Ep 292: Two Epidurals, Then Unmedicated: What Danica Learned (and Didn’t Expect)

Birth With Power

Dr. Nicole C. Rankins

Parenting, Kids & Family

4.9 • 637 Ratings

🗓️ 15 April 2025

⏱️ 51 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Epidural or unmedicated: how do you know what’s right for you? Danica has done both and in this episode she takes us through her journey of having two epidural births followed by an unmedicated one—her biggest baby yet! She shares what worked, what didn’t, and how she felt in those first moments postpartum. It’s going to surprise you. If you’re weighing your pain management options, you won’t want to miss this episode!

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

What it felt like to labor unmedicated after two epidural births
Why she chose epidurals for her first two babies
How support from her sisters-in-law helped her decision-making
Which position gave her the most relief
How her labor progressed quickly—especially after her water broke
What made the moments after birth harder than she expected
What her postpartum recovery felt like compared to her previous births
Why she’s glad she experienced both medicated and unmedicated birth

Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode292

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Epidural or unmedicated. How do you know what's right for you? Danica has done both. And in this
0:08.6	episode, she takes us through her journey of having two epidural births, followed by an unmedicated
0:15.0	birth, which was her biggest baby yet. She shares what worked, what didn't, and how she felt in those first moments
0:21.9	postpartum. It's going to surprise you. If you're weighing your pain management options,
0:27.5	this episode is for you. Welcome to the Birth with Power podcast, where knowledge is power and power transforms birth.
0:41.9	I'm Dr. Nicole Calloway Rankin's mom of two and practicing board certified OBGYN with over 20 years of experience and nearly 2,000 births attended.
0:51.6	I've seen firsthand how the hospital system can leave women feeling
0:55.7	unheard and uncertain, but that doesn't have to be your story. Here, you'll get the knowledge,
1:01.4	support, and strategies to take charge of your birth experience so you can walk into the hospital
1:06.8	feeling calm, confident, and empowered. Note, this podcast is for for educational purposes only and it's not a substitute for medical advice.
1:15.9	See the full disclaimer at Dr. Nicolemankins.com forward slash disclaimer.
1:20.0	Now let's get to it.
1:22.6	Want to feel more calm and confident about giving birth?
1:27.4	The birth with power brief is my free weekly email
1:31.5	that gives you a fun pregnancy fact, one mind set shift, and one small step to prepare without the
1:41.3	overwhelm. It's like having me in your corner cheering you on every Thursday.
1:47.8	Don't miss it. Head to Dr. Nicole Rankins.com forward slash email to sign up today.
1:54.6	Hello there. Welcome to another episode of the podcast. This is episode number 292. I am so glad you're spending some time with me today.
2:05.0	We are diving into an important conversation today with Danica. She's a stay-at-home mom to three
2:11.5	boys. She had epidurals for her first two births, but for her third, which was her biggest baby, she went unmedicated.
2:19.7	In this episode, she shares why she made that choice, how she prepared, what worked and what
2:27.1	didn't work, and how she felt in those first moments postpartum. It wasn't exactly what she was expecting, and I think it's
	...

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