Pregnancy Pearls

Many women start new relationships as they've approached their late 40s or early 50s. Some have decided to get married later in life. Others have gone through divorces and find themselves with a new-found love life. Some of us still have that sexual spark from longterm relationships or marriages.  All this is being said to say that women in the perimenopausal age range are still having sex!!  Well, as we age, our bodies start to approach the age of menopause.  Prior to going through menopause, our hormones, and thus our menstrual cycles, can become very irregular, which makes it difficult to predict if and when ovulation is occuring.  Some might think that means you can't get pregnant, but this perimenopausal time frame can lead to some surprise pregnancies!  Check out this episode as Dr. Plenty discusses changes your body goes through in the perimenopausal time period and when you can actually say you have reached menopause. You'll also hear of some cases of women who are pregnant and perimenopausal and how these pregnancies are managed.  If you are going through the ""change of life"" or think you are approaching the age of menopause, make sure to download and listen to this episode.  Also, don't forget to rate, comment, and share with your friends as well. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A ton of you ladies have been working on your personal weight loss goals! To give yourself a boost, some of you have had weight loss surgery during this pandemic. Congratulations on taking steps to reach your personal goals. Now that you've started to lose weight, many of you might be thinking about getting pregnant... or maybe you're already pregnant.  Weight loss prior to pregnancy is great, but there are precautions you need to take prior to getting pregnant to avoid complications in pregnancy, such as malnourishment, having a small baby, and preterm delivery. Check out this episode to learn how long you should wait before pregnancy, how your diet should change once you get pregnant, and what to look out for once you get pregnant.  Make sure to rate, comment, and share with a friend as well.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During pregnancy, with the growth of the uterus, the muscles in the abdomen called the rectus muscles, can separate.  After delivery, you might have a “mom pooch” with a weakness or bulge around the belly button. Well, this mom pooch might be the result of a rectus diastasis or a result of those rectus muscles being too far apart.  Check out this episode to find out what to do to get rid of the rectus diastasis and which exercises to avoid.  You’ll also find out when to seek further medical attention for more serious issues pertaining to the mom pooch.  Make sure to download, listen, and share with a friend!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several people have had babies during the pandemic.  Although we joke about pandemic babies being different…having a baby during the pandemic really is.  Unfortunately, no consistent recommendations exist about exactly how you should care for your newborn during this pandemic.  So, in this episode, Dr. Plenty let’s you know her advice and discusses the advice of other experts in the field, some of which you’ve heard on the show before.  You’ll learn how to reduce your baby’s risk of getting COVID-19 and what to tell your family to do when coming over to visit.  If you have or will have a “pandemic baby”, you’ve got to listen to this episode! Download, listen, and share with your friends and family today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Circumcision is a procedure done on males to remove the foreskin of the penis.  This procedure is commonly done within the first 48hrs of birth in most full term babies but could be done a little later for premature babies.  Many patients are confused about whether to get their baby boys circumcised in the hospital or if they should wait a little later so that their babies can have a procedure under anesthesia.  Well, in this episode, Dr. Plenty clears up all the confusion.  Download and listen to this episode to find out the risks and benefits of circumcision. You'll also learn when you should actually avoid getting your baby circumcised and how complications are managed.  Make sure to rate, comment, and share with your friends!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your baby’s growth is something that is monitored throughout your pregnancy to make sure your baby is healthy and doing well.  But what if you’re told your baby is small?  Your physician telling you that your baby has growth restriction (aka small)might prompt a ton of questions, like: “What does that mean? Does that mean something is wrong? What can I do to help my baby growth?  If you’ve ever had these questions, then this episode will give you some answers.  Download and listen now!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lightening vagina, pelvic pressure, frequent urination, heart burn… these are all symptoms many women complain about in the third trimester.  In this week’s podcast episode, Dr. Plenty discusses these common miserable symptoms to let you know why you’re experiencing them.  She also breaks down normal changes in the third trimester of pregnancy for both mom and baby. Make sure to download and listen to this episode to understand third symptoms and when these symptoms need additional medical attention.  Don’t forget to rate and share!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spina Bifida is a defect in the spinal cord that leaves the spinal nerves exposed to amniotic fluid. Babies with spina bifida can have issues with walking and bowel and bladder function.  This particular condition can be detected with a test called an alpha fetal protein test, abbreviated as AFP.  But, the AFP test can be abnormal for a number of other reasons?  Yep, and some of these reasons are not related to abnormalities in your baby! Tune into this episode to hear Dr. Plenty break down reasons for an abnormal AFP test and how pregnancies with abnormal results are monitored.  Make sure to rate, comment, and share the episode with your friends!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, Dr. Plenty discusses an important women's health topic that we all need to know about, pregnant or not, and that's which STIs condoms don't protect you against. Yep! There are sexually transmitted infections you can get even if you're being safe and using a barrier method. Really, any infection you can get from skin-to-skin contact, such as herpes and genital warts, you can get despite use of a condom.  Find out other STIs you need to be mindful of and how they can impact your pregnancies or fertility and how they are treated.  Make sure to download and listen to this one now! Like what you've learned? Make sure to rate and comment, and don't forget to share with your friends!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're closely approaching your delivery date or recently delivered, I know you're looking forward to indulging in a a glass of wine. However, most things you eat and drink can accumulate in your breastmilk supply.  And if what you drink is alcohol, that means that after drinking, if you breastfeed, your baby could be getting a couple of sips of your wine as well.  The amount of alcohol you consume will dictate the amount of time you need to pump and dump aka discard your breastmilk. So, check out this episode to find out when and how long you should pump and dump.  Some prescription medicines can cross into the breastmilk as well. Tune in to get advice about how to handle prescription drugs while breastfeeding.  Make sure to share the episode with friends and family, and don't forget to rate and comment!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.