Ep 308: From IVF to Fast Labor: What Dr. Allison Learned on Both Sides of Birth
Birth With Power
Dr. Nicole C. Rankins
4.8 • 650 Ratings
🗓️ 11 November 2025
⏱️ 48 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
What happens when a perinatal psychologist — who supports women through fertility and birth trauma — becomes the patient herself?
In this honest and heartfelt episode, I chat with Dr. Allison Altman, a Bay Area psychologist who specializes in women’s mental health and trauma, about her deeply personal journey through infertility, IVF, and an unexpectedly fast hospital birth. Allison opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of pregnancy after infertility, how her professional training shaped her experience, and why advocacy and flexibility made all the difference.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- What it’s really like to go through IVF — and how uncertainty takes a toll on your mental health
- How anxiety can show up during pregnancy after infertility (and what helps)
- What an IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) diagnosis means and how to navigate induction decisions
- How Allison balanced her birth preferences with hospital protocols — and why she said “no” to breaking her water early
- The surprising speed of her labor (from 4 cm to baby in 20 minutes!) and how she processed it afterward
- Why setting up postpartum support before birth matters more than you think
Resources Mentioned:
- Dr. Allison Altman’s website
- The Birth With Power Pathway — my online childbirth class
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
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | What happens when a perinatal psychologist becomes the patient? In this episode, Dr. Allison Altman, |
| 0:06.6 | who specializes in women's mental health and trauma, shares her deeply personal journey |
| 0:12.3 | through infertility, IVF, and an unexpectedly fast birth. From advocating for herself |
| 0:19.0 | during an induction to processing anxiety shaped by years of |
| 0:22.6 | waiting, Allison opens up with insight, humor, and vulnerability. |
| 0:32.1 | Welcome to the Birth with Power podcast, where knowledge is power and power transforms birth. I'm Dr. Nicole |
| 0:40.4 | Calloway Rankin's mom of two and practicing board certified OBGYN with over 20 years of experience and |
| 0:46.7 | nearly 2,000 births attended. I've seen firsthand how the hospital system can leave women feeling |
| 0:53.1 | unheard and uncertain, but that doesn't have to be |
| 0:56.0 | your story. Here, you'll get the knowledge, support, and strategies to take charge of your |
| 1:01.4 | birth experience so you can walk into the hospital feeling calm, confident, and empowered. |
| 1:07.8 | Note, this podcast is for educational purposes only and it's not a substitute for medical |
| 1:12.4 | advice. See the full disclaimer at Dr. Nicole McCormerickens.com forward slash disclaimer. Now let's get |
| 1:18.3 | to it. This podcast gives you real talk about pregnancy and birth, but imagine that support |
| 1:25.6 | showing up in your inbox each week too. |
| 1:28.3 | That's what my birth with power brief does. |
| 1:31.5 | Thousands of women already rely on it as the perfect compliment to this show. |
| 1:35.8 | Quick tips, mindset shifts, and small steps to keep you grounded through pregnancy all for free. |
| 1:41.5 | Get it now at Dr. Nicole Rankins.com forward slash email. Hello there. Welcome to another episode of |
| 1:48.0 | the podcast. This is episode number 308, whether this is your first time listening or you've been here |
| 1:53.8 | before. I'm so glad. You are spending some time with me today. In this episode, I chat with Dr. |
| 2:00.4 | Allison Altman about her journey to becoming a mom |
... |
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