The Creative Series : Rachel Nicks
Our friend Rachel Nicks is badass, brilliant, beautiful, and seemingly is always accomplishing 10 things at once at rocket speed. She’s a doula, lactation specialist, founding trainer on the Mirror, actress, and recently launched her new non-profit, Birth Queen.
Birth Queen focuses on supporting and empowering Black women, parents, and birthing people, directing funds towards training for Black birth workers — with the goal of fighting systemic racism in our healthcare system.
We’re so happy to support Rachel and Birth Queen via our our Postpartum Kit, a collaboration with Poppy Gifting. 10% of our profits from this box will go towards her work. We hope you enjoy her q+a here, where she sheds some light into her own experiences becoming a mom of two, love for fitness, and launching Birth Queen.
You're a doula, fitness instructor, mom, and founder of Birth Queen. Can you share a little bit about yourself and your journey to where you are right now?
My name is Rachel Nicks and I am from Oakland, CA - and I reside In NYC. I am the mother of two delicious boys, three years old and nine months. Movement has been a part of my life since I was two. Fitness found me and I am so blessed to have the gift of helping people move and achieve goals and love themselves inside out. I founded Birth Queen because I want to ensure that every Black mother has the chance to not only survive her birth but thrive.
We’d love to hear about your experience during pregnancy and postpartum with your boys.
My pregnancies were wonderful. I really love being pregnant. I feel so healthy and strong and beautiful. I can say being pregnant with a busy toddler during the summer gets a little hot and tiring but I survived. I also trained and worked throughout both pregnancies. I taught until I was 39 weeks with both boys and I worked out until the end. I was tuned into my body and made sure I rested and worked out according to my body’s needs. I pushed for three hours with Samuel so it took me longer to heal and have the desire to get back to my sweat life. I was blessed not to tear or have incontinence with either of my boys. I made sure I did my pelvic floor exercises throughout my pregnancy and postpartum and I allowed my body to heal!
I felt stronger sooner after having my most recent son Baldwin than I did after Samuel. I thank his smaller head and only 20 min of pushing, haha! What's really awesome is that I am proud to say at 37, with a nine month old and still breastfeeding, I feel stronger and sexier than ever. Moms are badasses.
Can you talk to us about your passion for fitness - specifically during pregnancy and postpartum?
I was an athlete as a kid so movement has always been a part of my life. I started with gymnastics at age two, then added soccer, basketball, and volleyball. In college, I began taking yoga and fell in love it, which led me to taking the training to learn more about the philosophy. Once I began teaching I unlocked Pandora's box. I absolutely fell in love with teaching and supporting my students on their journey. I added barre, pilates, spin, kettlebells, pre/postnatal fitness, and more to my list of certifications to have the tools to meet my students where they are and equip them with the tools they need to achieve their goals.
I quickly noticed that a large number of my students were pregnant or new moms and I didn’t have the tools I felt I needed to properly support them. This led me to getting additional certifications for pre and postnatal fitness to meet their needs. I also became a doula around that time. I have a unique skill set that allows me to educate and empower mothers on their beautiful and vulnerable journey. The pelvic floor is my favorite muscle group so you hear a lot about that and transverse abdominals and diastasis recti during my classes. Mothers will also be reminded that they are superheroes! Positive self talk and self care are incredibly important to me. My approach to fitness is inside out. You gotta care and love your insides before you can ever truly enjoy what you see in the mirror.
You launched Birth Queen in March 2021 on International Women’s Day. Could you share more about what inspired you to create this non-profit? Your mission, vision, and plans for the future?
I decided to launch Birth Queen after countless sleepless nights during the summer of 2020 during my third trimester with my son Baldwin. I realized my fear of bringing another Black son into this racist world was debilitating. I refuse to live in fear and felt compelled to create change. I decided to combat the Black maternal health crisis using my unique skills as an actor, trainer, doula, lactation counselor, and mother. I had a clear vision in September of 2020 right before giving birth to collect Black birth stories. After 6 months of meditating and dreaming I took a leap of faith and founded Birth Queen. We provide Black birthing people with education and support and fund trainings for Black birth workers. I have big dreams for my baby girl Birth Queen. I ask that everyone join the family and be a part of the solution as we save lives and give the gift of joy and abundance one birth at a time.
Please visit our site and donate your money, time, or resources. I am happy to connect and collaborate to create change.
Do you have any favorite or go-to gifts for loved ones?
I always get mamas things they really need for themselves or baby — like a great pump, doc-a-tot, milk storage bags, spa gift card, or nursing bra and cute postpartum panties.
Has there been a gift that’s left a particularly lasting memory on you? Either something you gave or received.
I love my knit booties and blankets from my mom and aunt.