The OBservations Podcast

In this two-part conversation, fourth-year medical student and mother of two Alexandra Davidson offers insights on how medical professionals can help build a life-affirming society. In this second conversation, Alexandra discusses how medical professionals can help address systemic challenges to supporting pregnant women and families.

Alexandra is an AAPLOG member as well as a Student Ambassador for FACTS About Fertility, a fertility awareness education organization. In 2023, at our Matthew Bulfin Educational Conference, Alexandra won the Honeycutt Award for her outstanding scientific poster presentation highlighting her research on Kansas physicians’ knowledge and perceptions of fertility awareness-based family planning methods. 

Resources/sources from interview:

• Cycle charting: https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/what-is-charting/
• Latched mama: https://www.facebook.com/latchedmama
• Both Lives Matter: https://bothlivesmatter.org/stories/hannahs-story-im-pro-life-but
• Dr. Milk: https://www.drmilk.org/ 
• Kelly Mom: https://kellymom.com/ 
• Drugs and Lactation Database: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®) – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
• InfantRisk Center: https://infantrisk.com/  

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In this two-part conversation, fourth-year medical student and mother of two Alexandra Davidson offers insights on how medical professionals can help build a life-affirming society. In this first conversation, Alexandra identifies a variety of societal factors that impact women's pregnancy decisions, including challenges facing women in the medical profession.

Alexandra is an AAPLOG member as well as a Student Ambassador for FACTS About Fertility, a fertility awareness education organization. In 2023, at our Matthew Bulfin Educational Conference, Alexandra won the Honeycutt Award for her outstanding scientific poster presentation highlighting her research on Kansas physicians’ knowledge and perceptions of fertility awareness-based family planning methods.  

Resources/sources from interview:

• Cycle charting: https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/what-is-charting/
• Latched mama: https://www.facebook.com/latchedmama
• Both Lives Matter: https://bothlivesmatter.org/stories/hannahs-story-im-pro-life-but
• Dr. Milk: https://www.drmilk.org/ 
• Kelly Mom: https://kellymom.com/ 
• Drugs and Lactation Database: Drugs and Lactation Database (LactMed®) - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
• InfantRisk Center: https://infantrisk.com/  

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In this second half of a two-part episode on holistic fertility care, Dr. Sarah Pederson discusses her approach to treating patients facing fertility issues with AAPLOG CEO Dr. Christina Francis.

Dr. Pederson is a board-certified OB-GYN who specializes in fertility, holistic medicine, and surgery. She practices in Denver, Colorado, where she is the founder of Vera Health and Fertility, where she takes a holistic, personalized approach to women’s health issues. At Vera, Dr. Pederson thinks outside the box to get to the bottom of why couples are having fertility issues or other concerns like abnormal bleeding, PMS symptoms or painful periods. She provides a welcoming environment and comes up with very personalized treatment plans unprecedented in current medical care.

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Board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Sarah Pederson discusses the holistic approach she uses to treat patients dealing with hormonal issues at her Colorado practice.

Dr. Pederson specializes in fertility, holistic medicine, and surgery. She practices in Denver, Colorado, where she is the founder of Vera Health and Fertility, where she takes a holistic, personalized approach to women’s health issues. At Vera, Dr. Pederson thinks outside the box to get to the bottom of why couples are having fertility issues or other concerns like abnormal bleeding, PMS symptoms or painful periods. She provides a welcoming environment and comes up with very personalized treatment plans unprecedented in current medical care.  

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This is Part 2 of an update on the federal chemical abortion lawsuit Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v FDA. 

Erik is the lead attorney representing the plaintiffs in AHM v FDA. He serves as senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, focusing on administrative litigation and regulatory advocacy. Before working at ADF, he was a partner at one of the largest law firms in Washington, DC, and a senior executive service political appointee at the US Environmental Protection Agency. Erik is admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court and several federal courts of appeal and so he definitely brings a great depth of experience and knowledge to this case. 

Dr. Skop is Vice President and Director of Medical Affairs for Charlotte Lozier Institute, leveraging more than 25 years’ experience as a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist to support research and policies that respect the dignity of every human life. Dr. Skop is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, where she uses science and statistics to counter pro-abortion agendas and is a lifetime member of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Skop’s research on maternal mortality, abortion, and women’s health has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals.

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In our fifth and sixth episodes, AAPLOG CEO Dr. Christina Francis interviewed attorney Erik Baptist, who offered an overview of what was going on in the federal court case Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA. Since then, there have been a few developments in this case about which we felt you should be kept in the loop, so we’ve brought Erik back to give us an update and brought on Dr. Ingrid Skop to offer a medical perspective.

Erik is the lead attorney representing the plaintiffs in AHM v FDA. He serves as senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, focusing on administrative litigation and regulatory advocacy. Before working at ADF, he was a partner at one of the largest law firms in Washington, DC, and a senior executive service political appointee at the US Environmental Protection Agency. Erik is admitted to practice before the US Supreme Court and several federal courts of appeal and so he definitely brings a great depth of experience and knowledge to this case. 

Dr. Skop is Vice President and Director of Medical Affairs for Charlotte Lozier Institute, leveraging more than 25 years’ experience as a practicing obstetrician-gynecologist to support research and policies that respect the dignity of every human life. Dr. Skop is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, where she uses science and statistics to counter pro-abortion agendas and is a lifetime member of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Skop’s research on maternal mortality, abortion, and women’s health has been published in multiple peer-reviewed journals.

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Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist Dr. Jeffrey Wright and AAPLOG CEO and board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Christina Francis discuss how to treat premature rupture of membranes (PROM), especially pre-viability. This second half of the conversation covers fetal survival rates of PROM, maternal risks of continuing pregnancy with PROM, and the law versus the ethics of managing PROM.

Dr. Wright is a board-certified Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist in North Carolina. He completed his MD and a residency and fellowship at the University of Texas Medical School in San Antonio, where he co-founded that institution’s first fetal diagnostic unit and developed the institution’s capability in fetal echocardiography, fetal Doppler, and umbilical blood sampling. Later he founded the first Maternal Fetal Medicine practice in Southeastern North Carolina where he has cared for pregnant patients and their unborn children since 1990. You may remember Dr. Wright from our tenth episode, titled “What is Not an Abortion?” If you haven’t listened to that episode, be sure to do so after this one! 

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Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist Dr. Jeffrey Wright and AAPLOG CEO and board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Christina Francis discuss how to treat premature rupture of membranes (PROM), especially pre-viability. This first half of the conversation covers what PROM is, its causes, and risks to mom and baby.

Dr. Wright is a board-certified Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist in North Carolina. He completed his MD and a residency and fellowship at the University of Texas Medical School in San Antonio, where he co-founded that institution’s first fetal diagnostic unit and developed the institution’s capability in fetal echocardiography, fetal Doppler, and umbilical blood sampling. Later he founded the first Maternal Fetal Medicine practice in Southeastern North Carolina where he has cared for pregnant patients and their unborn children since 1990. You may remember Dr. Wright from our tenth episode, titled “What is Not an Abortion?” If you haven’t listened to that episode, be sure to do so after this one! 

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Future Medical Professionals for Life CEO Gavin Oxley discusses the challenges faced by pro-life aspiring medical professionals,  how current pro-life medical professionals can support them, and more.

For his undergraduate degree, Gavin studied medical anthropology, ethics, and care at the University of Virginia, during which time he founded FMPFL; today, he is working on his Master of Legal Studies at Arizona State University and plans to attend medical school after taking some time to do pro-life work. At FMPFL, he works to restore the Hippocratic oath by engaging medical students on their campuses. He also collaborates with the organization Students for Life of America to support pro-life aspiring medical professionals and serves that same organization as Lead Operations Supervisor and Medical & Law Coordinator. 

Resources Mentioned:

• FMPFL Website!
• Email Gavin
• Register for the 2024 Matthew Bulfin Educational Conference
• Make a Giving Tuesday contribution to fund the Joe DeCook scholarship & support the next generation of pro-life medical professionals 

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Board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Vivina Napier offers information about Issue 1, the pro-abortion proposed Ohio state constitutional amendment. Dr. Napier discusses the current abortion landscape in Ohio as well as the potential impacts of Issue 1 on the preborn and on women.

Helpful resources:

• Learn more about Issue 1 from Protect Women Ohio
• Learn more about Do No Harm Ohio, the medical professional coalition promoting life in Ohio
• Help promote life in Ohio through Created Equal
• Get connected to a pregnancy resource center through AAPLOG's directory or through Obria

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