Speakers
Nicole S. Carlson, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN



Speaker Bio
Nicole S. Carlson, PhD, CNM, FACNM, FAAN is a tenured Associate Professor at Emory University’s School of Nursing. At Emory, Dr. Carlson conducts research on the biologic mechanisms of labor and strategies for achieving optimal perinatal outcomes and decreasing racial disparities in birthing people with different levels of adiposity. She has received support for her research from the National Institutes of Health, the March of Dimes, and The American College of Nurse-Midwives, and was awarded Best Research article and podium by ACNM and JMWH several times over the past 10 years. She is currently principal investigator of an R01 investigation, “The Weight of It All: Balancing the Scales for Pregnancy & Birth in Black Women” (WOIA), a 5-year prospective observational study to better understand how the social determinants of health, structural racism, the midwifery model of care, and pregnancy lifestyle affect prenatal metabolic health and labor/birth outcomes. This work is made possible by the amazing group of community members, students, midwives, nurses, faculty, and staff who are the WOIA team.


Course Description
Rates of excess adiposity in pregnant people continue to increase in the United States, worsening a range of outcomes. In this webinar, we will review current evidence on the pathophysiology of excess adiposity, including its influence on the uterus and cervix of the pregnant person. We will then review strategies that the midwife can adopt to optimize pregnancy outcomes in this population.

Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Describe current estimates of excess adiposity in pregnancy within the U.S. population. 
2. Understand how excess adiposity during pregnancy affects pregnancy outcomes, including labor duration, birth, and immediate postpartum outcomes. 
3. Understand the basic pathophysiology of excess adiposity during pregnancy, including its influence on cervical and uterine preparation for labor, uterine contractility during labor, and other structures essential for labor/birth. 
4. Describe how excess maternal adiposity during pregnancy influences the course of labor induction, including strategies that the midwife can adapt to optimize outcomes in this population.