The very real, human, tragic fallout courtesy of the repeal of Roe v. Wade and the ongoing assault on reproductive healthcare access and women's rights: in this week’s episode, we’re honored to host Natalie Birnbaum, a distinguished attorney and policy consultant with over a decade of experience in reproductive health, rights, and justice-related advocacy. As the founder of ReproSolutions, Natalie is dedicated to integrating human-centered healthcare systems, destigmatizing abortion and sexual autonomy, and dismantling the systems that uphold and perpetuate systemic inequalities. She dives into the emerging challenges of increased abortion restrictions, the broader implications on healthcare innovation and legal aspects, and the unintended consequences of restrictive laws on healthcare providers and patients while stressing the need for policy reform to address systemic inequities and ensure comprehensive healthcare access for all.

Lastly, we end on an absolute rager of a high note! This is for all the Swifties listening!

Thanks for listening, learning, and being you. And join us back here every Tuesday for all things uterus, in service to you, uterinekind.

Surprise uterinekind! We’re back with a blast from the past! This episode has been itching to hit the airwaves and now it’s finally here. Don’t worry, we’re not going anywhere uterinekind. We are still working on providing you with the top research, data, and resources for your best uterine health! Check out the uterinekind app to keep up with all of our work and take charge of your uterine health.

If you’re an avid Hello Uterus listener, you know that unfortunately, PFAS are not going anywhere anytime soon. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals are everywhere and have even found their way into the food we eat. PFAS and EDCs leeched their way into our daily diets and it’s affecting society’s overall health, but they’re hitting those with a uterus even harder. Even in the warzone of a grocery store, after this episode, you’ll be prepared to optimize your health via food thanks to this week’s guest! Today we’re joined by Beth McLaughlin, a certified nurse practitioner who's written a hormone food bible for the cyclically inclined. Her book, Sink Your Mood With Food, is a comprehensive recipe guide for women to balance hormones and feel fabulous again by improving mood, sleep, and overall health. Throughout this episode, Beth emphasizes the importance of understanding hormone cycles, advocating for whole foods, reducing processed foods, and educating on optimizing health through nutrition to balance hormones and enhance overall well-being. 

Lastly, we end on the most expensive high note yet! We’re talking billions!

Thanks for listening, learning, and being you. And join us back here every Tuesday for all things uterus, in service to you, uterinekind.

Welcome to season two Uterinekind! We are delighted to be back with you in the podcasting space, bringing you the latest news in female health, interviews with doctors and researchers, and people who are breaking trails to improve our experience with gynecologic and full-body female healthcare. Make sure to tune in to our episodes to continue to spread awareness and spread education to lift health and body literacy for all uterinekind and have better health as a result! 

The Mahalingaiah Lab at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has launched The Beauty Edit Study! With the increased amount of research that emphasizes the higher usage of hair and consumer products among Black women. The evidence is clear: Black women are at a higher risk of exposure to hormonally active chemicals, or EDCs, and related diseases but it doesn’t just stop there! Chemicals in hair products have also been linked to hormonally mediated endocrine diseases that are more prevalent among Black, Hispanic, and Asian women and girls. We cannot keep dismissing this information for women of color. Want to learn more yourself? Consider joining The Beauty Edit Study! The Beauty Edit Study aims to address these concerns by providing a mobile-friendly website with comprehensive educational content to increase awareness and understanding of the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the reproductive and endocrine systems for 3 weeks. 

To learn more information about The Beauty Edit Study, visit https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/mahalingaiah-lab/research/enrolling-studies/the-beauty-edit/

Joining us today is Dr. Eugenio Colón with the Center for Endometriosis Care in Atlanta, a world-class excision surgeon with a passion for shared decision-making and early intervention of endometriosis. He teaches clinicians, he's a minimally invasive gynecologic surgeon, and he's trained to do excision surgery, meaning he has the trifecta you want when choosing a surgeon! In this episode, Dr. Eugenio Colón shares his personal experience that led him to focus on endometriosis treatment, emphasizes the need for specialized surgeons in minimally invasive surgery for endometriosis, and advocates for separate specialties for obstetrics and gynecology. He also gives his best tips on what to do as a patient or doctor when navigating treating endo! It can be hard to access endometriosis specialists, especially one as skilled as Dr. Eugenio Colón, so stay tuned for this interview and share this interview to raise awareness and educate people about this common debilitating condition! 

Lastly, we end on a high note that you’re gonna want to write down! 

Thanks for listening, learning, and being you. And join us back here every Tuesday for all things uterus, in service to you, uterinekind.

Welcome back to part two of our conversation with Professor Heather Bimonte Nelson!

This is an extraordinary two-part episode with the guest of our dreams who is arguably conducting the most essential research on female health! With the current lack of research and understanding of the female body, it is crucial to spread information and develop new research for our health and future. This is exactly why this week our guest and her team’s amazing work is the focus of our entire episode. We are so incredibly honored to be joined by Professor Dr. Heather Bimonte Nelson! 

For over two decades, Dr. Nelson has conducted preclinical evaluations of multiple domains of cognitive and brain function as related to aging, transitional and surgical menopause, and hormone exposure across the lifespan. She and her team over at the Arizona State University’s Behavioral Neuroscience of Memory & Aging Lab are relentlessly researching for groundbreaking information that could impact women’s health forever! She and her team’s research is the holy grail for the future of female health and everyone listening! We are cheering Dr. Nelson and her team on here at uterinekind! Thank you for all you do!

Thanks for listening, learning, and being you. And join us back here every Tuesday for all things uterus, in service to you, uterinekind.

The brain and the uterus have a thing going, and Professor Heather Bimonte-Nelson and her team of talented researchers are on to them. 

We’ve been waiting for this interview since the very beginning of Hello Uterus! This is a very special two-part episode with the guest of our dreams who is arguably conducting the most essential research on female health. Hysterectomies are the most common female surgical procedure, and in many cases, this surgery is elective. We've been led to believe that the uterus is like our tonsils - easy to remove, with no long-term implications. And that's not the case. The team at Arizona State University has discovered that when the uterus is removed, there is a negative impact on working memory. Which is as important as it sounds.  

With the current lack of research and understanding of the female body, it is crucial to draw attention to the important research that IS happening. This is exactly why this week our guest and her team’s amazing work is the focus of this entire episode, and it's just Part 1. We are so grateful for the opportunity to have Professor Bimonte-Nelson walk us through the uterus and the brain, how hormones impact our bodies, and what we do and don't know about the uterus. 

For over two decades, Dr. Nelson has conducted preclinical evaluations of multiple domains of cognitive and brain function as related to aging, transitional and surgical menopause, and hormone exposure across the lifespan. Her history of research has focused on sex differences and hormone effects on the brain and behavior from early development until old age. Her research is the holy grail for the future of female health and everyone listening! Thank you so much to Dr. Nelson and her team we are cheering you on here at uterinekind! Don’t forget to tune in next week for part 2!

Thanks for listening, learning, and being you. And join us back here every Tuesday for all things uterus, in service to you, uterinekind.

_____________________________

Shownotes and links: 

• Heather Bimonte-Nelson bio: https://search.asu.edu/profile/848335
• Behavioral Neuroscience of Memory & Aging: Bimonte-Nelson Laboratory 
• Link to the study: www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2018/hysterectomy-may-be-linked-to-brain-function

July was fibroid awareness month, but at Uterinekind, we keep the awareness going. 

Uterine fibroids are insanely common, affecting up to 80% of females and is the most common reason for a hysterectomy. But removing the uterus is NOT the only option, despite what many are told. We’re bringing you a fibroid-focused episode with one of the best.

There's a non-surgical treatment option called Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE) that isn't talked about enough. We're honored to be joined by UFE expert and board-certified radiologist Dr. John Lipman from the Atlanta Fibroid Center. 

Dr. Lipman is a high-volume UFE surgeon with over 10,000 UFE procedures under his belt. He gives us a few shocking facts about hysterectomy's, why UFE's are the superior procedure, and the importance of fighting for a better female healthcare experience.

We discuss:
-the reality of fibroids
-what happens when a fibroids “dies” (degeneration)?
-how interventional radiology is replacing surgical procedures
-risks associated with a hysterectomy
-deep dive into what the Uterine Fibroid Embolization process is and how it treats fibroids
-what are “passenger fibroids”?
-who are good candidates for UFE?
-UFE as an adenomyosis treatment (which would then be called UAE 🙂)
-the need for more research money towards fibroids

Lastly, we end on an artsy high note! This pig’s talent will blow your mind. 🐷🤯

Thanks for listening, learning, and being you. Join us back here every Tuesday for all things uterus and beyond, in service to you.

Shownotes

- Dr. John Lipman Instagram: @dr_lipman

- Atlanta Fibroid Center: atlii.com

If you’re an avid listener, then you know how we feel about the chemical industry and PFAS (also known as forever chemicals). Our awareness of these toxic practices has led us to try to consume "clean" products for our bodies, but what if that isn’t enough? In this segment of Uterus in the News, learn the shocking truth behind the organic superfood we all reach for and why we need to hold these companies accountable for damaging our health.
 

Endometriosis is a common chronic condition we will never stop talking about. Our guest in this episode is dedicated to doing the same hard work and goes above and beyond to support those living with endometriosis in her spare time. We’re joined by endometriosis advocate Teni Ogunro who shares her personal story of living with endo, finding out she had ascites (a complication of endo), being pregnant with a frozen pelvis, and how holistic treatments have helped manage her condition.
 

Lastly, we end on a high note from the ocean — this bracelet is the sea's favorite accessory.  🌊

Thanks for listening, learning, and being you. And join us back here every Tuesday for all things uterus, in service to you, uterinekind.

_________________________

Teni's Resources:

Instagram: @notdefinedbyendo

Podcast: notdefinedbyendo.podbean.com

They were right: it IS all in your head.

PMS and PMDD actually starts with the brain, so why aren't we focusing on it more?  

Well, someone named Emilė Radytė is.

There are over 130 different symptoms that are recognized with premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Some experience cognitive and physical symptoms that can cause a real interference with daily life. These should not be dismissed.

In this episode, we dive into this revolutionary science with our brilliant guest Emilė Radytė. Em is the co-founder and CEO of Samphire Neuroscience, the innovative company behind this upcoming, wearable device. She has an undergrad in neuroscience and social anthropology from Harvard, as well as a Master degree in neuroscience from Oxford. 

It's called the Samphire Headband and it's the first medical device designated for treating PMS. The fascinating technology behind it has shown to seamlessly reduce pain, PMS, and PMDD symptoms by wearing it for 20 minutes at a time. 

We discuss:

• the hormone-brain connection during different phases of the menstrual cycle
• what causes PMDD & PMS and what's considered "normal" from a symptoms perspective?
• the science behind the headband
• data from trials so far and production status of the Samphire headband
• how creatives can get involved in the creation of the Samphire headband

Lastly, we end on a high note in the making! This is the perfect app for your next hot girl walk. 

Thanks for listening, learning, and being you. And join us back here every Tuesday for all things uterus, in service to you, uterinekind.

__________

Shownotes:

Learn more about the Samphire Headband and join the waitlist to get early access and $200 off the standard price: www.samphireneuro.com

Massachusetts Participants for Study on Endo: www.umass.edu/news/article/volunteers-needed-new-study-endometriosis

Fibroids are WAY more common than may think. Up to 80% of Black females and 70% of White females will develop fibroids.

Do you live with extreme period symptoms? Do you find yourself adjusting your life around your period? Do you leave your house with pounds of pads and clothing in case you bleed through? 

Painful periods, excessive bleeding, bloating, and mental health struggles aren't normal and are signs that something is off. And you deserve a definitive diagnosis early (the Uterinekind app exists to help you with that journey!).

When dealing with intense physical and mental anguish caused by your own body, your view on life and yourself can slowly start to warp into a spiral of negativity and self-hatred. This is the last thing you need on top of all those painful symptoms. 

Our guest is helping you live an empowered life with a healthy, loving relationship with your mind and body.

We are so incredibly honored to have fibroid advocate and founder of The White Dress Project, Tanika Gray Valbrun. Tanika beautifully shares her individual experience living with fibroids, teaches the importance of honoring yourself when dealing with life-disrupting symptoms, the power of sharing your own story with others, and gives us a sneak peek at The EmPOWERment Experience, hosted by the White Dress Project.

Get ready to feel empowered over your fibroids and learn how to fall back in love with yourself!

Lastly, we end on a trendsetting high note. Do you prefer moths or butterflies?

Thanks for listening, learning, and being you. And join us back here every Tuesday for all things uterus, in service to you, uterinekind.

------------

Shownotes:

*Visit thewhitedressproject.org for tickets to The EmPOWERment Experience in July

*Full new study on size and location of fibroids and risk of postpartum hemorrhage: www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(23)00308-3/pdf

*High note: www.goodnewsnetwork.org/193747-2/

Alright note takers, get ready! This is a beefy episode filled with accessible tips on preparing for and communicating in doctors appointments, from someone who is on the front line. Take a deep breath. Doing just one or two things can increase your chances of having a successful appointment.

Having a successful appointment can seem like an impossible task after years of dismissal and feeling let down, but here we are joined by Nurse Practitioner and chronic illness patient and advocate, Kimether Redmon. 

When living with a chronic illness, it can be hard to take care of ourselves, let alone focus on taking care of others. After living through medical gaslighting and a delayed endometriosis diagnosis for 20 years, Kimether has continually shown up for her patients and is now trying to change the way our current medical system treats patients.

Kimether discusses how she was treated throughout her diagnosis journey, how a beloved career in healthcare forced her to put her own health on the back burner, a successful patient-provider dynamic, and how to navigate the current healthcare system in your favor. We love this episode so much because it includes a rounded perspective from someone who has the personal experience of medical bias and the professional experience of being a provider. 

We applaud Kimether for these little acts that go a long way, and what she is doing to make a difference in the healthcare system by personalizing patients' experiences and effective communication.

Topics discussed:

*the effects of medical trauma and medical bias engrained in the healthcare system

*what is trauma-informed care?

*what does patient-centered care and trauma-informed care look like?

*why do some doctors gaslight?

*the benefits of informed decision-making between patient and care team

*couples navigating chronic illness together

*preparing for appointments ahead of time goes a long way

*tips on how to communicate detailed symptom experiences to minimize dismissal

+ much more!

Lastly, we end on a high note that comes from Australia. Come on, we’re going mushroom foraging! 🍄

Thanks for listening, learning, and being you. And join us back here every Tuesday for all things uterus, in service to you, uterinekind.

Show Notes:

Kimether Redmon on Instagram: @therebelliousuterus

Kimether's Podcast Endo Thick of It:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/endo-thick-of-it-with-brandon-and-kimether/id1683049709

Mushrooms can be detained to digest cigarette butts: www.cleanup.org.au/fungi-solutions