareness Month, so today I’m re-airing an episode on what happens when you have fibroids during pregnancy. I’ve actually gotten quite a few questions about this, more than I expected, and the questions indicate that there’s a lot of uncertainty and misunderstandings about this topic.

In this rebroadcast episode, you’ll learn what fibroids are, the risk factors and symptoms associated with fibroids, how fibroids are managed during pregnancy, how fibroids affect mom and baby during pregnancy, and also the impact of having myomectomy (fibroid removal) before pregnancy. Let's get into the episode on uterine fibroids and the impact they have on pregnancy!

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode103

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Dr. Ream describes first-time parenthood as an experience that rocked her world. When she found herself crying and screaming because her baby wouldn’t fall asleep, she knew she needed to seek help. Of course, she had heard of postpartum anxiety and depression but postpartum rage was something she hadn’t been prepared for.

When she went looking for support and didn’t turn up much, she decided to solve the problem herself. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who completed additional training to specialize in perinatal mental health. After that, she went on to found Psyched Mommy, the largest social media platform focusing on perinatal mental health. Postpartum rage and anger isn't something that we talk about enough –or even at all– so I'm really excited that we are diving into this important topic today!

• What defines postpartum rage
• How it relates to postpartum depression
• What makes some people more susceptible
• How shame can prevent parents from seeking help
• What the cycle of anger is
• How sleep fits into the equation
• Why it’s important to look at anger as a “check engine light”
• What steps can be taken to address rage

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode264

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Erica experienced two miscarriages prior to the birth story we're going to hear today. After over a year and a half of heartbreaking loss, this pregnancy was completely normal - no nausea, no sickness, no pain.

Now at 38 weeks, some symptoms developed that caused her doctor to recommend induction. Erica wanted an unmedicated birth and you’re going to learn all about how she used movement for pain management in this great episode. I felt so inspired by her strength and I know you will too!

• Why Erica’s OB recommended induction
• Which medications were used to induce labor
• Why she felt unhappy with the initial on-call doctor
• How she describes the sensation of her water breaking
• What made her feel better about the new doctor at shift change
• Why the presence of a travel nurse trained as a doula was serendipitous
• Why she opted for a hands-and-knees birthing position

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode263

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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

Real talk: things have been a little crazy for me these past couple weeks and I didn’t have an opportunity to record a new episode. So, I decided to pick one of my favorites to replay: physiologic birth.

The reason I chose this is because it’s a term that gets mentioned a lot on social media but doesn’t get defined. It’s also a term that -quite honestly- I didn’t fully understand before I made this episode. I learned a lot when I researched and wrote this episode and I know you will too.

-How normal physiologic birth is defined

-Which factors disrupt physiologic childbirth

-What are the benefits of normal physiologic birth

-Whether any one position should be mandated or prescribed

-What are the factors that influence physiologic birth

-Why it’s vital for your medical team to support your wishes

-What makes it necessary to intervene

--

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode190

Check out The Birth Preparation Course

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