What happens when you spend decades learning how to navigate a body—and a healthcare system—that other people cannot see?

Keva Dine is the founder and CEO of the Keva Dine Agency, a global creative recruitment firm. For more than 25 years, she has built a powerhouse career while living a parallel life with endometriosis and adenomyosis—a story she has never shared publicly until now.

In this episode of The Golden Hour, Keva joins Dr. O for a candid conversation about the information women are too often left to find on their own.

She reflects on recovering from an emergency C-section without meaningful preparation for what recovery would actually require; why her second postpartum experience looked radically different once she deliberately built an infrastructure of support; and the years she spent navigating endometriosis, surgeries, medical dismissal, second opinions, and care that often seemed more focused on fertility than on helping her live well in her body.

Keva also challenges the language of being an “Endo Warrior.”

Why should patients have to fight their clinicians, fight for information, or travel what she calls an “information underground highway” simply to understand their options?

Dr. O and Keva explore what happens when self-advocacy becomes a prerequisite for receiving care—and what clinicians, families, and healthcare systems could do differently.

This is a conversation about endometriosis and postpartum recovery. But it is also about something larger: what it costs women when the burden of assembling good care is placed back on them.

The Golden Hour with Dr. O explores women’s health across the reproductive lifespan—from your first period to your last.

#Endometriosis #Adenomyosis #PostpartumRecovery #CSectionRecovery #WomensHealth #MaternalHealth #GoldenHour #Podcast

Thank you for listening ❤

PODCAST LINKS:
- Podcast Website: ⁠https://goldenhour.fm⁠
- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GoldenHourFM?ref=bs
- Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/golden-hour/id1768847425?ref=bs
- Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goldenhourfm?ref=bs
- RSS: ⁠https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2401875.rss?ref=bs

SOCIAL LINKS:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenhour.fm?ref=bs
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenhour.fm?ref=bs

What if some of the things parents believe they should be able to do “naturally” were never meant to happen without other people?

Dr. Emily Little is a developmental scientist, perinatal health expert, founder of Nurturally, and the “Baby Myth Buster.” Her work examines infant development, caregiver-infant bonding, physical touch, lactation, postpartum mental health, and the cultural practices that shape how we care for babies and their parents.

In this episode of Golden Hour, Dr. O and Emily examine the gap between what biology actually asks of parents and what modern American parenthood expects from them.

Emily explains the evolutionary story behind why breastfeeding can be functionally difficult—and why social support and shared knowledge were part of how humans adapted. They unpack the idea of instant bonding and the science suggesting that sometimes the behaviors of attachment can come before the feeling itself. They explore why skin-to-skin contact matters beyond the first “golden hour,” why babies aren't biologically designed around adult sleep and work schedules, and how a culture built around productivity has normalized separating parents and babies remarkably early.

The conversation also moves beyond individual parenting choices to the systems surrounding them: workplace pumping policies, postpartum recovery, the loss of the village, racial inequities in maternal health, and what other cultures may understand about integrating babies into everyday life that the United States has forgotten.

Because when biology and culture are in conflict, perhaps the question isn't why parents and babies aren't adapting better.

Perhaps it's why we keep asking them to.

#Postpartum #PostpartumHealth #NewbornCare #Breastfeeding #BabyBonding #MaternalHealth #FourthTrimester #Parenthood #GoldenHourPodcast

Thank you for listening ❤

PODCAST LINKS:
- Podcast Website: ⁠https://goldenhour.fm⁠
- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GoldenHourFM?ref=bs
- Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/golden-hour/id1768847425?ref=bs
- Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goldenhourfm?ref=bs
- RSS: ⁠https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2401875.rss?ref=bs

SOCIAL LINKS:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenhour.fm?ref=bs
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenhour.fm?ref=bs

What if one of the biggest problems in fertility care is that we wait too long to start talking about fertility?

For much of our reproductive lives, the healthcare conversation centers on preventing pregnancy. Then, when someone decides they're ready to conceive, we often expect them to try for months—or even a year—before fertility becomes a meaningful part of the conversation.

Katie Jaxheimer Agarwal thinks we can build a better on-ramp.

Katie is the CEO and co-founder of Branch Care, a fertility care company working to bring fertility education, diagnostics, and specialist collaboration closer to the doctors patients already know and trust. Before founding Branch Care, she held leadership roles at digital health companies including Cedar and Maven Clinic. She also brings another perspective to this work: she went through IVF herself and is now the mother of two children conceived through IVF.

In this episode, Katie and I talk candidly about what her own fertility journey taught her about the gaps in our current system—and what needs to change.

We explore:

• Why waiting six or twelve months for a fertility workup may make sense clinically but still feel excruciating to the person living through each cycle
• The surprising gap in preconception counseling—and why fertility conversations should begin before someone is struggling to conceive
• Why fertility care isn't truly accessible just because a fertility clinic exists
• The reality of “fertility deserts,” with some patients traveling 60–70 miles for care they may need every other day during an IVF cycle
• Why financial access remains one of the biggest barriers to fertility treatment
• The difference between treating infertility as a disease versus treating fertility care as a “nicety”
• Why a $50,000 IVF journey can offer far less certainty than almost anything else a person might spend $50,000 on
• How earlier information can give patients more options without automatically pushing them toward IVF
• The role OB-GYNs can play as gateways—not gatekeepers—to fertility information
• What Katie's own IVF experience taught her about isolation, anxiety, patience, and the emotional cost of waiting

This conversation also challenged me as an OB-GYN.

Early in my career, I held tightly to the guidelines: under 35, try for a year; over 35, six months. Those guidelines matter. Evidence matters.

But so does the person sitting in front of us.

There is a difference between asking, “When does the textbook say this patient needs testing?” and asking, “What information would help this particular person make an informed decision about her own life?”

Maybe improving fertility care doesn't begin with getting everyone to a fertility specialist sooner.

Maybe it begins with making sure people don't have to struggle first before we're willing to talk seriously about their fertility.

🎙️ Season 3 of Golden Hour continues with Katie Jaxheimer Agarwal, CEO and co-founder of Branch Care.

Thank you for listening ❤

PODCAST LINKS:
- Podcast Website: ⁠https://goldenhour.fm⁠
- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GoldenHourFM?ref=bs
- Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/golden-hour/id1768847425?ref=bs
- Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goldenhourfm?ref=bs
- RSS: ⁠https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2401875.rss?ref=bs

SOCIAL LINKS:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenhour.fm?ref=bs
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenhour.fm?ref=bs

What happens when one of the most difficult experiences of your life changes not only who you are as a mother—but how you lead?

In the Season 3 premiere of Golden Hour, Dr. O sits down with Stephanie Roberson, Chief Merchandising Officer at Shopbop, mother of two, and Board Chair of Chamber of Mothers, for a candid conversation about motherhood, NICU trauma, ambition, leadership, and what it really takes to build a life that makes room for all of who we are.

Stephanie's second pregnancy changed unexpectedly when her water broke at 24 weeks and her son was born at just 25 weeks and six days. She shares the grief, uncertainty, and even shame she experienced during a prolonged NICU stay, her eventual PTSD diagnosis, and the EMDR therapy that helped her heal.

That experience also changed the way she saw the world around her. Inside the NICU, Stephanie witnessed parents unable to be with their babies because they lacked paid leave or childcare, and mothers fighting with insurance companies while navigating an already traumatic experience. It ultimately helped propel her toward advocacy with Chamber of Mothers and strengthened her commitment to leading differently in corporate America.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The emotional reality of an unexpected premature birth and prolonged NICU stay
• PTSD after the NICU—and why the experience doesn't necessarily end when your baby comes home
• How motherhood changed Stephanie's ambition, boundaries, and approach to leadership
• Why "future me has a vote" has become part of how she navigates work and family
• Mom guilt, trade-offs, and letting go of the expectation that everything has to be perfect
• What companies still get wrong about supporting working parents and caregivers
• Why Stephanie believes taking care of your people is good for the people and the business
• Finding the courage to speak up when you're the person in the room willing to say something
• Why childcare is infrastructure—and why paid leave, maternal health, and family support affect all of us
• How Stephanie turned her own experience into advocacy for other mothers and families

Stephanie has spent more than a decade at Shopbop, rising through the organization to become Chief Merchandising Officer in 2021. Today, she leads the company's merchandising strategy, buying operations, fashion office, and private label development. Prior to Shopbop, she held roles at Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Holt Renfrew.

But this conversation goes beyond career success.

It's about what happens when motherhood changes the way we define success in the first place—and whether ambition, caregiving, leadership, and a meaningful personal life really have to exist in competition with one another.

As Stephanie puts it, the goal isn't perfection. It's learning how to make intentional trade-offs and build a life where, overwhelmingly, you can feel like you're getting it right.

🎙️ Season 3 of Golden Hour starts here.

#WorkingMothers #Leadership #NICU #MaternalMentalHealth #WomenInLeadership #Motherhood #WorkingMoms #MaternalHealth

Thank you for listening ❤

PODCAST LINKS:
- Podcast Website: ⁠https://goldenhour.fm⁠
- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GoldenHourFM?ref=bs
- Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/golden-hour/id1768847425?ref=bs
- Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goldenhourfm?ref=bs
- RSS: ⁠https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2401875.rss?ref=bs

SOCIAL LINKS:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenhour.fm?ref=bs
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenhour.fm?ref=bs

Why does motherhood feel harder than ever—and what would it take to change it?

In this season finale of Golden Hour, Dr. O sits down with Erin Erenberg—attorney, mother of three, and Co-Founder & CEO of Chamber of Mothers, the largest nonpartisan nonprofit organization advocating for paid family leave, affordable childcare, and better maternal health outcomes in America.

After paid family leave was removed from federal legislation in 2021, Erin helped transform the frustration felt by millions of mothers into a national movement. Today, Chamber of Mothers has grown to more than 100,000 members and 50+ chapters working to create a country where mothers, babies, and families can truly thrive.

Together, Dr. O and Erin explore why supporting mothers isn't simply a women's issue—it's a public health, economic, and societal imperative.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✔ Why motherhood in America feels increasingly unsustainable
 ✔ The maternal health crisis—and why Black mothers continue to face disproportionately worse outcomes
 ✔ Why postpartum care remains one of the biggest gaps in healthcare
 ✔ Paid family leave, affordable childcare, and the policies that matter most to families
 ✔ Maternal mental health, burnout, and the invisible emotional load mothers carry
 ✔ The myth of "doing it all" and what real support actually looks like
 ✔ How mothers are becoming one of the most powerful advocacy movements in the country

Whether you're a parent, expecting parent, healthcare professional, employer, policymaker, or simply someone who believes families deserve better, this conversation offers both an honest look at the challenges mothers face today and a hopeful vision for what comes next.

Because when we support mothers, we strengthen families, communities, and all of society.

#MaternalHealth #Motherhood #WorkingMoms #PaidFamilyLeave #Postpartum #MaternalMentalHealth #WomensHealth #Childcare #Parenting #ChamberOfMothers

Thank you for listening ❤

PODCAST LINKS:
- Podcast Website: ⁠https://goldenhour.fm⁠
- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GoldenHourFM?ref=bs
- Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/golden-hour/id1768847425?ref=bs
- Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goldenhourfm?ref=bs
- RSS: ⁠https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2401875.rss?ref=bs

SOCIAL LINKS:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenhour.fm?ref=bs
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenhour.fm?ref=bs

For decades, we've treated birth like the finish line.

But what if birth is actually the beginning?

In this episode of the Golden Hour, Dr. O sits down with certified nurse midwife Juliet Huntington to talk about the part of motherhood our healthcare system continues to overlook: postpartum.

Together we discuss:

• Why postpartum deserves far more attention than a single six-week visit
• The concept of matrescence and the identity shift of becoming a mother
• Why so many families feel isolated after birth
• The postpartum support model America should be building
• Home birth lessons that hospitals can learn from
• Postpartum anxiety, depression, and birth trauma
• Relationships, intimacy, and body image after birth
• Why community may be the single most powerful postpartum intervention we have

Juliet shares both her professional experience as a midwife and her personal experience as a mother of four, offering an honest and deeply compassionate look at what families actually need during the fourth trimester.

Because the truth is simple:

You were never supposed to do postpartum alone.

#Postpartum #NewParents #Momlife #MaternalHealth #WomensHealth #pregnancy #pregnancyjourney #postpartumjourney #parenthood #mom #mother #motherhood #motherhoodjourney

Thank you for listening ❤

PODCAST LINKS:
- Podcast Website: ⁠https://goldenhour.fm⁠
- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GoldenHourFM?ref=bs
- Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/golden-hour/id1768847425?ref=bs
- Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goldenhourfm?ref=bs
- RSS: ⁠https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2401875.rss?ref=bs

SOCIAL LINKS:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenhour.fm?ref=bs
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenhour.fm?ref=bs

What if the biggest lie we tell pregnant people is that there is a “perfect” way to give birth?

In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. O sits down with birth doula and educator Keely Semler to unpack the impossible expectations placed on women during pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood.

From social media comparisons and rigid birth plans to the tension between overly medicalized birth and the pressure to have the “perfect natural birth,” Keely reminds us that birth is not a performance—it is a deeply human experience.

We discuss:
• Why there is no gold medal for giving birth a certain way
• The difference between birth plans and birth preferences
• How fear, control, and perfectionism show up in pregnancy
• What questions every pregnant person should ask their provider
• How to advocate for yourself while building trust with your care team
• Why education and support—not perfection—are the keys to a positive birth experience

Whether your journey includes an unmedicated birth, epidural, induction, C-section, surrogate, or anything in between, this episode is a reminder that your worth as a mother is never defined by how your baby enters the world.

Because the goal was never a perfect birth.

The goal is a supported parent, an informed family, and a healthy transition into parenthood.

#podcast #postpartum #mom #mother #obgyn #momlife #pregnancy #pregnancyjourney #doula #laborsupport #motherhoodjourney #postpartumjourney

Thank you for listening ❤

PODCAST LINKS:
- Podcast Website: ⁠https://goldenhour.fm⁠
- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GoldenHourFM?ref=bs
- Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/golden-hour/id1768847425?ref=bs
- Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goldenhourfm?ref=bs
- RSS: ⁠https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2401875.rss?ref=bs

SOCIAL LINKS:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenhour.fm?ref=bs
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenhour.fm?ref=bs

What if some of the biggest challenges of modern motherhood exist because we’ve lost the “village” that once taught us how to care for our bodies and our babies?

In this fascinating episode of Golden Hour, Dr. O sits down with Dr. Kate Havens, a biomedical engineer, biomechanist, and researcher studying the science of motherhood — from pelvic pain and postpartum recovery to the biomechanics of baby wearing and infant feeding.

Kate’s work explores a powerful idea: motherhood is not just a physical experience. Our pain, movement, stress, environment, and emotional well-being are deeply connected.

Together, we discuss:

✨ Why pregnancy and postpartum pain are more complex than we think
 ✨ The surprising connection between stress, mental health, and physical pain
 ✨ What science says about baby wearing and infant development
 ✨ Why some cultures carry their babies for 8–10 hours a day — and what modern parents can learn from that
 ✨ The ergonomic mistakes many parents make with car seats and carrying babies
 ✨ How research is helping us rebuild the “village” many parents are missing today

This episode is for anyone who has ever been pregnant, is preparing for parenthood, supporting a loved one through the journey, or simply wants a deeper appreciation of the extraordinary biomechanics of motherhood.

Because mothers were never meant to do this alone. 💛

#podcast #postpartum #mom #mother #obgyn #momlife #postpartumjourney #pregnancy #pregnancyjourney #motherhood #motherhoodjourney #parenthood #parenthoodjourney #parenting

Thank you for listening ❤

PODCAST LINKS:
- Podcast Website: ⁠https://goldenhour.fm⁠
- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GoldenHourFM?ref=bs
- Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/golden-hour/id1768847425?ref=bs
- Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goldenhourfm?ref=bs
- RSS: ⁠https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2401875.rss?ref=bs

SOCIAL LINKS:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenhour.fm?ref=bs
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenhour.fm?ref=bs

What if the biggest transformation of motherhood starts long before birth?

In this deeply honest conversation, Dr. O sits down with entrepreneur and new mother Aarti Bhatnagar to explore the emotional, physical, and identity-shifting journey of becoming a parent.

From IVF and embryo creation to pregnancy, birth, postpartum anxiety, and the concept of matrescence (the profound transformation into motherhood), Aarti shares the parts of the journey she never expected—and wishes more women talked about openly.

Together they discuss:

✔️ IVF and embryo creation as preparation for motherhood
✔️ Why motherhood felt "so far removed" from Aarti's identity
✔️ The concept of matrescence and the hidden transformation of becoming a mother
✔️ The reality of postpartum anxiety and the fourth trimester
✔️ Why women aren't adequately prepared for postpartum life
✔️ The surprising joy of motherhood
✔️ How community and support change everything
✔️ What every future parent should know before starting a family

One of the most powerful moments in the episode is Aarti's reflection that motherhood may already exist within us—dormant until the moment it is needed.

Whether you're trying to conceive, pregnant, postpartum, considering parenthood, or simply curious about the realities of modern motherhood, this conversation offers honesty, validation, and hope.

#Motherhood #Matrescence #IVF #Postpartum #PostpartumAnxiety #FertilityJourney #Women'sHealth #Pregnancy #Parenthood #FourthTrimester #NewMom #OBGYN #MaternalMentalHealth

Thank you for listening ❤

PODCAST LINKS:
- Podcast Website: ⁠https://goldenhour.fm⁠
- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GoldenHourFM?ref=bs
- Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/golden-hour/id1768847425?ref=bs
- Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goldenhourfm?ref=bs
- RSS: ⁠https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2401875.rss?ref=bs

SOCIAL LINKS:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenhour.fm?ref=bs
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenhour.fm?ref=bs

PMOS, formerly PCOS, and endometriosis affect millions — yet most women still struggle to get accurate diagnoses, effective treatment, or compassionate care. In this episode, I’m joined by Rachel Blank, founder and CEO of Allara, and Dr. Heather Huddleston, reproductive endocrinologist, CMO of Allara, and director of the UCSF PCOS Clinic, to break down the truth about these conditions and the future of women’s hormonal and metabolic health.

We discuss:
 • Why PMOS and endometriosis are still so misunderstood
• How misdiagnosis and dismissal impact women’s long-term health
• Fertility, insulin resistance, metabolic health & hormonal balance
• What comprehensive PMOS and endometriosis treatment should look like
• The connection between whole-health care and improved outcomes
• Allara’s virtual-first model and how it expands access nationwide
• The research, innovations, and breakthroughs on the horizon

If you’re managing PMOS or endometriosis, trying to conceive, exploring hormone health, or working in women’s health innovation — this conversation is essential.

#PCOS #endometriosis #womenshealth #metabolic health #hormonalimbalance #fertility #infertility #allarahealth #PCOSsymptoms #endometriosistreatment #insulinresistance, #infertilitycauses #chronicconditions #womenshormonecare #womenshealthmatters

Thank you for listening ❤

PODCAST LINKS:
- Podcast Website: ⁠https://goldenhour.fm⁠
- YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GoldenHourFM?ref=bs
- Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/golden-hour/id1768847425?ref=bs
- Spotify: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/goldenhourfm?ref=bs
- RSS: ⁠https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2401875.rss?ref=bs

SOCIAL LINKS:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/goldenhour.fm?ref=bs
- Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goldenhour.fm?ref=bs