All About Pregnancy & Birth

When exploring ‘alternative’ therapies, it’s crucial to understand the training and qualifications of practitioners. Although licensure and certification aren’t guarantees, they certainly help give you some assurance that the person is trained and capable. This week’s guest, Meaghan Beames, is a Registered Massage Therapist and Craniosacral Therapist who teaches perinatal professionals how to incorporate CST into their practices.Now, I will be honest, I was a little hesitant about this episode. While craniosacral therapy is offered at many mainstream big institutions like the Cleveland Clinic, Duke, or Harvard, some folks say that craniosacral therapy is pseudoscience and it's relatively new in pregnancy and infants. But I ultimately decided that this is important information to share. I learned a lot and you will too.In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:What craniosacral therapy is and how it worksWhich pregnancy and infant conditions craniosacral therapy can help withHow craniosacral therapy works and which areas of the body it targetsHow many sessions are typically recommendedWhat to look for in a craniosacral therapist What research says about the effectiveness of craniosacral therapy--Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode284Check out The Birth Preparation CourseRegister for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right WayOur Sponsors:* Check out Ritual! Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at https://ritual.com/DRNICOLEAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I’ve said it many times: the only predictable thing about birth is that it’s unpredictable. But you can absolutely navigate that unpredictability by being prepared - which is exactly what Alexa did. After what she calls a “smooth pregnancy,” things took some surprising twists and turns which ended in a cesarean birth.At 35 weeks, her husband noticed she was unusually swollen and urged her to visit the doctor. What was supposed to be a checkup turned into delivery day! It was determined that she actually did have preeclampsia and, though at first she hoped she would be able to spend a couple more weeks on bed rest waiting, her baby had different plans.In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:Why being pregnant alongside friends made a difference for AlexaWhen she decided to start looking for a doula and how she made her decisionHow Alexa and her family initially reacted to her swelling /// What signs of swelling Alexa experienced before her diagnosisWhat steps her husband took after noticing her swellingWhy Alexa was hospitalized after her checkupWhen Alexa learned her baby was breech and how it changed the birth planWhat factors led to Alexa’s C-sectionWhat it was like giving birth where her husband worksWhat challenges Alexa faced during recoveryWhich support systems helped Alexa through postpartum depression--Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode283Check out The Birth Preparation CourseRegister for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right WayOur Sponsors:* Check out Ritual! Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at https://ritual.com/DRNICOLEAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Did you know that almost one in ten pregnancies in the United States is affected by gestational diabetes? While that might sound scary, the good news is that with the right information and care, people with gestational diabetes will most likely have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.When it’s time to be screened, don’t focus on “passing” the test. If you have gestational diabetes, you want to know so you can treat it effectively. Many people can manage it with dietary changes so don’t stress too much if you don’t get the results you want. Just take the test - then manage the results with confidence. Listen to this episode to help you!In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:What gestational diabetes is and how common it isWhat complications it can pose for parent and babyHow glucose tests are used in diagnosisHow pregnancy hormones can affect blood sugar levelsHow GDM is treated: both with and without medicationHow it affects pregnancy and birth managementWhat its lasting effects can be--Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode282Check out The Birth Preparation CourseRegister for the class How to Make a Birth Plan the Right WayOur Sponsors:* Check out Ritual! Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at https://ritual.com/DRNICOLEAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I have a FANTASTIC Black Friday Sale coming! Join my email list at drnicolerankins.com/email so you'll be the first to get notified!You've heard of low intervention birth but what does it mean? In this episode I share how a low intervention birth under my care unfolded. Here's a peak -8 AM - cervical check and 4 cmIntermittent monitoring, saline lock, moving, eating and drinking8 PM - second cervical check and 6 cmstarting pushing at 1130 PMand listen to hear the rest!Our Sponsors:* Check out Ritual! Get 25% off your first month for a limited time at https://ritual.com/DRNICOLEAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy