Interview with Nikki Reed, Actress, Founder of The Absorption Company & Advocate for Women’s Health

Dr. Thais Aliabadi and Mary Alice Haney spoke with Nikki Reed about a lifelong journey that began in the arts and evolved into a mission-driven pursuit of health, sustainability, and better care for women. Our conversation ranges from the moment that launched her public life at 13 to the health challenges that shaped her approach to medicine, fertility, and supplements. Nikki brings the perspective of someone who has lived through the gaps in healthcare, who built companies to solve real problems, and who believes the health system must be kinder and more curious.

Table of Contents

• Outline
• Interview
• Birth: Home Versus Hospital
• Midwives and Doctors: Different Strengths
• PCOS: Criteria, Confusion, and Adrenal PCOS
• Supplements, Regulation, and Practical Steps
• Privacy, Parenting, and the Digital Age
• Practical Advice Women Can Use Tomorrow
• Resources
• FAQ
• Closing Thoughts

Outline

• Why Nikki left the spotlight and what followed
• From sustainable jewelry to a wellness company
• When standard medicine and integrative approaches collide
• How the supplement industry fails—and what bioavailability really means
• Birth: hospital, midwife, home—how to choose and what to expect
• PCOS explained: criteria, misdiagnosis, and adrenal PCOS
• Privacy, parenting in a digital world, and protecting children
• Practical steps women can take now
• FAQ

Interview

Mary Alice: You started early—13 was pivotal. Did that moment shape how you approach privacy and your life now?

Yes. That early exposure convinced us that personal boundaries matter. When someone shares a semi-autobiographical story publicly at 13, you discover the ripple effects years later. We learned to protect what matters: family, private moments, and how we bring children into the public sphere. The lesson isn’t that fame is good or bad. The lesson is that it forces you to reckon with privacy and to become deliberate about how much of your life you put into the world.

Dr. Thais: After your early career, you pivoted into other work. How did your health experience catalyze that shift?

We went through a health crisis that didn’t fit a tidy label. Blood tests showed a persistently positive ANA, monocytes and lymphocytes were elevated, and we had chronic symptoms: lingering sinus infections, pronounced fatigue, hair loss after pregnancy, and bouts of brain fog. The medical pathway is fragmented. Different specialists addressed pieces, but no one connected the whole. That fragmentation pushed us toward two realizations. First, environmental factors matter—long-term mold exposure likely tipped a stressed body into prolonged illness. Second, the wellness marketplace promised solutions that often didn’t do what they claimed. That combination ignited a desire to make something better.

Mary Alice: Your first company was Bayou With Love. How did that lead to The Absorption Company?

Bayou With Love was an early way to express values—sustainability and repurposing luxury. Jewelry was our first “product baby,” but it taught us the power of thoughtful design and the importance of intention. Facing health issues later, we found the supplement space untrustworthy in many ways: inconsistent dosage, poor absorption, and little oversight. That spurred The Absorption Company. We wanted to create products that were clinically backed, transparent, and—importantly—bioavailable.

Dr. Thais: “Bioavailability” is a term people hear a lot. What does it mean in practice?

Bioavailability is the fraction of an ingested nutrient that actually reaches circulation and becomes usable by the body. It’s not enough to have the right amount printed on a label; the ingredient must be formulated so your digestive tract can absorb it. We focused on reducing particle size to increase surface area and leveraged proprietary technology to boost absorption significantly. That change alters how quickly and how robustly someone can feel the effects of a supplement.

Mary Alice: You described a time of seeing “we’re peeing out 84% of our supplements.” What problem are we overlooking?

Two big problems. One, quality and regulation are inconsistent. Third-party testing is voluntary, so what’s inside a bottle isn’t guaranteed. Two, even when ingredients are present, poor formulation limits absorption. People buy hope in a bottle and assume it’s helping. In fact, their body may be doing extra work just to process inert ingredients or fillers. That’s not neutral. It’s a burden. For a mother or healthcare worker who never stops, that inefficiency accumulates.

Dr. Thais: When your symptoms persisted, what diagnostic path did you walk?

We saw rheumatology for the ANA, infectious disease for persistent sinus and immune findings, and then integrative practitioners who considered environmental causes such as mold. Standard treatments—antifungals, antibiotics, sinus rinses—helped a little, but not enough. We then dug into biofilms and chronic infections, shifting between pharmaceuticals and integrative strategies. Ultimately, that back-and-forth made the supplement question unavoidable: if the pills you take don’t get absorbed, the whole strategy falls apart.

Birth: Home Versus Hospital

Mary Alice: You had a natural hospital birth and then a home birth. What guided your choices?

Our first birth was at a hospital, naturally and without an epidural. It felt medically supported and respectful of our choices. The second was at home because we wanted a similarly natural approach but in a more familiar, private environment. That move wasn’t a rejection of hospital care. It was a response to the whole experience: privacy concerns, turnover in staff, and moments where we felt violated. We chose a location closer to the hospital and had both a midwife and a doctor present to strike a balance between comfort and safety.

Dr. Thais: What should women consider when deciding between home birth and hospital birth?

Risk and preparedness. For many healthy women with low-risk pregnancies, both settings can work. But patients must understand the rare but serious complications that can occur—cord prolapse, severe fetal heart decelerations, postpartum hemorrhage, and uterine rupture in high-parity patients. At a hospital, rapid response systems and surgical teams are immediately available. At home, those resources are farther away. My usual recommendation is to consider having the first delivery in a hospital where emergency interventions are immediately available. If you choose a home birth later, make sure the team is experienced, and that transfer plans to a hospital are clear and fast.

Mary Alice: You mentioned that the hospital experience can feel impersonal. How can maternity care change?

We need environments built around women’s needs—birthing centers attached to hospitals, staffed by midwives and supervised by doctors. That model gives women nurturing spaces plus immediate access to emergency care when needed. It also requires dedicated teams who have time to listen. Medicine often force-fits people into one-size-fits-all protocols. We would do better to individualize care, listen longer, and make privacy a priority.

Midwives and Doctors: Different Strengths

Dr. Thais: What do midwives bring that doctors might not?

Midwives are specialists in normal pregnancy and birth. Their training emphasizes patience, hands-on support, and continuity of care. They often provide nurturing presence and more time for conversations about lifestyle, diet, and emotional well-being. Doctors bring surgical and emergency expertise. The ideal model combines both: a midwife-centered experience with physician backup when high-acuity situations arise.

Mary Alice: How do women advocate for the birth they want in a hospital setting?

Bring your voice. Create a clear birth plan, but also be prepared to flex. Ask questions ahead of time, meet providers who will be on your team, and select facilities that respect individualized birth plans. If you feel dismissed, speak up, request a doula or a midwife, and insist on clarity about monitoring and interventions. Advocacy is the most reliable tool a woman has during labor.

PCOS: Criteria, Confusion, and Adrenal PCOS

Dr. Thais: How is PCOS diagnosed?

Use the Rotterdam criteria. Diagnosis requires two out of three findings: irregular periods (oligo- or amenorrhea), polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound, and clinical or biochemical signs of hyperandrogenism (acne, hirsutism, hair thinning, elevated testosterone). Too often, practitioners rely only on ultrasound, which can be misleading, especially in adolescents. A thorough hormonal workup and a clinical history are essential.

Mary Alice: You were told you had PCOS in your twenties. What was that experience like?

It was confusing. I had been on birth control for years, sometimes using it in ways that disrupted the natural cycle because no one explained the differences in pill packs. That history affected my menstrual regularity. A good physician looked at hormone patterns, follicle counts, and symptoms, and helped put the pieces together. The key is individualized testing, not a reflexive prescription of birth control for everything.

Dr. Thais: What is adrenal PCOS?

Adrenal PCOS refers to a subset of patients whose androgen excess arises primarily from adrenal production of DHEA and DHEA-S rather than ovarian testosterone. These patients can show symptoms—acne, facial hair, hair thinning—without the full metabolic picture of classic PCOS. Stress and HPA axis activation cause higher adrenal androgen output. For these people, stress management, sleep, nutrition, and targeted therapies for cortisol regulation can be more important than ovarian-focused treatments.

Mary Alice: How do we stop gaslighting women when they bring symptoms?

Listen first. Validate the symptom. Women repeatedly tell us that the first relief they feel is when a clinician takes them seriously. Chronic pain, menstrual irregularities, and fertility struggles are emotionally brutal. When patients present with anxiety or mood symptoms, don’t immediately attribute physical symptoms to “it’s all in your head.” Mental health and physical illness interlink; both deserve attention. Start with thorough labs, consider endocrine or gynecologic causes, and then layer behavioral and therapeutic strategies when appropriate.

Supplements, Regulation, and Practical Steps

Mary Alice: What can women do now to make smarter choices about supplements?

First, prioritize basic lifestyle pillars: sleep, stress management, whole food nutrition, hydration, and movement. Supplements are adjuncts, not substitutes. When choosing supplements:

• Look for third-party testing and transparent ingredient sourcing.
• Ask about bioavailability—how is the product formulated so nutrients can be absorbed?
• Prefer clinically studied formulations with dosing supported by research.
• Check for unnecessary fillers, sugars, and additives.
• Discuss with a clinician who will run targeted labs so supplementation is tailored to your needs.

Dr. Thais: What laboratory tests matter for women who suspect a hormonal imbalance?

Comprehensive testing may include:

• Serum total and free testosterone, DHEA-S
• FSH, LH, estradiol, and anti-mullerian hormone when appropriate
• Thyroid panel including TSH, free T4, free T3, and antibodies
• Fasting glucose, insulin, hemoglobin A1c
• Lipid panel
• Cortisol rhythm or salivary testing for HPA axis evaluation when adrenal issues are suspected
• Inflammatory markers or autoimmune screens like ANA, when clinically indicated

Run these tests in context and repeat when clinically useful. Lab results alone don’t tell the whole story—history and clinical exam matter equally.

Privacy, Parenting, and the Digital Age

Mary Alice: You expressed strong feelings about privacy after childbirth. How should parents think about posting their kids?

We face a generational conversation. Kids will someday see content their parents posted. Consent evolves; children may later wish certain images or stories had not been public. Consider these practical guardrails:

• Ask whether the content reveals anything that could embarrass or endanger the child later.
• Limit sharing of exact locations and personal identifiers.
• When possible, wait until later in childhood to share pictures that depict vulnerability.
• Have family conversations about digital etiquette—schools and parents should teach respect for others’ privacy.
• Remember, legal protections are limited; parents can be the first line of defense by modeling restraint.

Dr. Thais: Hospitals leak information sometimes. What recourse do patients have?

HIPAA violations are serious and can carry large fines and criminal penalties. If information is leaked, notify the institution’s privacy officer and file a formal complaint. Patients should expect confidentiality. Institutions need to strengthen internal controls and staff training. Advocacy matters: report breaches, ask institutions for policies, and demand transparency when privacy is compromised.

Practical Advice Women Can Use Tomorrow

How to be your own best advocate in healthcare

Step one: prepare. Keep a symptom diary that notes timing, triggers, and severity. Step two: bring a simple checklist to appointments—what you want to accomplish that day. Step three: ask for specific tests and rationales: “Can we check X to rule out Y?” Step four: seek multidisciplinary care when a single approach fails. Functional and integrative practitioners can partner with conventional specialists. Step five: find clinicians who listen. Validation accelerates diagnosis.

Immediate lifestyle steps to reduce stress and support hormones

1. Regulate sleep: anchor a 7 to 9-hour window and minimize late-night screens.
2. Prioritize micro-movement: short walks after meals help insulin sensitivity.
3. Practice simple stress tools: paced breathing, 10 minutes of mindfulness, or consistent gentle movement like yoga.
4. Focus on protein and fiber at meals to stabilize blood sugar and reduce cravings.
5. Get baseline labs and repeat after a period of targeted interventions.

Resources

• The Absorption Company: absorbmore.com (products focused on bioavailability)
• Bayou With Love jewelry: bayouwithlove.com
• Find a supportive clinician who will run hormone and metabolic testing before starting empiric therapies like birth control for noncontraceptive issues

FAQs

What are the three diagnostic criteria for PCOS?

Two of the following three criteria must be present: irregular ovulation or amenorrhea, polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound, and evidence of androgen excess clinically or biochemically. Diagnosis should include a careful history and lab work to exclude other causes.

Is birth control the first-line treatment for PCOS?

Not necessarily. Birth control treats symptoms like irregular bleeding and some androgenic signs, but it does not address underlying metabolic, thyroid, adrenal, or insulin-related contributors. A full diagnostic workup should guide therapy.

What is adrenal PCOS, and how is it treated?

Adrenal PCOS refers to signs of androgen excess driven primarily by adrenal hormones (DHEA and DHEA-S). Management focuses on stress reduction, sleep, nutrition, and sometimes targeted therapies to modulate the HPA axis alongside lifestyle changes.

When might a home birth be appropriate versus a hospital birth?

Home birth can be considered for low-risk pregnancies when a qualified team is present and transfer to a hospital is feasible. First births often proceed more slowly; the hospital setting provides immediate access to emergency interventions, so many clinicians recommend that the first delivery take place in a hospital setting.

How can I choose supplements that actually work?

Look for clinical evidence, transparent sourcing, third-party testing, and formulations designed for bioavailability. Discuss your needs with a clinician and install a short testing period to measure objective changes, not just subjective claims.

What should I do if I think a hospital leaked my private information?

Report the incident to the hospital privacy officer, file a complaint with the institution, and consider a complaint to the Office for Civil Rights if HIPAA violations occurred. Document what happened, who was involved, and what steps the institution took to remediate the breach.

Closing Thoughts

Our conversation with Nikki reinforces a few guiding truths: care should be curious, not dismissive; solutions should be evidence-based and designed for real bodies; and women need healthcare environments that respect privacy, individuality, and voice. Whether you are navigating fertility questions, chronic symptoms, or simply trying to select supplements that deliver, the most effective stance is the same: ask clear questions, insist on thoughtful testing, and choose clinicians who listen.

Nikki’s path from artist to entrepreneur to advocate shows how lived experience can fuel meaningful change. When medicine and integrative approaches work together, and when industry builds products that do what they say, women will be better served—physically and emotionally.

If you want to learn more about Nikki’s work or the formulations she helped create, visit absorbmore.com and bayouwithlove.com.

This article was created from the video PCOS, Anxiety & Fertility: What Nikki Reed Wants Every Woman to Know | SHE MD for Dr. Thais Aliabadi’s website.