Podcasts about obstetricians

Routine vaginal examinations (VEs) are a standard component of intrapartum care, traditionally performed at regular intervals to monitor cervical dilation, effacement, and fetal station, which are indicators of labor progression. Yet, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states that there is insufficient evidence to recommend a specific frequency for cervical examinations during labor, and examinations should be performed as clinically indicated. Now, a recently published RCT form AJOG MFM is adding additional credence to that. Can we space out clinical exams in otherwise “low-risk” laboring women to 8 hours? Listen in for details. 1. AJOG MFM: (08/18/25) Routine Vaginal Examination Scheduled At 8 vs 4 Hours In Multiparous Women In Early Spontaneous Labour: A Randomised Controlled Trial https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S25899333250016122. Nashreen CM, Hamdan M, Hong J, et al.Routine Vaginal Examination to Assess Labor Progress at 8 Compared to 4 h After Early Amniotomy Following Foley Balloon Ripening in the Labor Induction of Nulliparas: A Randomized Trial. Acta Obstetricia Et Gynecologica Scandinavica. 2024;103(12):2475-2484. doi:10.1111/aogs.14975.3. First and Second Stage Labor Management: ACOG Clinical Practice Guideline No. 8. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2024;143(1):144-162. doi:10.1097/AOG.0000000000005447.4. Moncrieff G, Gyte GM, Dahlen HG, et al. Routine Vaginal Examinations Compared to Other Methods for Assessing Progress of Labour to Improve Outcomes for Women and Babies at Term. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2022;3:CD010088. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010088.pub3.5. Gluck, O., et al. (2020). The correlation between the number of vaginal examinations during active labor and febrile morbidity, a retrospective cohort study. [BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth]6. Pan, WL., Chen, LL. & Gau, ML. Accuracy of non-invasive methods for assessing the progress of labor in the first stage: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 22, 608 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-022-04938-y

As women enter perimenopause and menopause, hormonal shifts—declining estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone—can ripple through nearly every system in the body, impacting bone density, cardiovascular health, metabolism, brain function, and sexual wellbeing. Misinterpretation of past research left millions fearful of hormone therapy, yet newer evidence shows that bioidentical hormones, started within a specific “window of opportunity,” can protect the heart, brain, bones, and quality of life. Supporting this transition in a woman's life also means addressing nutrition, gut health, stress, sleep, and strength training—powerful tools that work alongside hormones to restore vitality. With the right knowledge and care, this phase of life can be transformational, leading to renewal, resilience, and long-term health protection. In this episode, I explore, along with Dr. Mary Claire Haver and Dr. Cindy Geyer, how we can shift our thinking of peri-menopause and menopause to one of renewed health and vitality. Mary Claire Haver, MD, FACOG, CMP, is a board-certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist, Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, and Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner. A graduate of Louisiana State University Medical Center with residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch, she is the founder of Mary Claire Wellness, a clinic dedicated to comprehensive menopause care. In 2023, she launched ThePauseLife.com, a global resource for menopausal women, and became a #1 New York Times bestselling author with The New Menopause. Her first book, The Galveston Diet (2023), reflects her passion for evidence-based lifestyle strategies to support women's health. With over 4 million social media followers, Dr. Haver is a leading voice in “demystifying menopause,” empowering women to self-advocate and thrive through every stage of midlife. Dr. Cindy Geyer received her bachelor of science and her doctor of medicine degrees, with honors, from the Ohio State University. She completed residency in internal medicine at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, N.Y. and is triple board certified in internal medicine, integrative medicine and lifestyle medicine. This episode is brought to you by BIOptimizers. Head to bioptimizers.com/hyman and use code HYMAN to save 15%. Full-length episodes can be found here: Your Guide to Menopause: What to Expect and How to Thrive Menopause Relief: Hormone Tips Every Woman Needs To Know Is Hormone Replacement Therapy in Menopause Helpful or Harmful

Aug. 21, 2025- Dr. Rachel Flink-Bochacki, a board certified OBGYN and legislative chair of the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists District II, shares concerns with legislation requiring health care providers to share information about IUDs, including pain associated with insertion, when discussing birth control with patients.

In this episode, I'm joined by Ash Anderson, mother of three and recent graduate of The MatriBirth Mentor Institute. After a traumatic induction with her first baby, Ash was certain she was done having children. But what she came to realize was that it wasn't birth she was finished with—it was the hospital.We unpack what it took for Ash to walk away from the industrial model of care, how she and her husband navigated the residual fear from her first birth, and why healing her relationship with motherhood was a necessary precursor to welcoming another baby.From being coerced into interventions to catching her third baby alone in a moment of pure presence, Ash offers a grounded and powerful testimony to the transformation that becomes possible when a woman chooses trust, sovereignty, and self-responsibility.You'll Learn:Why “just in case” inductions increase trauma and strip women of autonomyHow hospital birth plans are powerless against coercive systemsWhat subtle manipulation in late pregnancy says about industrial birth prioritiesWhy even “holistic” midwives still operate within controlling paradigmsHow freebirth dissolves fear and restores deep body-trustWhy preparing for postpartum is a radical act of self-respectHow birth witnessed by children shapes the future of womanhoodWhat it means to birth alone and discover your strength, resilience, and sovereigntyThis episode is a reminder that birth doesn't have to be micromanaged, feared, or medicalized. It can be simple. It can be sacred. It can be yours if you choose it.Timestamps:[00:00] Introduction[02:11] Realizing the hospital birth system wasn't aligned with her values[14:16] Traumatic induction and vow to never birth that way again[19:39] Perspective shift on motherhood and discovering freebirth[32:52] Her first transformative experiencing freebirthing at home[50:04] Unexpected second freebirth completely alone[58:10] Breaking birth narratives and giving her children a new storyIf you want to connect more with Ash, follow her on Instagram and check out her website.Find more from Emilee on Instagram, YouTube and the Free Birth Society website.Disclaimer: Free Birth Society, LLC of North Carolina shares personal and educational stories and experiences related to freebirth and holistic care. This content is not medical advice, and we are not a licensed midwifery practice. Testimonials reflect individual experiences; results may vary. For services or scheduling, contact info@freebirthsociety.com. See full disclaimer at freebirthsociety.com/youtubeterms.

What Is Virg*nity? | Dr. Gorakh Mandrupkar & Mukta Chaitanya | Khuspus with Omkar #amuktamukअमुकतमुक ला subscribe करण्यासाठी click करा: https://youtube.com/@amuktamuk?si=LCVcdLVB9KMPVHrkVirg*nity म्हणजे काय? Hymen Break होणं म्हणजे काय? Menstrual cups वापरल्या नंतर Virg*nity Break होते का? पुरुषांना Virg*nity विचारली जात नाही का? Virg*nity ला स्त्रीच्या पावित्र्याशी जोडणं योग्य आहे का? अजूनही लग्न करतांना या गोष्टीचा विचार केला जातो का? पालक म्हणून मुलांना याबाबत कश्या पद्धतीने शिक्षण दिलं पाहिजे?या विषयावर आपण डॉ.गोरख मंद्रुपकर (MBBS, DGO, FCPS,FICOG,स्त्री रोग आणि IVF तज्ञ,मंद्रूपकर क्लिनिक, इस्लामपूर) आणि मुक्ता चैतन्य (Writer, Journalist) यांच्यासोबत खुसपुस केली आहे पूर्ण एपिसोड नक्की बघा.What is virg*nity? What does the breaking of the hymen mean? Does using a menstrual cup result in the loss of virg*nity? Why is virg*nity not questioned for men? Is it appropriate to associate a woman's virg*nity with her purity? Is this still considered when getting married? As parents, how should we educate our children about this topic?We had an insightful conversation on this subject with Dr. Gorakh Mandrupkar (MBBS, DGO, FCPS, FICOG, Obstetrician & IVF Specialist, Mandrupkar Clinic, Islampur) and Mukti Chaitanya (Writer & Journalist). Watch the full episode for the complete discussion.आणि मित्रांनो आपलं Merch घेण्यासाठी लगेच click करा! Amuktamuk.swiftindi.comDisclaimer: व्हिडिओमध्ये किंवा आमच्या कोणत्याही चॅनेलवर पॅनलिस्ट/अतिथी/होस्टद्वारे सांगण्यात आलेली कोणतीही माहिती केवळ general information साठी आहे. पॉडकास्ट दरम्यान किंवा त्यासंबंधात व्यक्त केलेली कोणतीही मते निर्माते/कंपनी/चॅनल किंवा त्यांच्या कोणत्याही कर्मचाऱ्यांची मते/अभिव्यक्ती/विचार दर्शवत नाहीत.अतिथींनी केलेली विधाने सद्भावनेने आणि चांगल्या हेतूने केलेली आहेत ती विश्वास ठेवण्याजोगी आहेत किंवा ती सत्य आणि वस्तुस्थितीनुसार सत्य मानण्याचे कारण आहे. चॅनलने सादर केलेला सध्याचा व्हिडिओ केवळ माहिती आणि मनोरंजनाच्या उद्देशाने आहे आणि चॅनल त्याची अचूकता आणि वैधता यासाठी कोणतीही जबाबदारी घेत नाही.अतिथींनी किंवा पॉडकास्ट दरम्यान व्यक्त केलेली कोणतीही माहिती किंवा विचार व्यक्ती/कास्ट/समुदाय/वंश/धर्म यांच्या भावना दुखावण्याचा किंवा कोणत्याही संस्था/राजकीय पक्ष/राजकारणी/नेत्याचा, जिवंत किंवा मृत यांचा अपमान करण्याचा हेतू नाही.. Guests: Dr. Gorakh Mandrupkar (MBBS, DGO, FCPS, FICOG, Obstetrician & IVF Specialist, Mandrupkar Clinic, Islampur), Mukta Chaitanya, Writer and Journalist.Host: Omkar Jadhav.Creative Producer: Shardul Kadam.Editor: Rohit Landge.Edit Assistant: Rameshwar Garkal.Content Manager: Sohan Mane.Social Media Manager: Sonali Gokhale.Legal Advisor: Savani Vaze.Business Development Executive: Sai Kher.Intern: Mrunal Arve.About The Host Omkar Jadhav.Co-founder – Amuk Tamuk Podcast NetworkPodcast Host | Writer | Director | Actor | YouTube & Podcast ConsultantWith 8+ years in digital content, former Content & Programming Head at BhaDiPa & Vishay Khol.Directed 100+ sketches, 3 web series & non-fiction shows including Aai & Me, Jhoom, 9 to 5, Oddvata.Creative Producer – BErojgaar | Asst. Director – The Kerala StoryHost of Khuspus – a podcast on taboo and uncomfortable topics.Visiting Faculty – Ranade Institute, Pune University.Connect with us: Twitter: https://twitter.com/amuk_tamukInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/amuktamuk/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amuktamukpodcastsSpotify: Khuspus #AmukTamuk #marathipodcasts

Trump has been in office for 200 days. In those 200 days, important institutions core to democracy have been dismantled. The rule of law has been challenged in countless ways—increasingly violent ICE raids and disappearances, dismantling of important agencies, canceling of funding for public broadcasts, significant rollbacks of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)  initiatives, draconian cuts to healthcare and social services, executive orders singling out queer and trans people, and much more.But we've also seen a coordinated effort to resist him, with millions across the country taking to the streets again and again to protest on behalf of the rights of their neighbors, their families, and themselves. Attorneys and advocates are also stepping up, demanding courts to defend our rights. Two hundred days in, what have we learned—and what's  the playbook for the next four years?Helping us to sort out these questions and set the record straight is our very special guest, Skye Perryman: Skye L. Perryman is President and CEO of Democracy Forward, a nonpartisan, national legal organization that promotes democracy and progress through litigation, regulatory engagement, policy education, and research. She previously served as Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Check out this episode's landing page at MsMagazine.com for a full transcript, links to articles referenced in this episode, further reading and ways to take action.Support the show

Aubrey Masango chats to Matlhogonolo Malebane, Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and Life Coach as they explore the neuroscience of making decisions. They touch on some of the biological factors contributing to decision making outside of how the situation requires one to respond.Tags: 702, The Aubrey Masango Show, Aubrey Masango, Weird and Wonderful, Neuroscience, Brain, Decision making, Biology, Nature The Aubrey Masango Show is presented by late night radio broadcaster Aubrey Masango. Aubrey hosts in-depth interviews on controversial political issues and chats to experts offering life advice and guidance in areas of psychology, personal finance and more. All Aubrey’s interviews are podcasted for you to catch-up and listen. Thank you for listening to this podcast from The Aubrey Masango Show. Listen live on weekdays between 20:00 and 24:00 (SA Time) to The Aubrey Masango Show broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and on CapeTalk between 20:00 and 21:00 (SA Time) https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk Find out more about the show here https://buff.ly/lzyKCv0 and get all the catch-up podcasts https://buff.ly/rT6znsn Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfet Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Recently, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists rejected federal funding in response to the current US administration's polices. We talk about what this means.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released new clinical guidance on April 17, 2025 that recommends, as they see it, reimagining prenatal care in the U.S. Instead of the traditional 12–14 in‑person visits, ACOG now advocates for individualized prenatal care schedules—especially for average‑ and low‑risk patients—tailored based on medical, social, and structural determinants of health as well as patient preferences The guidance encourages early needs assessments (ideally before 10 weeks), shared decision‑making, coordination of social support resources, telemedicine, and group care modalities to reduce barriers and drive equity  Drawing on the PATH framework developed with the University of Michigan, ACOG presents sample visit schedules and monitoring strategies reflecting evidence that fewer visits—with flexible modalities—can maintain quality while improving access and patient experience As clinicans who have been offering unparalleled care for decades, find out what Dr. Abdelhak and his team at Maternal Resources think of groundbreaking this new update.    YouTube: Dive deeper into pregnancy tips and stories atyoutube.com/maternalresources . Instagram: Follow us for daily inspiration and updates at @maternalresources . Facebook: Join our community at facebook.com/IntegrativeOB Tiktok: NatureBack Doc on TikTok Grab Our Book! Check out The NatureBack Method for Birth—your guide to a empowered pregnancy and delivery. Shop now at naturebackbook.myshopify.com .

What are the stages of birth and what actually happens when you go into labour? We go to Med School to find out what a decidual cast is and what happens when it falls out of your uterus. And in our Quick Consult, could your menstrual cup be causing UTIs? In this episode, we talk to Obstetrician & Advanced Gynaecological Surgeon Dr Nargis Noori and Clinical Midwifery Specialist Betty Holland who discuss home versus hospital birth, vaginal versus caesarean and what happens if you have an induction. They also talk about pain relief, what’s involved in an episiotomy, breastfeeding and baby brain. Plus, how to advocate for yourself in the delivery room. And, what if your baby doesn’t get the memo about your birth plan? THE END BITS For information on breastfeeding: Australian Breastfeeding Association If you're pregnant or want to learn more about pregnancy, check out Mamamia's pregnancy podcast: Hello Bump. GET IN TOUCH Sign up to the Well Newsletter to receive your weekly dose of trusted health expertise without the medical jargon. Ask a question of our experts or share your story, feedback, or dilemma - you can send it anonymously here, email here or leave us a voice note here. Ask The Doc: Ask us a question in The Waiting Room. Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok. All your health information is in the Well Hub. Support independent women’s media by becoming a Mamamia subscriberCREDITS Hosts: Claire Murphy and Dr Mariam Guests: Dr Nargis Noori & Midwife Betty Holland Senior Producers: Claire Murphy and Sasha Tannock Audio Producer: Scott Stronach Video Producer: Julian Rosario Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton. Visit fentonandfenton.com.au Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Information discussed in Well. is for education purposes only and is not intended to provide professional medical advice. Listeners should seek their own medical advice, specific to their circumstances, from their treating doctor or health care professional.Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every Wednesday afternoon, we'll be talking Making Babies.Andrea will be joined by Obstetrician and Clinical Director at the Rotunda, Vicky O'Dwyer to cover every area of trying to have a baby. From the very start of knowing how to prepare, right up to pregnancy – and all the bumps in the road in between.This week, Vicky joins Andrea to talk about bonding with your baby.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court rules that a 176-year-old state law doesn't prohibit abortion. But, even if legal, access to abortion services in Wisconsin is far from easy. Obstetrician, gynecologist and head of the U.W.'s Collaborative for Reproductive Equity Jenny Higgins joins us once again to explain. The post Abortion Legal in Wisconsin, but Access Still Difficult appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

When is your fertile window and how much does stress play a role in infertility? What could a crease in your earlobe tell you about your heart? And could your anxiety, teeth and nails point to a problem with your gut? In this episode, Obstetrician and fertility specialist Dr. Justin Tucker talks about how long it usually takes to conceive and whether wearing polyester pants actually impacts your fertility. He also discusses age and egg quality, egg freezing, IVF and genetic screening. Plus, we also talk about the risks of the oral contraceptive pill and why you should never tell a woman trying to fall pregnant to “just relax”. You can also see Mariam's Mother's Day post here THE END BITS Sign up to the Well Newsletter to receive your weekly dose of trusted health expertise without the medical jargon. Ask a question of our experts or share your story, feedback, or dilemma - you can send it anonymously here, email here or leave us a voice note here. Ask The Doc: Ask us a question in The Waiting Room. Follow us on Instagram and Tiktok. All your health information is in the Well Hub. Support independent women’s media by becoming a Mamamia subscriberCREDITS Hosts: Claire Murphy and Dr Mariam Guest: Dr Justin Tucker Senior Producers: Claire Murphy and Sasha Tannock Audio Producers: Scott Stronach and Jacob Round Mamamia studios are styled with furniture from Fenton and Fenton. Visit fentonandfenton.com.au Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.Information discussed in Well. is for education purposes only and is not intended to provide professional medical advice. Listeners should seek their own medical advice, specific to their circumstances, from their treating doctor or health care professional.Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The image of the Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, crying in Parliament yesterday was picked up by various media. After PMQs, Ms Reeves' spokesperson said she had been dealing with a "personal matter" and Sir Keir insisted her tears had had "nothing to do with politics". Kylie Pentelow is joined by Times columnist Katy Balls and Kitty Donaldson, chief political commentator for the i Paper to discuss why her tears caused such a stir. Was it concern over political weakness and worries about political instability? Ms Reeves' very senior role in government? Or because she's a woman and maybe people still don't understand that women cry for different reasons and in different circumstances to men?The government's long-awaited NHS 10-year health plan is launched today. To make the NHS in England fit for the future, the plan will focus on three big shifts: moving care from hospitals to communities, making better use of technology, and preventing sickness - not just treating it. How should the NHS prioritise women's health to achieve better results? Kylie is joined by Ranee Thakar, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Danielle Jefferies, Senior Analyst at The King's Fund, and Lara Lewington, a technology journalist and author of a new book, Hacking Humanity.Esther Freud's ninth novel, My Sister and Other Lovers, revisits characters from her very first book Hideous Kinky, which was made into a film starring Kate Winslet. In My Sisters and Other Lovers, the sisters come of age and try to come to terms with their past. Esther joins Kylie to talk about her writing and how despite having such famous men in her life – her father was the painter Lucien Freud and her great-grandfather was the founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud - it's the women in her family who inspire her work.Amy Powney is the fashion designer best known for being the Creative Director at Mother of Pearl for 10 years until she left to set up her own label, Akyn, earlier this year. Amy's mission to create a sustainable clothing line was explored in the documentary Fashion Reimagined which saw her trace clothes from field to runway and cemented her as an authority on this within the wider industry. Amy joins Kylie in the Woman's Hour studio.Presenter: Kylie Pentelow Producer: Rebecca Myatt

Send us a textWelcome to another inspiring episode of the Stories to Create Podcast, where we share journeys of resilience, purpose, and real-world impact. I'm your host, Cornell Bunting, and today I have the privilege of sitting down with Dr. Eeka Marshall—a renowned Obstetrician and Gynecologist who has devoted her career to advancing women's health and empowering communities.In this episode, Dr. Marshall opens up about her path to medicine, the obstacles she's overcome, and her unwavering commitment to supporting the health and well-being of women, especially those in underserved areas. Her story is a powerful example of perseverance and service, and it beautifully reflects the mission of EHAS Inc.—my nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting youth and transforming lives through storytelling.Together, we'll explore the roots of Dr. Marshall's passion for healthcare and the moments that inspired her to pursue obstetrics and gynecology. We'll talk about the challenges she faced on her journey to becoming a doctor, and how her resilience can motivate young listeners—especially those from underprivileged backgrounds.We'll also dive into crucial topics around health education and awareness:What should young women and men understand about reproductive health?What myths and misconceptions exist around women's health, and how can we address them?How can parents and educators better support teens as they learn about their bodies and make important health choices?Dr. Marshall will also help us shine a light on healthcare disparities in underserved communities, offering insight into what can be done to close those gaps. We'll discuss the role nonprofits and community leaders, like those of us at EHAS Inc., can play in collaborating with medical professionals to bring about meaningful change.Mental and emotional health are also on the table, as Dr. Marshall shares how she supports mothers and young women holistically in her practice.Finally, for our young listeners who dream of careers in medicine, Dr. Marshall will share practical advice and encouragement, along with her hopes for the future of women's health in the coming decade.If you're inspired by this conversation and want to support our work uplifting underprivileged youth in Southwest Florida, please visit www.ehasinc.org.Let's dive in and discover how every story has the power to uplift and transform! Support the showThank you for tuning in with EHAS CLUB - Stories to Create Podcast

Send us a textPlanning your birth and wondering whether to aim for a vaginal birth or opt for a caesarean? In today's episode, we're unpacking the many layers of this decision—without judgement, just clarity.I'm joined by Melbourne-based obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Amber Moore, who has supported thousands of women across both public and private healthcare systems. Together, we explore the practical, emotional, and medical considerations when it comes to choosing your birth plan.Whether you're early in pregnancy, nearing your due date, or feeling unsure about your delivery options, this episode offers expert insights to help you feel empowered and informed.Dr Amber Moore's website Dr Amber Moore's InstagramPrenatal workouts: https://www.fitnestmama.com/program/pregnancy-exercise-program-online/Postnatal workouts: https://www.fitnestmama.com/program/postpartum-exercise-program-online/LINKS: Preparing for birth Pelvic health checklist Free 7 Day Trial Pregnancy Workouts Free 7 Day Trial Postnatal Workouts FitNest Mama Website Instagram @kathbaquie.physio 1:1 Consultation with Physio Kath ** This podcast has general information only. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your health or medical condition.

Send us a textPerimenopause is one of the most misunderstood—and under-discussed—phases in a woman's life. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Colette White, a leading voice in women's health, to unpack the physical, emotional, and hormonal shifts that come with this transition.We talk about: ✨ What perimenopause really is (and how it differs from menopause)

Clement Manyathela speaks to Dr Kasturi Moodley who is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist about hormonal imbalances in women and how women can deal with hormonal challenges The Clement Manyathela Show is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station, weekdays from 09:00 to 12:00 (SA Time). Clement Manyathela starts his show each weekday on 702 at 9 am taking your calls and voice notes on his Open Line. In the second hour of his show, he unpacks, explains, and makes sense of the news of the day. Clement has several features in his third hour from 11 am that provide you with information to help and guide you through your daily life. As your morning friend, he tackles the serious as well as the light-hearted, on your behalf. Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Clement Manyathela Show. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 09:00 and 12:00 (SA Time) to The Clement Manyathela Show broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/XijPLtJ or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/p0gWuPE Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us for an insightful episode of the Baby Tribe podcast as we welcome Professor Jennifer Donnelly, a renowned consultant Obstetrician and Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist. With an impressive career trajectory that includes her recent role as Clinical Director at the Rotunda Hospital, Jennifer shares her journey of balancing clinical duties with leadership responsibilities. She opens up about the transformative changes she implemented during her directorship and the newfound free time she anticipates will enrich her future roles. Listen in as Jennifer reflects on her experiences in maternal fetal medicine and the evolution of healthcare services at the Rotunda Hospital. Explore the critical topics of postpartum haemorrhage, thromboembolism, and infection as we highlight the increased risks faced by pregnant women and the importance of systematic risk assessments. We underscore the necessity of continually reviewing and improving risk scores to incorporate new data and enhance patient care. The conversation also sheds light on advancements in managing comorbid conditions during pregnancy and the positive impact of new treatments on pregnancy outcomes. Discover the rewarding aspects of maternal medicine through Jennifer's perspective, as she shares the emotional journey of guiding individuals through their pregnancies. We touch upon the significance of investing in high-quality maternity care and the dedication of multidisciplinary teams in specialized maternity hospitals. The conversation also addresses advancements in cardiac care for pregnant women with congenital and acquired heart disease, offering hope and insight into the future of maternal and cardiac care. With heartfelt stories and a focus on comprehensive care, this episode promises to enlighten and inspire listeners about the intricacies of maternal health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 193: Gestational Diabetes IntroJesica Mendoza (OMSIII) describes the pathophysiology of gestational diabetes and the right timing and method of screening for it. Dr. Arreaza adds insight into the need for culturally-appropriate foods, such as vegetables in Mexican cuisine.    Written by Jesica Mendoza, OMSIII, Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific. Editing by Hector Arreaza, MD.You are listening to Rio Bravo qWeek Podcast, your weekly dose of knowledge brought to you by the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency Program from Bakersfield, California, a UCLA-affiliated program sponsored by Clinica Sierra Vista, Let Us Be Your Healthcare Home. This podcast was created for educational purposes only. Visit your primary care provider for additional medical advice.DefinitionGestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a condition that occurs to previously non-diabetic pregnant women, caused by glucose intolerance at around the 24th week of gestation. PathophysiologyGDM arises due to an underlying pancreatic beta cell dysfunction in the mother which leads to a decrease in the amount of insulin produced and thus leads to higher blood sugar levels during pregnancy. The placenta of the fetus will produce hPL (human placental lactogen) to ensure a steady supply of sugars to the fetus, creating an anti-insulin effect. However, hPL readily crosses the placental barrier causing the mothers insulin requirement to increase, when the mother's pancreas cannot increase production of insulin to that level needed to counter the effect of hPL they become diabetic, and this leads to gestational diabetes. So, basically the placenta is asking for more glucose for the baby and the mother's pancreas struggles to keep the glucose level within normal limits in the body of the mother. If left untreated, high levels of glucose in the mother can cause glucotoxicity in the mother.“Glucotoxicity” refers to the toxic effect of glucose. Glucose is the main fuel for cell functions, but when it is high in the bloodstream, it causes toxicity to organs. Prevalence of GDM.The CDC reports mean prevenance of GDM is 6.9%. In U.S. mothers the prevenance increased from 6.0% in 2016 to 8.3% in 2021. Many different factors have played a role in increasing gestational diabetes in American mothers, some of those being the ongoing obesity epidemic with excess body weight being a known risk factor for insulin resistance. Another being advanced maternal age (AMA) as more American women have children later in life their body becomes less sensitive to insulin and requires a higher insulin output on top of the insulin that is required for the fetus. The “American diet” is also something that has a big effect in diabetes development. With the increase of high-carb foods that are readily available, the diet of Americans has declined and is affecting the metabolic health of mothers as they carry and deliver their children. Despite ongoing awareness of GDM, 6% to 9% of pregnant women in the United States are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, and the prevalence continues to increase worldwide. It is estimated that in 2017 18.4 million pregnancies were affected by GDM in the world, which then continued to increase to 1 in 6 births to women with GDM in 2019. It was also found that women living in low-income communities were disproportionately affected due to limited healthcare access. Additionally, women with GDM had a 1.4-fold increase in likelihood of undergoing a c-section, with 15% increase in risk of requiring blood transfusion. Screening for GDMGestational diabetes is screened between the 24th to 28th week of gestation in all women without known pregestational diabetes. In women who have high-risk for GDM the screening occurs during the first trimester, these women usually have at least one of the following: BMI > 30, prior history of GDM, known impaired glucose metabolism, and/or a strong family history of diabetes. The screening during the first trimester is to detect “pregestational diabetes” because we have to keep a good glycemic control to improve outcomes of pregnancy. So, if it's positive, you start treatment immediately. If these women are found to have a normal glucose, they repeat the testing again as done normally, at 24-28 weeks of gestation. How do we screen?The screening itself consists of two types of approaches. The two-step approach includes a 50-gram oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), where blood glucose is measured in an hour and if it is below 140 they are considered to not have GDM, however if the reading is greater than 140 they must then do a 3-hour, 100g oral glucose tolerance test. The 3-hour OGTT includes measuring the blood sugars at Fasting which should be less than 95, at 1 hour at less than 180, at 2 hours at less than 155, and at 3 hours at less than 140. If 2 or more of these values exceed the threshold the patient is diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus. The one-step approach includes 75g after an overnight fast. Blood glucose is measured while fasting which should be less than 92, at 1 hour less than 180 and at 2 hours less than 153. If any one of these values is exceeded, the patient is diagnosed with GDM.If the mother is found to be GDM positive during pregnancy she will also need continued screening post-partum to monitor for any development of overt diabetes. The testing is usually 75g 2-hour OGTT at 6-12 weeks postpartum. If this testing is normal, then they are tested using HbA1c every 3 years. If the post-partum testing shows pre-diabetes, annual testing is recommended using HbA1c measurements. Maternal complications Women with GDM are at an increased risk for future cardiovascular disease, T2DM, and chronic kidney disease. GDM is also associated with increased likelihood of developing pre-eclampsia following delivery. Pre-eclampsia is a complication seen in pregnancy characterized by high blood pressure, proteinuria, vision changes, and liver involvement (high LFTs). Pre-eclampsia can then progress to eclampsia or HELLP syndrome, both of which can include end organ damage. Additionally, she can develop polyhydramnios which leads to overstretching of the uterus and can induce pre-term labor, placental abruption, and or uterine atony, all of which additionally put the mother at increased risk for c-section. All of these maternal complications that stem from GDM lead to complications and extended hospitalization. Child's complications Although there is an increased set of risks for the mother, the neonate can also develop a variety of risks due to the increased glucose while in utero. While the fetus is growing, the placenta is the source of nutrition for the fetus. As the levels of glucose in the mother increase so does the amount of glucose filtered through the placenta and into the fetal circulation. Over time the glucose leads to oxidative stress and inflammation with activation of TGF-b which leads to fibroblast activation and fibrosis of the placenta. This fibrosis decreases the nutrient and oxygen exchange for the fetus. As the fetus attempts to grow in this restrictive environment its development is affected. The fetus can develop IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) leading to a small for gestation age newborn which can then lead to another set of complications. The low oxygen environment can lead to increased EPO production and polycythemia at birth which can then lead to increased clotting that can travel to the newborn brain. Newborns can also be born with fetal acidosis due to the anerobic metabolism and lactic acid buildup in fetal tissues which can cause fetal encephalopathy leading to cerebral palsy and developmental delay. And the most severe of newborn complications to gestational diabetes can lead to fetal demise. Furthermore, the increase of glucose can also lead to macrosomia in the infant which can often lead to a traumatic delivery and delivery complications such as shoulder dystocia and brachial plexus injury. Brachial plexus injury sometimes resolves without sequela, but other times can lead to permanent weakness or paralysis of the affected arm. The baby can be born too small or too big.Additionally, once the fetus is born the cutting of the umbilical cord leads to a rapid deceleration in blood glucose in the fetal circulation and hypoglycemic episodes can occur, that often lead to NICU admission. The insulin that is created by the fetus in utero to accommodate the large quantities of glucose is known to affect lung maturation as well. The insulin produced inhibits surfactant production in the fetus. Upon birth some of the newborns also have to be placed on PEEP for ventilation and some children require treatment with surfactant to prevent alveolar collapse and/or progression to NRDS created by the low surfactant levels. Additionally, neonates who are macrosomic, which is usually seen in GDM mothers, are larger and stronger and when put on PEEP to help increase ventilation the newborn's stronger respiratory effort can lead to higher pulmonary pressures and barotrauma such as neonatal pneumothorax.Long term complications to the child of a mother with GDM also occur. As the child grows, they are also at an increased risk for developing early onset obesity because of the increased adipose storage triggered by the increase in insulin in response to the high glucose in utero. This then can lead to a higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus in the child. With diabetes, also comes an increase in cardiovascular risk as the child ages and becomes an adult. The effects of GDM go beyond the fetal life but continue through adulthood.What can be done?Gestational Diabetes Mellitus has many severe and lifelong consequences for both the mother and the child and prevention of GDM would help enhance the quality of life of both. Many of the ways to prevent GDM complications include patient education and dietary modifications with a diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. Benefits of some vegetables in the Mexican cuisine that may be beneficial: Nopales, Chayote, and Jicama. Those are good alternatives for highly processed carbs.Mothers are usually offered nutritional counseling to help them develop a tailored eating plan. This and 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily is recommended to increase insulin sensitivity and lower the post-prandial glucose levels. If within 2 weeks of implementing lifestyle changes alone the glucose measurements remain high, then medications like insulin can be put onboard to manage the GDM. If they require insulin, I think it is time to refer to a higher level of care, if available, high risk OB clinic.Conclusion: Now we conclude episode number ###, “[TITLE].” [summary here]. _____________________References:Eades CE, Burrows KA, Andreeva R, Stansfield DR, Evans JM. Prevalence of gestational diabetes in the United States and Canada: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2024 Mar 15;24(1):204. doi: 10.1186/s12884-024-06378-2. PMID: 38491497; PMCID: PMC10941381. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38491497/QuickStats: Percentage of Mothers with Gestational Diabetes,* by Maternal Age — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2016 and 2021. Weekly / January 6, 2023 / 72(1);16. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7201a4.htm?utmAkinyemi OA, Weldeslase TA, Odusanya E, Akueme NT, Omokhodion OV, Fasokun ME, Makanjuola D, Fakorede M, Ogundipe T. Profiles and Outcomes of Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in the United States. Cureus. 2023 Jul 4;15(7):e41360. doi: 10.7759/cureus.41360. PMID: 37546039; PMCID: PMC10399637. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10399637/?utmPerlman, J. M. (2006). Summary proceedings from the neurology group on hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Pediatrics, 117(3), S28–S33.DOI: 10.1542/peds.2005-0620C.Low, J. A. (1997). Intrapartum fetal asphyxia: definition, diagnosis, and classification. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 176(5), 957–959.DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9378(97)70609-0.Hallman, M., Gluck, L., & Liggins, G. (1985). Role of insulin in delaying surfactant production in the fetal lung. Journal of Pediatrics, 106(5), 786–790.DOI: 10.1016/S0022-3476(85)80227-0.Sweet, D. G., Carnielli, V., Greisen, G., et al. (2019). European Consensus Guidelines on the Management of Respiratory Distress Syndrome – 2019 Update. Neonatology, 115(4), 432–450.DOI: 10.1159/000499361.Raju, T. N. K., et al. (1999). Respiratory distress in term infants: when to suspect surfactant deficiency. Pediatrics, 103(5), 903–909.DOI: 10.1542/peds.103.5.903.Burns, C. M., Rutherford, M. A., Boardman, J. P., & Cowan, F. M. (2008). Patterns of cerebral injury and neurodevelopmental outcomes after symptomatic neonatal hypoglycemia. Pediatrics, 122(1), 65–74.DOI: 10.1542/peds.2007-2822.Dabelea, D., et al. (2000). Long-term impact of maternal diabetes on obesity in childhood. Diabetes Care, 23(10), 1534–1540.DOI: 10.2337/diacare.23.10.1534.Dashe, J. S., et al. (2002). "Hydramnios: Etiology and outcome." Obstetrics & Gynecology, 100(5 Pt 1), 957–962.DOI: 10.1016/S0029-7844(02)02279-6.Long-term cost-effectiveness of implementing a lifestyle intervention during pregnancy to prevent gestational diabetes mellitus: a decision-analytic modelling study. Diabetologia.American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2018). Practice Bulletin No. 190: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 131(2), e49–e64. https://doi.org/10.1097/AOG.0000000000002501Theme song, Works All The Time by Dominik Schwarzer, YouTube ID: CUBDNERZU8HXUHBS, purchased from https://www.premiumbeat.com/. 

What Every Patient and Clinician Should Know About the 2025 Guidelines for IUD Insertion Pain ManagementFor years, patients have reported severe pain during IUD insertions—only to be told it's "just a pinch." Now, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have issued updated guidance that changes everything.This episode breaks down what's in the new guidelines, why it matters, and what's still standing in the way of better care.What We Cover in This EpisodeWhat ACOG and CDC now recommend for IUD pain reliefWhy misoprostol is no longer a routine optionHow reimbursement challenges affect what happens in the exam roomWhat to do if your provider isn't aware of the new guidelinesThe role of trauma-informed and shared decision-making modelsWhy this shift is critical for women's health equity and trustRelated ResourcesACOG Clinical Consensus on Pain Management (May 2025)CDC U.S. SPR Update (Aug 2024)Resources and episodes on Pelvic Health Recommended Books on Hormones and Menstrual Health **Top 50 Health Podcast of 2024** Want men to better understand how to you during your menopause journey! Tell us what you want them to know.If you're passionate about advancing women's health, there are many ways you can support and stay in touch with Fempower Health. Here's how:Subscribe and Listen: Tune in to new episodes every Tuesday by subscribing to the Fempower Health Podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform. Your regular listenership is invaluable!Leave a Review: Help us grow by leaving a review on Apple, Spotify or your favorite podcast platform. Your feedback not only supports us but also helps others discover our podcast.Share with Others: Spread the word by sharing episodes with friends, family, or anyone interested in women's health. Every share helps!Engage in Discussions: Join the Fempower Health Women's Health Community. Learn more here. Find Us on Social: Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok, YouTube, for the latest updates and engaging content. Stay Informed: Sign up for our...

In this deeply episode, we sat down with experienced and renowned Obstetrician Dr. K Shilpi Reddy and explored a wide range of topics surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, fertility, and women's health. The conversation begins by addressing real, touching questions from our listeners, including one about oral sex and concerns around sexually transmitted diseases. The importance of mutual consent is emphasized as a vital foundation before exploring any new aspects of intimacy. We then delve into VK's encounter with traditional astrologers and the contrasting views on normal delivery, cesarean sections, and the role of astrology in timing childbirth and operations. While astrology varies geographically and culturally, our guest stresses that the mother's own body and medical needs ultimately govern delivery outcomes, though auspicious timings may hold cultural significance in events like marriages.The episode also highlights the mental and physical pressures women face from family and society during pregnancy. We discuss how typical motherly instincts, like force-feeding without considering a woman's actual bodily needs, can contribute to early-onset diabetes in young women. The myth that milk is the only source of calcium is challenged, alongside concerns about future generations potentially needing insulin alongside their lunchboxes due to rising diabetes rates in India. The episode touches on the irresponsible dietary advice some doctors give without accounting for patients' lifestyles and work habits, alongside societal body shaming and the hidden harassment behind over-pampering. It also contrasts dietary habits from different regions, noting how North Indian akhadas prefer natural foods while urban gyms heavily promote protein powders, which may cause hormonal imbalances affecting fertility.We take a historical perspective on pregnancy and family planning, noting that older generations often had many children within joint families where women received better support. In contrast, today's progressive and educated women are increasingly choosing to delay or forgo childbirth, a choice the guest believes is problematic given population declines in countries like Scandinavia . The future demographic challenges of declining birth rates and the ethical questions around reproductive choices are examined, alongside recent ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) laws limiting eligibility for fertility treatments.Fertility is further explored with a focus on the biology of sperm and eggs. Risks of rushing into fertility treatments are discussed.  Practical advice is offered on improving fertility through healthy lifestyles, balanced sleep, and caution against over-reliance on ovulation apps which cannot fully capture individual body variations.The episode also addresses the consequences of toxic modern lifestyles on fertility & how Kamasutra emphasized how sexual health between partners leads to healthier and happier children, reinforcing the idea that emotional maturity and positive maternal energy deeply affect offspring.Important topics like maternal (avunculate) marriages and their genetic risks are covered, with mention of advanced screening methods such as PGD to reduce, but not eliminate, hereditary disease chances.We also touched upon some of the modern MedTech that has emerged and the importance of Health Insurance.Finally, the episode wraps up with myth-busting rapid fire addressing common pregnancy misconceptions, laughter as a healing tool in labor wards, and heartfelt advice to young listeners. This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom, combining medical expertise, cultural context, and compassionate storytelling. Whether you are planning a family, supporting loved ones, or simply curious about women's health in India today, this conversation offers valuable insights and encouragement to make informed, healthy choices.

*Content warning: birth trauma, medical trauma, medical neglect, racism, death of an infant, infant loss, death, homicide, maternal loss, mature and stressful themes, sexual assault, disordered eating. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources Sources: American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ Authorities explain lack of charges in Fort Mill birthing center deathhttps://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/crime/article23277849.html Births in the United States, 2022https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db477.htm A brain-dead woman's pregnancy raises questions about Georgia's abortion lawhttps://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/nx-s1-5405542/a-brain-dead-womans-pregnancy-raises-questions-about-georgias-abortion-law A Brief History of Midwifery in Americahttps://www.ohsu.edu/womens-health/brief-history-midwifery-america Constructing the Modern American Midwife: White Supremacy and White Feminism Collidehttps://nursingclio.org/2020/10/22/constructing-the-modern-american-midwife-white-supremacy-and-white-feminism-collide/ The Controversial Birth of American Gynecologyhttps://researchblog.duke.edu/2023/10/27/the-controversial-birth-of-american-gynecology/ Direct Entry Midwives Across the Nationhttps://www.networkforphl.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Direct-Entry-Midwives-50-State-Survey.pdf FDA raids Miami birth center; Placentas, medical records confiscatedhttps://mommyblawg.blogspot.com/2009/01/fda-raids-miami-birth-center-placentas.html Fort Mill birthing center closes following third child deathhttps://www.wbtv.com/story/28083972/fort-mill-birthing-center-closes-following-third-child-death/ Exhibit Recognizes African American Midwiveshttps://infocus.nlm.nih.gov/2010/02/05/exhibit_recognizes_african_ame/ Health E-Stat 100: Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2023https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2023/maternal-mortality-rates-2023.htm#:~:text=In2023%2C669womendied,rateof22.3in2022 Hemolytic disease of the newbornhttps://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001298.htm The Historical Significance of Doulas and Midwiveshttps://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-significance-doulas-and-midwives Home Births in the U.S. Increase to Highest Level in 30 Yearshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/20221117.htm Honest Midwife Bloghttps://honestmidwife.com/ International School Of Midwiferyhttps://www.mapquest.com/us/florida/international-school-of-midwifery-531273160 March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us March of Dimes, Delivery Method https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/data?dv=ms&lev=1&obj=9®=99&slev=1&stop=86&top=8& March of Dimes, Maternity Care Deserthttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/data?top=23 Maternal Mortality in the United States After Abortion Banshttps://thegepi.org/maternal-mortality-abortion-bans/#:~:text=InthefirstfullyearofTexas%27sstateabortionban,15 Maternal Mortality: How the U.S. Compares to Other Rich Countrieshttps://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2024-06-04/how-the-u-s-compares-to-other-rich-countries-in-maternal-mortality Medical Exploitation of Black Womenhttps://eji.org/news/history-racial-injustice-medical-exploitation-of-black-women/ National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery Necrotizing Fasciitishttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23103-necrotizing-fasciitisNew Pregnancy Justice Report Shows High Number of Pregnancy-Related Prosecutions in the Year After Dobbshttps://www.pregnancyjusticeus.org/press/new-pregnancy-justice-report-shows-high-number-of-pregnancy-related-prosecutions-in-the-year-after-dobbs/#:~:text=Thereportdocumentsthati,%2Cpregnancyloss%2Corbirth. North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Physician Suicidehttps://www.acep.org/life-as-a-physician/wellness/wellness/wellness-week-articles/physician-suicide Preeclampsiahttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17952-preeclampsia Preeclampsia: Signs & Symptomshttps://www.preeclampsia.org/signs-and-symptomsRace Maternal Mortality in the U.S.: A History of Midwiferyhttps://wmberks.pages.wm.edu/2023/04/30/race-maternal-mortality-in-the-u-s-a-history-of-midwifery/ The Racist History of Abortion and Midwifery Banshttps://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/the-racist-history-of-abortion-and-midwifery-bans Reasons Obstetricians Are At High Risk For Claims Of Medical Malpracticehttps://www.gilmanbedigian.com/reasons-obstetricians-are-at-high-risk-for-claims-of-medical-malpractice/#:~:text=Overall%2Cabout85%25ofOB,about95%25ofthetime. The Regulation of Professional Midwifery in the United Stateshttps://midwife.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Jefferson-2021-Regulation-Professional-Midwifery.pdf She said she had a miscarriage — then got arrested under an abortion lawhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/interactive/2024/abortion-law-nevada-arrest-miscarriage/ She was accused of murder after losing her pregnancy. SC woman now tells her storyhttps://www.cnn.com/2024/09/23/health/south-carolina-abortion-kff-health-news-partner South Carolina Department of Public Health, Midwifery Licensinghttps://dph.sc.gov/professionals/healthcare-quality/licensed-facilities-professionals/midwifery-licensing#:~:text=DPHlicensesmidwivesinaccordancewithRegulation,inadditiontootherprescribedrequirementson State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef The State of Reproductive Health in the United Stateshttps://thegepi.org/state-of-reproductive-health-united-states/ Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee and Department of State Health Services Joint Biennial Report 2024https://www.dshs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/legislative/2024-Reports/MMMRC-DSHS-Joint-Biennial-Report-2024.pdf Uses of Misoprostol in Obstetrics and Gynecologyhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2760893/ Vicarious trauma: signs and strategies for copinghttps://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/your-wellbeing/vicarious-trauma/vicarious-trauma-signs-and-strategies-for-coping Vital Signs: Maternity Care Experiences — United States, April 2023https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7235e1.htm#:~:text=Discussion,%2CHispanic%2Candmultiracialmothers. 2022 Direct Entry Midwives Fact Sheethttps://www.dshs.texas.gov/sites/default/files/chs/hprc/publications/2022/DirectEntryMidwife2022FactSheetA.pdf *SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:https://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookiebooSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Organizations like the CDC and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists play a significant role in shaping the recommendations your doctor or midwife gives you during pregnancy. When the CDC updates its guidance, it influences clinical care, insurance coverage, and how providers counsel patients. In this episode, we explore the recent decision to no longer recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for children and pregnant women. Learn what this means for your prenatal care and how you can navigate this update with your provider.     Thank you to our sponsor   Zahler goes above and beyond to use high-quality bioavailable ingredients like the active form of folate, bioavailable iron, and omega 3s. The Zahler Prenatal +DHA is my #1 recommendation for a high-quality prenatal vitamin. In May 2025, you can save 40% off the Zahler Prenatal +DHA on Amazon with the code PREPOD40. Plus, if you email your order number to vanessa@pregnancypodcast.com you will get a free copy of the Your Birth Plan book. You can always see the details and the current promo code for the Zahler prenatal vitamin by clicking here.     Read the full article and resources that accompany this episode.     Join Pregnancy Podcast Premium to access the entire back catalog, listen to all episodes ad-free, get a copy of the Your Birth Plan Book, and more.     Check out the 40 Weeks podcast to learn how your baby grows each week and what is happening in your body. Plus, get a heads up on what to expect at your prenatal appointments and a tip for dads and partners.     For more evidence-based information, visit the Pregnancy Podcast website.

Obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Adam Urato, explains why he is concerned about the huge increase in medications now taken by pregnant women. A figure that has surged in the last few decades. Across the world, women are taking more drugs than ever before while pregnant. In the US, around 90% of women expecting a baby will now take some kind of medication during pregnancy Adam argues the notion a drug is safe until proved otherwise goes completely against the precautionary principle and common sense. He was one of the first doctors to highlight the risks of a synthetic hormone called Makena, which was supposed to reduce the risk of preterm birth. It was on the market for two decades, even when the evidence showed it didn't work, it took a further four years to get it withdrawn. Today Adam is particularly concerned about the number of women taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors - or SSRIs for short -  in pregnancy and doesn't believe they are usually fully informed about the risk. Yet studies have shown that the medications can increase the likelihood of miscarriage, birth defects, an early birth, a low birth weight and postpartum haemorrhage. In some cases, there also appears to be a potential impact on the baby after birth. Dr Adam Urato is a board certified obstetrician and gynaecologist, who trained at Harvard Medical School and  who practices in Massachusetts in the US. He has a particular interest in the risks and benefits of medications during pregnancy and has written a number of peer-reviewed papers on the topic. The host of the podcast, Liz Tucker is an award winning medical journalist and former BBC producer and director.  You can follow Liz on Twitter at https://twitter.com/lizctucker and read her Substack newsletter about the podcast at https://liztucker.substack.com If you would like to support this podcast you can do so via Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/WhatYourGPDoesntTellYou or via PayPal at https://www.whatyourgpdoesnttellyou.com/support/ What Your GP Doesn't Tell You has been selected by Feedspot as one of the top 15 UK Medical Podcasts https://blog.feedspot.com/uk_medical_podcasts/

*Content warning: birth trauma, medical trauma, medical neglect, racism, death of an infant, infant loss, death, maternal loss, mature and stressful themes.*Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources Center for Black Maternal Health & Reproductive Justice:https://blackmaternalhealth.tufts.edu/Center for Black Maternal Health & Reproductive Justice Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/cbmhrj_tufts/Center for Black Maternal Health & Reproductive Justice Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/CBMHRJTufts/Center for Black Maternal Health & Reproductive Justice LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbmhrjtufts/Sources: Addressing Transportation Barriers to Improve Healthcare Access in Arizonahttps://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/674794 Advancing Health Equity and Value-Based Care: A Mobile Approachhttps://info.primarycare.hms.harvard.edu/perspectives/articles/mobile-clinics-in-the-us-health-system#:~:text=Mobileclinicsareaproven,thecriticalweeksafterbirth American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ Birth Centers in Massachusettshttps://baystatebirth.org/birth-centers A Brief History of Midwifery in Americahttps://www.ohsu.edu/womens-health/brief-history-midwifery-america Clinical outcomes improve when patient's and surgeon's ethnicity match, study showshttps://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/clinical-outcomes-patients-surgeons-concordanceThe Controversial Birth of American Gynecologyhttps://researchblog.duke.edu/2023/10/27/the-controversial-birth-of-american-gynecology/ 'Father Of Gynecology,' Who Experimented On Slaves, No Longer On Pedestal In NYChttps://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/17/603163394/-father-of-gynecology-who-experimented-on-slaves-no-longer-on-pedestal-in-nyc Governor Healey Signs Maternal Health Bill, Expanding Access to Midwifery, Birth Centers and Doulas in Massachusettshttps://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-signs-maternal-health-bill-expanding-access-to-midwifery-birth-centers-and-doulas-in-massachusetts#:~:text=GovernorHealeySignsMaternalHealthBillCExpanding,ExecutiveOfficeofHealthandHumanServices Governor Murphy Signs Bill Establishing Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Centerhttps://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562023/approved/20230717a.shtml Helping Mothers and Children Thrive: Rethinking CMS's Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Modelhttps://www.milbank.org/quarterly/opinions/helping-mothers-and-children-thrive-rethinking-cmss-transforming-maternal-health-tmah-model/#:~:text=TheTransformingMaternalHealth(TMaH)Model&text=TheTMaHModelfocuseson,midwiferyservicesanddoulacare The Historical Significance of Doulas and Midwiveshttps://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-significance-doulas-and-midwivesInfant Health and Mortality and Black/African Americanhttps://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/infant-health-and-mortality-and-blackafrican-americans#:~:text=In2022%2Ctheinfantmortality,Figure2 Legislature Passes Comprehensive Maternal Health Billhttps://malegislature.gov/PressRoom/Detail?pressReleaseId=136Life Story: Anarcha, Betsy, and Lucyhttps://wams.nyhistory.org/a-nation-divided/antebellum/anarcha-betsy-lucy/Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Emergency Need for Updated Approach Due to Specific Circumstances, Resources, and Availabilitieshttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11643001/#:~:text=EtiologyandRiskFactorsof,insufficienttreatment%E2%80%9D%5B50%5D March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us Maternity Care Deserthttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/data?top=23 Maternal deaths and mortality rates by state, 2018-2022https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/maternal-mortality/mmr-2018-2022-state-data.pdf Maternal Mortality in the United States After Abortion Banshttps://thegepi.org/maternal-mortality-abortion-bans/#:~:text=In2023%2CTexas'smaternalmortality,suffermaternaldeathin2023 Maternal Mortality in the U.S Declined, though Disparities in the Black Population Persisthttps://policycentermmh.org/maternal-mortality-in-the-u-s-a-declining-trend-with-persistent-racial-disparities-in-the-black-population/Maternal Mortality Is on the Rise: 8 Things To Knowhttps://www.yalemedicine.org/news/maternal-mortality-on-the-rise Maternal Mortality: How the U.S. Compares to Other Rich Countrieshttps://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2024-06-04/how-the-u-s-compares-to-other-rich-countries-in-maternal-mortalityMaternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2021https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2021/maternal-mortality-rates-2021.htm#:~:text=In2021%2C1%2C205womendied,20.1in2019(Table) Medical Exploitation of Black Womenhttps://eji.org/news/history-racial-injustice-medical-exploitation-of-black-women/National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery National Counsel of State Boards of Nursinghttps://www.ncsbn.org/North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Outcome of subsequent pregnancies in women with complete uterine rupture: A population-based case–control studyhttps://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aogs.14338#:~:text=outcomesarerare.-,1INTRODUCTION,experienceacompleteuterinerupture.&text=Completeuterineruptureisdefined,completeruptureofthemyometrium Pregnancy-Related Deaths: Data From Maternal Mortality Review Committees in 36 U.S. States, 2017–2019https://www.cdc.gov/maternal-mortality/php/data-research/mmrc-2017-2019.html Preterm Birthhttps://www.cdc.gov/maternal-infant-health/preterm-birth/index.html#:~:text=Pretermbirthrates&text=In2022%2Cpretermbirthamong,orHispanicwomen(10.1%25) Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health: Current Status and Efforts to Address Themhttps://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/racial-disparities-in-maternal-and-infant-health-current-status-and-efforts-to-address-them/The Racist History of Abortion and Midwifery Banshttps://www.aclu.org/news/racial-justice/the-racist-history-of-abortion-and-midwifery-bans Reducing Disparities in Severe Maternal Morbidity and Mortalityhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5915910/#:~:text=Severemorbidityposesanenormous,ofseverematernalmorbidityevents State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef The State of Telehealth Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemichttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9035352/ Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ U.S. maternal death rate increasing at an alarming ratehttps://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2024/03/u-s-maternal-death-rate-increasing-at-an-alarming-rate/Which states have the highest maternal mortality rates?https://usafacts.org/articles/which-states-have-the-highest-maternal-mortality-rates/ Why Equitable Access to Vaginal Birth Requires Abolition of Race-Based Medicinehttps://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/why-equitable-access-vaginal-birth-requires-abolition-race-based-medicine/2022-03 Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications *SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookiebooSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Content warning: pregnancy and birth trauma, medical trauma and negligence. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources Moms Advocating For MomsS23 survivors Markeda, Kristen and Amanda have created a nonprofit, Moms Advocating for Moms, in hopes to create a future where maternal well-being is prioritized, disparities are addressed, and every mother has the resources and support she needs to thrive: https://www.momsadvocatingformoms.org/take-actionhttps://linktr.ee/momsadvocatingformoms Please sign the survivors petitions below to improve midwifery education and regulation in Texashttps://www.change.org/p/improve-midwifery-education-and-regulation-in-texas?recruiter=1336781649&recruited_by_id=74bf3b50-fd98-11ee-9e3f-a55a14340b5a&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink Malik's Law https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB4553 M.A.M.A. has helped file a Texas bill called Malik's Law, which is intended to implement requirements for midwives in Texas to report birth outcomes in hopes of improving transparency and data collection in the midwifery field in partnership with Senator Claudia Ordaz. Markeda's Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/markedasimone/Moms Advocating for Moms Alliance:https://www.instagram.com/momsadvocatingformomsalliance/Dr. Shannon Clark's websitehttps://www.babiesafter35.com/Dr. Shannon Clark on TikTokhttps://www.tiktok.com/@babies_after_35Dr. Shannon Clark on Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/babiesafter35/*Sources:American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ ACOG's Texas Levels of Maternal Care Verification Program: Quality Through Partnershiphttps://www.acog.org/news/news-articles/2018/09/texas-lomc-verification-program-quality-through-partnership A Comprehensive Case Report Emphasizing the Role of Caesarean Section, Antibiotic Prophylaxis, and Post-operative Care in Meconium-Stained Fetal Distress Syndromehttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11370710/#:~:text=Meconium%2Dstainedamnioticfluid(MSAF)oftenleadstomore,andneonatalmortality%5B3%5D The Difference Between Health Equity and Equalityhttps://www.hopkinsacg.org/health-equity-equality-and-disparities/ EMTALA – Transfer Policyhttps://hcahealthcare.com/util/forms/ethics/policies/legal/emtala-facility-sample-policies/generic-emtala-transfer-policy-a.pdf How cuts at the National Institutes of Health could impact Americans' healthhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/nih-layoffs-budget-cuts-medical-research-60-minutes/ Individualized, supportive care key to positive childbirth experience, says WHOhttps://www.who.int/news/item/15-02-2018-individualized-supportive-care-key-to-positive-childbirth-experience-says-who Is a HIPAA Violation Grounds for Termination?https://www.hipaajournal.com/hipaa-violation-grounds-for-termination/#:~:text=AHIPAAviolationcanbe,sanctionspolicyoftheemployer March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us Maternal Safety Series: Joint Commission Case Review Requirementshttps://www.greeley.com/insights/maternal-safety-series-joint-commission-case-review-requirements Meconiumhttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24102-meconium Meconium Aspiration Syndromehttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24620-meconium-aspiration-syndrome Meconium Aspiration Syndrome, Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy and Therapeutic Hypothermia-A Recipe for Severe Pulmonary Hypertension?https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38929252/#:~:text=Infantsbornthroughmeconium%2Dstained,ofthenewborn(PPHN) Medical Auditing Frequently Asked Questionshttps://www.aapc.com/resources/medical-auditing-frequently-asked-questions?srsltid=AfmBOooNLHrxkJi3hp2CO-3OkVj1heZAqWFVu7B-M8njnrJs8R78BBoM Midwifery continuity of care: A scoping review of where, how, by whom and for whom?https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10021789/#:~:text=Midwife%2Dledcontinuitymodelsin,plausiblehypothesesrequirefurtherinvestigation National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Outcome of subsequent pregnancies in women with complete uterine rupture: A population-based case-control studyhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35233771/ Physiology, Pregnancyhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559304/ Pregnant women are less and less able to access maternity carehttps://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pregnant-women-cant-find-doctors-growing-maternity-care-deserts-rcna169609 State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 203. Midwives https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/OC/htm/OC.203.htmTypes of Health Care Quality Measureshttps://www.ahrq.gov/talkingquality/measures/types.html#:~:text=Outcomemeasuresmayseemto,informationabouthealthcarequality The US has the highest rate of maternal deaths among high-income nations. Norway has zerohttps://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/06/04/health/maternal-deaths-high-income-nations U.S. maternal deaths doubled during COVID-19 pandemic, among other findings in new studyhttps://www.brown.edu/news/2025-04-28/maternal-mortality#:~:text=Maternalmortalityratesdeclinedagainin2022,dieeachyearintheUnitedStates What is ‘physiological birth'? A scoping review of the perspectives of women and care providershttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0266613824000482 World Health Organization, Maternal mortalityhttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications *SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookiebooSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to the Sustainable Clinical Medicine Podcast! In this compelling episode, Dr. Sarah Smith sits down with Dr. La Toya Luces-Sampson—known as Dr. Toya—to discuss her transformative journey through medicine, from her beginnings in Trinidad and Tobago to her training as an OB/GYN in the US, and ultimately her bold decision to step away from clinical practice. Dr. Toya candidly opens up about her experiences with burnout in residency and corporate medicine, the toll it took on her personal well-being, and the moments that sparked real change in her career and life. She shares how a leap into entrepreneurship during the COVID-19 pandemic rekindled her confidence and purpose beyond clinical work, eventually inspiring her to become a coach for physician moms navigating medicine and motherhood. Dr. Toya reveals practical tools she used for efficiency, like templates and support systems, and emphasizes the importance of advocacy, boundaries, and accepting support—whether at work or at home. Tune in for an honest, inspiring conversation about resilience, redefining success in medicine, and the power of community and self-compassion in building a sustainable clinical career. Here are 3 key takeaways from this episode: Support Matters at Work and Home: Whether advocating for yourself in a tough clinical environment or building a support system at home, allowing yourself to be supported is crucial. As Dr. La Toya shared, “We have worked so hard to get where we are. Allow yourself to be supported.” Efficiency and Boundaries Fight Burnout: La Toya emphasized the power of systems, templates, and boundaries, both in patient care and personal life. Tackling the inbox right away, leveraging dictation and templates, and having clear work/home boundaries helped her stay efficient—and sane. Burnout Isn't the End—It's a Call to Innovate:Experiencing burnout multiple times gave Dr. La Toya new perspectives and fueled her pivot into entrepreneurship and coaching. She now empowers physician moms to carve their own pathways—inside or outside medicine: “They can stay in medicine if that's what they want. They can leave medicine if that's what they want. They can find their balance.” Dr. La Toya Luces-Sampson Bio: Dr. La Toya Luces-Sampson aka Dr. Toya, is a wife, mother, board-certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist, perinatal mental health specialist, and Coach. She helps Physician Moms thrive in medicine and motherhood without complete self-sacrifice. With over a decade of experience in women's health, Dr. Toya empowers physician moms through private and group coaching and her podcast, ✨Stethoscopes and Strollers✨ a space where physician moms can feel a little more seen and a lot less alone. -------------- Would you like to view a transcript of this episode? Click here Learn more about our guest: Website: https://drtoyacoaching.com Podcast: https://www.drtoyacoaching.com/podcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latoya.luces.5/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drtoyacoaching LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/latoyalucessampson YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFusqULGoxtWl0IOyJPBZ-w **** Charting Champions is a premiere, lifetime access Physician only program that is helping Physicians get home with today's work done. All the proven tools, support and community you need to create time for your life outside of medicine. Learn more at https://www.chartingcoach.ca **** Enjoying this podcast? Please share it with someone who would benefit. Also, don't forget to hit “follow” so you get all the new episodes as soon as they are released. **** Come hang out with me on Facebook or Instagram. Follow me @chartingcoach to get more practical tools to help you create sustainable clinical medicine in your life. **** Questions? Comments? Want to share how this podcast has helped you? Shoot me an email at admin@reachcareercoaching.ca. I would love to hear from you.

This is the 11th episode in my Pharmacist Podcasters Series. My guests and I talk about podcasting to inspire you to start your own podcast, be a podcast guest, or use your voice in general. If you're interested in podcasting, pod-guesting or public speaking, you need to listen to this episode. My guest today is Dr. Danielle Plummer, host of the MaternalRx Podcast on the Pharmacy Podcast Network.    Pharmacists can play a crucial role in maternal health. Advocacy and education are critical in improving maternal care. Listen and learn from Dr. Plummer on the MaternalRx Podcast!    Click to read the FULL show notes: https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast (select episode 329)   Bio - Danielle Plummer, PharmD (May 2025) Danielle Plummer, PharmD, is a third-generation pharmacist and host of the MaternalRx podcast on the Pharmacy Podcast Network. She earned her PharmD from Creighton University in 2016 and has since had a broad pharmacy career spanning retail, hospital, consulting, and medical affairs.   Combining clinical expertise with lived experience, Danielle specializes in supporting pregnant patients, particularly those suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG). After studying treatments for other diseases of malnutrition in pharmacy school, she became certified in pharmacogenetics and as an antepartum doula. This, along with a community of pharmacy entrepreneurs, inspired her to launch HG Pharmacist©, a blog to share information about HG, which later grew into Obstet-Rx©, a consulting company offering personalized medication management and patient advocacy to women worldwide.   Her subject matter expertise has led to board member appointments, speaking engagements, and media contributions for international magazines. In her work as an MSL, she has supported diagnostics for preeclampsia (sFlt-1/PlGF) and procalcitonin, as well as therapies for iron deficiency anemia and small cell lung cancer.   Through her podcast, Danielle shows how pharmacists play a key role in improving maternal outcomes. (End bio)    Backstory Danielle and I met at Medipreneurs several years ago and have kept in touch. I enjoyed getting to know her better during this interview. She has transformed her career since we first met, and I'm proud of her for starting a podcast.    The Pharmacy Podcast Network is an important part of Danielle's story. They produce and distribute the MaternalRx Podcast on their network. If you'd like to start a podcast on the Pharmacy Podcast Network, please reach out to Todd Eury via email: publisher@pharmacypodcast.com.   Share this episode! If you know someone who might like the MaternalRx Podcast, please share this episode with them. If you would like to be a guest on the MaternalRx Podcast or nominate a guest for the MaternalRx Podcast, please contact Dr. Danielle Plummer through LinkedIn or her other social media channels. She is also open to pod-guesting on other podcasts and speaking at events. Reach out to Dr. Plummer directly through LinkedIn or her other social media channels.   Subscribe to or follow The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast on your favorite podcast player and YouTube to get each new episode right when it comes out.   Apple Podcasts   https://apple.co/42yqXOG  Spotify  https://spoti.fi/3qAk3uY  Amazon/Audible  https://adbl.co/43tM45P YouTube https://bit.ly/43Rnrjt   Thank you for listening today. Happy Mother's Day if you're a Mom or a Mom-to-Be!   If you need help starting your podcast, I can help. Get my FREE eBook or audiobook version on kimnewlove.com/podcasting or Amazon https://amzn.to/4iAKNBs. I also teach a self-paced, online course and work with clients by-the-hour. Listen to my episodes about podcasting in my back catalog on thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast.    Links from this episode  Danielle's Blog: https://pregnancyvomiting.com/  Danielle's consulting website: https://hgpharmacist.com/ Facebook Group: Extreme Pregnancy Vomiting Education https://www.facebook.com/groups/hgsolutions MaternalRx Podcast https://maternityrx.podbean.com/  Pharmacy Podcast Network https://pharmacypodcast.com/shows/  Todd Eury's email publisher@PharmacyPodcast.com  Danielle Plummer, PharmD on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellerplummer Connect with Danielle on Instagram @obstet_rx https://www.instagram.com/obstet_rx/  Connect on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/HGClinicalSolutions  Subscribe to Danielle's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@hgpharmacist  Follow Danielle on Twitter (X) https://x.com/Obstet_Rx  Follow Danielle on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/hgpharmacist/    Resources Mentioned HER Foundation https://hyperemesis.org  Preeclampsia Foundation https://www.preeclampsia.org/  Pregnancy Sickness Support (UK) https://pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/  PharmGKB (Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base) https://www.pharmgkb.org/  CPIC (Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium) https://cpicpgx.org/  ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) https://www.acog.org/  UpToDate (Resource, Retail Pharmacists) https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/solutions/uptodate/industries/retail-pharmacy  Lexicomp is now Lexidrug  Micromedex https://www.micromedexsolutions.com/home/dispatch  Medscape https://www.medscape.com/  A Dose of Support Podcast on Spotify (April 2021 with Vanessa Kasper DNP, Host) featuring guest Dr. Danielle Plummer, PharmD https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qSIGIQ7lw6yO9rKNwi8Jg?si=9e97101b886f4f26     Kim's websites and social media links: ✅ Guest Application Form (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast) https://bit.ly/41iGogX  ✅ Monthly email newsletter sign-up link https://bit.ly/3AHJIaF  ✅ LinkedIn Newsletter https://bit.ly/40VmV5B ✅ Business website https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com ✅ The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast ✅ Pronounce Drug Names Like a Pro © Online Course https://www.kimnewlove.com  ✅ FREE Podcasting eBook/audiobook combo https://www.kimnewlove.com/podcasting  ✅ Podcasting Online Course https://www.kimnewlove.com/podcasting  ✅ Private Podcasting Coaching or Consulting https://www.kimnewlove.com/private-coaching  ✅ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnewlove ✅ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kim.newlove.96 ✅ Twitter https://twitter.com/KimNewloveVO ✅ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimnewlovevo/ ✅ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3UyhNBi9CCqIMP8t1wRZQ ✅ ACX (Audiobook Narrator Profile) https://www.acx.com/narrator?p=A10FSORRTANJ4Z ✅ Start a podcast with the same coach who helped me get started (Dave Jackson from The School of Podcasting)! **Affiliate Link - NEW 9-8-23**      Thank you for listening to episode 329 of The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast.  If you know someone who would like this episode, please share it with them!   Pharmacist Podcasters Series Part 1 with Ola Latala, PharmD (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 248) Part 2 with Deeb Eid, PharmD (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 253) Part 3 with Justin Cole, PharmD (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 257) Part 4 with Christina Fontana, PharmD The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 262 Part 5 with Tony Dao, PharmD The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 266 Part 6 with Dr. H (Hussam Hamoush, PharmD) The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 275 Part 7 with Julie Doan, PharmD The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 297 Part 8 with Tim Ulbrich, PharmD The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 306  Part 9 with Zain Syed, PharmD The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 310 Part 10 with Rachel Gainsbrugh, PharmD The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast Episode 323  Part 11 with Danielle Plummer, PharmD (TODAY!) 

*Content warning: infant loss, miscarriage, birth trauma, medical trauma, medical neglect, body image abuse, mature and stressful themes. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources Moms Advocating For MomsS23 survivors Markeda, Kristen and Amanda have created a nonprofit, Moms Advocating for Moms, in hopes to create a future where maternal well-being is prioritized, disparities are addressed, and every mother has the resources and support she needs to thrive: https://www.momsadvocatingformoms.org/take-actionhttps://linktr.ee/momsadvocatingformoms Please sign the survivors petitions below to improve midwifery education and regulation in Texashttps://www.change.org/p/improve-midwifery-education-and-regulation-in-texas?recruiter=1336781649&recruited_by_id=74bf3b50-fd98-11ee-9e3f-a55a14340b5a&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink Malik's Law https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB4553 M.A.M.A. has helped file a Texas bill called Malik's Law, which is intended to implement requirements for midwives in Texas to report birth outcomes in hopes of improving transparency and data collection in the midwifery field in partnership with Senator Claudia Ordaz. *Sources:American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ Blood clots and pregnancyhttps://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/pregnancy/blood-clots-and-pregnancy#:~:text=Although%20birthing%20people%20with%20blood,both%20you%20and%20your%20baby.Chorioamnionitishttps://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=chorioamnionitis-90-P02441#:~:text=Chorioamnionitis%20is%20an%20infection%20of,smell%20from%20the%20amniotic%20fluid. Cross border reproductive care (CBRC): a growing global phenomenon with multidimensional implications (a systematic and critical review)https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6063838/#:~:text=In%20vitro%20fertilization%20and%20intracytoplasmic,Belgium%20%5B37%E2%80%9344%5D. Detection of Proteinuria in Pregnancy: Comparison of Qualitative Tests for Proteins and Dipsticks with Urinary Protein Creatinine Indexhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3809617/#:~:text=Background%20and%20Objectives%3A%20Excretion%20of,the%20patient%20or%20her%20pregnancy. Egg Donation and IVF in Czech Republichttps://www.eggdonationfriends.com/ivf-egg-donation-country-czech-republic/#:~:text=in%20Czech%20Republic-,IVF%20cost%20in%20Czech%20Republic,much%20from%20the%20European%20average.&text=It%20also%20needs%20to%20be,frozen%20embryo%20transfer Fundal Heighthttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22294-fundal-height HELLP Syndromehttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21637-hellp-syndrome High Blood Pressure–Understanding the Silent Killerhttps://www.fda.gov/drugs/special-features/high-blood-pressure-understanding-silent-killer#:~:text=Normal%20pressure%20is%20120/80,manage%20your%20high%20blood%20pressure? In vitro fertilization (IVF)https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/in-vitro-fertilization/about/pac-20384716#:~:text=Research%20suggests%20that%20IVF%20slightly,or%20ovarian%20cancer%20after%20IVF%20. Magnesium - Uses, Side Effects, and Morehttps://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-998/magnesium March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Placental Abruptionhttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9435-placental-abruption Placenta and Heart Researchhttps://www.ohsu.edu/knight-cardiovascular-institute/placenta-and-heart-research#:~:text=By%20the%20end%20of%20pregnancy,area%20for%20uptake%20of%20nutrients. Postpartum Hemorrhagehttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22228-postpartum-hemorrhage Preeclampsiahttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17952-preeclampsia Preeclampsia - Signs & Symptoms https://www.preeclampsia.org/signs-and-symptoms#:~:text=Weight%20gain%20of%20more%20than,the%20kidneys%20to%20be%20excreted.&text=Do%20not%20try%20to%20lose%20weight%20during%20pregnancy%20by%20restricting%20your%20diet.Pregnancy weight gain: What's healthy?https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-weight-gain/art-20044360 Prothrombin Gene Mutationhttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21810-prothrombin-gene-mutation Prothrombin 20210 Mutation (Factor II Mutation)https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.cir.0000135582.53444.87#:~:text=There%20are%20also%20implications%20of,a%20baby%20of%20small%20size. The Risks of Prothrombin Gene Mutation in Pregnancyhttps://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/prothrombin-gene-mutation#What-Are-the-Risks-of-Prothrombin-Mutation-in-Pregnancy State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Texas Health, Week by Week https://www.texashealth.org/baby-care/Week-by-Week Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 203. Midwives https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/OC/htm/OC.203.htmWhat are high blood pressure numbers?https://www.lancastergeneralhealth.org/health-hub-home/2023/february/what-are-high-blood-pressure-numbers#:~:text=Normal:%20Less%20than%20120/80,Avoid%20secondhand%20smoke. White Coat Syndromehttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23989-white-coat-syndrome Why Won't an Attorney Take My Texas Medical Malpractice Case?https://www.hastingsfirm.com/your-case-and-texas-law/ Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications 24-Hour Urine Collectionhttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/24hour-urine-collection#:~:text=A%2024%2Dhour%20urine%20collection%20is%20a%20simple%20lab%20test,is%20returned%20to%20the%20lab. 40 years later, why is IVF still not covered by insurance? Economics, ignorance and sexismhttps://www.cnn.com/2018/07/25/health/ivf-insurance-parenting-strauss/index.html *SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookiebooSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Colorado and Oklahoma are two states debating the place of religion in public schools. A new study finds the risks of taking the abortion pill are drastically greater than we've been told. And new research debunks the supposed perils of marrying early.   Recommendations IFS: Marry Early And Flourish Together The Austin Institute: The Economics of Sex How to Think Like Socrates by Donald J. Robertson Socrates Meets Jesus by Peter Kreeft The Colson Fellows Program Segment 1 - Public Education and Religion FOX: Colorado parents unload on liberal lawmakers, prompting changes to controversial gender bill Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond Oral Argument Clergy in the Classroom by David Noebel, J.F. Baldwin, and Kevin Bywater Segment 2 - Bombshell Abortion Pill Study The Abortion Pill Harms Women: Insurance Data Reveals One in Ten Patients Experiences a Serious Adverse Event Breakpoint: New Report: The Abortion Pill Harms Women What Would You Say?: Is the ‘Abortion Pill' as Safe as Tylenol? Segment 3 - The Benefits of Marrying Early IFS: Marry Early And Flourish Together The Metropolitan Review: Would You Rather Have Married Young? The Colson Fellows Program Segment 4 - Listener Questions Send in a question for Breakpoint at Breakpoint.org American Association of Pro-life Obstetricians and Gynecologists  Christian Dental Association The Center for Bioethics & Human Dignity National Review: HHS Report Exposes the Risks of Gender Experimentation on Children __________ Get access to the FREE course Hope Always: How to Be a Force for Life in a Culture of Suicide at colsoneducators.org. Join the Colson Center as a Cornerstone Monthly Partner at colsoncenter.org/monthly.

*Content warning: birth trauma, medical trauma, medical neglect, mature and stressful themes. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources Moms Advocating For MomsS23 survivors Markeda, Kristen and Amanda have created a nonprofit, Moms Advocating for Moms, in hopes to create a future where maternal well-being is prioritized, disparities are addressed, and every mother has the resources and support she needs to thrive: https://www.momsadvocatingformoms.org/take-actionhttps://linktr.ee/momsadvocatingformoms Please sign the survivors petitions below to improve midwifery education and regulation in Texashttps://www.change.org/p/improve-midwifery-education-and-regulation-in-texas?recruiter=1336781649&recruited_by_id=74bf3b50-fd98-11ee-9e3f-a55a14340b5a&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink Malik's Law https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB4553 M.A.M.A. has helped file a Texas bill called Malik's Law, which is intended to implement requirements for midwives in Texas to report birth outcomes in hopes of improving transparency and data collection in the midwifery field in partnership with Senator Claudia Ordaz. *Sources:ACTH Treatment of Infantile Spasmshttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3092432/ American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ Hypothermia Therapy (Neonatal Cooling)https://hiehelpcenter.org/treatment/hypothermia-therapy/#:~:text=Hypothermiatherapyinvolvescoolingthe,degreesFahrenheit Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/hypoxic-ischemic-encephalopathy-hie Ina May's Guide to Childbirthhttps://birthworks.org/product/ina-mays-guide-to-childbirth/March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us Meconium Aspiration Syndromehttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/meconium-aspiration-syndrome National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery NICU Levelshttps://www.childrenscolorado.org/doctors-and-departments/departments/neonatal-intensive-care-unit/nicu-family-resources/nicu-levels/#:~:text=WhatisaLevelIV,theirgestationalageatbirth. North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Office for Civil Rightshttps://www.hhs.gov/ocr/index.htmlPhenobarbitalhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532277/#:~:text=Phenobarbitalsapotentcytochrome,possibleinteractionbetweenthemedications. State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Texas Administrative Code Rule §115.117https://texas-sos.appianportalsgov.com/rules-and-meetings?interface=LANDING_PAGE Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Applying for a new License with TDLR:https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/midwives/apply.htmTexas Health and Human Services Birthing Centershttps://www.hhs.texas.gov/providers/health-care-facilities-regulation/birthing-centersTotal body cooling: Saving babies' lives after emergency deliveryhttps://utswmed.org/medblog/total-body-cooling-saving-babies-lives-after-emergency-delivery/ What is ACTH Therapy (Corticotropin/ACTHAR Gel) for Infantile Spasms?https://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/Pharmacy/ACTHInjections.pdf When Do Babies Start Crawling?https://www.pampers.com/en-us/baby/development/article/when-do-babies-crawl Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications *SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookiebooSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Joelle Taylor, MD, FACOG is a board-certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is an active member of several leading scientific societies, including the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the Society of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (SREI), the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).   Dr. Taylor earned her medical degree from the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in 2006. As a recipient of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scholar Award, she dedicated a year to research at the National Institutes of Health during her medical training. She went on to complete her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wake Forest University in 2010, followed by a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the renowned Jones Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Norfolk, Virginia—home to the first IVF baby in the United States.   Throughout her career, Dr. Taylor has been recognized with multiple research grants, has published extensively, and has presented her work at national conferences.   Outside of her professional pursuits, Dr. Taylor lives in Jupiter with her family and their Australian Labradoodle. She enjoys weightlifting, yoga, playing pickleball, and cooking for family and friends.

*Content warning: descriptions of medical trauma, death, infant loss, birthing trauma, medical trauma, medical neglect, mature and stressful themes. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources Moms Advocating For MomsS23 survivors Markeda, Kristen and Amanda have created a nonprofit, Moms Advocating for Moms, in hopes to create a future where maternal well-being is prioritized, disparities are addressed, and every mother has the resources and support she needs to thrive: https://www.momsadvocatingformoms.org/take-actionhttps://linktr.ee/momsadvocatingformoms Please sign the survivors petitions below to improve midwifery education and regulation in Texashttps://www.change.org/p/improve-midwifery-education-and-regulation-in-texas?recruiter=1336781649&recruited_by_id=74bf3b50-fd98-11ee-9e3f-a55a14340b5a&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink Malik's Law https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB4553 M.A.M.A. has helped file a Texas bill called Malik's Law, which is intended to implement requirements for midwives in Texas to report birth outcomes in hopes of improving transparency and data collection in the midwifery field in partnership with Senator Claudia Ordaz. *Sources:American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ Birth Settings in America: Outcomes, Quality, Access, and Choice, Maternal and Newborn Care in the United Stateshttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK555484/#:~:text=Federal%20law%20requires%20that%20most%20insurance%20companies,if%20they%20and%20their%20babies%20are%20healthy.&text=Midwives7%20provide%20care%20throughout%20the%20prenatal%20period%20for%20families%20planning%20a%20home%20birth. Cooling Therapy Treatment for HIEhttps://birthinjurycenter.org/hypoxic-ischemic-encephalopathy-hie/cooling-treatment-for-hie/#:~:text=Clinical%20trials%20have%20shown%20that,of%20death%20or%20brain%20damage. March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Postpartum Hemorrhagehttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22228-postpartum-hemorrhage Raynaud's diseasehttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/raynauds-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20363571 State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications *SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookiebooSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hollis was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of two, leading to a lifetime of doctor visits and deeply ingrained messages that her body was chronically broken. Because of this history and diagnosis, when she found out she was pregnant, her first response was tears—she knew she would be fighting an uphill battle for the natural birth she desired. Even though her condition was well managed, no midwife in town would take her as a client, leaving her with only two options: receive no care at all, or be treated by a high-risk obstetrician. This is where her battle began. If you love the show, I would greatly appreciate a review on  Spotify or Apple Podcasts!  Follow me on Instagram @healingbirth Do you have a birth story you'd like to share on the podcast, or would like to otherwise connect? I love to hear from you! Send me a note at contactus@healingbirth.net Check out the website for lots of other birth related offerings, and personalized support: www.healingbirth.net Intro / Outro music: Dreams by Markvard Podcast cover photo by Karina Jensen @karinajensenphoto

*Content warning: medical trauma and neglect, threat of life, mature and stressful themes, pregnancy and infant loss. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources Moms Advocating For MomsS23 survivors Markeda, Kristen and Amanda have created a nonprofit, Moms Advocating for Moms, in hopes to create a future where maternal well-being is prioritized, disparities are addressed, and every mother has the resources and support she needs to thrive: https://www.momsadvocatingformoms.org/take-actionhttps://linktr.ee/momsadvocatingformoms Please sign the survivors petitions below to improve midwifery education and regulation in Texashttps://www.change.org/p/improve-midwifery-education-and-regulation-in-texas?recruiter=1336781649&recruited_by_id=74bf3b50-fd98-11ee-9e3f-a55a14340b5a&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink Malik's Law https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB4553 M.A.M.A. has helped file a Texas bill called Malik's Law, which is intended to implement requirements for midwives in Texas to report birth outcomes in hopes of improving transparency and data collection in the midwifery field in partnership with Senator Claudia Ordaz. *Sources:American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ ACOG, Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring During Laborhttps://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/fetal-heart-rate-monitoring-during-labor Amniotomyhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470167/#:~:text=Amniotomy%2C%20also%20known%20as%20artificial,commonly%20performed%20during%20labor%20management. March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ The Second Trimesterhttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/the-second-trimester#:~:text=The%20second%20trimester%20is%20the,grow%20in%20length%20and%20weight. Stages of labor and birthhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/in-depth/stages-of-labor/art-20046545 State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ What to Know About Cervical Dilationhttps://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/cervix-dilation-chart Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications *SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookiebooThe Webby Awards (2025)Exciting news! Something Was Wrong is nominated for Best Crime & Justice Podcast at the 2025 Webby Awards. We'd love and appreciate your support—cast your vote today!https://vote.webbyawards.com/PublicVoting#/2025/podcasts/shows/crime-justice*Please note: the first airing of this episode stated that Rachel was a CNM, she is a CPM and LM so we corrected this error within an hour of release. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Content warning: Pregnancy loss, miscarriage, death of a child, infant loss, death, birth trauma, medical trauma, medical neglect, racism, mature and stressful themes. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources Moms Advocating For MomsS23 survivors Markeda, Kristen and Amanda have created a nonprofit, Moms Advocating for Moms, in hopes to create a future where maternal well-being is prioritized, disparities are addressed, and every mother has the resources and support she needs to thrive: https://www.momsadvocatingformoms.org/take-actionhttps://linktr.ee/momsadvocatingformoms Please sign the survivors petitions below to improve midwifery education and regulation in Texashttps://www.change.org/p/improve-midwifery-education-and-regulation-in-texas?recruiter=1336781649&recruited_by_id=74bf3b50-fd98-11ee-9e3f-a55a14340b5a&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink *Sources:American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ A Midwife's Approach to Getting Labor Startedhttps://avivaromm.com/labor-induction-low-natural-approaches-midwife-md/ Bathing Your Babyhttps://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/bathing-skin-care/Pages/Bathing-Your-Newborn.aspx Fetal presentation before birthhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/fetal-positions/art-20546850 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/php/resources/health-insurance-portability-and-accountability-act-of-1996-hipaa.html#:~:text=The%20Health%20Insurance%20Portability%20and,from%20disclosure%20without%20patient's%20consent. March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Office for Civil Rightshttps://www.hhs.gov/ocr/index.html State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Texas Administrative Code Title 26, Chapter 503 - Birthing Centershttps://regulations.justia.com/states/texas/title-26/part-1/chapter-503/subchapter-d/section-503-34/ Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Texas Health and Human Services Birthing Centershttps://www.hhs.texas.gov/providers/health-care-facilities-regulation/birthing-centersWhat Happens at Appointments Once My Baby is Born?https://www.communitycaremidwives.com/faq.html#:~:text=Midwives%20provide%20care%20for%20both,six%20weeks%20after%20the%20birth.&text=breastfeeding%20support.,their%20family%20doctor%20for%20care. Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications *SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookiebooSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What role do prenatal vitamins play in fertility and pregnancy? When should you start taking them to support a healthy pregnancy? And how do you choose the best prenatal vitamin with the right nutrients? In this episode of Brave & Curious, Dr. Shahine explores the essential role of prenatal vitamins in supporting both fertility and pregnancy. She explains the importance of these supplements, when to start taking them, the difference between folic acid and folate, and what key nutrients to look for. She also discusses recommended daily intakes and how different vitamins—like folic acid, iron, calcium, and DHA—contribute to the health of both mother and baby. Listeners will learn how to evaluate the quality of prenatal supplements and ensure they meet expert guidelines, including recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Whether you're trying to conceive or already pregnant, this episode is full of the knowledge to make informed choices about prenatal nutrition. In this episode you'll hear: [1:09] Why prenatal vitamins are essential [2:43] When should you start taking a prenatal vitamin? [3:32] Key nutrients in prenatal vitamins Folic acid vs folate Iron Calcium Vitamin D Others [15:21] Choosing the right prenatal vitamin brand [15:55] Making an informed choice    Dr. Shahine's Weekly Newsletter on Fertility News and Recommendations Follow @drlorashahine Instagram | YouTube | Tiktok | Her Books  

*Content warning: infant loss, death, birth trauma, medical trauma and neglect, fraud, scams. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources Moms Advocating For MomsMarkeda, Kristen and Amanda have created a nonprofit, Moms Advocating for Moms, in hopes to create a future where maternal well-being is prioritized, disparities are addressed, and every mother has the resources and support she needs to thrive: https://linktr.ee/momsadvocatingformoms Please sign the survivors petition below to improve midwifery education and regulation in Texas: https://tinyurl.com/SWWS23 *Sources:American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ Balance billing: Independent Dispute Resolutionhttps://www.tdi.texas.gov/medical-billing/index.html#:~:text=Texas%20and%20federal%20laws%20prohibit,with%20a%20surprise%20medical%20bill. CMS, The No Surprises Act's Prohibitions on Balancing Billinghttps://www.cms.gov/files/document/a274577-1a-training-1-balancing-billingfinal508.pdf Do Certified Professional Midwives Need Medical Malpractice Insurance? Understanding the Legal Requirementshttps://www.rcins.com/do-certified-professional-midwives-need-medical-malpractice-insurance-understanding-the-legal-requirements/#:~:text=Texas%3A%20In%20contrast%2C%20Texas%20does,to%20carry%20medical%20malpractice%20insurance. How Expanding the Role of Midwives in U.S. Health Care Could Help Address the Maternal Health Crisishttps://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2023/may/expanding-role-midwives-address-maternal-health-crisis#:~:text=Midwives%20are%20licensed%20health%20care,women%20at%20double%20the%20rate. Implementation of 2015 Sunset Recommendationshttps://www.sunset.texas.gov/public/uploads/files/reports/Implementation%20of%202015%20Sunset%20Recommendations.pdf The Legislative Process in Texashttps://tlc.texas.gov/docs/legref/legislativeprocess.pdf National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Practicing Medicine Without a Licensehttps://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/practicing-medicine-without-a-license.htm#:~:text=Many%20states%20make%20it%20a,fine%20of%20up%20to%20%2410%2C000. Regulation of Birth Attendants in Texashttps://texashomebirth.com/regulation-2/ Texas Board of Nursing https://www.bon.texas.gov/ Texas Department of Insurance https://www.tdi.texas.gov/ Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ TDLR, Midwives Penalties and Sanctionshttps://www.tdlr.texas.gov/enforcement/midsanctions.htm Texas Health and Human Serviceshttps://www.hhs.texas.gov/ Texas Medical Board (TMB)https://www.tmb.state.tx.us/ State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patients, by Morgan Young for WFAA (March 29, 2024) https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef What Do OB/GYN Nurse Practitioners Do?https://nursa.com/specialty-post/what-do-ob-gyn-nurse-practitoners-do#:~:text=OB/GYN%20nurse%20practitioners%20are,not%20licensed%20to%20deliver%20babies. What Is the Texas Medical Malpractice Statute of Limitations?https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/what-the-texas-statute-limitations-medical-malpractice-lawsuits.html#:~:text=Like%20a%20lot%20of%20states,and%20Remedies%20Code%20section%2074.251. Which states have the highest maternal mortality rates?https://usafacts.org/articles/which-states-have-the-highest-maternal-mortality-rates/ Why Won't an Attorney Take My Texas Medical Malpractice Case?https://www.hastingsfirm.com/your-case-and-texas-law/#:~:text=Texas%20law%20has%20made%20medical,and%20many%20hours%20of%20deposition. Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications *SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On Spotify // On Apple Music // https://www.emilywolfemusic.com/ // instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Content warning: death of an infant, infant loss, death, birth trauma, medical trauma, medical neglect, racism, mature and stressful themes. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources Moms Advocating For MomsS23 survivors Markeda, Kristen and Amanda have created a nonprofit, Moms Advocating for Moms, in hopes to create a future where maternal well-being is prioritized, disparities are addressed, and every mother has the resources and support she needs to thrive: https://www.momsadvocatingformoms.org/take-actionhttps://linktr.ee/momsadvocatingformoms Please sign the survivors petitions below to improve midwifery education and regulation in Texashttps://www.change.org/p/improve-midwifery-education-and-regulation-in-texas?recruiter=1336781649&recruited_by_id=74bf3b50-fd98-11ee-9e3f-a55a14340b5a&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink Malik's Law https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB4553 M.A.M.A. has helped file a Texas bill called Malik's Law, which is intended to implement requirements for midwives in Texas to report birth outcomes in hopes of improving transparency and data collection in the midwifery field in partnership with Senator Claudia Ordaz. *Sources:American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ Electronic Records and Audit Trailshttps://www.millerweisbrod.com/docs/max/Electronic_Records_and_Audit_Trails.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com Intravenous nutrient therapy: the "Myers' cocktail"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12410623/ It's dangerous for Black women to give birth in Texas, and it could be about to get worsehttps://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/mar/17/texas-black-women-maternal-healthcare-crisis-medicaid March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us Meconiumhttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24102-meconium Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC)https://www.meacschools.org/ National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Oxytocin: The love hormonehttps://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/oxytocin-the-love-hormone Racism in the health care system is killing Black pregnant Texanshttps://www.texasstandard.org/stories/racism-in-the-health-care-system-is-killing-black-pregnant-texans/ Racism, Sexism, and the Crisis of Black Women's Healthhttps://www.bu.edu/articles/2023/racism-sexism-and-the-crisis-of-black-womens-health/ State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications *SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookiebooSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Shilpa Babbar, a double board-certified maternal-fetal medicine specialist and OB/GYN, joins Dr. Rebecca Dekker to discuss the role of integrative obstetrics in pregnancy and birth. Dr. Babbar shares her journey into maternal-fetal medicine, how she became interested in yoga and breathing techniques, and the growing body of research on prenatal yoga. They discuss how breathwork can support pregnant individuals, the physiological effects of deep breathing, and how birth workers can incorporate these techniques into prenatal care. Dr. Babbar also shares her experience using alternate nostril breathing to manage blood pressure during pregnancy and her vision for making integrative therapies a standard part of obstetric care.   (01:41) Dr. Babbar's Journey into Maternal-Fetal Medicine (04:16) How Yoga and Prenatal Yoga Research Began (09:37) Studying the Effects of Prenatal Yoga on Pregnancy (12:46) Yoga's Impact on Labor Duration (14:33) The Role of Breathwork in Pregnancy (17:48) How Dr. Babbar Used Breathing Techniques for Her Own Pregnancy (22:30) The Science Behind Alternate Nostril Breathing (28:52) Guided Demonstration of Deep Breathing Techniques (35:10) Applying Breathwork During Pregnancy and Labor (39:08) The Future of Integrative Obstetric Care   Resources Learn more about Dr. Shilpa Babbar's work at drshilpababbar.com Follow the Integrative Obstetric Care Conference on Instagram: @IOBCare   For more information about Evidence Based Birth® and a crash course on evidence based care, visit www.ebbirth.com. Follow us on Instagram and YouTube! Ready to learn more? Grab an EBB Podcast Listening Guide or read Dr. Dekker's book, "Babies Are Not Pizzas: They're Born, Not Delivered!" If you want to get involved at EBB, join our Professional membership (scholarship options available) and get on the wait list for our EBB Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the EBB Childbirth Class.

A short story on a woman contemplating a VBAC after two Cesarean Deliveries.  Vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) after two cesarean deliveries (VBAC-2) is considered a viable option for many women, though it carries certain risks.   The success rate for VBAC-2 is approximately 71.1%, which is slightly lower than the success rate for VBAC after one cesarean (VBAC-1). The risk of uterine rupture in VBAC-2 is 1.36%, which is higher compared to VBAC-1 (0.72%). Additionally, the hysterectomy rate for VBAC-2 is 0.55%, compared to 0.19% for VBAC-1.   The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) supports offering VBAC-2 to women who are appropriate candidates, emphasizing the importance of individualized counseling regarding the risks and benefits.   A retrospective study found that VBAC-2 had a success rate of 76.1%, with no significant differences in neonatal outcomes compared to elective repeat cesarean delivery  VBAC-2 is a viable option with a success rate of around 71.1%, but it carries a higher risk of uterine rupture and other complications compared to VBAC-1. Proper counseling and careful selection of candidates are crucial to optimizing outcomes.   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/maternalresources Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maternalresoruces/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IntegrativeOB Thank you for being part of our community, and until next time, let's continue to support, uplift, and celebrate the incredible journey of working moms and parenthood. Together, we can create a more equitable and nurturing world for all. Shop our book!  The NatureBack Method for Birth https://naturebackbook.myshopify.com/

*Content warning: death, infant loss, pregnancy and birth trauma, medical trauma, medical neglect, racism*Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources ABC's new show, Familicide: https://www.familicide.net/Melissa Espey-Mueller's North Dallas Doula Associates:Website: https://www.northdallasdoulas.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northdallasdoulas/ Moms Advocating For MomsS23 survivors Markeda, Kristen and Amanda have created a nonprofit, Moms Advocating for Moms, in hopes to create a future where maternal well-being is prioritized, disparities are addressed, and every mother has the resources and support she needs to thrive: https://www.momsadvocatingformoms.org/take-actionhttps://linktr.ee/momsadvocatingformoms Please sign the survivors petitions below to improve midwifery education and regulation in Texas:https://www.change.org/p/improve-midwifery-education-and-regulation-in-texas?recruiter=1336781649&recruited_by_id=74bf3b50-fd98-11ee-9e3f-a55a14340b5a&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink Malik's Law https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB4553 M.A.M.A. has helped file a Texas bill called Malik's Law, which is intended to implement requirements for midwives in Texas to report birth outcomes in hopes of improving transparency and data collection in the midwifery field in partnership with Senator Claudia Ordaz. *Sources:Best Doulahttps://bestdoulatraining.com/ CAPPAhttps://cappa.net/training-certification/ DONA Internationalhttps://www.dona.org/ Madriellahttps://madriella.org/ ProDoulahttps://www.prodoula.com/ American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ A Brief History of Midwifery in Americahttps://www.ohsu.edu/womens-health/brief-history-midwifery-america CDC, Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2023https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2023/maternal-mortality-rates-2023.htm CDC, Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortalityhttps://www.cdc.gov/womens-health/features/maternal-mortality.html Geospatial distribution of relative cesarean section rates within the USAhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9284873/ In Mexico, Midwives Offer Care Rooted In Ancestral Traditionhttps://www.pih.org/article/mexico-midwives-offer-care-rooted-ancestral-tradition Insights into the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis: An International Comparisonhttps://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2024/jun/insights-us-maternal-mortality-crisis-international-comparison?utm_source=chatgpt.com March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us Maternal Mortality and Maternity Care in the United States Compared to 10 Other Developed Countrieshttps://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2020/nov/maternal-mortality-maternity-care-us-compared-10-countries National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Racism During Pregnancy and Birthing: Experiences from Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, Latina, and Middle Eastern Womenhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9713108/ Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ US Has Highest Infant, Maternal Mortality Rates Despite the Most Health Care Spendinghttps://www.ajmc.com/view/us-has-highest-infant-maternal-mortality-rates-despite-the-most-health-care-spending What is a freebirth?https://www.pregnancybirthbaby.org.au/what-is-freebirth *SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Content warning: death of an infant, infant loss, death, birth trauma, medical trauma, medical neglect, racism, mature and stressful themes. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources *Sources:American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ Birth Centers Offer Potential to Transform Maternity Care Through Community-Led Approaches that Focus on Families of Colorhttps://ccf.georgetown.edu/2024/08/19/birth-centers-offer-potential-to-transform-maternity-care-through-community-led-approaches-that-focus-on-families-of-color/ CDC, Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2023https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2023/maternal-mortality-rates-2023CDC, Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortalityhttps://www.cdc.gov/womens-health/features/maternal-mortality.html Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice: https://blackmaternalhealth.tufts.edu/Comparative Analysis of Therapeutic Showers and Bathtubs for Pain Management and Labor Outcomes—A Retrospective Cohort Studyhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/Fetal Heart Monitoringhttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/fetal-heart-monitoring Fundal Heighthttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22294-fundal-height Health Equity Among Black Women in the United Stateshttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8020496/ Insights into the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis: An International Comparisonhttps://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2024/jun/insights-us-maternal-mortality-crisis-international-comparison March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us March of Dimes, Data: Heath Insurance/Incomehttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/data?reg=99&top=11&stop=653&lev=1&slev=4&obj=1&sreg=48https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/data?reg=99&top=11&stop=154&lev=1&slev=4&obj=1&sreg=48Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC)https://www.meacschools.org/ Monitoring Baby's Heart Rate During Laborhttps://familydoctor.org/monitoring-babys-heart-rate-labor/ Mucus Plughttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21606-mucus-plugNasal Cannulahttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/25187-nasal-cannula National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery CDC, National Vital Statistics Reportshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-05.pdf North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Water breaking: Understand this sign of laborhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/in-depth/water-breaking/art-20044142Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications*SWW S23 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookiebooSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Originally aired in June 2019 as our 73rd episode, we still often think back to this amazing first conversation we had with Dr. Stuart Fischbein and Midwife Blyss Young!Now, almost 6 years later, the information is just as relevant and impactful as it was then. This episode was a Q&A from our Facebook followers and touches on topics like statistics surrounding VBAC, uterine rupture, uterine abnormalities, insurance companies, breech vaginal delivery, high-risk pregnancies, and a powerful analogy about VBACs and weddings!Birthing Instincts PatreonBirthing BlyssNeeded WebsiteHow to VBAC: The Ultimate Prep Course for ParentsFull Transcript under Episode Details Meagan: Hey, guys. This is one of our re-broadcasted episodes. This is an episode that, in my opinion, is a little gem in the podcast world of The VBAC Link. I really have loved this podcast ever since the date we recorded it. I am a huge fan of Dr. Stu Fischbein and Midwife Blyss and have been since the moment I knew that they existed. I absolutely love listening to their podcast and just all of the amazing things that they have and that they offer. So I wanted to rebroadcast this episode because it was quite down there. It was like our 73rd episode or something like that. And yeah, I love it so much. This week is OB week, and so I thought it'd be fun to kick-off the week with one of my favorite OB doctor's, Stuart Fischbein. So, a little recap of what this episode covers. We go over a lot. We asked for our community to ask questions for these guys, and we went through them. We didn't get to everything, so that was a bummer, but we did get to quite a bit. We talked about things like the chances of VBAC. We talked about the chances of uterine rupture and the signs of uterine rupture. We talked about inducing VBAC. We talked about uterine abnormalities, the desire of where you want to birth and figuring that out. And also, Blyss had a really great analogy to talk about what to do and how we're letting the medical world and insurance and things like that really contemplate where we or dictate where we are birthing. I love that analogy. You guys, seriously, so many questions. It's an episode that you'll probably want to put on repeat because it really is so great to listen to them, and they just speak so directly. I can't get enough of it. So I'm really excited for you guys to dive in today on this. However, I wanted to bring to your attention a couple of the new things that they've had since we recorded this way back when. I also wanted to point out that we will have updated notes in the show notes or updated links in the show notes so you can go check, them out. But one of the first things I wanted to mention was their Patreon. They have a Patreon these days, and I think that it just sounds dreamy. I think you should definitely go find in their Patreon their community through their Patreon. You can check it out at patreon.com, birthinginsinctspodcast.com and of course, you can find them on social media. You can find Dr. Stu at Birthing Instincts or his website at birthinginsincts.com. You can find Blyss and that is B-L-Y-S-S if you are looking for her at birthingblyss on Instagram or birthinblyss.com, and then of course, you can email them. They do take emails with questions and sometimes they even talk about it on their podcast. Their podcast is birthinginsinctspodcast.com, and then you can email them at birthinginsinctspodcast@gmail.com, so definitely check them out. Also, Dr. Stu offers some classes and workshops and things like that throughout the years on the topic of breech. You guys, I love them and really can't wait for you to listen to today's episode.Ladies, I cannot tell you how giddy and excited I have been for the last couple weeks since we knew that these guys were going to record with us. But we have some amazing, special guests today. We have Dr. Stuart Fischbein and Midwife Blyss Young, and we want to share a little bit about them before we get into the questions that all of you guys have asked on our social media platforms.Julie: Absolutely. And when Meagan says we're excited, we are really excited.Meagan: My face is hot right now because I'm so excited.Julie: I'm so excited. Meagan was texting me last night at 11:00 in all caps totally fan-girling out over here. So Dr. Stu and midwife Blyss are pretty amazing and we know that you are going to love them just as much as we do. But before we get into it, and like Meagan said, I'm just going to read their bios so you can know just how legit they really are. First, up. Dr. Stuart Fischbein, MD is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and how much we love ACOG over here at The VBAC Link He's a published author of the book Fearless Pregnancy: Wisdom and Reassurance from a Doctor, a Midwife, and a Mom. He has peer-reviewed papers Home Birth with an Obstetrician, A Series of 135 Out-of-Hospital Births and Breech Births at Home, Outcomes of 60 Breech and 109 Cephalic Planned Home and Birth Center Births. Dr. Stu is a lecturer and advocate who now works directly with home birthing midwives. His website is www.birthinginsincts.com, and his podcast is Dr. Stu's Podcast. Seriously guys, you need to subscribe.Meagan: Go subscribe right now to their podcast.Yeah. The website for his podcast is drstuspodcast.com. He has an international following. He offers hope for women who cannot find supportive practitioners for VBAC and twin and breech deliveries. Guys, this is the home birth OB. He is located in California. So if you are in California hoping for VBAC, especially if you have any special circumstance like after multiple Cesareans, twins or breech presentation, run to him. Run. Go find him. He will help you. Go to that website. Blyss, Midwife Blyss. We really love them. If you haven't had a chance to hear their podcast guys, really go and give them a listen because this duo is on point. They are on fire, and they talk about all of the real topics in birth. So his partner on the podcast is Blyss Young, and she is an LM and CPM. She has been involved in the natural birth world since the birth of her first son in 1992, first as an advocate, and then as an educator. She is a mother of three children, and all of her pregnancies were supported by midwives, two of which were triumphant, empowering home births. In 2006, Blyss co-founded the Sanctuary Birth and Family Wellness Center. This was the culmination of all of her previous experience as a natural birth advocate, educator and environmentalist. The Sanctuary was the first of its kind, a full-spectrum center where midwives, doctors, and other holistic practitioners collaborated to provide thousands of Los Angeles families care during their prenatal and postpartum periods. Blyss closed the Sanctuary in 2015 to pursue her long-held dream of becoming a midwife and care for her clients in an intimate home birth practice similar to the way she was cared for during her pregnancies. I think that's , why Meagan and I both became doulas. Meagan: That's exactly why I'm a doula. Julie: We needed to provide that care just like we had been cared for. Anyway, going on. Currently, Blyss, AKA Birthing Blyss, supports families on their journey as a birth center educator, placenta encapsulator and a natural birth and family consultant and home birth midwife. She is also co-founder of Just Placentas, a company servicing all of Southern California and placenta encapsulation and other postpartum services. And as ,, she's a co-host on Dr. Stu's Podcast. Meagan: And she has a class. Don't you have a class that you're doing? Don't you have a class? Midwife Blyss: Yeah. Meagan: Yeah. She has a class that she's doing. I want to just fly out because I know you're not doing it online and everything. I just want to fly there just to take your class.Midwife Blyss: Yeah, it's coming online.Meagan: It is? Yay! Great. Well, I'll be one of those first registering. Oh, did you put it in there?Julie: No, there's a little bit more.Meagan: Oh, well, I'm just getting ahead.Julie: I just want to read more of Blyss over here because I love this and I think it's so important. At the heart of all Blyss's work is a deep-rooted belief in the brilliant design of our bodies, the symbiotic relationship between baby and mother, the power of the human spirit and the richness that honoring birth as the rite of passage and resurrecting lost traditions can bring to our high-tech, low-touch lives. And isn't that true love? I love that language. It is so beautiful. If I'm not mistaken, Midwife Blyss's website is birthingblyss.com.Is that right? And Blyss is spelled with a Y. So B-L-Y-S-S, birthingblyss.com, and that's where you can find her.Midwife Blyss: Just to make it more complicated, I had to put a Y in there.Julie: Hey. I love it.Meagan: That's okay.Julie: We're in Utah so we have all sorts of weird names over here.Meagan: Yep. I love it. You're unique. Awesome. Well, we will get started.Midwife Blyss: I did read through these questions, and one of the things that I wanted to say that I thought we could let people know is that of course there's a little bit more that we need to take into consideration when we have a uterus that's already had a scar.There's a small percentage of a uterine rupture that we need to be aware of, and we need to know what are the signs and symptoms that we would need to take a different course of action. But besides that, I believe that, and Dr. Stu can speak for himself because we don't always practice together. I believe that we treat VBAC just like any other mom who's laboring. So a lot of these questions could go into a category that you could ask about a woman who is having her first baby. I don't really think that we need to differentiate between those.Meagan: I love it. Midwife Blyss: But I do think that in terms of preparation, there are some special considerations for moms who have had a previous Cesarean, and probably the biggest one that I would point to is the trauma.Julie: Yes.Midwife Blyss: And giving space to and processing the trauma and really helping these moms have a provider that really believes in them, I think is one of the biggest factors to them having success. Meagan: Absolutely. Midwife Blyss: So that's one I wanted to say before you started down the question.Meagan: Absolutely. We have an online class that we provide for VBAC prep, and that's the very first section. It's mentally preparing and physically preparing because there's so much that goes into that. So I love that you started out with that.Julie: Yeah. A lot of these women who come searching for VBAC and realize that there's another way besides a repeat Cesarean are processing a lot of trauma, and a lot of them realized that their Cesarean might have been prevented had they known better, had a different provider, prepared differently, and things like that. Processing that and realizing that is heavy, and it's really important to do before getting into anything else, preparation-wise.Meagan: Yeah.Midwife Blyss: One of the best things I ever had that was a distinction that one of my VBAC moms made for me, and I passed it on as I've cared for other VBAC mom is for her, the justification, or I can't find the right word for it, but she basically said that that statement that we hear so often of, "Yeah, you have trauma from this, or you're not happy about how your birth went, but thank God your baby is healthy." And she said it felt so invalidating for her because, yes, she also was happy, of course, that her baby was safe, but at the same time, she had this experience and this trauma that wasn't being acknowledged, and she felt like it was just really being brushed away.Julie: Ah, yeah.Midwife Blyss: I think really giving women that space to be able to say, "Yes, that's valid. It's valid how you feel." And it is a really important part of the process and having a successful vaginal delivery this go around.Dr. Stu: I tend to be a lightning rod for stories. It's almost like I have my own personal ICAN meeting pretty much almost every day, one-on-one. I get contacted or just today driving. I'm in San Diego today and just driving down here, I talked to two people on the phone, both of whom Blyss really just touched on it is that they both are wanting to have VBACs with their second birth. They were seeing practitioners who are encouraging them to be induced for this reason or that reason. And they both have been told the same thing that Blyss just mentioned that if you end up with a repeat Cesarean, at least you're going to have a healthy baby. Obviously, it's very important. But the thing is, I know it's a cliche, but it's not just about the destination. It's about the journey as well. And one of the things that we're not taught in medical school and residency program is the value of the process. I mean, we're very much mechanical in the OB world, and our job is to get the baby out and head it to the pediatric department, and then we're done with it. If we can get somebody induced early, if we can decide to do a C-section sooner than we should, there's a lot of incentives to do that and to not think about the process and think about the person. There's another cliche which we talk about all the time. Blyss, and I've said it many times. It's that the baby is the candy and the mother's the wrapper. I don't know if you've heard that one, but when the baby comes out, the mother just gets basically tossed aside and her experience is really not important to the medical professionals that are taking care of her in the hospital setting, especially in today's world where you have a shift mentality and a lot of people are being taken care of by people they didn't know.You guys mentioned earlier the importance of feeling safe and feeling secure in whatever setting you're in whether that's at home or in the hospital. Because as Blyss knows, I get off on the mammalian track and you talk about mammals. They just don't labor well when they're anxious.Julie: Yep.Dr. Stu: When the doctor or the health professional is anxious and they're projecting their anxiety onto the mom and the family, then that stuff is brewing for weeks, if not months and who knows what it's actually doing inside, but it's certainly not going to lead to the likelihood of or it's going to diminish the likelihood of a successful labor.Julie: Yeah, absolutely. We talk about that. We go over that a lot. Like, birth is very instinctual and very primal, and it operates a very fundamental core level. And whenever mom feels threatened or anxious or, or anything like that, it literally can st or stop labor from progressing or even starting.Meagan: Yeah, exactly. When I was trying to VBAC with my first baby, my doctor came in and told my husband to tell me that I needed to wake up and smell the coffee because it wasn't happening for me. And that was the last, the last contraction I remember feeling was right before then and my body just shut off. I just stopped because I just didn't feel safe anymore or protected or supported. Yeah, it's very powerful which is something that we love so much about you guys, because I don't even know you. I've just listened to a million of your podcasts, and I feel so safe with you right now. I'm like, you could fly here right now and deliver my baby because so much about you guys, you provide so much comfort and support already, so I'm sure all of your clients can feel that from you.Julie: Absolutely.Dr. Stu: Yeah. I just would like to say that, know, I mean, the introduction was great. Which one of you is Julie? Which one's Meagan?Julie: I'm Julie.Meagan: And I'm Meagan.Dr. Stu: Okay, great. All right, so Julie was reading the introduction that she was talking about how if you have a breech, you have twins, if you have a VBAC, you have all these other things just come down to Southern California and care of it. But I'm not a cowboy. All right? Even though I do more things than most of my colleagues in the profession do, I also say no to people sometimes. I look at things differently. Just because someone has, say chronic hypertension, why can't they have a home birth? The labor is just the labor. I mean, if her blood pressure gets out of control, yeah, then she has to go to the hospital. But why do you need to be laboring in the hospital or induced early if everything is fine? But this isn't for everybody.We want to make that very clear. You need to find a supportive team or supportive practitioner who's willing to be able to say yes and no and give you it with what we call a true informed consent, so that you have the right to choose which way to go and to do what's reasonable. Our ethical obligation is to give you reasonable choices and then support your informed decision making. And sometimes there are things that aren't reasonable. Like for instance, an example that I use all the time is if a woman has a breech baby, but she has a placenta previa, a vaginal delivery is not an option for you. Now she could say, well, I want one and I'm not going to have a C-section.Julie: And then you have the right to refuse that.Dr. Stu: Yeah, yeah, but I mean, that's never going to happen because we have a good communication with our patients. Our communication is such that we develop a trust over the period of time. Sometimes I don't meet people until I'm actually called to their house by a midwife to come assist with a vacuum or something like that. But even then, the midwives and stuff, because I'm sort of known that people have understanding. And then when I'm sitting there, as long as the baby isn't trouble, I will explain to them, here's what's going to happen. Here's how we're going to do it. Here's what's going on. The baby's head to look like this. It not going be a problem. It'll be better in 12 hours. But I go through all this stuff and I say, I'm going to touch you now. Is that okay? I ask permission, and I do all the things that the midwives have taught me, but I never really learned in residency program. They don't teach this stuff.Julie: Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. One of the things that we go over a lot to in our classes is finding a provider who has a natural tendency to treat his patients the way that you want to be treated. That way, you'll have a lot better time when you birth because you're not having to ask them to do anything that they're not comfortable with or that they're not prepared for or that they don't know how to do. And so interviewing providers and interview as many as you need to with these women. And find the provider whose natural ways of treating his clients are the ways that you want to be treated.Dr. Stu: And sometimes in a community, there's nobody.Julie: Yeah, yeah, that's true.Meagan: That's what's so hard.Dr. Stu: And if it's important to you, if it's important to you, then you have to drive on. Julie: Or stand up for yourself and fight really hard.Meagan: I have a client from Russia. She's flying here in two weeks. She's coming all the way to Salt Lake City, Utah to have her baby. We had another client from Russia.Julie: You have another Russian client?Meagan: Yeah. Julie: That's awesome. Meagan: So, yeah. It's crazy. Sometimes you have to go far, far distances, and sometimes you've got them right there. You just have to search. You just have to find them.So it's tricky.Midwife Blyss: Maybe your insurance company is not gonna pay for it.Meagan: Did you say my company's not gonna pay for it?Midwife Blyss: And maybe your insurance company.Meagan: Oh, sure. Yeah, exactly.Midwife Blyss: You can't rely on them to be the ones who support some of these decisions that are outside of the standards of care. You might have to really figure out how to get creative around that area.Meagan: Absolutely.Yeah. So in the beginning, Blyss, you talked about noticing the signs, and I know that's one of the questions that we got on our Instagram, I believe. Birthing at home for both of you guys, what signs for a VBAC mom are signs enough where you talk about different care?.Dr. Stu: I didn't really understand that. Say that again what you were saying.Meagan: Yep. Sorry. So one of the questions on our Instagram was what are the signs of uterine rupture when you're at home that you look for and would transfer care or talk about a different plan of action?Dr. Stu: Okay. Quite simply, some uterine ruptures don't have any warning that they're coming.There's nothing you can do about those. But before we get into what you can feel, just let's review the numbers real briefly so that people have a realistic viewpoint. Because I'm sure if a doctor doesn't want to do a VBAC, you'll find a reason not to do a VBAC. You'll use the scar thickness or the pregnancy interval or whatever. They'll use something to try to talk you out of it or your baby's too big or this kind of thing. We can get into that in a little bit. But when there are signs, the most common sign you would feel is that there'd be increasing pain super-cubically that doesn't go away between contractions. It's a different quality of pain or sensation. It's pain. It's really's becoming uncomfortable. You might start to have variables when you didn't have them before. So the baby's heart rate, you might see heart rate decelerations. Rarely, you might find excessive bleeding, but that's usually not a sign of I mean that's a sign of true rupture.Midwife Blyss: Loss of station.Dr. Stu: Those are things you look for, but again, if you're not augmenting someone, if someone doesn't have an epidural where they don't have sensation, if they're not on Pitocin, these things are very unlikely to happen. I was going to get to the numbers. The numbers are such that the quoted risk of uterine rupture, which is again that crappy word. It sounds like a tire blowing out of the freeway. It is about 1 in 200. But only about 5 to 16%. And even one study said 3%. But let's just even take 16% of those ruptures will result in an outcome that the baby is damaged or dead. Okay, that's about 1 in 6. So the actual risk is about 1 in 6 times 1 in 200 or 1 in 1200 up to about 1 in 4000.Julie: Yep.Dr. Stu: So those are, those are the risks. They're not the 1 in 200 or the 2%. I actually had someone tell some woman that she had a 30% chance of rupture.Julie: We've had somebody say 50%.Meagan: We have?Julie: Yeah. Jess, our 50 copy editor-- her doctor told her that if she tries to VBAC, she has a 50% chance of rupture and she will die. Yeah.Meagan: Wow.Julie: Pretty scary. Dr. Stu: And by the way, a maternal mortality from uterine rupture is extremely rare.Julie: Yeah, we were just talking about that.Dr. Stu: That doctor is wrong on so many accounts. I don't even know where to begin on that.Julie: I know.Dr. Stu: Yeah. See that's the thing where even if someone has a classical Cesarean scar, the risk of rupture isn't 50%.Julie: Yep.Dr. Stu: So I don't know where they come up with those sorts of numbers.Julie: Yeah, I think it's just their comfort level and what they're familiar with and what they know and what they understand. I think a lot of these doctors, because she had a premature Cesarean, and so that's why he was a little, well, a lot more fear-based. Her Cesarean happened, I think, around 32 weeks. We still know that you can still attempt to VBAC and still have a really good chance of having a successful one. But a lot of these providers just don't do it.Dr. Stu: Yeah. And another problem is you can't really find out what somebody's C-section rate is. I mean, you can find out your hospital C-section rate. They can vary dramatically between different physicians, so you really don't know. You'd like to think that physicians are honest. You'd like to think that they're going to tell you the truth. But if they have a high C-section rate and it's a competitive world, they're not going to. And if you're with them, you don't really have a choice anyway.Julie: So there's not transparency on the physician level.Dr. Stu: So Blyss was talking briefly about the fact that your insurance may not pay for it. Blyss, why don't you elaborate on that because you do that point so well.Midwife Blyss: Are you talking about the wedding?Dr. Stu: I love your analogy. It's a great analogy.Midwife Blyss: I'm so saddened sometimes when people talk to me about that they really want this option and especially VBACs. I just have a very special tender place in my heart for VBAC because I overcame something from my first to second birth that wasn't a Cesarean. But it felt like I had been led to mistrust my body, and then I had a triumphant second delivery. So I really understand how that feels when a woman is able to reclaim her body and have a vaginal delivery. But just in general, in terms of limiting your options based on what your insurance will pay for, we think about the delivery of our baby and or something like a wedding where it's this really special day. I see that women or families will spend thousands and thousands of dollars and put it on a credit card and figure out whatever they need to do to have this beautiful wedding. But somehow when it comes to the birth of their baby, they turn over all their power to this insurance company.And so we used to do this talk at the sanctuary and I used to say, "What if we had wedding insurance and you paid every year into this insurance for your wedding, and then when the wedding came, they selected where you went and you didn't like it and they put you in a dress that made you look terrible and the food was horrible and the music was horrible and they invited all these people you didn't want to be there?"Julie: But it's a network.Midwife Blyss: Would you really let that insurance company, because it was paid for, dictate how your wedding day was? Julie: That's a good analogy.Midwife Blyss: You just let it all go.Meagan: Yeah. That's amazing. I love that. And it's so true. It is so true.Julie: And we get that too a lot about hiring a doula. Oh, I can't hire a doula. It's too expensive. We get that a lot because people don't expect to pay out-of-pocket for their births. When you're right, it's just perceived completely differently when it should be one of the biggest days of your life. I had three VBACs at home. My first was a necessary, unnecessary Cesarean.I'm still really uncertain about that, to be honest with you. But you better believe my VBACs at home, we paid out of pocket for a midwife. Our first two times, it was put on a credit card. I had a doula, I had a birth photographer, I had a videographer. My first VBAC, I had two photographers there because it was going to be documented because it was so important to me. And we sold things on eBay. We sold our couches, and I did some babysitting just to bring in the money.Obviously, I hired doulas because it was so important to me to not only have the experience that I wanted and that I deserved, but I wanted it documented and I wanted it to be able to remember it well and look back on it fondly. We see that especially in Utah. I think we have this culture where women just don't-- I feel like it's just a national thing, but I think in Utah, we tend to be on the cheap side just culturally and women don't see the value in that. It's hard because it's hard to shift that mindset to see you are important. You are worth it. What if you could have everything you wanted and what if you knew you could be treated differently? Would you think about how to find the way to make that work financially? And I think if there's just that mindset shift, a lot of people would.Meagan: Oh, I love that.Dr. Stu: If you realize if you have to pay $10,000 out of pocket or $5,000 or whatever to at least have the opportunity, and you always have the hospital as a backup. But 2 or 3 years from now, that $5,000 isn't going to mean anything.Julie: Yeah, nothing.Meagan: But that experience is with you forever.Dr. Stu: So yeah, women may have to remember the names of their children when they're 80 years old, but they'll remember their birth.Julie: Well, with my Cesarean baby, we had some complications and out-of-pocket, I paid almost $10,000 for him and none of my home births, midwives, doula, photography and videography included cost over $7,000.Meagan: My Cesarean births in-hospital were also more expensive than my birth center births.Julie: So should get to questions.Dr. Stu: Let's get to some of the questions because you guys some really good questions.Meagan: Yes.Dr. Stu: Pick one and let's do it.Meagan: So let's do Lauren. She was on Facebook. She was our very first question, and she said that she has some uterine abnormalities like a bicornuate uterus or a separate uterus or all of those. They want to know how that impacts VBAC. She's had two previous Cesareans due to a breech presentation because of her uterine abnormality.Julie: Is that the heart-shaped uterus? Yeah.Dr. Stu: Yeah. You can have a septate uterus. You can have a unicornuate uterus. You can have a double uterus.Julie: Yeah. Two separate uteruses.Dr. Stu: Right. The biggest problem with a person with an abnormal uterine shape or an anomaly is a couple of things. One is malpresentation as this woman experienced because her two babies were breech. And two, is sometimes a retained placenta is more common than women that have a septum, that sort of thing. Also, it can cause preterm labor and growth restriction depending on the type of anomaly of the uterus. Now, say you get to term and your baby is head down, or if it's breech in my vicinity. But if it's head down, then the chance of VBAC for that person is really high. I mean, it might be a slightly greater risk of Cesarean section, but not a statistically significant risk. And then the success rate for home birth VBACs, if you look at the MANA stats or even my own stats which are not enough to make statistical significance in a couple of papers that I put out, but the MANA stats show that it's about a 93% success rate for VBACS in the midwifery model, whereas in the hospital model, it can be as low as 17% up to the 50s or 60%, but it's not very high. And that's partly because of the model by which you're cared for. So the numbers that I'm quoting and the success rates I'm quoting are again, assuming that you have a supportive practitioner in a supportive environment, every VBAC is going to have diminished chance of success in a restrictive or tense environment. But unicornuate uterus or septate uterus is not a contraindication to VBAC, and it's not an indication of breech delivery if somebody knows how to do a breech VBAC too.Julie: Right.Dr. Stu: So Lauren, that would be my answer to to your question is that no, it's not a contraindication and that if you have the right practitioner you can certainly try to labor and your risk of rupture is really not more significant than a woman who has a normal-shaped uterus.Julie: Good answer.Meagan: So I want to spin off that really quick. It's not a question, but I've had a client myself that had two C-sections, and her baby was breech at 37 weeks, and the doctor said he absolutely could not turn the baby externally because her risk of rupture was so increasingly high. So would you agree with that or would you disagree with that?D No, no, no. Even an ACOG statement on external version and breech says that a previous uterine scar is not a contraindication to attempting an external version.Meagan: Yeah.Dr. Stu: Now actually, if we obviously had more breech choices, then there'd be no reason to do an external version.The main reason that people try an external version which can sometimes be very uncomfortable, and depending on the woman and her parody and certain other factors, their success rate cannot be very good is the only reason they do it because the alternative is a Cesarean in 95% of locations in the country.Meagan: Okay, well that's good to know.Dr. Stu: But again, one of the things I would tell people to do is when they're hearing something from their position that just sort of rocks the common sense vote and doesn't sort of make sense, look into it. ACOG has a lot. I think you can just go Google some of the ACOG clinical guidelines or practice guidelines or clinical opinions or whatever they call them. You can find and you can read through, and they summarize them at the end on level A, B, and C evidence, level A being great evidence level C being what's called consensus opinion. The problem with consensus, with ACOG's guidelines is that about 2/3 of them are consensus opinion because they don't really have any data on them. When you get bunch of academics together who don't like VBAC or don't like home birth or don't like breech, of course a consensus opinion is going to be, "Well, we're not going to think those are a good idea." But much to their credit lately, they're starting to change their tune. Their most recent VBAC guideline paper said that if your hospital can do labor and delivery, your hospital can do VBAC.Julie: Yes.Dr. Stu: That's huge. There was immediately a whole fiasco that went on. So any hospital that's doing labor and delivery should be able to do a VBAC. When they say they can't or they say our insurance company won't let them, it's just a cowardly excuse because maybe it's true, but they need to fight for your right because most surgical emergencies in labor delivery have nothing to do with a previous uterine scar.Julie: Absolutely.Dr. Stu: They have to do with people distress or placental abruption or cord prolapse. And if they can handle those, they can certainly handle the one in 1200. I mean, say a hospital does 20 VBACs a year or 50 VBACs a year. You'll take them. Do the math. It'll take them 25 years to have a rupture.Meagan: Yeah. It's pretty powerful stuff.Midwife Blyss: I love when he does that.Julie: Me too. I'm a huge statistics junkie and data junkie. I love the numbers.Meagan: Yeah. She loves numbers.Julie: Yep.Meagan: I love that.Julie: Hey, and 50 VBACs a year at 2000, that would be 40 years actually, right?Dr. Stu: Oh, look at what happened. So say that again. What were the numbers you said?Julie: So 1 in 2000 ruptures are catastrophic and they do 50 VBACs a year, wouldn't that be 40 years?Dr. Stu: But I was using the 1200 number.Julie: Oh, right, right, right, right.Dr. Stu: So that would be 24 years.Julie: Yeah. Right. Anyways, me and you should sit down and just talk. One day. I would love to have lunch with you.Dr. Stu: Let's talk astrology and astronomy.Yes.Dr. Stu: Who's next?Midwife Blyss: Can I make a suggestion?There was another woman. Let's see where it is. What's the likelihood that a baby would flip? And is it reasonable to even give it a shot for a VBA2C. How do you guys say that?Meagan: VBAC after two Cesareans.Midwife Blyss: I need to know the lingo. So, I would say it's very unlikely for a baby to flip head down from a breech position in labor. It doesn't mean it's impossible.Dr. Stu: With a uterine septum, it's almost never going to happen. Bless is right on. Even trying an external version on a woman with the uterine septum when the baby's head is up in one horn and the placenta in the other horn and they're in a frank breech position, that's almost futile to do that, especially if a woman is what I call a functional primary, or even a woman who's never labored before.Julie: Right. That's true.Meagan: And then Napoleon said, what did she say? Oh, she was just talking about this. She's planning on a home birth after two Cesareans supported by a midwife and a doula. Research suggests home birth is a reasonable and safe option for low-risk women. And she wants to know in reality, what identifies low risk?Midwife Blyss: Well, I thought her question was hilarious because she says it seems like everybody's high-risk too. Old, overweight.Julie: Yeah, it does. It does, though.Dr. Stu: Well, immediately, when you label someone high-risk, you make them high-risk.Julie: Yep.Dr. Stu: Because now you've planted seeds of doubt inside their head. So I would say, how do you define high-risk? I mean, is 1 in 1200 high risk?Julie: Nope.Dr. Stu: It doesn't seem high-risk to me. But again, I mean, we do a lot of things in our life that are more dangerous than that and don't consider them high-risk. So I think the term high-risk is handed about way too much.And it's on some false or just some random numbers that they come up with. Blyss has heard this before. I mean, she knows everything I say that comes out of my mouth. The numbers like 24, 35, 42. I mean, 24 hours of ruptured membranes. Where did that come from? Yeah, or some people are saying 18 hours. I mean, there's no science on that. I mean, bacteria don't suddenly look at each other and go, "Hey Ralph, it's time to start multiplying."Julie: Ralph.Meagan: I love it.Julie: I'm gonna name my bacteria Ralph.Meagan: It's true. And I was told after 18 hours, that was my number.Dr. Stu: Yeah, again, so these numbers, there are papers that come out, but they're not repetitive. I mean, any midwife worth her salt has had women with ruptured membranes for sometimes two, three, or four days.Julie: Yep.Midwife Blyss: And as long as you're not sticking your fingers in there, and as long as their GBS might be negative or that's another issue.Meagan: I think that that's another question. That's another question. Yep.Dr. Stu: Yeah, I'll get to that right now. I mean, if some someone has a ruptured membrane with GBS, and they don't go into labor within a certain period of time, it's not unreasonable to give them the pros and cons of antibiotics and then let them make that decision. All right? We don't force people to have antibiotics. We would watch for fetal tachycardia or fever at that point, then you're already behind the eight ball. So ideally, you'd like to see someone go into labor sooner. But again, if they're still leaking, if there are no vaginal exams, the likelihood of them getting group B strep sepsis or something on the baby is still not very high. And the thing about antibiotics that I like to say is that if I was gonna give antibiotics to a woman, I think it's much better to give a woman an antibiotics at home than in the hospital. And the reason being is because at home, the baby's still going to be born into their own environment and mom's and dad's bacteria and the dog's bacteria and the siblings' bacteria where in the hospital, they're going to go to the nursery for observation like they generally do, and they're gonna be exposed to different bacteria unless they do these vaginal seeding, which isn't really catching on universally yet where you take a swab of mom's vaginal bacteria before the C-section.Midwife Blyss: It's called seeding.Dr. Stu: Right. I don't consider ruptured membrane something that again would cause me to immediately say something where you have to change your plan. You individualize your care in the midwifery model.Julie: Yep.Dr. Stu: You look at every patient. You look at their history. You look at their desires. You look at their backup situation, their transport situation, and that sort of thing. You take it all into account. Now, there are some women in pregnancy who don't want to do a GBS culture.Ignorance is bliss. The other spelling of bliss.Julie: Hi, Blyss.Dr. Stu: But the reason that at least I still encourage people to do it is because for any reason, if that baby gets transferred to the hospital during labor or after and you don't have a GBS culture on the chart, they're going to give antibiotics. They're going to treat it as GBS positive and they're also going to think you're irresponsible.And they're going to have that mentality that of oh, here's another one of those home birth crazy people, blah, blah, blah.Julie: That just happened to me in January. I had a client like that. I mean, anyways, never mind. It's not the time. Midwife Blyss: Can I say something about low-risk?Julie: Yes. Midwife Blyss: I think there are a lot of different factors that go into that question. One being what are the state laws? Because there are things that I would consider low-risk and that I feel very comfortable with, but that are against the law. And I'm not going to go to jail.Meagan: Right. We want you to still be Birthing Bless.Midwife Blyss: As, much as I believe in a woman's right to choose, I have to draw the line at what the law is. And then the second is finding a provider that-- obviously, Dr. Stu feels very comfortable with things that other providers may not necessarily feel comfortable with.Julie: Right.Midwife Blyss: And so I think it's really important, as you said in the beginning of the show, to find a provider who takes the risk that you have and feels like they can walk that path with you and be supportive. I definitely agree with what Dr. Stu was saying about informed consent. I had a client who was GBS positive, declined antibiotics and had a very long rupture. We continued to walk that journey together. I kept giving informed consent and kept giving informed consent. She had such trust and faith that it actually stretched my comfort level. We had to continually talk about where we were in this dance. But to me, that feels like what our job is, is to give them information about the pros and cons and let them decide for themselves.And I think that if you take a statistic, I'm picking an arbitrary number, and there's a 94% chance of success and a 4% chance that something could go really wrong, one family might look at that and say, "Wow, 94%, this is neat. That sounds like a pretty good statistic," and the other person says, "4% makes me really uncomfortable. I need to minimize." I think that's where you have to have the ability, given who you surround yourself with and who your provider is, to be able to say, "This is my choice," and it's being supported. So it is arbitrary in a lot of ways except for when it comes to what the law is.Julie: Yeah, that makes sense.Meagan: I love that. Yeah. Julie: Every state has their own law. Like in the south, it's illegal like in lots of places in the South, I think in Washington too, that midwives can't support home birth if you're VBAC. I mean there are lots of different legislative rules. Why am I saying legislative? Look at me, I'm trying to use fancy words to impress you guys. There are lots of different laws in different states and, and some of them are very evidence-based and some laws are broad and they leave a lot of room for practices, variation and gray areas. Some are so specific that they really limit a woman's option in that state.Dr. Stu: We can have a whole podcast on the legal decision-making process and a woman's right to autonomy of her body and the choices and who gets to decide that would be. Right now, the vaccine issue is a big issue, but also pregnancy and restricting women's choices of these things. If you want to do another one down the road, I would love to talk on that subject with you guys.Julie: Perfect.Meagan: We would love that.Julie: Yeah. I think it's your most recent episode. I mean as of the time of this recording. Mandates Kill Medicine. What is that the name?Dr. Stu: Mandates Destroy Medicine.Julie: Yeah. Mandates Destroy Medicine. Dr. Stu: It's wonderful.Julie: Yeah, I love it. I was just listening to it today again.Dr. Stu: well it does because it makes the physicians agents of the state.Julie: Yeah, it really does.Meagan: Yeah. Well. And if you give us another opportunity to do this with you, heck yeah.Julie: Yeah. You can just be a guest every month.Meagan: Yeah.Dr. Stu: So I don't think I would mind that at all, actually.Meagan: We would love it.Julie: Yeah, we would seriously love it. We'll keep in touch.Meagan: So, couple other questions I'm trying to see because we jumped through a few that were the same. I know one asks about an overactive pelvic floor, meaning too strong, not too weak. She's wondering if that is going to affect her chances of having a successful VBAC.Julie: And do you see that a lot with athletes, like people that are overtrained or that maybe are not overtrained, but who train a lot and weightlifters and things like that, where their pelvic floor is too strong? I've heard of that before.Midwife Blyss: Yep, absolutely. there's a chiropractor here in LA, Dr. Elliot Berlin, who also has his own podcast and he talks–Meagan: Isn't Elliott Berlin Heads Up?Dr. Stu: Yeah. He's the producer of Heads Up.Meagan: Yeah, I listened to your guys' special episode on that too. But yeah, he's wonderful.Midwife Blyss: Yeah. So, again, I think this is a question that just has more to do with vaginal delivery than it does necessarily about the fact that they've had a previous Cesarean. So I do believe that the athletic pelvis has really affected women's deliveries. I think that during pregnancy we can work with a pelvic floor specialist who can help us be able to realize where the tension is and how to do some exercises that might help alleviate some of that. We have a specialist here in L.A. I don't know if you guys do there that I would recommend people to. And then also, maybe backing off on some of the athletic activities that that woman is participating in during her pregnancy and doing things more like walking, swimming, yoga, stretching, belly dancing, which was originally designed for women in labor, not to seduce men. So these are all really good things to keep things fluid and soft because you want things to open and release rather than being tense.Meagan: I love that.Dr. Stu: I agree. I think sometimes it leads more to not generally so much of dilation. Again, a friend of mine, David Hayes, he's a home birth guy in South Carolina, doesn't like the idea of using stages of labor. He wants to get rid of that. I think that's an interesting thought. We have a meeting this November in Wisconsin. We're gonna have a bunch of thought-provoking things going on over there.Dr. Stu: Is it all men talking about this? Midwife Blyss: Oh, hell no.Julie: Let's get more women. Dr. Stu: No, no, no, no, no.Being organized By Cynthia Calai. Do you guys know who Cynthia is? She's been a midwife for 50 years. She's in Wisconsin. She's done hundreds of breeches. Anyway, the point being is that I think that I find that a lot of those people end up getting instrumented like vacuums, more commonly. Yeah. So Blyss is right. I mean, if there are people who are very, very tight down there. The leviators and the muscles inside are very tight which is great for life and sex and all that other stuff, but yeah, you need to learn how to be able to relax them too.Julie: Yeah.Meagan: So I know we're running short on time, but this question that came through today, I loved it. It said, "Could you guys both replicate your model of care nationwide somehow?" She said, "How do I advocate effectively for home birth access and VBAC access in a state that actively prosecutes home birth and has restrictions on midwifery practice?" She specifically said she's in Nebraska, but we hear this all over the place. VBAC is not allowed. You cannot birth at home, and people are having unassisted births.Julie: Because they can't find the support.Meagan: They can't find the support and they are too scared to go to the hospital or birth centers. And so, yeah, the question is--Julie: What can women do in their local communities to advocate for positive change and more options in birth where they are more restricted?Dr. Stu: Blyss. Midwife Blyss: I wish I had a really great answer for this. I think that the biggest thing is to continue to talk out loud. And I'm really proud of you ladies for creating this podcast and doing the work that you do. Julie: Thanks.Midwife Blyss: I always believed when we had the Sanctuary that it really is about the woman advocating for herself. And the more that hospitals and doctors are being pushed by women to say, "We need this as an option because we're not getting the work," I think is really important. I support free birth, and I think that most of the women and men who decide to do that are very well educated.Julie: Yeah, for sure.Midwife Blyss: It is actually really very surprising for midwives to see that sometimes they even have better statistics than we do. But it saddens me that there's no choice. And, a woman who doesn't totally feel comfortable with doing that is feeling forced into that decision. So I think as women, we need to support each other, encourage each other, continue to talk out loud about what it is that we want and need and make this be a very important decision that a woman makes, and it's a way of reclaiming the power. I'm not highly political. I try and stay out of those arenas. And really, one of my favorite quotes from a reverend that I have been around said, "Be for something and against nothing." I really believe that the more. Julie: I like that.Midwife Blyss: Yeah, the more that we speak positively and talk about positive change and empowering ourselves and each other, it may come slowly, but that change will continue to come.Julie: Yeah, yeah.Dr. Stu: I would only add to that that I think unfortunately, in any country, whether it's a socialist country or a capitalist country, it's economics that drives everything. If you look at countries like England or the Netherlands, you find that they have, a really integrated system with midwives and doctors collaborating, and the low-risk patients are taken care of by the midwives, and then they consult with doctors and midwives can transfer from home to hospital and continue their care in that system, the national health system. I'm not saying that's the greatest system for somebody who's growing old and has arthritis or need spinal surgery or something like that, but for obstetrics, that sort of system where you've taken out liability and you've taken out economic incentive. All right, so how do you do that in our system? It's not very easy to do because everything is economically driven. One of the things that I've always advocated for is if you want to lower the C-section rate, increase the VBAC rate. It would be really simple for insurance companies, until we have Bernie Sanders with universal health care. But while we have insurance companies, if they would just pay twice as much for a vaginal birth and half as much for a Cesarean birth, then finally, VBACS and breech deliveries would be something. Oh, maybe we should start. We should be more supportive of those things because it's all about the money. But as long as the hospital gets paid more, doctors don't really get paid more. It's expediency for the doctor. He gets it done and goes home. But the hospital, they get paid a lot more, almost twice as much for a C-section than you do for vaginal birth. What's the incentive for the chief financial officer of any hospital to say to the OB department, "We need to lower our C-section rate?" One of the things that's happening are programs that insurance, and I forgot what it's called, but where they're trying, in California, they're trying to lower the primary C-section rate. There's a term for it where it's an acronym with four initials. Blyss, do you know what I'm talking about?Midwife Blyss: No. Dr. Stu: It's an acronym about a first-time mom. We're trying to avoid those C-sections.Julie: Yeah, the primary Cesarean.Dr. Stu: It's an acronym anyway, nonetheless. So they're in the right direction. Most hospitals are in the 30% range. They'd like to lower to 27%. That's a start.One of the ways to really do that is to support VBAC, and treat VBAC as Blyss said at the very beginning of the podcast is that a VBAC is just a normal labor. When people lump VBAC in with breech in twins, it's like, why are you doing that? Breech in twins requires special skill. VBAC requires a special skill also, which is a skill of doing nothing.Julie: Yeah, it's hard.Dr. Stu: It's hard for obstetricians and labor and delivery nurses and stuff like that to do nothing. But ultimately, VBAC is just a vaginal birth and doesn't require any special skill. When a doctor says, "We don't do VBAC, what he's basically saying, or she, is that I don't do vaginal deliveries," which is stupid because VBAC is just a vaginal delivery.Julie: Yeah, that's true.Meagan: Such a powerful point right there.Julie: Guys. We loved chatting with you so much. We wish we could talk with you all day long.Meagan: I would. All day long. I just want to be a fly on your walls if I could.Julie: If you're ever in Salt Lake City again--Meagan: He just was. Did you know about this?Julie: Say hi to Adrienne, but also connect with us because we would love to meet you. All right, well guys, everyone, all of our listeners, Women of Strength, we are going to drop all the information that you need to find Midwife Blyss and Dr. Stu-- their website, their podcast, and all of that in our show notes. So yeah, now you can find our podcast. You can even listen to our podcast on our website at thevbaclink.com/podcast. You can play episodes right from there. So if you don't know-- well, if you're listening to this podcast, then you probably have a podcast player already. But you know what? My mom still doesn't know what a podcast is, so I'm just gonna have to start sending her links right to our page.Meagan: Yep, just listen to us wherever and leave us a review and head over to Dr. Stu's Podcast and leave them a review.Julie: Subscribe because you're gonna love him, but don't stop listening to him us because you love us too. Remember that.Dr. Stu: I want to thank everybody who wrote in, and I'm sorry we didn't get to answer every question. We tend to blabber on a little bit asking these important questions, and hopefully you guys will have us back on again.Meagan: We would love to have you.Julie: Absolutely.Meagan: Yep, we will.Julie: Absolutely.Meagan: YeahClosingWould 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

*Content warning: birth trauma, medical trauma, medical neglect, death, mature and stressful themes. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources *Sources:American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ CDC, Health E-Stats, Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2023https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2023/Estat-maternal-mortality.pdfCDC, Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2023https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2023/maternal-mortality-rates-2023CDC, Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortalityhttps://www.cdc.gov/womens-health/features/maternal-mortality.html Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice: https://blackmaternalhealth.tufts.edu/Comparative Analysis of Therapeutic Showers and Bathtubs for Pain Management and Labor Outcomes—A Retrospective Cohort Studyhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/Fetal Heart Monitoringhttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/fetal-heart-monitoring Fundal Heighthttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22294-fundal-height Health Equity Among Black Women in the United Stateshttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8020496/ Insights into the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis: An International Comparisonhttps://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2024/jun/insights-us-maternal-mortality-crisis-international-comparison March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC)https://www.meacschools.org/ Monitoring Baby's Heart Rate During Laborhttps://familydoctor.org/monitoring-babys-heart-rate-labor/ Mucus Plughttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21606-mucus-plugNasal Cannulahttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/25187-nasal-cannula National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery CDC, National Vital Statistics Reportshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-05.pdf North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Water breaking: Understand this sign of laborhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/labor-and-delivery/in-depth/water-breaking/art-20044142Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications*SWW S22 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookiebooSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Show notes and links: https://www.chrisbeatcancer.com/dr-nitu-bajekal-on-healing-pcos-and-balancing-hormones-with-a-plant-based-diet

*Content warning: pregnancy, birth, infant & pregnancy loss, medical negligence, medical trauma. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources Amy Giles' Birth Center & Bio:Allen Midwifery & Family Wellness: https://allenmidwifery.com/ Amy's Bio: https://nursing.baylor.edu/person/l-amy-giles-dnp-cnm-cne-facnm *Sources:After a C-section, women who want a vaginal birth may struggle to find carehttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/c-section-vbac-vaginal-maternal-health American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ Cardiac conditions in pregnancy and the role of midwives: A discussion paperhttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articlesC-Section Rates By Hospitalhttps://www.leapfroggroup.org/sites/default/files/Files/C-Section-Graphic-final.pdf March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC)https://www.meacschools.org/ National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Postpartum Hemorrhagehttps://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/postpartum-hemorrhage Postpartum Hemorrhagehttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22228-postpartum-hemorrhage Practice profile of members of the American College of Nurse-Midwives. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9277066/ Salary and Workload of Midwives Across Birth Center Practice Types and State Regulatory Structureshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35191600/ State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Texas Administrative Codehttps://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/publicTexas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Thyroid Disease & Pregnancyhttps://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/endocrine-diseases/pregnancy-thyroid-disease Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications *SWW S22 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookiebooSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Content warning: birth trauma, medical trauma and neglect, death, infant loss, pregnancy loss, SIDS, postpartum depression. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources *Sources:American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ APGAR Scorehttps://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003402.htm Birth Traumahttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/birth-trauma Breech Babyhttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21848-breech-baby Intravenous nutrient therapy: the "Myers' cocktail"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12410623/ March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us Maternal placental abnormality and the risk of sudden infant death syndromehttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10192307/ Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC)https://www.meacschools.org/ National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Preeclampsiahttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/preeclampsia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355745 Pseudocholinesterase deficiencyhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pseudocholinesterase-deficiency/symptoms-causes/syc-20354543 State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Succinylcholine injectionhttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/20755-succinylcholine-injection Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20352800 Tawagi, George. "Compound Presentations." Oxorn-Foote Human Labor & Birth, 6e Eds. Glenn D. Posner, et al. McGraw-Hill Medical, 2014, https://obgyn.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=1247§ionid=75163840. Umbilical Cord Prolapsehttps://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12345-umbilical-cord-prolapse Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ Zucker School of Medicine, Amos Grunebaum, MDhttps://faculty.medicine.hofstra.edu/13732-amos-grunebaum/publications *SWW S22 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookieboo See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Content warning: infant loss, birth trauma, medical trauma and neglect, death, pregnancy loss, mature content. *Free + Confidential Resources + Safety Tips: somethingwaswrong.com/resources *Sources:American College of Nurse Midwiveshttps://midwife.org/ American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)https://www.acog.org/ Gestational diabeteshttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gestational-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20355339 Insights into the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis: An International Comparisonhttps://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/issue-briefs/2024/jun/insights-us-maternal-mortality-crisis-international-comparison March of Dimeshttps://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/about-us Maternal Mortality, A National Institutes of Health Pathways to Prevention Panel Reporthttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10863655/ Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2022https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/maternal-mortality/2022/maternal-mortality-rates-2022.pdf Midwifery Education Accreditation Council (MEAC)https://www.meacschools.org/ National Midwifery Institutehttps://www.nationalmidwiferyinstitute.com/midwifery Neonatal mortality is more than tripled at planned out-of-hospital births attended by direct-entry midwives. Grunebaum, Amos et al. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Volume 222, Issue 1, S45. https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(19)31440-1/fulltext North American Registry of Midwives (NARM)https://narm.org/ Placental abruptionhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/placental-abruption/symptoms-causes/syc-20376458 Preeclampsiahttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/preeclampsia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355745 Severe Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Among Indigenous Women in the United Stateshttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7012336/ State investigating Dallas birth center and midwives, following multiple complaints from patientshttps://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/investigates/state-investigating-dallas-birth-center-midwives-following-multiple-complaints-from-patients/287-ea77eb18-c637-44d4-aaa2-fe8fd7a2fcef Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR)https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ *SWW S22 Theme Song & Artwork: Thank you so much to Emily Wolfe for covering Glad Rag's original song, U Think U for us this season!Hear more from Emily Wolfe:On SpotifyOn Apple Musichttps://www.emilywolfemusic.com/instagram.com/emilywolfemusicGlad Rags: https://www.gladragsmusic.com/ The S23 cover art is by the Amazing Sara StewartFollow Something Was Wrong:Website: somethingwaswrong.com IG: instagram.com/somethingwaswrongpodcastTikTok: tiktok.com/@somethingwaswrongpodcast Follow Tiffany Reese:Website: tiffanyreese.me IG: instagram.com/lookieboo See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.