This is a birth story episode that really warmed my heart. Tiffany used knowledge to overcome fears around being a woman of color getting pregnant and giving birth. As someone who researches everything, she knew she needed to be prepared with information to go through the birth process, especially as a first time mom. Tiffany says “Finding Dr. Rankins, a Black woman like myself, gave me the courage to face birth and pregnancy head on. Most importantly, I was empowered to advocate for myself because I had the knowledge I needed to do so.” A lot of the things she talks about are really problems ALL women can face, regardless of race. The medical system can take away the power women have over what happens to their own bodies. Education is one of the most powerful tools you can have at your disposal to ensure you get the care you need. Tiffany’s experience with the birth prep class helped her to trust her own body and have a beautiful birth. In this Episode, You’ll Learn About: -What made Tiffany apprehensive about getting pregnant and giving birth -What her pregnancy was like including some uncomfortable encounters -How the birth prep course helped her prepare for her birth -How an experience of losing consciousness and vomiting influenced her birth -How she was able to have beauty in her birth even though it didn’t go exactly as planned -Why she had to stop breastfeeding and how she handled the feelings that came along with that difficult decision -How doctors treated her differently depending on whether her husband accompanied her to appointments   Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode140 Register for my free birth plan class - How to Make a Birth Plan That Works. Check out The Birth Preparation Course Help out the show and be entered into a drawing for an Amazon giftcard by taking our listener survey Register for the new class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way Take a quick, fun labor pain quiz