Podcasts about iud

Dear wonderful readers,Today, we have the ultimate treat for you all! This week, two shameless sex writers on Substack sat down to share our personal experiences of what it's really like to publish the details of our intimate lives on the internet.Share the steam with a spicy-minded friend

In this episode of Health Matters, Dr. Mary Rosser, a gynecologist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia, explains perimenopause, breaking down what symptoms are normal, when it's time to see a doctor, and the best options for managing some of the more challenging symptoms of perimenopause. ___Dr. Mary L. Rosser, M.D., Ph.D., NCMP is the Director of Integrated Women's Health at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Richard U. and Ellen J. Levine Assistant Professor of Women's Health (in Obstetrics and Gynecology) at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons. She joined the faculty of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Columbia University in April 2018 to provide routine gynecology care and to further develop a comprehensive well-woman program. She has been a practicing obstetrician gynecologist for more than 20 years, starting in private practice and then joining the faculty at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY. While at Montefiore, she created, launched, and led the forty-person Division of General Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Rosser received her undergraduate degree at Emory University and a Ph.D. in Endocrinology at the Medical College of Georgia. She attended Wake Forest University School of Medicine and completed her residency at Emory University. She is also a NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioner, able to provide high-quality care for patients at menopause and beyond.Primary care and heart disease in women have always been areas of focus for Dr. Rosser. She conducted basic science research on heart disease during graduate school and was the Chair of the "Women & Heart Disease Physician Education Initiative" for District II of the American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology. She continues to conduct clinical studies around patient awareness and understanding of heart disease and well-woman care. Dr. Rosser serves on the Medical Leadership Team of the Go Red for Women movement of the American Heart Association and she is ACOG's liaison to the American College of Cardiology.___Health Matters is your weekly dose of health and wellness information, from the leading experts. Join host Courtney Allison to get news you can use in your own life. New episodes drop each Wednesday.If you are looking for practical health tips and trustworthy information from world-class doctors and medical experts you will enjoy listening to Health Matters. Health Matters was created to share stories of science, care, and wellness that are happening every day at NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the nation's most comprehensive, integrated academic healthcare systems. In keeping with NewYork-Presbyterian's long legacy of medical breakthroughs and innovation, Health Matters features the latest news, insights, and health tips from our trusted experts; inspiring first-hand accounts from patients and caregivers; and updates on the latest research and innovations in patient care, all in collaboration with our renowned medical schools, Columbia and Weill Cornell Medicine. To learn more visit: https://healthmatters.nyp.org

Achoo! We're falling in love with the one and only Faith Prince. You Might Know Her From Modern Family, Emily in Paris, Melissa & Joey, Spin City, My Father the Hero, The Last Dragon, and Broadway productions of Guys & Dolls, A Catered Affair, Bells Are Ringing, and BOOP!  Faith talked to us about grounding her character, Valentina, in the cartoonish plot of BOOP!, coping with fame during her star-making turn in Guys & Dolls, and leaning on her co-star Gerard Depardieu in one of her first leading roles on camera in My Father the Hero.  Faith also shared stories from working as a Broadway replacement in the cumbersome costume of Ursula in The Little Mermaid and the notoriously “realistic” production of Anne as Miss Hannigan. All that, plus working with theatre legends like Jerome Robbins, Abe Burrows, Betty Comden & Adolph Green, doing dialect work at Joey Lawrence and Lily Collins, doing her best Cyndi Lauper in cult fave The Last Dragon (and making pals with Berry Gordy, and working with Jean Smart and Mary McDonnell in the short-lived High Society.   This one was a HOOT.  Patreon: www.patreon.com/youmightknowherfrom Follow us on social media: @youmightknowherfrom || @damianbellino || @rodemanne Discussed this episode: Evergreen topics for Anne and Damian: Tyne Daly in Gypsy, Grease, Spice Girls track listings, we look like cats in Heathcliff, the cast of Mannequin 2 aka is it Jonathan Silverman, no it's William Ragsdale in Herman's Head, Sex and the City/AJLT Cynthia Nixon's kitchen tour Tom and Lorenzo and their SJP adventure Plays Valentina in Boop on Broadway We love Dancer/Choreographer Rachelle Rak Coughing as Adelaide was tougher than talking and singing in character voice Bob Saget used his stand-up to differentiate himself from Danny Tanner  Nathan & Adelaide are famously the SOUBRETTES in Guys & Dolls so Jerry Zaks put them forward instead of Sky and Sarah (this changed how future productions positioned the 2 couples)  Jerry Mitchell says it's important to pass the baton down to the next generation of musical theatre stars Arthur Laurents aka “the meanest man in show-business”, Jerry Gutierrez, Abe Burrows, Comden & Green, Sondheim, Barishnykov, Howard Ashman, Jack Plotnick, Tina Landau,  My Father the Hero w/ Gerard Depardieu “Dirty Books” from The Last Dragon / Suzanne de Passe and Berry Gordy produced the soundtrack. Berry Gordy took her OUT and called her “baby” “One More Time” in First Wives Club “How do you know if someone has lived through trauma — by the way they get someone who doesn't like them, to like them.” Cole Escola of Oh, Mary! on CBS Sunday Morning Was in first 6 episodes of High Society with Jean Smart and Mary McDonnell (based on AbFab and Faith played the Saffy character) Faith Prince's “Men” from Nick & Nora. The show was a notorious flop. Arthur told Faith she was making a big mistake by leaving show to do Guys & Dolls. Mary Rodgers told her she could find a way into Anna through Gertrude Lawrence, who was a comedienne.  Was offered the role of Audrey in the original Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors Went to CCM with Jim Walton Had taken the revue, Scrambled Feet and was doing an IBM industrial so couldn't' take LSOH Lance Roberts is currently in Just in Time Ellen Greene did Adelaide at The Hollywood Bowl  Studied Donna Murphy who she replaced in The King & I and then did Wonderful Town (at LA Opera) Katie Finneran talked with us about James Lapine's realistic interpretation of Annie and Miss Hannigan in the 2012 revival. Said it was a challenge in the NYT. Re the 2012 revival of Annie: Andrea McArdle said “I didn't know we were doing Secret Garden” Associate Director Wes Grantham LOVES HUMOR, unlike Lapine Martin Charnin & Charles Strouse KISSED HER FEET when they visited her backstage John Doyle who directed A Catered Affair also backs away from the humor We love Bells are Ringing - Faith starred in the 2001 Broadway revival. Difficult because of Mitchell Maxwell who produced Had to ride an actor in Grey's Anatomy because character's IUD got stuck on her ex-husband's Prince Albert penis piercing Does some great character work in the indie film Our Very Own (got gig from doing reading of The Women with Allison Janney) IMDB lists her on an ep of Mad Men. INCORRECT. Martin Short was in Dennis Quaid movie, Innerspace My Favorite Broadway: The Leading Ladies was an incredible, formative concert Managing Ursula costume in The Little Mermaid was worse than managing the wig in her Lifetime movie with Kathleen Turner, Friends at Last Vicki Lewis told us she held Dixie Carter's spit cup in a production of Mame she was in with Faith Christopher Walken kept pickled things in the pockets of his costume during James Joyce's The Dead (Marni Nixon was also in the show) We interviewed Annaleigh Ashford who is maybe made  in the mold of Faith Prince Damian is seeing an Italian production of Cats / Anne is seeing her nephew do Grease Jr.  in Sicily DUCK ASS HAIR for Danny Zuko

Xyla Foxlin started flying as a teenager. By her twenties, she was piloting her own plane and building another from scratch. But when a private health crisis went public, she wound up in a battle with the FAA that could ground her for good. … Recommendations from the archive • #51 Real Teens, Fake Babies … Suicide and Crisis Lifeline • If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal ideation, dial 988 … More about Xyla • Xyla's YouTube channel • Xyla's IUD video • Xyla's FAA video … More on pilots and mental health • Why Airline Pilots Feel Pushed to Hide Their Mental Health, The New York Times • It's Time to Act on Pilots' Mental Health, Scientific American • FAA Should Not Require Pilots to Disclose Talk Therapy, Panel Says, Reuters … The Pilot Mental Health Campaign The Pilot Mental Health Campaign offers resources for pilots struggling with mental health issues and is advocating for two bipartisan bills in congress. Learn more here. … Sponsors (using our links supports the show!) • Blissy: 60 nights risk free + 30% off at blissy.com/LONGSHORTPOD with code LONGSHORTPOD … Join LST+ for community and access to You Know What, another show in the Longest Shortest universe! Follow us on Instagram Website: longestshortesttime.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Howard and Antonia explore the evidence behind pit breaks in labor, cannabis use in pregnancy, and IUD options for hormone replacement therapy.• Pit breaks in labor lack substantial evidence of benefit when used in active labor• Current research suggests stopping oxytocin during active labor may slightly increase cesarean rates rather than decrease them• Long pit breaks (up to 8 hours) in latent labor may be beneficial by allowing rest and promoting patience• Recent systematic review shows prenatal cannabis use increases risk of low birth weight by 75%, preterm birth by 50%, and perinatal mortality by 29%• Cannabis use during pregnancy (7.2% of pregnant women) now exceeds tobacco use• Retrospective studies on doula care show association with better outcomes, but can't establish causation due to inherent differences in patients who seek doulas• 52mg levonorgestrel IUDs (Mirena/Liletta) are suitable for endometrial protection during HRT, but evidence only supports use up to 5 years• Most systematic reviews combine heterogeneous studies and shouldn't be considered level 1 evidenceWe'd love to hear your questions! Send them to us through our Instagram or website thinkingaboutobgyn.com.00:04:52 Pit Breaks in Labor00:15:32 Examining Evidence on Oxytocin Discontinuation00:26:08 Prenatal Cannabis Use and Adverse Outcomes00:36:07 Doula Care Study Analysis00:57:22 Levonorgestrel IUD Use in HRTFollow us on Instagram @thinkingaboutobgyn.

My 600lb Life had some amazing food orders, Tattoo-Gate: Donald Trump v. ABC's Terry Moran, Brett Favre “destroyed” Jenn Sterger's life, Bill Belichick held hostage by Jordon Hudson, and the exciting conclusion of Cop Cam Megan. Schoenherr Roofing dropped Champion's Club tickets on listeners __________________! Theo Von is coming to the Fox theater for two shows. Politics: Donald Trump vs Terry Moran regarding a possible MS-13 tattoo. Trump took on Shri Thanedar at his rally last night. Gretchen Whitmer was forced into hugging the President. Several Philadelphia Eagles declined to go to the White House. Hey Christina Aguilera… why you look different? Bill Belichick is angry at CBS for editing their interview with him. Jordon Hudson has been popping off on Twitter. Jordon put an axe to Hard Knocks. Now she is a real estate mogul. Lighthouse Exteriors takes a shot at Drew right out of the gate. Sports: Cris Carter pops off on Shedeur Sanders' behavior. The NFL fines the Atlanta Falcons and their DC for the Shedeur Sanders prank call. John Elway killed his ‘Who Wants to be a Millionaire' lifeline. Not-actual video of the crash. My 600-lb Life YouTube clips are the best clips. Beyoncé is touring, but nobody is showing up to the concerts. Scientology: Tom Cruise is nailing Ana de Armas. John Travolta is STUCK in Scientology. Sammy Hagar drops an Eddie Van Halen-inspired song. Sammy isn't holding back on David Lee Roth or Alex Van Halen anymore. Mike Peters of The Alarm has died. Lorde shows us her IUD. Pierce Brosnan is gaining the weight his wife is losing. Martin Short is the new host of Match Game. Alec Baldwin is unemployed now. We recall Burt Reynolds vs Marc Summers. Lee Corso is old and retiring. Cop Cam: Entitled Brat Part 2! Megan is crazy. The Fall of Favre is coming to Netflix. Jenn Sterger is in it. Yostin Mosquera is a double murderer and sex fiend. We end with a prolapsed anus… sorry about that. If you'd like to help support the show… consider subscribing to our YouTube Channel, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (The Drew Lane Show, Marc Fellhauer, Trudi Daniels, Jim Bentley and BranDon).

Buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (1:30), triptans for acute migraine (5:30), premenstrual syndrome (6:50), pain management for IUD insertion (11:00), liver fibrosis stage in chronic hepatitis C infection (12:30), and cold water immersion for muscle soreness (14:30).

Many women don't realize there's a big difference between synthetic progestins and natural bioidentical progesterone when it comes to hormone support. In this short episode, Tara breaks down the key distinctions between these two types of progesterone, explaining why bioidentical forms are the safest and most effective option for women in midlife. Tara highlights the potential harms of synthetic progestins—which are commonly found in birth control pills, certain IUDs, and some hormone replacement therapies—including increased risks of breast cancer, negative cardiovascular impacts, mood disturbances, and more. In contrast, natural bioidentical progesterone supports sleep, mood, brain health, and overall well-being, without the risks associated with its synthetic counterparts. If you're on hormone therapy or using birth control, Tara encourages you to check what type of progesterone you're taking and consider making a switch if necessary. This episode is full of clear, empowering information to help you make the best choices for your long-term health as you navigate perimenopause and beyond.   Here's what you'll learn in this episode: What's REAL progesterone and what's FAKE? Tara breaks down the difference between bioidentical (aka body-identical) progesterone and synthetic progestins—and why you should absolutely care. Why progestins (the fake stuff) can be harmful Learn about the potential risks progestins carry, including higher chances of breast cancer, cardiovascular issues, and unwanted mood disturbances. How natural progesterone actually supports your health From better sleep to improved mood, bone strength, a happier heart, and even better hair—Tara reveals why this hormone is your BFF in midlife. Where these progestins are hiding Birth control pills, IUDs (hello, Mirena!), and even some outdated hormone replacement therapies are common culprits. Tara drops key brand names and what to watch out for (don't worry, she's listed them in the show notes too). What to do if you think you're on a progestin Tara offers concrete advice on how to talk to your healthcare provider about making the switch—and why there's almost always a natural, better alternative.   Commonly Used Progestins (synthetic forms): • Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) – used in Prempro, Provera • Norethisterone (Norethindrone) – found in some birth control and HRT pills • Levonorgestrel – used in IUDs (e.g., Mirena, Kyleena, Skyla, Liletta), birth control pills • Norgestrel – in some oral contraceptives • Drospirenone – in pills like Yaz, Yasmin • Desogestrel, Etonogestrel, Dienogest – in various contraceptive options   You may also enjoy these episodes: Episode 96: What is "estrogen kickback" when you start on progesterone HRT? Episode 99: Everything you need to know about progesterone & replacing it, with Carol Petersen     LIVE TRAINING: The Perimenopause Reset: From Exhausted to Energised. Your Proven 3-Step Roadmap to Thrive in Perimenopause—Naturally and Confidently. WHEN: Wednesday, May 14th at 5pm PST / 8pm EST, (which is 10am AEDT on May 15th)  REGISTER HERE [Limited Spots Available]     Mentioned in this episode: HRT Made Simple™ - Learn how to confidently speak to your doctor about the benefits of hormone replacement therapy so you can set yourself up for symptom-free, unmedicated years to come without feeling confused, dismissed, or leaving the medical office minus your HRT script. Hair Loss Solutions Made Simple™ – This course will teach you the best natural, highly effective, and safe solutions for your hair loss so you can stop it, reverse it, and regrow healthy hair without turning to medications. The Hormone Balance Solution™ – My signature 6-month comprehensive hormonal health program for women in midlife who want to get solid answers to their hormonal health issues once and for all so they can kick the weight gain, moodiness, gut problems, skin issues, period problems, fatigue, overwhelm, insomnia, hair/eyebrow loss, and other symptoms in order to get back to the woman they once were. [FREE] The Ultimate Midlife Perimenopause Handbook - Grab my free guide and RECLAIM your confidence, your mood, your waistline and energy without turning to medications or restrictive diets (or spending a fortune on testing you don't need!).

Scared? Got Questions about the continued assault on your reproductive rights? THE FBK LINES ARE OPEN! Just call or text (201) 574-7402, leave your questions or concerns, and Lizz and Moji will pick a few to address on the pod! Your fav Buzzkills are talking about the trend of reclassifying things like abortion meds and birth control, and then outlawing them in the process! You know, the ol' “make them sound terrible then use it to strip away your rights” trick. We've also got lots to say about the Catholic Papi's passing and what he DIDN'T do for abortion, shenanigans that are popping up out of Louisiana and which other states are hopping on the bandwagon, PLUS all of the other abobo-related news your earholes need to hear this week.  WHO ARE OUR GUESTS THIS WEEK? WE'RE STACKED.We're yapping with Medicaid and repro care expert, Dr. Cat Duffy of the National Health Law Program (NHeLP), about the harsh realities of what the proposed trash Medicaid cuts could mean for reproductive rights, how YOU can fight back, and how not allowing abortion in the Medicaid system is racist as hell.  PLUS, musician and comedian Shonali joins the pod to remind us that reproductive rights and abortion are PUNK AS FUCK, and gabs with us on art and disco as revolution, the power in being yourself, how she's channeling her rage, on being detained at the border, and her incredible new album, One Machine at a Time.  Times are heavy, but knowledge is power, y'all. We gotchu.  OPERATION SAVE ABORTION: You can still join the 10,000+ womb warriors fighting the patriarchy by listening to our OpSave pod series and Mifepristone Panel by clicking HERE for episodes, your toolkit, marching orders, and more. HOSTS:Lizz Winstead IG: @LizzWinstead Bluesky: @LizzWinstead.bsky.socialMoji Alawode-El IG: @Mojilocks Bluesky: @Mojilocks.bsky.social SPECIAL GUESTS:Dr. Cat Duffy Bluesky: @nhelp.bsky.social Shonali IG/TikTok: @shonaliofficial GUEST LINKS:National Health Law Program (NHeLP)DONATE: National Health Law ProgramMedicaid Defense – Resources and AnalysisShonali WebsiteBUY: Shonali's Album on Vinyl + CDShonali Tour Dates NEWS DUMP:Indiana's Consent Requirement Stripped From Sex Ed BillMontana: ‘Personhood' for Embryos Fails, Other Abortion Bills Head to Governor's DeskA Trump Baby Boom? A Baby Bust Is More Likely.Proposed Louisiana Law Would Expand Definition of ‘Coerced Abortion'Louisiana's New House BillTrump's Budget: Gutting Medicaid to Pass Tax Cuts? EPISODE LINKS:Here's What the Late Pope Francis Said About LGBTQ+ People, Abortion and Other Key IssuesADOPT-A-CLINIC: Midwest Reproductive Health 6 DEGREES: Sources Describe How Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem's Gucci Bag Was Stolen From Under Her Chair Winnie Harlow in Gucci's Uterus DressBUY AAF MERCH!Operation Save AbortionSIGN: Repeal the Comstock ActEMAIL your abobo questions to The Feminist BuzzkillsAAF's Abortion-Themed Rage Playlist SHOULD I BE SCARED?Text or call us with the abortion news that is scaring you: (201) 574-7402 FOLLOW US:Listen to us ~ FBK Podcast Instagram ~ @AbortionFrontBluesky ~ @AbortionFrontTikTok ~ @AbortionFrontFacebook ~ @AbortionFrontYouTube ~ @AbortionAccessFrontTALK TO THE CHARLEY BOT FOR ABOBO OPTIONS & RESOURCES HERE!PATREON HERE! Support our work, get exclusive merch and more! DONATE TO AAF HERE!ACTIVIST CALENDAR HERE!VOLUNTEER WITH US HERE!ADOPT-A-CLINIC HERE!EXPOSE FAKE CLINICS HERE!GET ABOBO PILLS FROM PLAN C PILLS HERE!When BS is poppin', we pop off!

On today's show, Klein gets a ridiculous ticket on his car while quitting the gym, Ally shares her 2025 No-Buy list during El Cheapo, Vanessa's vacation takes a downward turn in Cruise News, we hear from a woman who had 5 kids while taking birth control AND an IUD, Ally sabotages Klein in Meet the Neighbors, we hear about your biggest food accomplishments & meet a man who was banned from Red Lobster (flex!) In ADD News, we discuss Shaq's bathroom emergency, LA topping the smoggiest cities list for the 25th year in a row, Green Day getting their Walk of Fame star, chimps bonding over alcohol, toddlers getting addicted to CoCoMelon, and Andre Agassi making his Pickleball debut.

Let's be real—how often do you stop to think about how hormonal birth control affects your body, metabolism, and overall health? It's something many women take without fully understanding the long-term impact.In today's episode, Lara Briden joins me to dive into the technical side of hormonal birth control and its effects on muscle growth, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic function. We'll explore how synthetic hormones interfere with ovarian function, why they might be hindering your fitness progress, and the connection between birth control and conditions like insulin resistance and gut health.We'll also break down how the hormonal IUD and other methods can disrupt your natural cycle and what alternatives you can consider for better hormone balance and overall well-being. Plus, Lara shares insights on how to transition off birth control safely and what to expect when your body resets.Lara Briden is a Naturopathic doctor and leading expert in women's hormone health. She's the author of Period Repair Manual and Hormone Repair Manual and has spent over 20 years working with women to optimize their hormonal health.We Also Discuss:(00:16) Birth Control and Muscle Growth Study(06:40) Benefits of Non-Hormonal Birth Control(19:00) Copper IUD and Hormonal Birth Control(33:16) Understanding Body Literacy and Exercise(42:28) Optimizing Training Based on Menstrual Cycle(46:33) Metabolism and Cycle Synchronization(58:18) Metabolic Flexibility and Muscle Growth(01:10:27) Women's Health and Metabolism RepairThank You to Our Sponsors:Broads: Broads gives you structured, progressive training and a powerhouse community to keep you strong, consistent, and unstoppable. Join today at broads.app and use code PODCAST for 20% off your first month!Legion: Use code Tara20 for 20% off your first order and double loyalty cash back any order after that when you shop at LegionAthletics.comFind more from Tara: Website: https://www.taralaferrara.com/Instagram: @taralaferrara @broads.podcast @broads.appYoutube: Tara LaFerraraTiktok: @taralaferrara Find more from Lara Briden:Website: https://www.larabriden.com/Instagram: @larabriden

In this episode, Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwartz and Dr. Kelly Treder discuss the misconceptions of tubal sterilization, including debunking notions that is it 100% fool-proof, that the surgery is reversible, that it is more effective than other contraceptive options, or that there is little to no pain post-surgery. “I think we do have fairly widespread misunderstanding of what it means to have your tubes tied. A lot of people seem to have the understanding that that would be something you could easily untie and that it would be a procedure that you could undo,” Dr. Schwartz says. They highlight how important it is for providers to be transparent with patients about long-acting contraception options (arm implant, IUD, vasectomy) and their effectiveness with preventing pregnancy, side effects, cost, accessibility, and longevity compared to surgery. Because of this, it is crucial for providers to be informed about the nuances of different contraceptive options. Dr. Schwartz and Dr. Treder provide firsthand insight into what difficult conversations surrounding contraceptives with patients can look like. “I think it's just our obligation to make sure that they know about all available options, that they're not arriving at this decision that they need to have a surgery because they think it's the only thing that's safe for them or the only thing that will work well for them,” says Dr. Schwartz.   This episode is a follow up to S4 E5 Lesser-Known Forms of Birth Control and Downplayed Side-effects: Providing Empowering Contraceptive Carewith Dr. Karlin and health educator Mariana Horne. Click here to view the episode transcript.  Resources recommended in the episode:   Bedsider.org is an online resource designed to help individuals explore, compare, and access birth control options. Bedsider offers a comprehensive description of various contraceptive methods, such as IUDs, implants, pills, and sterilization using interactive tools, real-life stories, and educational content.   Advancing Access is a UCSF resource that provides clear, evidence-based information on long-acting reversible and non-reversible birth control methods, including costs, benefits, and where to access care.   https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsfg/index.htm - National Survey of Family Growth     CAPTC related trainings and resources  - Shared Decision Making in Contraceptive Counseling   - Person-Centered Contraception Counseling for Family Pact Clients   - Same-Day Placement of LARC: Solutions to Common Barriers     Brief Bio   Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwartz Dr. Schwartz, MD is a professor of medicine at UCSF and the chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at the San Francisco General Hospital. She has a particular interest in identifying ways to meet the needs of diverse populations, including women with chronic medical conditions and other underserved populations.   Dr. Treder Dr. Kelly Treder, MD, MPH, is a board-certified OB-GYN at Boston Medical Center and an assistant professor of OB-GYN at Boston University School of Medicine. She specializes in family planning and is committed to health equity.  

Mary Beth Cicero, co-founder of Three Daughters, shares how her passion for women's health led to the development of a new frameless, self-assembling magnetic IUD designed to significantly reduce the pain of insertion and retrieval. The device, inspired by embryo transfer techniques and using copper as its active ingredient, aims to improve comfort, eliminate strings, and offer a more body-conforming contraceptive option—especially for younger women deterred by current IUDs. As the product moves through clinical trials, the team is focused on both efficacy and ease of use, with hopes to expand into treating other uterine conditions in the future.

Are you struggling after stopping hormonal birth control? Whether you used the pill, patch, ring, hormonal IUD, or shot—this episode breaks down what really happens when you come off synthetic hormones and how to heal your body from the inside out. In this episode of The Women's Vibrancy Code, host Maraya Brown, unpacks Post-Birth Control Syndrome (PBCS) and the powerful journey of reclaiming your natural hormone balance. Discover the truth about how birth control suppresses your body's natural hormone production, how it impacts your mood, libido, fertility, stress response, and even your attraction to your partner.  We cover: What is Post-Birth Control Syndrome and why it matters How hormonal birth control rewires your brain and alters your stress hormones The 3 Phases of Healing: Detox your liver, repair your gut, and rebalance your adrenals Real stories of women recovering their cycle and reclaiming their vitality The emotional and relationship shifts no one talks about after quitting birth control Hormone-friendly foods, supplements, and the top lab tests to run post-pill Non-hormonal birth control alternatives like the Fertility Awareness Method and copper IUD How to feel more like yourself again—more energy, better mood, deeper connection Whether you're trying to conceive, managing perimenopause, or just ready to get off synthetic hormones, this is a must-listen for every woman seeking hormone harmony and body literacy. Learn how to detox the right way, support your cycle naturally, and take back control of your health. 00:00 – Intro to The Women's Vibrancy Code 01:01 – Why many women go on birth control—and the overwhelm of coming off 03:06 – What is Post-Birth Control Syndrome (PBCS)? Symptoms to look for 04:56 – How hormonal birth control suppresses natural hormone production 06:26 – Progestin vs. progesterone: The key difference and how it impacts your body 08:21 – Birth control's effect on your brain, cortisol, mood, and adrenal function 10:11 – Attraction shifts, pheromones, and relationship changes after stopping the pill 11:51 – Phase 1: Liver Detox & Hormonal Clearance — Foods, supplements & daily detox support 13:56 – Phase 2: Gut Healing & Microbiome Repair — Probiotics, gut-friendly foods & lifestyle shifts 17:31 – Phase 3: Adrenal & Hormonal Rebalancing — Stress reduction tactics, adaptogens, sleep & nervous system regulation 19:01 – Emotional & relationship shifts — How hormonal recovery affects attraction, mood, and identity 21:31 – Non-hormonal birth control options — FAM, copper IUD, condoms, vasectomy 23:11 – What labs to run after stopping hormonal contraception — Dutch Plus, GI Map, SHBG, cortisol curve & more 25:51 – Final thoughts + How to work with Maraya The Women's Vibrancy Accelerator Trifecta: Your 90-Day Health Reset Ready to take your health to the next level? The Women's Vibrancy Accelerator Trifecta offers deep, personalized support to help you regain control of your energy, hormones, and well-being. This program includes: Three one-on-one calls with Maraya Dutch Plus Test and full assessment Bi-weekly live Q&A sessions Self-paced health portal covering energy, hormones, libido, and confidence Podcast listeners get an exclusive discount. Use code PODCAST. Learn more and enroll now: https://marayabrown.com/trifecta/ Free Wellness Resources Access free tools like the Menstrual Tracker, Adaptogen Elixir Recipes, Two-Week Soul Cleanse, Food Facial, and more. Download now: https://marayabrown.com/resources/ Subscribe to The Women's Vibrancy Code Podcast Listen on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify. Connect with the Show Find us on Facebook,  Linkedin | Website | Tiktok | Facebook Group Apply for a Call with Maraya Brown Start your journey with personalized support. Apply here: https://marayabrown.com/call About Maraya Brown Maraya is a Yale and Functional Medicine-trained Women's Health and Wellness Expert (CNM, MSN). She helps women feel energized, confident, and connected to themselves and their lives. With over 25 years of experience, she specializes in energy, hormones, libido, confidence, and deep transformation. Disclaimer The content of this podcast is for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute medical or professional advice. Listeners should consult with a qualified professional before making any health decisions.

Morley Robbins joins me again to continue our discussion on Iron and hormones, including testosterone. Another fun conversation and I'm excited to welcome Morley back for PT3 in a few weeks ... let me know if you have any questions for him! In this podcast episode you will learn; A quick recap on low iron (ferritin) and anemia Irons connection to hormone health Do you need iron with heavy menstrual bleeding? How adrenaline and estrogen dominance influence iron The copper IUD as a source of copper Iron and metabolism for ATP production and understanding fatigue Iron overload and its connection to hot flashes and night sweats (this answer is INSANE!) And LOTS more! Find our more about Morley and his work here; https://therootcauseprotocol.com/abou... https://www.instagram.com/therootcaus... If you find these videos or the podcasts helpful or interesting and you want me to continue making them, you can support me in making these and the podcasts because they really do take a lot of time, especially where the research is involved. You can buy me a coffee, I will share the link in the description. I really appreciate those of you who have supported me already, I do love coffee. Thank you so much for your generosity. https://buymeacoffee.com/cmhthanks As always, please like, share and subscribe if you haven't already. Thank you!

Let's just say it: navigating birth control options without wanting to be on birth control can feel... confusing at best and isolating at worst. You're not alone if you've ever thought: "I'm not ready for a baby, but I don't want to be on the pill. What do I even do?" I feel the same way — from being put on the pill at 15, to learning the hard way that my unique uterus couldn't handle an IUD (yes, in the stirrups, mid-appointment

Welcome to part 3 of Afternoon Delight: Birth Control Chronicles! We've talked about the facts, we've broken down the methods, but now—it's time to dive deep into REAL stories from YOU, our incredible listeners.

In this episode of From First Period to Last Period, Ashton shares her unfiltered IUD horror story — what went wrong, what she wishes she had known, and how to advocate for a different outcome. Dr. Jenna Kahn⁠ breaks down the medical side of it all, offering insights into what to watch for and when to push for better care.Kristyn and Jenna also tackle some of your top health questions: Is pelvic pain during ovulation normal? And at what age should you consider egg freezing?Registered dietitian ⁠Anna Bohnengel joins us to share simple ways to support your gut health. Then, in Women's Health in the Wild, Jenna gives her take on at-home fertility testing — what's helpful, what's not, and what you need to know before you buy.Hit play now on ⁠Spotify⁠, ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, or wherever you listen!

In this episode of SHE MD, hosts Mary Alice Haney and Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi welcome Kate Bond, an actress best known for her roles in Chicago Med, Good Trouble, and the reboot of MacGyver. For over a decade, Kate silently struggled with endometriosis, a chronic condition that affects millions of women but is notoriously difficult to diagnose. Her story highlights the frustrations many women face in the healthcare system when dealing with this condition and getting dismissed by most doctors. Kate and the hosts explore the challenges of her diagnosis, the impact on daily life, and the knowledge you need to be your own health advocate.Access more information about the podcast and additional expert health tips by visiting SHE MD Podcast and Ovii. Sponsors: One Skin: Visit OneSkin.co/SHEMD and use code SHEMD at checkout for 15% off your first purchasePurely Elizabeth: Visit purelyelizabeth.com and use code SHEMD at checkout for 20% off. Purely Elizabeth. Taste the ObsessionSaks.com: Shop Saks.coCymbiotika: Go to Cymbiotikia.com/SHEMD for 20% off your order + free shipping today.Zoe: As a ZOE member, you'll get an at home test kit and personalized nutrition program to help make smarter food choices that support your gut. That's ZOE.com and use code SHEMD10 to get 10% off your membership.Momentous: Go to livemomentous.com and try it today for 20% off with code SHEMD, and start living on purpose.iRestore: Reverse hair loss with @irestorelaser and get $625 off with code shemd at https://www.irestorelaser.com/SHEMD! #irestorepodKATE BOND'S TAKEAWAYS:Endometriosis symptoms often include severe pelvic pain, painful periods, and gastrointestinal issues that can significantly impact daily life and work.Proper diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis often require finding a doctor who listens, shows empathy, and is curious about solving the patient's health puzzle.Suppression therapy after endometriosis surgery is crucial for long-term management and prevention of symptom recurrence.Proactive health screenings, including genetic testing and colonoscopies, are important for early detection of related health issues, especially for those with endometriosis.Some endometriosis treatment includes laparoscopic surgery with an experienced surgeon who can diagnose and treat endometriosis; hormonal suppression, like progesterone IUDs, often helps manage symptoms; Dietary changes may be necessary to address related GI issues like SIBO.IN THIS EPISODE: (00:00) Intro(03:25) Kate Bond's endometriosis diagnosis journey(04:50) Dr. Aliabadi explains endometriosis in detail(09:52) Kate describes severe endometriosis symptoms(21:15) Endometriosis impacts career and life(24:50) Treatment options for endometriosis explained(29:08) SIBO and endometriosis connection discussed(33:54) Importance of early colonoscopy screening(42:35) Life improvements after endometriosis treatment(45:02) Endometriosis impact on family planningRESOURCES:Kate Bond's InstagramGUEST BIOGRAPHY:Kate Bond grew up in an A-frame house at the end of a long dirt road in rural Georgia. She is an actress whose credits include Chicago Med, Good Trouble, and the reboot of MacGyver. She's a passionate unionist and serves on the board of directors of the Los Angeles local of SAG-AFTRA. Her story isn't just about making it in the entertainment industry—it's about breaking through barriers, both systemic and personal, and redefining what success looks like when life throws you curveballs. For over a decade, Kate silently struggled with endometriosis, a chronic condition that affects millions of women but is notoriously difficult to diagnose. Like so many others, she was dismissed by doctors, told that her pain was “normal,” and forced to keep pushing forward—because when you're trying to build a career in Hollywood, there's no calling in sick.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thinking about coming off birth control? This episode is your no-fluff, step-by-step guide to doing it the right way—without wrecking your hormones, metabolism, or sanity. We break down exactly what happens in your body when you stop hormonal birth control, the inflammation and nutrient deficiencies it leaves behind, and why some women experience symptoms like bloating, mood swings, weight gain, or post-pill acne. You'll learn how to prep your body before stopping, what labs to run, how to support detox and gut health, and why simply pulling the plug without a plan can backfire—big time. If you've been on the pill, IUD, or another form of birth control and want to come off without chaos, this episode is a must. ***

Modern IUDs - intrauterine devices - are a safe form of contraception for most women. But this wasn't always the case. Author Chikako Takeshita traces the history and development of these devices, originally created for population control in 1960s, and talks about one IUD in particular, the Dalkon Shield, which would cause widespread harm to the women who used it, and in some cases, had lethal consequences.Click the 'Follow' button for more women's health stories.Show notes:The Global Biopolitics of the IUD: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262547840/the-global-biopolitics-of-the-iud/Chikako Takeshita: Associate Professor at the University of California Riverside - https://profiles.ucr.edu/app/home/profile/chikakotMore information about IUDs: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/24441-intrauterine-device-iud   New to Overlooked? Welcome! Overlooked was launched in 2023 to tell the story of ovarian cancer through one woman's story. In 2024 the show started to cover all kinds of other overlooked topics in women's health - and there are many. The show is hosted by Golda Arthur, an audio journalist and producer. See why Overlooked is an award-winning podcast by taking a listen to our back catalog. LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR? Support Overlooked on Patreon, and get rewards like merch, the ability to send in questions for expert guests, and a 'backstage pass' to the show. GET ON THE LIST for the newsletter to learn the backstory to the episodes, and join a community of people who are deeply engaged with women's health topics. Sign up here: https://overlookedpodcast.kit.com/e4b85028b6 EMAIL US: hello@overlookedpod.com FOLLOW US:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/overlookedpod/LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/105541285/admin/dashboard/ LEARN MORE: https://overlookedpod.com/ DISCLAIMER What you hear and read on ‘Overlooked' is for general information purposes only and represents the opinions of the host and guests. The content on the podcast and website should not be taken as medical advice. Every person's body is unique, so please consult your healthcare professional for any medical questions that may arise.

In this episode of The Unbuttoned Podcast, Elizabeth has guest Taylor Lechner, a registered dietitian, who discusses the complexities of hormone health, particularly in relation to birth control. She shares her personal journey with hormonal issues and emphasizes the importance of understanding the root causes of hormonal imbalances rather than relying solely on birth control as a solution. The discussion covers the effects of birth control on women's health, the significance of functional testing, and the role of nutrition in managing hormonal health. Taylor also highlights the need for personalized care and the impact of mental health and gut health on hormonal balance. The conversation concludes with insights on dietary recommendations and the menstrual cycle, providing listeners with valuable resources for navigating their own holistic hormone health journeys. Taylor Lechner MFN, RD, LD is a Registered Dietitian and founder of Nourished by Taylor, a nutrition practice dedicated to helping women take control of their hormones naturally. She specializes in guiding women through a smooth transition off birth control while preventing commonpost-pill/IUD symptoms like acne, hair loss, mood swings, and painful periods. Using a functional, root-cause approach, Taylor helps women restore balance to their hormones, clear their skin, and achieve symptom-free cycles—without relying on bandaid medications. Her mission is to ensure women no longer feel dismissed by conventional medicine and instead have the support they need to thrive. Test your minerals here Use code COCO25 for a discount (all caps!) Work with Taylor Follow Taylor on IG Free Breakup with Birth Control Masterclass Listen to her podcast-She's in Sync  The Complete Guide to Cycle Syncing Your Nutrition after Birth Control Takeaways: Birth control often masks hormonal health issues rather than solving them. Understanding how birth control works is crucial for women's health. Holistic root cause healing is essential for long-term women's health and wellness. Nutrition plays a key role in managing hormonal health imbalances. Stay Connected:  Instagram Tiktok Coco The Shop Use code Unbuttoned10 for an exclusive discount! Some of the links and codes mentioned in this podcast are affiliate links, and if you make a purchase through them, The hosts of the episode may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Your support is greatly appreciated!  

This week we have a full episode dedicated to birth control. Whether you're debating on choosing an option that's right for you, you're thinking of coming off birth control, or you're just wondering what's true and not from the countless myths on this topic online, you're in the right spot. Today, we're excited to have Dr. Liza Klassen, a Fertility-Focused Naturopathic Doctor from Vancouver, BC to discuss this.  Dr. Klassen combines both the medical and emotional aspects of fertility, working closely with reproductive endocrinologists  to provide the best care for her patients. She specializes in conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, thyroid disorders, and more, helping women achieve and maintain healthy pregnancies—whether natural or assisted. In today's episode, we'll be diving into:- The different types of birth control methods available-Common myths about birth control and its effects- How birth control impacts our cycles, nutrients, and long-term fertility- Using birth control to manage conditions like PCOS and endometriosis-Transitioning off birth control and preparing for conceptionWhether you're on birth control or just curious about how it affects your body, this episode is fullof insights you won't want to miss.Here is where you can learn more about Dr. Klassen:Follow her on instagram hereBook with her hereDon't forget to follow us on Instagram @girlsgonewellnesspodcast for updates and more wellness tips. Please subscribe to our podcast and leave a review—we truly appreciate your support. Let's embark on this journey to wellness together!DISCLAIMER: Nothing mentioned in this episode is medical advice and should not be taken as so. If you have any health concerns, please discuss these with your doctor or a licensed healthcare professional.

Millions of American women use some form of contraception to prevent pregnancy, and one of the most popular forms is an intrauterine device, or IUD. Lately, IUDs have been going viral not because of their popularity, but because of the pain associated with getting them. Ali Rogin speaks with Dr. Aaron Lazorwitz, a professor at Yale School of Medicine, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Millions of American women use some form of contraception to prevent pregnancy, and one of the most popular forms is an intrauterine device, or IUD. Lately, IUDs have been going viral not because of their popularity, but because of the pain associated with getting them. Ali Rogin speaks with Dr. Aaron Lazorwitz, a professor at Yale School of Medicine, to learn more. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

这期节目我们由《避孕简史》这本书展开，聊聊人类自古以来各种千奇百怪的避孕方法，女性避孕的进化史 -- 从草药、物理屏障到避孕药，以及最重要的：男性为什么没有避孕药？？

Playwright and performer Rachel Cairns joins Laura Mullin to discuss her acclaimed play Hypothetical Baby and the deeply personal experience that inspired it. Rachel shares her journey of facing an unplanned pregnancy despite having an IUD, the unexpected challenges of accessing abortion care, and the emotional and societal pressures that shaped her decision.Despite growing up in a progressive and supportive family, Rachel found herself unprepared for the realities of navigating reproductive healthcare. She and Laura dive into the stigma, shame, and controversy surrounding a woman's right to choose and how storytelling can challenge perceptions, spark dialogue, and empower change.

Thinking about stopping birth control but feeling overwhelmed by all the horror stories? We've got you! In this episode, Jess and I are breaking down everything you need to know about coming off hormonal birth control—whether it's the pill, IUD, or another form—and how to make the transition as smooth as possible.We'll cover:✅ Why birth control is often prescribed beyond pregnancy prevention✅ How hormonal contraceptives impact your body's natural hormone production✅ Common post-birth control symptoms like missing periods, breakouts, weight fluctuations, and mood swings✅ The right way to support your body before and after stopping birth control to avoid post-birth control syndrome✅ Nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle shifts to rebalance hormones naturallyIf you've been on birth control for years and want to feel confident in your body's ability to regulate hormones again, this episode is a must-listen.If you're ready to take a personalized approach to balancing your hormones and feeling your best post-birth control, apply for coaching: https://girlsfuelnutrition.com/inquiry-form —we'd love to support you!

Send us a textEver have a moment where you suddenly realize you've slipped back into old thought patterns? In this episode, we dive into what happens when those default ways of thinking return - and how to move past them without getting stuck.When Old Thought Patterns Come KnockingAfter my emergency surgery for a perforated IUD (yes, really!), I found myself sliding back into victim mode thinking - feeling angry about missing work, frustrated about not having sick leave, and generally falling into old patterns of negativity and blame.Sound familiar? These default thought patterns don't just magically disappear, even when we've made significant progress. They can return during times of stress, fatigue, or when we're facing situations that trigger old memories.The good news? We don't have to stay stuck there! Here's how to notice and move beyond those default thoughts:Three Steps to Break Free from Default ThinkingNotice without judgment When those old thought patterns appear, simply acknowledge them: "There are those thoughts again. I notice my brain is telling me I should feel angry/powerless/overwhelmed here." Sometimes we notice the thoughts directly, but often we catch the emotions first - that familiar feeling of being drained, resentful, or stuck can be your first clue.Recognize the discrepancy This is where the magic happens! Take a moment to notice the gap between your default thinking and who you are now. "This doesn't feel like me anymore. This isn't how I typically think these days." This recognition helps us see how far we've come and prevents us from believing we've lost all our progress.Be kind as you let go Instead of, "I can't believe I'm thinking this way again! What's wrong with me?" try "Yes, these are thoughts I've had before. This is an old pattern. We don't do that anymore, and it's completely normal these thoughts showed up during a stressful time." Kindness works better than judgment every time!Changing Thoughts vs. Changing CircumstancesHere's a truth bomb: If you keep the same thoughts but change your circumstances (like leaving medicine to become a barista or work on a beach), you'll have the same emotional experience - just in a different place.That doesn't mean we should never change circumstances! But if we want to feel different, we need to think differently. The good news is we can practice new thought patterns regardless of our situation.Remember ThisWe're all on a journey. The place you are now is further along than where you were last year, five years ago, or ten years ago. When we intentionally work on our thought patterns, we're building the foundation for the next version of ourselves.Those people you admire who seem to have it all figured out? They've faced challenges too - they've just made different decisions about how to navigate them. And you can do the same.Want More?Reach out to schedule a time to chat about how we can work together to change those old thought patterns that keep you feeling burned out and exhausted. Schedule a chat here: Support the showTo learn more about my coaching practice and group offerings, head over to www.healthierforgood.com. I help Physicians and Allied Health Professional women to let go of toxic perfectionist and people-pleasing habits that leave them frustrated and exhausted. If you are ready to learn skills that help you set boundaries and prioritize yourself, without becoming a cynical a-hole, come work with me.Want to contact me directly?Email: megan@healthierforgood.comFollow me on Instagram!@MeganMeloMD

In this week's episode Lil had the pleasure of sitting down with the beautiful Nelly Kalla to chat all things health. Nelly is a functional health practitioner, helping women heal their gut, hormones and skin. We get into busting health myths around 17 minutes in!Topics:- Nelly's personal journey with health- Is Cholesterol bad for you?- Will fat make you fat?- Will a greens powder fix your gut issues?- Is the IUD really a better option?- Mainstream nutrition is outdated- Values when it comes to opting for organic + more!Follow Nelly on Instagram here, listen to her podcast here and work with her hereFollow the WWSK Instagram here⁠  and Heal With Lil Instagram hereDisclaimer - This podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please always consult with a medical professional or healthcare provider when seeking medical advice.

Dr. Ebony Hoskins and Dr. Andreas Obermair discuss the surgical management of gynecologic cancers, including the role of minimally invasive surgery, approaches in fertility preservation, and the nuances of surgical debulking. TRANSCRIPT Dr. Ebony Hoskins: Hello and welcome to the ASCO Daily News Podcast, I'm Dr. Ebony Hoskins. I'm a gynecologic oncologist at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, and your guest host of the ASCO Daily News Podcast. Today we'll be discussing the surgical management of gynecologic cancer, including the role of minimally invasive surgery (MIS), approaches in fertility preservation, and the nuances of surgical debulking, timing, and its impact on outcomes. I am delighted to welcome Dr. Andreas Obermair for today's discussion. Dr. Obermair is an internationally renowned gynecologic oncologist, a professor of gynecologic oncology at the University of Queensland, and the head of the Queensland Center for Gynecologic Cancer Research. Our full disclosures are available in the transcript of this episode. Dr. Obermair, it's great speaking with you today. Dr. Andreas Obermair: Thank you so much for inviting me to this podcast. Dr. Ebony Hoskins: I am very excited.  I looked at your paper and I thought, gosh, is everything surgical? This is everything that I deal with daily in terms of cancer in counseling patients. What prompted this review regarding GYN cancer management? Dr. Andreas Obermair: Yes, our article was published in the ASCO Educational Book; it is volume 44 in 2024. And this article covers some key aspects of targeted precision surgical management principles in endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, and ovarian cancer. While surgery is considered the cornerstone of gynecologic cancer treatment, sometimes research doesn't necessarily reflect that. And so I think ASCO asked us to; so it was not just me, there was a team of colleagues from different parts of the United States and Australia to reflect on surgical aspects of gynecologic cancer care and I feel super passionate about that because I do believe that surgery has a lot to offer. Surgical interventions need to be defined and overall, I see the research that I'm doing as part of my daily job to go towards precision surgery. And I think that is, well, that is something that I'm increasingly passionate for. Dr. Ebony Hoskins: Well, I think we should get into it. One thing that comes to mind is the innovation of minimally invasive surgery in endometrial cancer. I always reflect on when I started my fellowship, I guess it's been about 15 years ago, all of our endometrial cancer patients had a midline vertical incision, increased risk of abscess, infections and a long hospital stay. Do you mind commenting on how you see management of endometrial cancer today? Dr. Andreas Obermair: Thank you very much for giving the historical perspective because the generation of gynecologic oncologists today, they may not even know what we dealt with, what problems we had to solve. So like you, when I was a fellow in gynecologic oncology, we did midline or lower crosswise incisions, the length of stay was, five days, seven days, but we had patients in hospital because of complications for 28 days. We took them back to the operating theaters because those are patients with a BMI of 40 plus, 45, 50 and so forth. So we really needed to solve problems. And then I was exposed to a mentor who taught minimal invasive surgery. And in Australia he was one of the first ones who embarked on that. And I can remember, I was mesmerized by this operation, like not only how logical this procedure was, but also we did rounds afterwards. And I saw these women after surgery and I saw them sitting upright, lipstick on, having had a full meal at the end of the day. And I thought, wow, this is the most rewarding experience that I have to round these patients after surgery. And so I was thinking, how could I help to establish this operation as standard? Like a standard that other people would accept this is better. And so I thought we needed to do a trial on this. And then it took a long time. It took a long time to get the support for the [LACE - Laparoscopic Approach to Cancer of the Endometrium] trial. And in this context, I just also wanted to remind us all that there were concerns about minimal invasive surgery in endometrial cancer at the time. So for example, one of the concerns was when I submitted my grant funding applications, people said, “Well, even if we fund you, wouldn't be able to do this trial because there are actually no surgeons who actually do minimally invasive surgery.” And at the time, for example, in Australia, there were maybe five people, a handful of people who were able to do this operation, right? This was about 20 years ago. The other concern people had was they were saying, could minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer, could that cause port side metastasis because there were case reports. So there were a lot of things that we didn't know anyway. We did this trial and I'm super happy we did this trial. We started in 2005, and it took five years to enroll. At the same time, GOG LAP2 was ramping up and the LACE trial and GOG LAP2 then got published and provided the foundations for minimally invasive surgery in endometrial cancer. I'm super happy that we have randomized data about that because now when we go back and now when people have concerns about this, should we do minimally invasive surgery in P53 mutant tumors, I'm saying, well, we actually have data on that. We could go back, we could actually do more research on that if we wanted to, but our treatment recommendations are standing on solid feet. Dr. Ebony Hoskins: Well, my patients are thankful. I see patients all the time and they have high risk and morbidly obese, lots of medical issues and actually I send them home most the same day. And I think, you know, I'm very appreciative of that research, because we obviously practice evidence-based and it's certainly a game changer. Let's go along the lines of MIS and cervical cancer. And this is going back to the LACC [Laparoscopic Approach to Cervical Cancer] trial.  I remember, again, one of these early adopters of use of robotic surgery and laparoscopic surgery for radical hysterectomy and thought it was so cool. You know, we can see all the anatomy well and then have the data to show that we actually had a decreased survival. And I even see that most recent updated data just showing it still continued. Can you talk a little bit about why you think there is a difference? I know there's ongoing trials, but still interested in kind of why do you think there's a survival difference? Dr. Andreas Obermair:  So Ebony, I hope you don't mind me going back a step. So the LACC study was developed from the LACE trial. So we thought we wanted to reproduce the LACE data/LAP2 data. We wanted to reproduce that in cervix cancer. And people were saying, why do you do that? Like, why would that be different in any way? We recognize that minimally invasive radical hysterectomy is not a standard. We're not going to enroll patients in a randomized trial where we open and do a laparotomy on half the patients. So I think the lesson that really needs to be learned here is that any surgical intervention that we do, we should put on good evidence footing because otherwise we're really running the risk of jeopardizing patients' outcomes. So, that was number one and LACC started two years after LACE started. So LACC started in 2007, and I just wanted to acknowledge the LACC principal investigator, Dr. Pedro Ramirez, who at the time worked at MD Anderson. And we incidentally realized that we had a common interest. The findings came totally unexpected and came as an utter shock to both of us. We did not expect this. We expected to see very similar disease-free and overall survival data as we saw in the endometrial cancer cohort. Now LACC was not designed to check why there was a difference in disease-free survival. So this is very important to understand. We did not expect it. Like, so there was no point checking why that is the case. My personal idea, and I think it is fair enough if we share personal ideas, and this is not even a hypothesis I want to say, this is just a personal idea is that in endometrial cancer, we're dealing with a tumor where most of the time the cancer is surrounded by a myometrial shell. And most of the time the cancer would not get into outside contact with the peritoneal cavity. Whereas in cervix cancer, this is very different because in cervix cancer, we need to manipulate the cervix and the tumor is right at the outside there. So I personally don't use a uterine manipulator. I believe in the United States, uterine manipulators are used all the time. My experience is not in this area, so I can't comment on that. But I would think that the manipulation of the cervix and the contact of the cervix to the free peritoneal cavity could be one of the reasons. But again, this is simply a personal opinion. Dr. Ebony Hoskins: Well, I appreciate it. Dr. Andreas Obermair: Ebony at the end of the day, right, medicine is empirical science, and empirical science means that we just make observations, we make observations, we measure them, and we pass them on. And we made an observation. And, and while we're saying that, and yes, you're absolutely right, the final [LACC] reports were published in JCO recently. And I'm very grateful to the JCO editorial team that they accepted the paper, and they communicated the results because this is obviously very important. At the same time, I would like to say that there are now three or four RCTs that challenge the LACC data. These RCTs are ongoing, and a lot of people will be looking forward to having these results available. Dr. Ebony Hoskins: Very good. In early-stage cervical cancer, the SHAPE trial looked at simple versus radical hysterectomy in low-risk cervical cancer patients. And as well all know, simple hysterectomy was not inferior to radical hysterectomy with respect to the pelvic recurrence rate and any complications related to surgery such as urinary incontinence and retention. My question for you is have you changed your practice in early-stage cervical cancer, say a patient with stage 1B1 adenocarcinoma with a positive margin on conization, would you still offer this patient a radical hysterectomy or would you consider a simple hysterectomy? Dr. Andreas Obermair:  I think this is a very important topic, right? Because I think the challenge of SHAPE is to understand the inclusion criteria. That's the main challenge. And most people simplify it to 2 cm, which is one of the inclusion criteria but there are two others and that includes the depth of invasion. Dr. Marie Plante has been very clear. Marie Plante is the first author of the SHAPE trial that's been published in the New England Journal of Medicine only recently and Marie has been very clear upfront that we need to consider all three inclusion criteria and only then the inclusion criteria of SHAPE apply. So at the end of the day, I think what the SHAPE trial is telling us that small tumors that would strictly fulfill the criteria of a 1B or 1B1 cancer of the cervix can be considered for a standard type 1 or PIVA type 1 or whatever classification we're trying to use will be eligible. And that makes a lot of sense. I personally not only look at the size, I also look at the location of the tumor. I would be very keen that I avoid going through tumor tissue because for example, if you have a tumor that is, you know, located very much in one corner of the cervix and then you do a standard hysterectomy and then you have a positive tumor margin that would be obviously, most people would agree it would be an unwanted outcome. So I'd be very keen checking the location, the size of the tumor, the depths of invasion and maybe then if the tumor for example is on one side of the cervix you can do a standard approach on the contralateral side but maybe do a little bit more of a margin, a parametrial margin on the other side. Or if a tumor is maybe on the posterior cervical lip, then you don't need to worry so much about the anterior cervical margin, maybe take the rectum down and maybe try to get a little bit of a vaginal margin and the margin on the uterus saccals. Just really to make sure that you do have margins because typically if we get it right, survival outcomes of clinical stage 1 early cervix cancer 1B1 1B 2 are actually really good. It is a very important thing that we get the treatment right. In my practice, I use a software to record my treatment outcomes and my margins. And I would encourage all colleagues to be cognizant and to be responsible and accountable to introduce accountable clinical practice, to check on the margins and check on the number on the percentage of patients who require postoperative radiation treatment or chemo radiation. Dr. Ebony Hoskins: Very good. I have so many questions for you. I don't know the statistics in Australia, but here, there's increased rising of endometrial cancer and certainly we're seeing it in younger women. And fertility always comes up in terms of kind of what to do. And I look at the guidelines and, see if I can help some of the women if they have early-stage endometrial cancer. Your thoughts on what your practice is on use of someone who may meet criteria, if you will. The criteria I use is grade 1 endometrioid adenocarcinoma. No myometria invasion. I try to get MRI'd and make sure that there's no disease outside the endometrium. And then if they make criteria, I typically would do an IUD. Can you tell me what your practice is and where you've had success? Dr. Andreas Obermair: So, we initiated the feMMe clinical trial that was published in 2021 and it was presented in a Plenary at one of the SGO meetings. I think it was in 2021, and we've shown complete pathological response rates after levonorgestrel intrauterine device treatment. And so in brief, we enrolled patients with endometrial hyperplasia with atypia, but also patients with grade 1 endometrial adenocarcinoma. Patients with endometrial hyperplasia with atypia had, in our series, had an 85 % chance of developing a complete pathological response. And that was defined as the complete absence of any atypia or cancer. So endometrial hyperplasia with atypia responded in about 85%. In endometrial cancer, it was about half, it was about 45, 50%. In my clinical practice, like as you, I see patients, you know, five days a week. So I'm looking after many patients who are now five years down from conservative treatment of endometrial cancer. There are a lot of young women who want to get pregnant, and we had babies, and we celebrate the babies obviously because as gynecologist obstetricians it couldn't get better than that, right, if our cancer patients have babies afterwards. But we're also treating women who are really unfit for surgery and who are frail and where a laparoscopic hysterectomy would be unsafe. So this phase is concluded, and I think that was very successful. At least we're looking to validate our data. So we're having collaborations, we're having collaborations in the United States and outside the United States to validate these data. And the next phase is obviously to identify predictive factors, to identify predictors of response. Because as you can imagine, there is no point treating patients with a levonorgestrel intrauterine joint device where we know in advance that she's not going to respond. So this is a very, very fascinating story and we got our first set of data already, but now we just really need to validate this data. And then once the validation is done, my unit is keen to do a prospective validation trial. And that also needs to involve international collaborators. Dr. Ebony Hoskins: Very good. Moving on to ovarian cancer, we see patients with ovarian cancer with, say, at least stage 3C or higher who started neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Now, some of these patients are hearing different things from their medical oncologist versus their gynecologic oncologist regarding the number of cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy after getting diagnosed with ovarian cancer. I know that this can be confusing for our patients coming from a medical oncologist versus a gynecologic oncologist. What do you say to a patient who is asking about the ideal number of chemotherapy cycles prior to surgery? Dr. Andreas Obermair: So this is obviously a very, very important topic to talk about. We won't be able to provide a simple off the shelf answer for that, but I think data are emerging.  The ASCO guidelines should also be worthwhile considering because there are actually new ASCO Guidelines [on neoadjuvant chemotherapy for newly diagnosed, advanced ovarian cancer] that just came out a few weeks ago and they would suggest that we should be aiming for R0 in surgery. If we can maybe take that as the pivot point and then go back and say, okay, so what do need to do to get the patient to zero?  I'm not an ovarian cancer researcher; I'm obviously a practicing gynecologic oncologist. I think about things a lot and things like that. In my practice, I would want a patient to develop a response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. So, if a patient doesn't have a response after two or three cycles, then I don't see the point for me to offer her an operation. In my circle with the medical oncologists that I work with, I have a very, very good understanding. So, they send the patient to me, I take them to the theater. I take a good chunk of tissue from the peritoneum. We have a histopathologic diagnosis, we have a genomic diagnosis, they go home the same day. So obviously there is no hospital stay involved with that. They can start the chemotherapy after a few days. There is no hold up because the chances of surgical complication in a setting like this is very, very low. So I use laparoscopy to determine whether the patient responds or not. And for many of my patients, it seems to work. It's obviously a bit of an effort and it takes operating time. But I think I'm increasing my chances to make the right decision. So, coming back to your question about whether we should give three or six cycles, I think the current recommendations are three cycles pending the patient's response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy because my aim is to get a patient to R0 or at least minimal residual disease. Surgery is really, in this case, I think surgery is the adjunct to systemic treatment. Dr. Ebony Hoskins: Definitely. I think you make a great point, and I think the guideline just came out, like you mentioned, regarding neoadjuvant. And I think the biggest thing that we need to come across is the involvement of a gynecologic oncologist in patients with ovarian cancer. And we know that that survival increases with that involvement. And I think the involvement is the surgery, right? So, maybe we've gotten away from the primary tumor debulking and now using more neoadjuvant, but surgery is still needed. And so, I definitely want to have a take home that GYN oncology is involved in the care of these patients upfront. Dr. Andreas Obermair: I totally support that. This is a very important statement. So when I'm saying surgery is the adjunct to medical treatment, I don't mean that surgery is not important. Surgery is very important. And the timing is important. And that means that the surgeons and the med oncs need to be pulling on the same string. The med oncs just want to get the cytotoxic into the patients, but that's not the point, right? We want to get the cytotoxic into the patients at the right time because if we are working under this precision surgery, precision treatment mantra, it's not only important what we do, but also doing it at the right time. And ideally, I I would like to give surgery after three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy, if that makes sense. But sometimes for me as a surgeon, I talk to my med onc colleagues and I say, “Look, she doesn't have a good enough response to her treatment and I want her to receive six cycles and then we re-evaluate or change medical treatment,” because that's an alternative that we can swap out drugs and treat upfront with a different drug and then sometimes they do respond. Dr. Ebony Hoskins:  I have maybe one more topic. In the area I'm in, in the Washington D.C. area, we see lots of endometrial cancer and they're not grade 1, right? They're high-risk endometrial cancer and advanced. So a number of patients with stage 3 disease, some just kind of based off staging and then some who come in with disease based off of the CT scan, sometimes omental caking, ascites. And the real question is we have extrapolated the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy to endometrial cancer. It's similar, but not the same. So my question is in an advanced endometrial cancer, do you think there's still a role, when I say advanced, I mean, maybe stage 4, a role for surgery? Dr. Andreas Obermair: Most definitely. But the question is when do you want to give this surgery? Similar to ovarian cancer, in my experience, I want to get to R0. What am I trying to achieve here? So, I reckon we should do a trial on this. And I reckon we have, as you say, the number of patients in this setting is increasing, we could do a trial. I think if we collaborate, we would have enough patients to do a proper trial. Obviously, we would start maybe with a feasibility trial and things like that. But I reckon a trial would be needed in this setting because I find that the incidence that you described, that other people would come across, they're becoming more and more common. I totally agree with you, and we have very little data on that. Dr. Ebony Hoskins: Very little and we're doing what we can. Dr. Obermair, thank you for sharing your fantastic insights with us today on the ASCO Daily News Podcast and for all the work you do to advance care for patients with gynecologic cancer. Dr. Andreas Obermair: Thank you, Dr. Hoskins, for hosting this and it's been an absolute pleasure speaking with you today. Dr. Ebony Hoskins: Definitely a pleasure and thank you to our listeners for your time today. Again, Dr. Obermair's article is titled, “Controversies in the Surgical Management of Gynecologic Cancer: Balancing the Decision to Operate or Hesitate,” and was published in the 2024 ASCO Educational Book. And you'll find a link to the article in the transcript of this episode. Finally, if you value the insights that you hear on the ASCO Daily News Podcast, please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Find out more about today's speakers: Dr. Ebony Hoskins @drebonyhoskins Dr. Andreas Obermair @andreasobermair Follow ASCO on social media:       @ASCO on Twitter       ASCO on Bluesky   ASCO on Facebook       ASCO on LinkedIn       Disclosures:   Dr. Ebony Hoskins: No relationships to disclose. Dr. Andreas Obermair: Leadership: SurgicalPerformance Pty Ltd. Stock and Ownership Interests: SurgicalPerformance Pty Ltd. Honoraria: Baxter Healthcare Consulting or Advisory Role: Stryker/Novadaq Patents, Royalties, and Other Intellectual Property: Shares in SurgicalPerformance Pty Ltd. Travel, Accommodation, Expenses: Stryker    

Send us a textIn today's episode, I share a personal medical experience that taught me lessons about self-advocacy, trusting intuition, and seeking help - lessons that apply both personally and professionally in medical practice.Episode HighlightsMy recent experience with an IUD placement that resulted in a perforation of my uterus, requiring laparoscopic surgeryThe importance of honoring your initial decisions about your medical care and advocating for your preferencesWhy listening to your body's signals (especially gut sensations) is critical - they often indicate something is wrongHow we as physicians (especially women) are conditioned to delay seeking help and downplay our own medical needsKey TakeawaysHonor your decisions and advocate for yourselfWhen you've made a decision about your care, follow throughDon't hesitate to clearly ask for what you needIt's okay to be "that person" when it comes to your healthListen when your gut speaks (literally and figuratively)Our gut is highly innervated and sensitive to abnormal situationsPersistent unusual sensations are your body's warning signsThe gut-brain connection is powerful - stress, anxiety, and depression all affect gut functionChronic symptoms like reflux, constipation, or IBS can be flags that something needs attentionBe willing to get help soonerDon't wait until problems become severe to seek careWe often delay our own care to avoid inconveniencing othersChallenge the "comparative suffering" mindset that says your problems aren't bad enough to deserve attentionSet boundaries about what you are and aren't willing to do without proper supportFor Healthcare ProvidersHealthcare systems increasingly pressure us to do more with less supportWhen we don't insist on adequate help, there's no incentive for systems to fix the problemWomen physicians often receive less consistent support staff than male colleaguesRecognize that our medical training has conditioned us to ignore our own needsWe deserve support, both professionally and personallyFinal ThoughtsWe are all works in progress. Taking care of ourselves isn't selfish - it's necessary. We must let go of the belief that we must suffer a certain amount before deserving help, and instead acknowledge that we are worthy of support.Let's Stay Connected:This work is challenging, but it's worth it. If you're ready to explore how you can reclaim your energy and redefine your path in medicine, I'd love to help.

On Feb 24, 2025, the FDA granted approval for MIUDELLA®, a hormone-free, low-dose copper IUD developed by US manufacturer Sebela Women's Health Inc (Georgia) for contraceptive use in females of reproductive potential for up to 3 years. MIUDELLA® utilizes a small, flexible nitinol frame and contains less than half the copper of currently available copper IUD. Where have we seen nitinol before?? How does this compare with the traditional ParaGard IUD? Can this be used for emergency contraception? In this episode, we will review this novel design, low-dose copper IUD with a summary of its new published article released March 2025 (Contraception).

Welcome to this week's episode of The Power Lounge, where transformative ideas meet impactful action. Today, we feature Ikram Guerd, CMO and General Manager for the US at Aspivix, a leader revolutionizing gynecological care with groundbreaking solutions for painless IUD insertion. With over two decades of experience in MedTech and FemTech across the USA and Europe, Ikram has driven growth and innovation in both large corporations and startups.Discover how Ikram navigates the complexities of marketing innovative health solutions and leverages artificial intelligence to advance femtech marketing. Her dedication extends beyond her professional achievements; as a board member of Inspiring Girls USA, she mentors young women and champions gender equality in healthcare.This episode offers valuable insights for health tech enthusiasts and marketing professionals alike, providing actionable strategies to enhance women's healthcare experiences through innovation and effective marketing. Join us for an enlightening discussion that highlights the power of marketing and technology in transforming lives.Chapters:00:00 - Introduction01:46 - "Empowering Women: Amy & Ikram's Talk"04:32 - Passion for Marketing Career Pivot08:31 - Empower Consumers in Healthcare Choices11:42 - Engaging Early Adopters for Feedback15:49 - AI Revolutionizing Healthcare17:49 - Hopeful Solutions in Women's Health Marketing22:51 - Patient Advocacy in Prescription Choices24:34 - Data Crucial for Stakeholder Buy-In27:35 - Designing GERD Study Campaign for Kids30:56 - AI-Driven Hormone Health Apps35:54 - Hot Flashes and Inspiring Girls38:31 - "Inspiring Girls: Mentorship for Young Women"42:45 - Empowering Through Volunteerism43:48 - Patient Experience Impact Score49:32 - Bridging Investor-Audience Communication Gap52:19 - "Subscribe to the Power Lounge"53:14 - OutroKey Takeaways:Pioneering FemTech RevolutionBlazing Trails in Women's HealthNavigating Change and InnovationIgniting Passion and PurposeThe Power of Networking and MentorshipPersonalization and Hyper-Targeting in MarketingThe Future of FemTech and InvestmentQuotes:"Marketing is driven by passion and purpose. Harness them to truly connect."- Amy Vaughan"Turn every obstacle into an opportunity. Let 'you can't' fuel your determination."- Ikram GuerdConnect with Ikram Guerd:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ikramguerd/Website: https://www.aspivix.comConnect with the host Amy Vaughan:LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/amypvaughanhttps://www.togetherindigital.com/podcast/Learn more about Together Digital and consider joining the movement by visiting https://togetherindigital.comSupport the show

After listening to this podcast, you will be able to: • describe the innervation of the female reproductive system, • identify that pain is often perceived by patients undergoing office gynecological procedures, • outline factors associated with increased pain perception during office gynecologic procedures, • describe evidence-based techniques to reduce pain during gynecologic procedures, including pelvic exams, IUD placement, and endometrial biopsy.

Sitting next to a dead person on a plane, a fear of ketchup, a loose IUD, and more.

David Waldman delivers us to the end of the month, and yes, the end of the week. KITM's superpower is to not work on weekends. You don't see Donald K. Trump work weekends, or weekdays. It's too much work for him to remember what he said yesterday. Elon Musk is the go-getter, destroying civilization, trolling billions, uploading federal grants with one hand and downloading IVF deposits with the other. Or perhaps the “real power” behind the autocoup is the “husband” and “wife” team of Stephen and Katie Miller. That would explain a lot of things. Chinese crypto guy Justin Sun paid up front on his fraud case, so now the SEC can discover new priorities. (That's all chump crypto change to North Korea) The FBI raids the EPA without probable cause because that isn't really needed for a shakedown. Meanwhile, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has cracked the case of 40 tons of gold bars shoplifted from Fort Knox. That would seem hard to believe until you consider Donald K. Trump flushed a billion down the toilet to own the EV Libs… and if you think that's “shocking”, consider that Elon Musk is flushing an entire EV car company down the toilet to own the EV Libs. Ace KITM Correspondent Rosalyn MacGregor reports on the one business booming lately, IUD procedures! Russia Russia Russia put the K in Donald K. Trump. That's some of why he was impeached that one time, maybe both. Remember when Trump tried to intimidate and extort Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and blame Ukraine, not Russia for… Oh, hold on, I see that he is doing it again as I type this. I'll have to stop, or my summary will run right into Monday's!

hello hotties and welcome back to another episode of smoke sesh! hopefully things are warming up where you are as we approach the spring season of our lives, lets dive into everything on your minds including getting sick, being overworked, birth control journey and my IUD experience, side hustles and depop, go to beginner plants, having an inside bf while being an outside gf, opposites attract, nostalgia and letting it inspire your life, what to do if he's too big, budgeting bad habits, 50/20/30 rule, personal growth goals this upcoming march and not being afraid to challenge yourself, going to Japan! men stringing you along, how to know if they're the one, creating discipline in your life, shame from parents, lustfullness and untrustworthiness, career change, astrology updates for February as we enter march, dating apps or meeting in real life, advice for being 18/19, boyfriend calling you bad names, cat parent anxiety plus much much much more! if you want to see more from me join the patreon patreon.com/smokeseshshawty and we will chat soon! MUAH!

One of the biggest myths about stopping birth control is that everything will just snap back to normal in a couple of weeks. But the truth? That's not always the case. Your body has been coasting along with external hormones, and now it's trying to remember how to do its thing solo. It's like waking up from a long nap—you might feel groggy before you feel refreshed. How Long Does It Take to Adjust? There's no one-size-fits-all answer because:  ✔️ The type of birth control you were on matters (pill, IUD, implant—oh my!) ✔️ How long you've been on it plays a role ✔️ Your genetics, detox pathways, and gut health all factor in ✔️ Your body's natural ability to regulate hormones varies Some women get their cycles back right away, while others wait months. Frustrating? Yes. But understanding your body's unique rhythm is key. Supporting Your Body Through the Transition If you want to set yourself up for success, here are a few ways to give your body the love it needs:

In this episode of the You Are Not Broken podcast, Dr. Kelly Casperson interviews Dr. Jocelyn Fitzgerald, a urogynecologist specializing in pelvic floor disorders. They discuss the importance of open conversations about women's health, particularly regarding prolapse and the misconceptions surrounding childbirth. Dr. Fitzgerald shares her journey into social media advocacy, the challenges women face in understanding their health, and the need for better education and separate specialties in women's health. The conversation highlights the systemic issues in healthcare that affect women's treatment and the importance of empowering women with knowledge about their bodies. In this conversation, Dr. Jocelyn Fitzgerald and Dr. Kelly Casperson discuss the complexities of women's health, particularly focusing on menopause, the role of healthcare providers, and the challenges faced in the healthcare system. They emphasize the need for a multidisciplinary approach to women's health, the importance of vaginal health, and the radical nature of urogynecology as a feminist act. The discussion also touches on the future of OB-GYN, reproductive rights, and the necessity for women to take action in advocating for their health. Takeaways Prolapse is often misunderstood and not openly discussed. Education can reduce anxiety about childbirth and its consequences. Women often feel ashamed or broken due to health issues post-childbirth. IUD placement pain is often inadequately addressed in women's health. Obstetrics and gynecology should be separate specialties for better care. The healthcare system often undervalues women's health procedures. Women need to be informed about the risks associated with childbirth. Empowering women with knowledge can lead to better health outcomes. Ob-Gyns often lack knowledge about menopause-related issues. A multidisciplinary approach is essential for women's health. The healthcare system can be toxic and burdensome for providers. Urogynecology plays a crucial role in women's health post-childbirth. Vaginal estrogen is vital for maintaining vaginal health. Incontinence is a leading cause of nursing home admissions. Reproductive rights are under threat and require advocacy. Reliable male birth control could change societal dynamics. https://www.instagram.com/jjfitzgeraldmd/ Sedona in October: https://www.ascendretreats.com/menopause-and-sexual-health-2025 Order my book "You Are Not Broken: Stop "Should-ing" All Over You Sex Life" Listen to my Tedx Talk: Why we need adult sex ed Take my Adult Sex Ed Master Class: My Website Interested in my sexual health and hormone clinic? Starts 2025. Thanks to our sponsor Midi Women's Health. Designed by midlife experts, delivered by experienced clinicians, covered by insurance. Midi is the first virtual care clinic made exclusively for women 40+. Evidence-based treatments. Personalized midlife care. https://www.joinmidi.com Thanks to our sponsor Sprout Pharmaceuticals. To find out if Addyi is right for you, go to addyi.com/notbroken and use code NOTBROKEN for a $10 telemedicine appointment. See Full Prescribing Information and Medication Guide, including Boxed Warning for severe low blood pressure and fainting in certain settings at addyi.com/pi To learn more about Via vaginal moisturizer from Solv Wellness, visit via4her.com for 30% off your first purchase of any product, automatically applied at checkout. For an additional $5 off, use coupon code DRKELLY5. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I am excited today to connect with my friend and colleague, Jackie Piasta. Jackie is Vanderbilt-trained and has been board-certified as a women's and gender health nurse practitioner. She has been practicing since 2010. She serves on medical advisory committees for several foundations and co-hosts the justASK Podcast.  In our conversation, we dive into the challenges and complexities surrounding menopausal hormone replacement therapy and FDA-approved formulations, looking at the minute percentage of women currently on menopausal hormone replacement therapy. We discuss supraphysiologic-dosing of hormones and lab work strategies regarding prescribing lifestyle, and Jackie clarifies how she differentiates hypoactive sexual disorder from low libido and dysfunctional uterine bleeding from early menopause. We explore IUDs, ablations, and other long-term bleeding therapy options, explaining how endometriosis can impact the onset of menopause. Jackie also shares her approach to managing patients who have had ablations or are using IUD therapies and not getting regular menstrual cycles, helping them to determine when they transition into menopause. This conversation is full of valuable insights, and we look forward to having Jackie back for a further deep dive into this pivotal stage of women's health. IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN: Jackie compares the varying information and lack of a one-size-fits-all approach in HRT with that of other medical treatments. Overwhelming options and fear surrounding HRT can make it challenging for clinicians to prescribe those treatments. How compounded HRT formulations differ from commercially available formulations The difference between a normal physiologic and a supraphysiologic dose How low libido differs from hypoactive sexual desire disorder Challenges of diagnosing menopause in women who have had ablations or hysterectomies or use long-acting reversible contraceptives   Importance of evaluating postmenopausal bleeding to rule out endometrial cancer Transparency and open communication with patients about the benefits and risks of HRT Other health interventions to be addressed alongside HRT How endometrial biopsies confirm the presence of uterine disease rather than ruling it out Connect with Cynthia Thurlow   Follow on Twitter Instagram LinkedIn Check out Cynthia's website Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com Connect with Jackie Piasta On her website   My Monarch Health on Instagram Jackie on Instagram The justASK Podcast

Dr. Natalie Crawford addresses various aspects of pregnancy loss, including miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and implantation failure. In this episode, she answers voicemail questions about the best next steps after an ectopic pregnancy, the timeline for ovulation after a miscarriage, concerns over uterine lining after IUD removal, the use of specific IVF protocols, and how to approach multiple failed embryo transfers.  Want to receive my weekly newsletter? Sign up at nataliecrawfordmd.com/newsletter to receive updates, Q&A, special content and my FREE TTC Starter Kit and Vegan Starter Guide! Don't forget to ask your questions on Instagram for next week's For Fertility's Sake segment when you see the question box on Natalie's page @nataliecrawfordmd. You can also ask a question by calling in and leaving a voicemail. Call 657–229–3672 and ask your fertility question today!      Thanks to our amazing sponsors! Check out these deals just for you: Quince- Go to Quince.com/aaw for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns Ritual-Go to ritual.com/aaw to start Ritual or add Essential For Women 18+ to your subscription today. Rula - Go to Rula.com/aaw and take the first step towards better mental health today. Aquatru - Go to aquatru.com and use the code AAW for 20% OFF any AquaTru purifier! If you haven't already, please rate, review, and follow the podcast to be notified of new episodes every Sunday. Plus, be sure to follow along on Instagram @nataliecrawfordmd, check out Natalie's YouTube channel Natalie Crawford MD, and if you're interested in becoming a patient, check out Fora Fertility. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello Wonderful Readers,Last week, I interviewed Camilla Sievers, founder of Qi Health. Qi is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) company that creates personalized blends of natural herbs to solve various problems in women's health.Camilla was inspired to create her company from her journey using TCM to relieve her persistent period cramps and other symptoms. Now, her team has built a seamless digital experience to help people access one of the oldest medical systems in the world.I hope you enjoy our conversation! Feel free to reach out to Camilla on Instagram or LinkedIn to share your healing stories.Check out her interview in Entrepreneur!I hope you have a shamelessly sexy weekend

The Senate has yet to confirm a Health and Human Services secretary, but things around the department continue to change at a breakneck pace to comply with President Donald Trump's executive orders. Payment systems have been shut down, webpages and entire datasets have been taken offline, and workers — including those with civil service protections — have been urged to quit or threatened with layoffs. Meanwhile, foreign and trade policy changes are also affecting health policy. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico and Lauren Weber of The Washington Post join KFF Health News' Julie Rovner to discuss these stories and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News' Julie Appleby, who reported the latest “Bill of the Month” feature, about a young woman, a grandfathered health plan, and a $14,000 IUD. Plus, for “extra credit,” the panelists suggest health policy stories they read this week that they think you should read, too: Julie Rovner: The New York Times' “How R.F.K. Jr. and ‘Medical Freedom' Rose to Power,” on “The Daily” podcast. Lauren Weber: CNN's “Human Brain Samples Contain an Entire Spoon's Worth of Nanoplastics, Study Says,” by Sandee LaMotte. Alice Miranda Ollstein: The Washington Post's “Did RFK Jr. or Michelle Obama Say It About Food? Take Our Quiz,” by Lauren Weber. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Judy Bowman from Mensah Medical and Ninka-Bernadette Mauritson want to save your mood, mental health and hormones on the Barefoot Autism Warriors podcast.If you're angry, yelling, unable to function and control yourself - you need to listen to this episode. It's not you...You're not feeling like yourself anymore, because your food is short-circuiting your brain. LITERALLY. It's not your family life or your marriage that's to blame for your rage and inability to make (good) decisions. It's not your mood or PMS/perimenopause - It's copper. Your guacamole is a bitch. Gluten-free bread, green smoothie, and copper IUD are probably wrecking your health, mood, mental health, and hormones right now. What's worse, It's increasing the risk of complete mental breakdown, aggression, cancer, fibroids, painful menses, and post-natal psychosis. It's time to focus on autism - and ADHD moms' nutritional anger and anxiety. Estrogen dominance, dopamine (that addiction to sugar, screens and coffee, you know..) Work with me: InstagramFacebook groupWork with Dr Judy Bowman: www.mensahmedical.com-----------------------------------------------------Here are 3 ways we can start turning autism symptoms around together, whenever you're ready... 1. Send me a voice message and get my feedback on your most pressing struggles. 2. Check out the free video series "The 5 hidden messages behind autism symptoms" and find your child's unique triggers. 3. Work with me privatelyIf you'd like to work with me directly to turn as many symptoms around as possible in my Autism Turnaround Coaching and implementation group..send me an email with "coaching" in the subject line and tell me how old your child is. I'll get you all the details.

Chrissie always dreamed that the birth of her babies would be the happiest days of her life. But with her first two births, they were among the worst. In today's episode, Chrissie expresses the heartbreak she felt after doing everything to prepare for a VBAC and not get it. Though she wasn't sure how her third birth would go, the healing, research, and advocacy she did made all the difference in her experience. She called the shots, listened to her intuition, and ultimately saved her baby's life by being so in tune with herself and her body. And finally, the birth of her third baby was the most beautiful, joyful, and happiest day. Coterie DiapersUse code VBAC20 at checkout for 20% off your first order of $40 or more.How to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Hello, Women of Strength. We have a CBAC after two Cesareans story coming your way today. This is a story that we felt we should share because it is so important to document our CBAC stories as well. Even though there are a lot of things that are going to unfold within our guest, Chrissie's story, it's so important to see how much she has grown and healed over each experience. Listening to her, a few things came up in my mind as I was listening. It was intuition. We've said it for years, honestly since 2018 when this podcast began. Intuition is so powerful, and sometimes it's hard to turn into and understand what your intuition is or what fear is, but I challenge you right now to start tuning into that. When you're getting the feelings, is it your intuition? Really, really connect with that intuition because it is so powerful. Another thing that I felt was a big takeaway from her story was how much she researched and gained knowledge of her own rights and her own ability to say no or to say, “Not now, not yet. No, thank you.” Women of Strength, I know it's hard, and it's really hard when we're in labor. I know it. But you always have the right to say no. You can always say no. Chrissie really did such a good job at researching and educating herself and arming herself up with the knowledge that she needed to so she could confidently say no when she needed to but also confidently say, “Hey, this is something that needs to change,” and stand up for herself in that time. I do have a Review of the Week, so I want to jump into this, and then turn the time over to Chrissie. Okay, this review is hseller. Hseller, I think is how it is. It says, “Life-changing. I don't even know where to begin. This podcast has honestly been life-changing. I am currently 9 months postpartum after my first Cesarean birth, and I've already binged every episode. I honestly believe The VBAC Link should be a resource for every birthing person, not just VBAC, on how to prevent a Cesarean to begin with. This needs to be part of basic birth education.”Oh, girl. I am with you on this. I am with you on this. It says, “I have shared this podcast and the blog with every friend of mine who is expecting because I wish I would have known about it before my first birth. Listening to the podcast reminds me that I'm not alone in my experiences and that this is possible and to have an amazing, empowering birth is possible. Julie and Meagan deliver facts, stories, and inspiration in such a wonderful way. Hearing their voices when an episode comes on puts me in a happy place. My husband and I have already been talking about baby number two. I can't wait to share my next birth story because with an education and support I now have, I know it will be beautiful and healing regardless of the outcome.”Thank you so much, hseller, for your review. You guys, these reviews really do mean so much. It is now 2025, and we do need updated reviews. You never know. It may be read on the next podcast. We are switching things up this year with educational pieces and topics of reviews and things like that, so you never know. But please, please, please leave us a review. It means the world to us. Meagan: Okay, you guys, I'm seriously so excited. It's always so fun to have multiple people on the show and cohosts, but it's also really fun to have doulas sharing the story or listening to the story with their clients and giving their tidbits. So Chrissie, I'm going to turn the time over to you and then of course, Sarah will be hearing from you, I'm sure along the way as well.Chrissie: All right. Hi, I'm Chrissie. I live in Greenville, South Carolina and I'm going to tell you about my three birth stories. All VBACs and repeat Cesarean stories start with your first C-section. Julian was our first C-section.He was conceived during my husband and I's fourth month of dating. My husband and I both knew marriage and kids were our desire with each other almost instantly, but it was still crazy to think about how fast it happened. Everything was going fine until about 30 weeks when I started to be measuring about a week behind and was scheduled for a growth scan which we couldn't get into until about 32 weeks.During that scan, it was confirmed that Julian was measuring close to the lower 10th percentile and that I, from that point, would be scheduled for regular non-stress tests every week for the rest of the pregnancy. His check at 36 weeks was non-reactive which is not what they like to see. I was sent for a biophysical profile. He was graded so low that I was told to immediately go to labor and delivery and not eat or drink anything, which as a nurse, I know that means they were assuming I may have surgery in the very near future.I was planning to go to work right from my original appointment, so I reported to work, but then went right upstairs and burst into tears of fear. I was given fluid, and he woke up because of the scare. But because of the scare, I was scheduled for an induction at 39 weeks and because I didn't know any better, I was just excited to meet him a week early.On the day of my induction, I showed up bright and early, ready to get things going. I had done no preparation, assuming that my high pain tolerance and grit would serve me well. I wasn't against pain medication, but I was ready to test my limits. Julian passed the non-stress test, so they started Pitocin, and he was doing fine, so they decided to insert a Foley bulb to speed things up.When they inserted it, my water broke, so that kind of put me on the clock. Once I got to about 4 centimeters 12 hours later, I was somehow feeling discouraged and tired and asked for the epidural. My husband said as he was holding my hunched over body that a huge teardrop fell out of my eye as the needle went in and the zing sensation went down my leg.I, was already giving up, but had no idea what I was setting myself up for.Over the next four hours, Julian's heart rate would drop with every contraction while Pitocin was going. They would turn it off, and he would be fine. And then when they restarted it, he would have the non-reassuring heart tones again. I was not explained to why I needed to wear oxygen or keep flipping from side to side or what low heart tones meant. All I know is that at 1:00 AM, they called for a C-section because we were getting close to the 24-hour rupture of membranes.If I had known then what I have learned since then, I would have tried to steer my birth in so many different directions. Unfortunately, birthing people are not given this kind of information upfront, which is. Why I think The VBAC Link is so important for any pregnant person as it could potentially help 1 in 3 women who end up consenting to a C-section to this day. I was devastated. I never thought the dramatic push and bringing baby to my chest at long last was something that wouldn't happen for me, let alone I would mourn missing out on it. I was wheeled into the OR. My arms were strapped down to either side of me. My arms were shaking and pulling uncontrollably to the point that when my Julian was given to me, I was too scared to hold him thinking I would drop him since my arms felt like Jell-O. I've since learned that because my epidural was converted for the C-section that I would feel extremely unpleasant sensations of my innards being pushed and pulled out of my body. All I could think about was my dad saying, "It was the happiest day of my life when you were born," and somehow this was feeling like one of the worst days of my life. I felt a double loss. It took me a long time to get over feeling like a sham for not giving birth the real way, but on the table, they said we gave you a double stitch so you can VBAC the next time. Over the next five and a half years that became an overwhelming objective and purpose in my life. When Julian turned 1, I had my IUD removed. I still had not gotten my period back but was hopeful it would return soon since had started to wean him from breastfeeding. When it did return, it was not normal. I would be spotting for weeks afterward and had a strange dull pain on and off constantly. I was so desperate to get pregnant so that I could get my VBAC thinking that all the horrible feelings I was having would go away. Or so I thought.After what felt like the longest four months ever, I did conceive our daughter, Ellie. It was January 2020. To this day, there are so many songs, books, and kids' shows that I cannot watch because they remind me of the early days of the pandemic. My son and I both got flu A and flu B during the first three months of the year, and it was terrifying to be relieved by a positive flu test.As an ER nurse, I was put on furlough since no one was coming into the ER, and many of us were sent to New York City and hard-hit areas to help where help was needed. I had to tell my manager earlier than I would have liked that I was pregnant and scared to be around some of the symptomatic COVID patients because we did not know what would happen. Sometime in the spring when people couldn't stand quarantine anymore and were going out and socializing again, the patients in the ER spiked, and I went back to work at six months pregnant. Even though it was terrifying, I was glad to be out of the house with somewhere to go and have a purpose.Those winter and spring months were some of the most depressing and hardest to get through in my life up to that point. I spent a lot of the time doing all the things that you can do to achieve a VBAC. I took a mindful birthing course over Zoom because they weren't doing any in-person things at that point.I read several books, did Spinning Babies exercises, hired a doula, etc. The thought of finally getting my VBAC was at times my only motivator to get up and do the things some days, other than the bare minimum to keep my one-year-old and me alive as horrible as that sounds.When I reached 37 weeks, I went into quarantine, and the waiting game began. I walked miles and miles and practiced mindfulness techniques to get through the pain. I was scared that the epidural had led to my son being in distress. So by this point, Ellie had passed all of the extra growth scans. She was head down. Everything looked perfect. By 40 weeks and five days, I became extremely stressed out. I had an induction scheduled for 41 and three days that was making me so nervous. My husband and I attempted to speed things up, breaking my water in the process.As soon as I felt the gush of fluid, I felt my heart sink and was overcome with fear and regret. It was starting just like the first birth I did with the premature rupture of membranes and what I believed would be an inevitable cascade of interventions that would lead to a repeat C-section.The rupture occurred around 3:00 PM, and I decided I should try to rest and wait for things to ramp up. By 10:00 PM, things were regular but not painful. I decided to try and go to sleep, but because of my trauma from the first birth, I wanted to make sure that she wasn't having issues with deceleration. I got my stethoscope out and listened to her heart rate as I had done several times before that point. It sounded normal and I listened to it through a few contractions.Every time, I could hear her heart rate slow very noticeably. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to go to the hospital because I knew what they would say. I didn't want to tell my husband because I knew he would want me to go to the hospital, but I was genuinely concerned for her. So I let my husband listen, and he started getting dressed immediately to go. I knew it was over.When you arrive at L&D, they ask for a reason for you being there. As a nurse, I knew what I was about to say was going to sound insane, but I said, "I think my baby is having distress. I heard her decelerations on my stethoscope at home."I could see the amusement in the triage nurse's eyes as I said this. But she said, "Okay, let's get you hooked up and see what's going on." Sure enough, she was already having category 2 decelerations, and I was only 1 centimeter dilated. The resident said that my contractions were only about 5 minutes apart, but that because of the decelerations, she would be admitting me right away.She said we could try fluids and some position changes, but it was looking like the C-section was going to be the only safe way to get her out since I was so far from 10 centimeters.Before she left the room, she said, "I know this is going to be very disappointing for you since you wanted to VBAC, but you may have saved your baby's life by coming in when you did. It's amazing that you knew to listen and could interpret what you heard."Long story short, nothing worked, and I was prepped for the C-section. My COVID test was negative, so my husband was going to be allowed to come into the OR. Tears were streaming down my face the whole way. I walked into the OR and sat myself on the table for the epidural. I was still in the clothes I had walked in wearing. That's how fast things were going. The epidural was placed, and they started prepping me after a few minutes. They still had the fetal monitor attached for some reason, and we heard her heart drop into the 70s and not come back up. I could hear the sense of urgency on the other side of the drape. And suddenly, I felt several sharp pricks across my abdomen. I was lying there with so many thoughts running through my head. But thankfully, one of those thoughts was, "I wonder why they just poked me like that. Oh, I guess they're checking to see if I was numb. Wait, I felt that."I yelled, "Wait, I felt that."And they were like, "What? Was it dull or sharp?" I yelled, "It was sharp." They poked me again and again, and I kept saying, "It's sharp." We could all hear her heart rate in the background getting slower and slower, and I yelled, "Just put me out. Just put me out."The pre-oxygenation mask went right onto my face, and the last thing I heard before I went out was, "Someone page the STAB team," which is the group of medical providers they call when they're assuming that a newborn is not going to be doing well. I woke up in a daze when I realized where I was and what had happened. I burst into tears again and asked, "Is she okay?"And she was perfect.They actually said she was screaming before they even pulled her out of me fully. Very strong and healthy baby Ellie. But another day that was supposed to be the happiest day of my life which instead was a day even worse than my first birth. I felt completely defeated, hating myself for all the time, effort, money, worry, hope, and mind space that I had put into something that I still didn't get. A few minutes after I woke up, the surgeon came up to me and said, "Your original scar did not heal right. It was defective, and because of the urgency of the situation, we had to cut through a higher area of your uterus so we wouldn't accidentally cut any arteries because the anatomy was obscured by the first scar. We realized while repairing the uterus that it was in the contractile tissue, and you will never be allowed to VBAC again."I didn't really care because I thought we were done having kids, or so I thought. But it made me feel really bad about myself hearing the words "defective", "obscure anatomy" and "not allowed" hung with me for a long time. I wanted to get out of that hospital as soon as I could. All I could think about was my failure and how all the feelings that were supposed to be fixed by this birth were only made worse at my follow- up appointments. At the 6-week check and the 12-week for IUD insertion, I had to actually be let out the back door both times so that the people in the waiting room wouldn't see me hysterically crying. I honestly didn't even want to go to these follow-up appointments because they just further cemented to me that I had failed. And I'm not someone who can be told that I can't. Even though I was for sure believing we were done having kids, I joined the Special Scars group on Facebook just to see if anyone had had a similar scar as mine.I didn't think we would have more kids, but I still wanted to know if I could. Unfortunately, over the past few years, I've only spoken with one other woman who had a similar scar as mine. The fact that it was so uncommon made me hate it even more because I couldn't find any answers about what it meant for me. I did seek counseling following these events, and eventually, I felt better but I still thought about what happened daily and could not stand to hear anything related to birth.Several months later, I started having pelvic pains. I went to be evaluated for an ovarian cyst, but when they didn't find one, they did see how crazy my first scar had healed. Because of the pain, they had agreed to do an exploratory laparotomy surgery to repair the scar thinking it could be the source of my pain and definitely a reason for the spotting I'd had between cycles. During the surgery, they found a large surgical hernia as well that they had to remove momentum from and recommended surgery to fix it in the future. Whatever the reason for the pain was the scar or the hernia, my pain was gone following the surgery and two weeks later we moved to Greenville, South Carolina. Everything seemed fine.Trying to settle into a new house that needs lots of fixing up with a one and a three-year-old takes time. I knew I didn't have an IUD in at that time, but my period hadn't come back yet since my one-year-old would not take to the weaning and I was still nursing her. I wasn't that worried.In August, my period did come back, and I decided to use ovulation strips to see how long after ovulating I was spotting to see if I could figure out if my cycles were in the normal range again. Strangely, the first strip showed up very dark along with the next several strips I tried and I was like, "Oh great, things are out-of-whack still." But that's when I remembered people sometimes interpreting ovulation strips for pregnancy since LH and HCG are such similar-shaped molecules. I decided to use one of the pregnancy strips that comes with the ovulation pack and sure enough, it was also darkly positive. I was inexplicably excited, and I sheepishly told my husband who was also very excited. We went to our eight-week appointment, and there was nothing on the ultrasound. My HCG was high, but the progesterone was low and they called it a blighted ovum. I eventually did pass whatever was in there. This left my husband and I with a new resolve to a third child and crossed the bridge of a third C-section when we got there. I started listening to The VBAC Link again-- something I had to erase from my memory in the past as it was another reminder of my failure to VBAC and not getting to submit my story of healing and success. There was an episode I got to where I really liked what one of the guests was saying. She was a doula named Sarah, and believe it or not, she was based out of Greenville.I knew that if we conceived again, she would be my doula.A year later, after a chemical pregnancy and a loss at 10 weeks, we conceived our second daughter, Leah. I had established care with the midwifery practice for the first few months until they saw my surgical records and transferred me to the OB practice across the street. Additionally, because I was 37 years old at this point, I was sent to maternal-fetal medicine for my 20-week anatomy scan to double-check that everything was looking normal, which it was.At my first appointment with the OB group, the doctor sat down across from me and said, "Well, your anatomy scan looks great. We will also do a growth scan at 32 weeks and 36 weeks because of your previous history of IUGR."And I said, "Sure, that's fine."He went on to say, "So you understand why the midwives transferred your care to us and that you're not allowed to have a vaginal birth, right?" By this point, I'd done some research on my birth rights, special scars, and hospital regulations, and answered calmly, "Actually, you can't tell me I'm not allowed to let something happen on its own. You're not allowed to force me to have a surgery that I do not consent to."He responded, "Well, I'm not sure anyone in this practice or any practice would be comfortable allowing you to VBAC."And I said, "Well, I'm not comfortable just going straight for a C-section at 36 weeks and not at least seeing how things go." I left the appointment pretty upset and even more determined to decide my own fate. As the appointments went by, each OB would say, "You understand that we would like you to schedule a C-section?"And I said, "Yes, but I'm not ready to make that decision yet. I'm still doing my research. What I have found is that the highest estimated rate of rupture after a classical scar is around 15%, but other studies estimate it to be much lower. Additionally, some studies don't distinguish between true rupture and dehiscence. Furthermore, most ruptures are not catastrophic, meaning loss of life, permanent disability, hysterectomy, and so on. Only about 2% of ruptures end this way, and they're often caught through monitoring or other symptoms before they can progress to anything beyond the risks of a typical C-section." Having done this research on my own, I became more confident in my decision to continue on the path of letting my body decide what it was going to do. Sarah, my doula, gave me more confidence. I had told her everything that had happened in my past and she said I had valid feelings and thoughts, and had made logical decisions based on my research.She sent me along her usual workbooks and resources for creating a birth plan, birthing positions, pain management, Spinning Babies, tea dates, etc. I told her I appreciated it, but I'm not going to do those things. I had done all those things and more and that had ended up being one of the hardest parts of my first repeat C-section having realized it made no difference at all. The last thing I wanted to do was spend time trying to be mindful and stretching instead of being mindful with my kids and family who were already there.This ended up being a decision I was very thankful to have made and Sarah was on board and fully understood my reasoning.Weeks went by. At every appointment, the OB would say, "It looks like you've been counseled on this before, and there's no need to go over everything again. Are you ready to schedule your C-section yet?" And I would say, "No, not yet."Looking back, they really didn't go over anything with me. All they said was because of my special scar and lower segment surgery, I was too high risk and not allowed to VBAC.I had done my own research and there are no actual numbers on a high transverse scar which is just above the lower segment, in the upper segment, or on the lower segment scar resection, which is what they classified my surgery as. I feel it's important to get these numbers as C-section rates continue to rise, more versions of special scars will occur and more people could possibly end up with scar revision surgeries before they're done growing their family.At my 37-week appointment, with some encouragement from Sarah, I finally got an OB who would talk to me about my options. She said, "I know we can't make you have surgery that you don't want. You're right. You're in a gray area. We don't really know the numbers for your kind of situation. I think it's reasonable for you to see what happens. If you show up in labor, we will admit you." And I was overcome with relief. Finally, someone was being honest with me. She knew I had done all my research and was overly informed of my rights. I told her that I just didn't want to be harassed or threatened if I came in because that would discourage me from coming in when I would have liked to which is right when labor started. She said I could come in as soon as I thought anything was going on and I would be treated with respect. Circling back to what I learned about EMTALA, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, it basically says if a hospital wants to receive reimbursement from Medicare patients, they may not turn away anyone seeking treatment regardless of their citizenship, legal status, or ability to pay.If a pregnant person arrives in active labor, they must be treated until the delivery is complete or a qualified medical personnel identifies that she's experiencing false labor.Furthermore, the person in labor can only be transferred if there's a hospital that can offer a higher level of care. The hospital I was going to was equipped to deliver VBAC and had a NICU. So I knew they were equipped to handle uterine ruptures, which they do about once a month, I've learned.I did agree to schedule a repeat C-section at 40 weeks and four days. At 40 weeks and one day, I got anxious and tried a half dose of what's recommended for kickstarting things with castor oil. It definitely kickstarted some things, and within about six hours, I was having contractions every four minutes.About two hours later, I was getting anxious to go to the hospital because they just didn't feel right. I felt them from my belly button down, and they didn't feel the same way. I remembered with the Pitocin, they weren't really crampy. They're more burning and sharp. I suddenly started feeling an urgency to get to the hospital so they could do the C-section. I texted Sarah to say, "We're going, but don't worry about coming just yet." My answer for why I had come to the L&D department was painful contractions. I already couldn't talk through them. I was hooked up to the monitors, and we could see that Leah was already having Cat 2 borderline Cat 3 decelerations.It's determined by how much the heart rate drops as a percentage of the baseline heart rate when not in a contraction. We tried some position changes, but I had already felt at peace with the idea of going back for a C-section, and my intuition told me it was time. I was extremely nervous to be strapped down, shaking uncontrollably, and not being able to enjoy my baby again.To my surprise, the spinal worked amazingly. I was calm, my husband was next to me, and I got to make all the decisions. I didn't feel pulling or pressure or tugging at all. It was the first time that I got to cry tears of joy after seeing my baby for the first time. I was informed that I'd had a small rupture and I had a very thin lower segment-like tissue about halfway up my uterus, which is not normal. I ruptured. It wasn't a big deal. We caught it. I knew something was wrong, and I had made the decisions that healed me, and I got my baby here safely. After my second was born, I remember sadly walking around our neighborhood, lost in the thought that I'd met all the important people in my life already and something was not sitting right with that. Never would I have ever imagined that a third C-section would heal everything.What I want people to take from my story is that you have to accept that you might not get your VBAC and work that into the process of attempting a VBAC. You can't put all your eggs in one basket for working towards that VBAC and ignoring the basket that needs some attention in case it doesn't happen.Making your own decisions and being confident in your reasoning makes all the difference. Yes, I did have a third C-section, but I know there's nothing I could have possibly done any differently that would have changed the outcome. I encourage people to do their own research, not just on rupture rates but on birth rights and patient rights.You cannot let your provider decide for you what they think is best for most patients because you're an individual and sometimes there isn't a perfect box to put you in.Your fate should not be determined by a doctor wanting to check a certain box and use that to make decisions that make themselves feel comfortable.Of course, ideally, you can find a supportive provider, but if you cannot, that does not mean that you can't call all the shots. You may rupture it, but it's not always, in fact, not usually some dramatic event. My most dramatic birth was before my special scar and surgery. So keep an open mind. Use the knowledge that you gained to instill confidence in yourself. Not getting your VBAC as a disappointment, but if you go in with the right mindset, it can be beautiful and meeting my third daughter was finally the happiest day of my life.Meagan: Oh, my goodness. I love hearing that. That whole end, I just closed my eyes and can hear you speak. And I was like, yes, all of these things are so, true. And I love that you point out that yes, you had a third C-section. Was it what you wanted in the beginning? Would you have wanted a vaginal birth? I'm sure you did. But, this is what I felt and you followed your intuition yet again. I feel like, along the story, but all stories of, intuition, intuition, intuition. And then hearing that you can have a healing experience. I think that is so important to point out that it can be healing. It can be absolutely healing. And I love that it was for you. I love that you were able to have your husband there and look back and be like, "No, I'm amazing." And you should be really proud of all the work you did, all the research you did advocating for yourself. It's not very easy to advocate for yourself. And I love the message that you gave to the other Women of Strength. Like, learn and advocate for yourself. Know the patient's rights.Chrissie: Yeah. Sarah: I think that's what was so unique and so awesome about your story, Chrissie, because even from  us starting to work together from the beginning, you just knew what you wanted, and you weren't afraid to say that. And you told me kind of like, "Hey, look, this is fine." Like you said, I gave you my packet and all of my welcome stuff for my normal clients. And you were like, "Look, I've done this before, and I know exactly what I want, and I know how I want to go forward with this birth." You were just so empowered and confident on your own, and I was just so excited to be along with you. And obviously, like, every birth doula wants to be there for the physical birth, but we also have to listen to our clients and respect their choices and decisions. When you were like, "Hey, we're going to the hospital, but don't come yet," it's hard to hear that. I was like, "Okay," but you knew exactly where you stood and what you want it. And, you know, I think that's just really awesome and amazing to have clients like you who are totally aware of, like Meagan was saying, your intuition and how you were feeling. So, you know, I think you have such an empowering story, and our stories can really go a long way, and you're gonna be that voice for people who are feeling so similar.Yeah, absolutely. It's hard to hear sometimes. Cause you're like, "That sounds so amazing. I would want to do that, but it can't." I think that's how a lot of people think. "Oh, that's good. She must have a strong personality." You don't have to have a strong personality to stand up and advocate for yourself in a lot of ways. I think a lot of it stemmed from you being informed along the way. You were informed. You knew your rights, you knew the evidence along things. I mean, here you are talking about them, and that's super important. It comes down with that education, because I do feel like the education is what helps us feel empowered enough to stand up and say what we do and don't want.Chrissie: I really don't have a strong personality at all. I was always very intimidated, trying to pump myself up for the next week of whatever week it was, visiting the OB practice, like, "Oh God, who am I going to see today?" But I just approached it with full knowledge of everything that's out there, as far as I know, because I've been researching it for a long time and just knowing my rights, I guess, I know that they know what they can and can't do to me.You can't force someone to have surgery if they're not ready for it. A C-section is a major surgery so I just knew to stand my ground in a polite and respectful way. Eventually, at the end of the wire, someone stood up for me in the practice, and I was very grateful for her because she gave me the last final push I needed to just wait for things to happen.Meagan: Yeah. Yeah. Well, you should be so proud of yourself and I'm so happy for you.And how was this postpartum? How's it been?Chrissie: It's been like, nothing.I mean, I have a third newborn, but I don't for some reason with me, subsequent C-sections, the debilitating pain is not there from what I experienced with the first one. I don't know if there are just so many nerve endings that are not there anymore or I don't know why. It's been super busy. So I don't even have time to think about what could have been or any feeling or thoughts. Thoughts about how I wish I could be feeling differently. But, yeah, very busy with the third and just so happy to have her with us today.Well, I'm so happy for you. Congratulations. I'm glad that even though you maybe didn't have Sarah during your birth, you had her along the way because I truly do feel like having that sounding board in that doula and that support along pregnancy can really impact and motivate people to learn how to trust that intuition and learn what they need to do and what's right for them.Chrissie: Yes, and she's actually helped me since birth because I didn't ask her to come during it. She has come and hung out with my kids and me so I could do certain errands or tasks. Our kids are actually obsessed with each other now, so it's kind of nice. Yeah.Sarah: Yeah. We bonded even more postpartum and now our daughters are movie night buddies, and they all like to play together.Meagan: That is so fun. I love hearing that. That is something that I tell my clients when they hire me. I'm like, "Hey, listen, you do not have to be my best friend, but I want you to know that I'm your lifelong friend." I feel like that just right there sums it up. Like, really. No, not everybody's going to be having their kids play together but I love that relationships can form and create in this manner.Sarah: Yeah. Yeah.Meagan: Okay, you too. Well, thank you again so much for being with us today.Chrissie: Thanks for picking my story.ClosingWould you like to be a guest on the podcast? Tell us about your experience at thevbaclink.com/share. For more information on all things VBAC including online and in-person VBAC classes, The VBAC Link blog, and Meagan's bio, head over to thevbaclink.com. Congratulations on starting your journey of learning and discovery with The VBAC Link.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-vbac-link/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

A chilling new chapter has emerged in the ongoing legal saga surrounding Sean “Diddy” Combs, as explosive allegations and legal counterclaims dominate headlines. In a case that intertwines power, violence, and justice, the latest revelations include harrowing testimony from accuser Ashley Parham and contentious claims from Courtney Burgess, who alleges possession of incriminating evidence against the music mogul. These accounts, combined with Combs's defamation lawsuit, paint a complex picture of one of the entertainment industry's most controversial figures. In a recent interview on NewsNation's Banfield, Ashley Parham recounted a night in 2018 that she claims changed her life forever. Parham alleges she was gang-raped by Sean “Diddy” Combs and three others, including his associate Shane Pearce, at a secluded house in Orinda Hills, California. The property, owned by Combs's former chief of staff Kristina Khorram, served as the backdrop for a harrowing ordeal that Parham describes as a “kill or be killed” situation. According to Parham, the assault began when the group took turns raping her, with Combs allegedly sexually violating her both anally and vaginally. She claims that during the attack, Khorram attempted to insert a copper IUD into her cervix at Combs's behest, an act she narrowly escaped when the device malfunctioned. Parham's detailed account includes an alleged moment of defiance: she armed herself with a knife and considered using it to defend herself against Combs. “He was lying down on the stairs, and I had the knife in both of my hands,” Parham told Banfield. Ultimately, she chose not to act, citing her “moral compass.” Parham's claims extend beyond physical violence. She alleges that Combs, enraged after the assault, used a television remote to further violate her. In a shocking turn, she accused Combs of firing a gun at her, forcing her to flee to a neighbor's home for safety. Despite the neighbor's offer of refuge, Parham returned to the house, a decision she later attributed to a sense of hopelessness. “Honestly, if they had killed me that night, I wouldn't have cared at that point,” she admitted grimly. The Contra Costa Sheriff's Department investigated Parham's claims after she filed a report on March 23, 2018. However, the case was deemed “unfounded,” a conclusion that has drawn scrutiny given the high-profile nature of the accused. Combs's legal team has pointed to this finding as evidence of his innocence, asserting that he has documentary proof that he was not in Orinda on the date in question. “There is no evidence that Mr. Combs was ever even in the same room as Ms. Parham,” his attorneys stated. While Parham's testimony sheds light on alleged past actions, Courtney Burgess's claims strike at the heart of Combs's public defense. Burgess, a former music industry figure, alleges possession of videos depicting Combs in non-consensual sexual encounters, some involving minors. He claims the videos were provided to him by an intermediary connected to Kim Porter, Combs's late ex-partner and mother of three of his children. Burgess also asserts that he received a rough draft of Porter's memoir, which reportedly contained damaging revelations about Combs. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com 

Power, Violence, and Justice: The Explosive Allegations Against Sean "Diddy" Combs A chilling new chapter has emerged in the ongoing legal saga surrounding Sean “Diddy” Combs, as explosive allegations and legal counterclaims dominate headlines. In a case that intertwines power, violence, and justice, the latest revelations include harrowing testimony from accuser Ashley Parham and contentious claims from Courtney Burgess, who alleges possession of incriminating evidence against the music mogul. These accounts, combined with Combs's defamation lawsuit, paint a complex picture of one of the entertainment industry's most controversial figures. In a recent interview on NewsNation's Banfield, Ashley Parham recounted a night in 2018 that she claims changed her life forever. Parham alleges she was gang-raped by Sean “Diddy” Combs and three others, including his associate Shane Pearce, at a secluded house in Orinda Hills, California. The property, owned by Combs's former chief of staff Kristina Khorram, served as the backdrop for a harrowing ordeal that Parham describes as a “kill or be killed” situation. According to Parham, the assault began when the group took turns raping her, with Combs allegedly sexually violating her both anally and vaginally. She claims that during the attack, Khorram attempted to insert a copper IUD into her cervix at Combs's behest, an act she narrowly escaped when the device malfunctioned. Parham's detailed account includes an alleged moment of defiance: she armed herself with a knife and considered using it to defend herself against Combs. “He was lying down on the stairs, and I had the knife in both of my hands,” Parham told Banfield. Ultimately, she chose not to act, citing her “moral compass.” Parham's claims extend beyond physical violence. She alleges that Combs, enraged after the assault, used a television remote to further violate her. In a shocking turn, she accused Combs of firing a gun at her, forcing her to flee to a neighbor's home for safety. Despite the neighbor's offer of refuge, Parham returned to the house, a decision she later attributed to a sense of hopelessness. “Honestly, if they had killed me that night, I wouldn't have cared at that point,” she admitted grimly. The Contra Costa Sheriff's Department investigated Parham's claims after she filed a report on March 23, 2018. However, the case was deemed “unfounded,” a conclusion that has drawn scrutiny given the high-profile nature of the accused. Combs's legal team has pointed to this finding as evidence of his innocence, asserting that he has documentary proof that he was not in Orinda on the date in question. “There is no evidence that Mr. Combs was ever even in the same room as Ms. Parham,” his attorneys stated. While Parham's testimony sheds light on alleged past actions, Courtney Burgess's claims strike at the heart of Combs's public defense. Burgess, a former music industry figure, alleges possession of videos depicting Combs in non-consensual sexual encounters, some involving minors. He claims the videos were provided to him by an intermediary connected to Kim Porter, Combs's late ex-partner and mother of three of his children. Burgess also asserts that he received a rough draft of Porter's memoir, which reportedly contained damaging revelations about Combs. Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com The latest on The Downfall of Diddy, The Trial of Karen Read, The Murder Of Maddie Soto, Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK's Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, The Menendez Brothers: Quest For Justice, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, The Murder Of Sandra Birchmore, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com 

Questions answered this episode: I'm a part of a pro-life non-profit organization. Even though my journey began in 2015, it was only recently that I discovered the potentially abortive nature of many contraceptives leading me to remove my IUD. I'm married to a good husband. Unfortunately, he believes society's message that even within marriage the responsible thing to do is to use contraception when not ready. He understands that contraception and IUDs are immoral because they can be abortive. When I told him that I want to eliminate all forms of contraception, he got mad at me and told me that I'm becoming an extremist. I'm a victim of sexual abuse as a child and as a young adult. I know I'm called to marriage but I worry that when I do get there I will be less of a gift to my bride and that the marital embrace will not be what it should be due to the innocence that was taken from me. What advice do you have for me as a man to face this with Mary and continue to open myself to Jesus' redemption when I feel almost unredeemable? I got married 3 years ago and we have a little boy. I became pregnant soon after we were married and while the pregnancy wasn't incredibly difficult, it did have its challenges. Because of this, I fear looking back that my husband and I didn't learn to communicate or how to love each other well physically. Going into marriage, I believe that it was right to make love when the woman wasn't fully ready, and I certainly never was during pregnancy. However, after giving birth, it became extremely difficult and almost traumatic. And it became nearly impossible to come together. I actually felt terrible sadness, resentment and anger. I have overcome much of this but I still feel hurt form those years. For women who dread making love or don't enjoy it, how can a husband and wife help each other understand the other and approach this problem lovingly? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of John Paul II's beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.