Under the Hood

Women went from having almost no information about peri/menopause to feeling completely buried in it. Between gimmicky headlines, flashy celebrity endorsements, and conflicting advice, it can be overwhelming to figure out what’s safe, what works, and what’s actually worth your time and money.

Dr. Alicia Robbins, OB/GYN, Menopause Society–Certified Practitioner, and Lifestyle Medicine Specialist, joins sex and relationship therapist Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy and pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Alex DiGrado this week to separate the science from the hype. Together, they untangle common midlife health myths, make sense of conflicting information about hormone therapy, and discuss ways to address sleep, sex, and pelvic health challenges during peri/menopause and beyond.

Dr. Robbins wants you to remember there’s no badge for suffering. Just because peri/menopause is a “natural part of life” doesn't mean you have to accept feeling terrible. This conversation will help you advocate for the care you need to feel like yourself again.

What you’ll learn:

• Why conventional sleep hygiene tips and prescription sleep aids often don’t work for peri/menopausal women.
• How bad data reporting created 20 years of unnecessary fear around hormone replacement therapy (and what current science actually shows).
• How to use GLP-1s as a science-backed tool for midlife metabolic health without sacrificing muscle mass.
• How declining estrogen depletes the brain's pleasure pathways, and the relatively simple hormone fixes that can bring back your sex drive.
• Why your pelvic floor can benefit from "skincare" in midlife, especially for anyone dealing with chronic UTIs or long-term birth control use.
• What works well for midlife hair loss (and the popular supplement you can probably skip).

Tune in if you’ve ever thought:

• “I’m snapping at everyone and my anxiety is through the roof, but my period is still regular, so it can’t be perimenopause.”
• “I’m careful about no screens, red light, and melatonin before bedtime...so why am I still waking up at 2AM every night?”
• “I only have 10 pounds to lose, so GLP-1s probably aren’t for me, right?”
• “I hated the Pill in my twenties, so I’m guessing hormone therapy isn’t for me now either.”
• “I have a family history of breast cancer. Is HRT automatically off the table for me?”
• “I asked my doctor about HRT, but he told me I’m too young for it and offered me Zoloft instead.”

Helpful resources:

• Dr. Robbins’ medical practice (focused on peri/menopause and hormone therapy): The Elm (Greenwich & Westport, CT locations) 
• Check out Dr. Robbins’ podcast Call Your Doctor (co-hosted with Dr. Lucky Sekhon), especially their 9/28/26 episode Beyond the Pink: Navigating Life, Health, and Breast Cancer with Medical Oncologist Dr. Eleonora Teplinsky (who advocates vaginal estrogen for breast cancer patients)
• Follow Dr. Robbins on Instagram: @aliciarobbinsmd
• Study: Vaginal Estrogen & Recurrent UTIs (LaClair et al., 2026)
• Study: Marina et al. (2020). Hormonal profile of menopausal women receiving androgen replacement therapy: A meta-analysis.
• Article: Menopause drug may help prevent invasive breast cancer, clinical trial finds 
• Find a pelvic floor PT near you: pelvicrehab.com or Pelvic Global Directory
• Parents in Love: A Guide to Great Sex After Kids by Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy

Connect with us:

Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy
Website: rebeccaeudy.com
Instagram: @rebeccahowardeudy
Newsletter: Parents in Love Substack

Dr. Alexandra DiGrado
Website: bostonpelvicpt.com
Instagram: @bostonpelvicpt
Newsletter: Under the Hood

Under the Hood Podcast
Instagram: @underthehooddocs
Website: underthehoodpod.com
YouTube: @underthehooddocs

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick rating or review. It takes just 30 seconds, but it’s one of the best ways to help Under the Hood grow and reach even more people. Thank you for listening!

Recovering from a C-section can feel overwhelming for so many reasons, especially in a society that still largely treats it as “the easy way out.” 🙄 It’s major abdominal surgery (they go through seven layers of tissue), and then you go home with a newborn, often with limited instructions, and a lifting limit lower than the weight of the car seat. Plenty of people also labor for hours first, so they’re recovering from both the labor and surgery.

In this episode, pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Alex DiGrado and sex and relationship therapist Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy talk through the realities of a C-section recovery, including how pelvic floor PT can be really helpful. They also discuss the emotional toll of a birth that didn’t go as planned, or of choosing a C-section and navigating all the unsolicited opinions that come with it.

Dr. Alex also shares her own experience with a C-section and a VBAC, including both the empowering parts and the medical terminology that drove her crazy.

We hope you leave this episode knowing that however you gave birth, there’s no shame in your choices, and your recovery deserves compassion and support. And if you had either a C-section, a VBAC, or both, we’d love to hear from you! Please email us at [email protected] if you’d like to share your story.

What you’ll learn:

• How pelvic floor PT can help with C-section recovery, from scar work to pain management to rebuilding core function.
• How to retrain a numb or oversensitive scar with common household items.
• How to set up your home and prep your support person for the realities of early recovery from a C-section.
• A simple pillow-and-“shh” trick for bowel movements when your abs feel “turned off.”
• A helpful phrase to use when it feels like decisions are being made too quickly during labor and delivery.
• What a “gentle C-section” can look like, including ways to enhance early bonding with your baby.

Tune in if you’ve ever thought:

• “I had a C-section, so I didn’t think pelvic floor PT applied to me.”
• “Will the ‘shelf’ above my scar ever go away?”
• “My birth didn’t go the way I had hoped, and I’m still working through it.”
• “I chose to get a C-section, and now I feel like I have to explain myself to everyone.”
• “I can’t tell if my provider is recommending a C-section because I need it or because it’s easier for them.”
• “If I had a C-section the first time, do I have to have it the next time?”

Helpful resources:

• Reel: How Pelvic Floor PT can help with C-Section Recovery
• Blog post: C-Section Recovery with Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy 
• Blog post: How To Heal C-Section Scar Pain & Sensitivity
• C-section scar massage how-tos HERE and HERE
• Dr. Alex’s Healthy Pelvis Project Scar Healing Mini Course
• 21:07: We could not find conclusive studies showing that pelvic floor physical therapy directly increases VBAC rates. But PFPT can help with several things that matter in labor. Research shows that prenatal pelvic floor training can shorten the pushing stage and lower the risk of severe tearing. A pelvic floor PT can also work with you on cesarean scar comfort, hip and pelvic mobility, relaxing the pelvic floor, and coordinating breath with pushing. Many different factors affect whether a VBAC is successful, and while more research is needed, pelvic floor PT may be a valuable part of preparing for a VBAC.
• Find a pelvic floor PT near you: pelvicrehab.com or Pelvic Global Directory
• Parents in Love: A Guide to Great Sex After Kids by Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy

Connect with us:

Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy
Website: rebeccaeudy.com
Instagram: @rebeccahowardeudy
Newsletter: Parents in Love Substack

Dr. Alexandra DiGrado
Website: bostonpelvicpt.com
Instagram: @bostonpelvicpt
Newsletter: Under the Hood

Under the Hood Podcast
Instagram: @underthehooddocs
Website: underthehoodpod.com
YouTube: @underthehooddocs

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick rating or review. It takes just 30 seconds, but it’s one of the best ways to help Under the Hood grow and reach even more people. Thank you for listening!

Last week on Under the Hood, therapist, mindfulness teacher, and School of Mom founder Sarah Harmon joined sex & relationship therapist Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy and pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Alex DiGrado to break down the “mother bucket”—that core need for love and affirmation every child hopes their parent will fill (catch up on Part 1 here).

This week, we’re diving into the underlying patterns that dictate how we show up in adulthood as partners and parents today. If you catch yourself doing the exact thing you swore you’d never do—and wonder why "knowing better" hasn't helped you stop—this episode is for you.

What you’ll learn:

• Your Relationship Blueprint: How the way your parents handled conflict (whether they fought like crazy or never disagreed) shapes how you react to your partner today.
• Breaking Family Cycles: How to stop passing “the invisible baton” of generational patterns like guilt, shame, and defensiveness on to your kids.
• Living on Autopilot: Why most of your emotional reactions happen automatically without you even realizing it.
• Real-Life Parenting: The value of guiding your kids through hard emotions like anxiety and anger instead of trying to avoid them altogether.

Tune in if you’ve ever thought:

• “I swore I’d never guilt trip my kid the way my mom guilted me…and yet here we are…”
• “I teach my kids that having ‘big feelings’ is ok… until they actually express them, and then I snap.”
• “Why does a simple comment about dishes in the sink make me feel like I’m failing at everything?”
• “I’ve talked about this in therapy a million times. Why am I still doing it?”
• “Does working on all of this ‘cycle-breaking’ stuff ever get any easier?”

Helpful resources:

• Under the Hood Ep 49 (Part 1): The Mother Bucket with Sarah Harmon 
• The School of MOM (Mothering Ourselves Mindfully)
• Mothering Ourselves Mindfully Podcast 🎧
  • Check out Sarah’s interview with Dr. Alex on Ep 48: It’s Called a Vulva! (Sarah’s most downloaded episode to date!)
• Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahlowellharmon
• Find a pelvic floor PT near you: pelvicrehab.com or Pelvic Global Directory
• Parents in Love: A Guide to Great Sex After Kids by Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy

Connect with us:

Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy
Website: rebeccaeudy.com
Instagram: @rebeccahowardeudy
Newsletter: Parents in Love Substack

Dr. Alexandra DiGrado
Website: bostonpelvicpt.com
Instagram: @bostonpelvicpt
Newsletter: Under the Hood

Under the Hood Podcast
Instagram: @underthehooddocs
Website: underthehoodpod.com
YouTube: @underthehooddocs

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick rating or review. It takes just 30 seconds, but it’s one of the best ways to help Under the Hood grow and reach even more people. Thank you for listening!

Content Note: This episode includes brief discussion of a parent’s acute mental health crisis, psychosis, and involuntary psychiatric hospitalization.

Having kids has a funny way of kicking down the door on how we were raised. Whether your relationship with your own mom is complicated, nonexistent, or actually pretty good, becoming a parent brings up a lot of old habits and big questions.

Our guest this week is Sarah Harmon, a therapist, mindfulness teacher, founder of School of Mom…and the one who first introduced Dr. Rebecca and Dr. Alex! Sarah has spent years navigating her own mother’s severe mental health crisis and their eventual estrangement. She shares what she’s learned both professionally and personally about filling your own "mother bucket," breaking old family patterns, and giving yourself the care you spend all day giving to everyone else.

We get into a LOT in this conversation (enough to fill Pennsylvania alone, per Sarah), so this is Part 1 of 2. Look out for Part 2 next week.

**What you’ll learn**:

• The double whammy of motherhood: Why loving your own kids deeply can trigger hard questions about what you didn't receive as a child.
• The "Mother Bucket": Why support from friends and partners can only go so far - and why the next best person to do it is you.
• "Apples to Apples": The relief of finding community with other women who share a similar family dynamic or estrangement.
• Over-functioning as a survival strategy: How early beliefs like "I'm only worthy if I'm helping someone" turn into chronic people-pleasing and resentment in adult relationships.
• Why chaos feels comfortable: How our nervous system mistakes what is familiar for what is safe, even when it isn't healthy.

**Tune in if you’ve ever thought**:

• "I snuggle my kid and then realize I can’t even remember the last time my own mom gave me a real hug."
• “My relationship with my mom is pretty good, so why do I still want to parent differently than she did?”
• “I made stuff for the bake sale, picked up the extra assignment, organized the carpool…and now I’m standing in my kitchen wanting to scream. Why do I do this to myself??
• Why am I so much better at handling a crisis than I am at just trying to sit down and relax on the couch?” 

**Helpful resources**:

• Rewire: Sarah’s seven-week life lab designed to help you close the gap between the mom you want to be and how you show up every day. Registration closes this Thursday, October 15, and the program begins October 27. UTH listeners get $50 off with code UNDERTHEHOOD
• The School of MOM (Mothering Ourselves Mindfully) 
• Untethered: Sarah’s program for women with a difficult relationship with their mom. Not currently open for enrollment, but you can join the waitlist.
• Mothering Ourselves Mindfully Podcast 🎧
  • Check out Sarah’s interview with Dr. Alex on Ep 48: It’s Called a Vulva! (Sarah’s most downloaded episode to date!)
• Follow Sarah on Instagram: @sarahlowellharmon 
• Find a pelvic floor PT near you: pelvicrehab.com or Pelvic Global Directory
• Parents in Love: A Guide to Great Sex After Kids by Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy

**Connect with us:**

Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy
Website: rebeccaeudy.com
Instagram: @rebeccahowardeudy
Newsletter: Parents in Love Substack

Dr. Alexandra DiGrado
Website: bostonpelvicpt.com
Instagram: @bostonpelvicpt
Newsletter: Under the Hood

Under the Hood Podcast
Instagram: @underthehooddocs
Website: underthehoodpod.com
YouTube: @underthehooddocs

***

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick rating or review. It takes just 30 seconds, but it’s one of the best ways to help Under the Hood grow and reach even more people. Thank you for listening!

Resharing an episode from the Mindful Mama Podcast, on which Dr. Rebecca was a guest earlier this year: "From “Touched Out” to Turned On: Mindful Intimacy".

Parenting can leave intimacy feeling impossible - but it doesn’t have to. In this episode, Hunter Clarke-Fields talks with Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy, sex therapist and author of Parents in Love, about navigating desire, connection, and pleasure in long-term relationships.

**You’ll discover:**

 • Why desire differences are normal, and not a sign something is wrong
 • How parenting affects intimacy and touch
 • Practical ways to nurture responsive desire without pressure
 • How attachment patterns influence emotional and physical closeness
 • The power of micro moments to keep connection alive

If you’ve ever felt “touched out” or disconnected from your partner, this episode gives research-backed, realistic strategies to rediscover desire, cultivate connection, and bring intimacy back into your relationship.

Hunter Clarke-Fields is the host of the Mindful Mama Podcast, global speaker, bestselling author of “Raising Good Humans” and “Raising Good Humans Every Day,” Mindfulness Meditation teacher, and creator of the Mindful Parenting Course and Teacher Training.

Find more podcasts, Hunter’s books, blog posts, free resources, and more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠MindfulMamaMentor.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

When Dr. Katie Radermacher, pelvic floor physical therapist at Boston Pelvic PT, became pregnant for the second time, she was so sure she knew what to expect that she told her husband (a fellow PT) he could just skip the 12-week ultrasound. He moved his patients around and came anyway. Good thing…because then two heads appeared on the screen ("You guys didn't know that?" the US tech asked).

In this episode, Dr. Katie sits down with Dr. Alex to talk about what pregnancy is like when you're a pelvic floor PT who still gets surprised by your own body. She also shares how this pregnancy motivated her to seek out the community she knew she'd need: other twin parents, a care team that supported her goals, and mom friends who offer middle-of-the-night support. Other twin parents’ stories helped Dr. Katie feel less alone as she navigated her own pregnancy, so now she’s sharing her story in hopes of doing the same for someone else.

**What you'll learn**:

• Why it's absolutely okay to switch providers mid-pregnancy if something doesn’t feel right (Dr. Katie and Dr. Alex have both done it).
• Why pregnancy pain shouldn't be brushed off, including Dr. Alex's story of being sent home from the hospital three days in a row with 10/10 pain that turned out to be a placental abruption.
• What a pelvic floor PT does when she's the one who's pregnant, from managing nausea to SI joint pain.
• What makes mono-di twin pregnancies different, plus the best advice from other twin parents (no, you don't need two of everything).

**Tune in if you've ever thought**:

• "These doctors have delivered hundreds of babies, so they probably know what they're doing... but something just feels off."
• "They just sent me back home again. Is my pain even real or am I going crazy?"
• "I couldn't figure out what kind of exercise was safe, so I just stopped."
• "Between the ultrasounds and the specialist visits, my pregnancy appointments have basically become a second job."
• "I'm a planner. So how do I plan for something that's pretty much out of my control?"

**Helpful resources**:

• Real Food for Pregnancy: The science and wisdom of optimal prenatal nutrition by Lily Nichols, RDN, CDE (Dr. Katie found that taking extra B vitamins and eating two Brazil nuts first thing in the morning was very helpful for managing her nausea - consult your PCP first).
• Serola SI belt for lower back, pelvic and hip pain
• Belly Bandit Upsie Belly Pregnancy Support Band 
• Love Steady supportive bloomers [10% off your first order]
• Kinesiology tape for sensitive skin [HSA/FSA approved]
• Vibe Chiropractic, Wakefield, MA
• Moms of Multiples Facebook group
• Find a pelvic floor PT near you: pelvicrehab.com or Pelvic Global Directory

**Connect with us**:

Dr. Katie Radermacher
Instagram: @drkathrynradermacher

Dr. Alexandra DiGrado
Website: bostonpelvicpt.com
Instagram: @bostonpelvicpt
Newsletter: Under the Hood

Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy
Website: rebeccaeudy.com
Instagram: @rebeccahowardeudy
Newsletter: Parents in Love Substack

Under the Hood Podcast
Instagram: @underthehooddocs
Website: underthehoodpod.com

YouTube: @underthehooddocs 

***

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick rating or review. It takes just 30 seconds, but it's one of the best ways to help Under the Hood grow and reach even more people. Thank you for listening!

What does it take to be true friends with your romantic partner…and not just partners in bills, parenting, schedules, and the rest of daily life? Relationship & sex therapist Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy and pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Alex DiGrado explore the kind of friendship that helps a relationship feel safe, supportive, and connected over time. This conversation is a reminder that closeness and independence can co-exist - and that treating your partner with the same respect, generosity, and curiosity you offer a close friend can deepen romantic love. 

What you'll learn:

• How to stay connected to your partner without taking on every feeling or problem as your own.
• What Twilight gets wrong about all-consuming love - and what a healthier kind of closeness can look like.
• How entitlement and self-sacrifice are often two sides of the same coin.
• How to root for your partner’s choices - without correcting or micromanaging them - even when they are not the choices you would make for yourself.

Tune in if you've ever thought:

• “We used to actually hang out and do things, but now it feels like we’re just two roommates running a house.”
• “I feel completely drained whenever they’re in a bad mood, like I’m not allowed to be happy if they’re upset.”
• “I know it’s great that my partner has their own interests, so why do I still feel left out when they go out without me?”

Helpful resources:

• Under the Hood Episode 20: The Wheel of Consent - How to Get Clear on What You Want
• Under the Hood Episode 12: Resentment in Relationships (& why “letting it go” doesn’t work)
• Parents in Love: A Guide to Great Sex After Kids by Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy
• Find a pelvic floor PT near you: pelvicrehab.com or Pelvic Global Directory

Connect with us:

Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy
Website: rebeccaeudy.com
Instagram: @rebeccahowardeudy
Newsletter: Parents in Love Substack

Dr. Alexandra DiGrado
Website: bostonpelvicpt.com
Instagram: @bostonpelvicpt
Newsletter: Under the Hood

Under the Hood Podcast
Instagram: @underthehooddocs
Website: underthehoodpod.com

YouTube: @underthehooddocs 

***

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick rating or review. It takes just 30 seconds, but it's one of the best ways to help Under the Hood grow and reach even more people. Thank you for listening!

Yes, time management and the mental load are everywhere right now, and so it’s easy to tune out yet another conversation about how to do more with less. But we promise you, this episode isn’t a list of productivity hacks or a scorecard for who’s doing more.

Our special guest today is Kelly Nolan, an attorney-turned-time-management strategist. Kelly left her career as a patent litigator to build the Bright Method, a time-management system for working women that started as something she needed herself after burning out. Now, as a mom of two young kids and married to someone with an unpredictable work schedule, she uses the same flexible system to manage the everyday demands of work, kids, home, hobbies, and everything else life brings.

Sex and relationship therapist Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy and pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Alex DiGrado talk with Kelly about getting all the invisible work out of your head and onto the calendar so there’s more room for rest, connection, and the things you actually want to do with your life.

Note: Dr. Alex DiGrado purchased and completed Kelly Nolan’s course independently. This is not a paid partnership or sponsored episode.

What you'll learn:

• Why each partner in a couple often thinks they're doing more than half
• Why household roles fall into place early on in parenthood, and why a "one-year shakeup" can help see if they still make sense as your kids get older
• A concept from Brene Brown that reframed how Kelly saw her frustration with her husband's free time
• How to divide tasks so they're fully off your plate, not just delegated to someone else while you still track it all in your head.

Tune in if you've ever thought:

• "I was running around all day, so why does it feel like I got absolutely nothing done?”
• "Why did I just tell my boss I'd have this project done by tomorrow? He didn't even ask for it that soon."
• “Seriously? You need me to figure that out for you, too?" when your partner asks what they can do to help.
• “I need more time for myself, but I honestly don’t see where it would fit.”

Helpful resources

• Kelly Nolan's website
• The Bright Method Podcast
• Instagram: @_kellynolan_
• Fair Play by Eve Rodsky
• -Study Dr. Rebecca referenced: A.V. Whillans, E.W. Dunn, P. Smeets, R. Bekkers, & M.I. Norton, Buying time promotes happiness, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 114 (32) 8523-8527, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1706541114 (2017).
• Find a pelvic floor PT near you: pelvicrehab.com or Pelvic Global Directory
• Parents in Love: A Guide to Great Sex After Kids by Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy

Connect with us:

Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy
Website: rebeccaeudy.com
Instagram: @rebeccahowardeudy
Newsletter: Parents in Love Substack

Dr. Alexandra DiGrado
Website: bostonpelvicpt.com
Instagram: @bostonpelvicpt
Newsletter: Under the Hood

Under the Hood Podcast
Instagram: @underthehooddocs
Website: underthehoodpod.com

YouTube: @underthehooddocs 

***

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick rating or review. It takes just 30 seconds, but it's one of the best ways to help Under the Hood grow and reach even more people. Thank you for listening!

Long-term relationships can offer trust, security, inside jokes, and the comfort of a partner you can count on...but the routines and daily logistics that come along with them can often bury the spark that first brought you together.

In this episode, sex & relationship therapist Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy and pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Alex DiGrado explore why feeling bored in your relationship doesn’t necessarily mean there’s anything wrong with you or your partner, but rather that it may be an opportunity for change.

They discuss how *novelty* - whether it’s a new restaurant, a local adventure, a weekend away, or just trying something different together (even if it doesn’t go as planned!) can help couples feel more curious, playful, connected, and alive, in and out of the bedroom.

What you'll learn:

• Why the differences that first attract us to a partner can feel more frustrating once daily life and logistics enter the picture.
• How to introduce more novelty without creating pressure or making it feel like a performance.
• How seeing your partner in a different setting, whether they’re charming the waiter or meeting your coworkers, can renew curiosity and attraction.
• Why a terrible interpretive-dance show or another imperfect adventure can still become a relationship-building shared memory.

Tune in if you've ever thought:

• "We used to have so much chemistry...now we're just roomates."
• "I want more excitement in our relationship, but my partner seems fine with how things are."
• "Every time I try to plan a fun date night, I put so much pressure on it that it kind of ruins the fun."
• "I'm not going to have an affair, but I get why people do."

Helpful resources:

• Find a pelvic floor PT near you: pelvicrehab.com or Pelvic Global Directory
• Parents in Love: A Guide to Great Sex After Kids by Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy

Connect with us:

Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy
Website: rebeccaeudy.com
Instagram: @rebeccahowardeudy
Newsletter: Parents in Love Substack

Dr. Alexandra DiGrado
Website: bostonpelvicpt.com
Instagram: @bostonpelvicpt
Newsletter: Under the Hood

Under the Hood Podcast
Instagram: @underthehooddocs
Website: underthehoodpod.com

YouTube: @underthehooddocs 

***

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick rating or review. It takes just 30 seconds, but it's one of the best ways to help Under the Hood grow and reach even more people. Thank you for listening!

If you’ve been told a genital rash or intense itching is “just a yeast infection,” but the typical treatment hasn’t worked, this episode is for you. Pelvic floor physical therapist Dr. Alexandra DiGrado and relationship & sex therapist Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy sit down to talk about lichen sclerosus, a chronic inflammatory skin condition that causes patches of skin to become thin, white, crinkled, or scarred. It most commonly affects the genital and anal areas, but can also appear on other parts of the body. Lichen sclerosus is often misdiagnosed and mistreated because its symptoms can look and feel a lot like a yeast infection. This is a shorter episode, but an important PSA if you’ve been dealing with symptoms that won’t clear up, especially if they’re affecting your body image, sex life, and day-to-day comfort.

What you'll learn:

• The autoimmune connection: Lichen sclerosus frequently overlaps with conditions like Hashimoto's, Graves' disease, and vitiligo.
• Who it impacts most: The average age of diagnosis is 51, most often in people with vulvas, although it can affect people of all ages and sexes.
• Impact on intimacy: How muscle guarding and scarring can affect sexual health, and tips to get relief.
• Finding the right care: Where to locate knowledgeable providers and support networks if your primary doctor lacks experience with the condition.

Tune in if you've ever thought:

• "This itching and burning feels like a yeast infection, but Monistat isn't doing anything.”
• "Am I going crazy, or is my skin down there actually changing?”
• "I’m so self-conscious about how I look there - I can’t even imagine having sex right now.”

Helpful resources

• The Lost Labia Chronicles: Your one-stop shop for all things lichen sclerosus - Education and support resources for all your needs.
• Lichen Sclerosus Support Network
• Dr. Jill Krapf and Dr. Andrew Goldstein’s free lichen sclerosus webinar, via The Center for Vulvovaginal Disorders
• Find a pelvic floor PT near you: pelvicrehab.com or Pelvic Global Directory

Connect with us:

Dr. Rebecca Howard Eudy
Website: rebeccaeudy.com
Instagram: @rebeccahowardeudy
Newsletter: Parents in Love Substack

Dr. Alexandra DiGrado
Website: bostonpelvicpt.com
Instagram: @bostonpelvicpt
Newsletter: Under the Hood

Under the Hood Podcast
Instagram: @underthehooddocs
Website: underthehoodpod.com
YouTube: @underthehooddocs 

***

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick rating or review. It takes just 30 seconds, but it's one of the best ways to help our show grow and reach even more people. Thank you for listening!