Today we bring in another patient voice. Jen is a labour and delivery nurse sharing her own patient experience via her two birth stories, the first a planned Cesarean section and the second, a very empowering Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). Though Jen is a maternity care provider, going through childbirth herself has given her a multitude of valuable insights on both the process and the systems in place that support birthing people. Despite being intimately familiar with labour and...

Today’s topic might be something that many of us haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about - what kind of changes can occur within eyes during pregnancy? If a patient has a pre-existing condition, either physiological or specifically ocular, are the eyes particularly susceptible to damage during pregnancy and should specific precautions be taken? Could eyesight worsen during pregnancy? Or can it improve? What effects does breastfeeding have? And when should patients be guided to seek...

We need to have a serious conversation about postpartum care models in Canada. Statistics suggest that maternal morbidity and mortality rates are on the rise. Digging deeper into the numbers calls into question all sorts of gaps within our currently care models, how we can better address patient needs through interdisciplinary, collaborative care, the benefit of looking at other models internationally - and how the data collection itself may be leading to misrepresentative statistics. Dr....

On today's concise episode, Drs. Alicia Power and Sarah Lea discuss why newborns are given Vitamin K right after birth, what Vitamin K does in the body, the types of Vitamin K, the causes, effects and treatment of Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding (VKDB), and how to address parent's potential concerns around administering Vitamin K at birth. Feedback: Please take a moment to fill out this very short anonymous survey (>1 minute). We want to optimize Pregnancy for Professionals to suit your...

Drs. Sarah and Alicia come together to share some more insights from their work with Revive Physicians, a community raising up and empowering female physicians to become long-term change makers and leaders. They share their top seven strategies for managing chaos at home and at work, to avoid living in a state of constant hyper arousal, and practicing these strategies so they can be more easily enacted in moments of unavoidable chaos. Resources: Free downloadable resource with Time...

Kristen Yarker, Registered Dietician and founder of The Kristen Yarker Nutrition Agency, talks about the way menopause and perimenopause affect the body and how common symptoms can be managed or even lessened through nutrition. She shares the evidence around the significant hormonal changes that can lead to changes in fat distribution and muscle loss during this time, the consumption of alcohol and its effects, and last but not least the connection between mental health, societal pressures,...

Pregnancy for Professionals was created for providers, by providers. With the rates of physician and allied health team burn-out higher than ever, to be able to provide good care we must first ensure to take care of our own mental and physical health. With that mission in mind, Drs. Power & Lea created Revive Physicians, a community for raising up and empowering female physicians to lead a more balanced life, aligned with their values. On today's episode they share three key tips for...

Our guest on today's episode, Nita Sharda, is a Registered Dietitian and one half of Happy Health Eaters, an online community aiming to help parents feel confident about feeding their baby solids, providing the necessary nutrition, and dispelling common myths and misconceptions. Nita and Dr. Power discuss frequent concerns such as how to advise parents to begin solids, nutritional intake, and how to approach allergens. Resources: Clinician Starting Solids Tear Pad Order Form Blog Post:...

As care providers, most of us are doing our best to exercise kindness and inclusivity in our practice and personal lives. But it can be difficult at times to know how to best live within these values, in an ever evolving world. On today's episode we speak to Trystan Reese, trans educator with a focus on reproductive justice, fertility, and family-building, about his pregnancy, the data on testosterone and fertility, and small steps providers can take to create a more inclusive space for all...

Today's episode is all about home birth! What is involved, who is a good candidate, how best to prepare for a home birth, and what happens postpartum. Thank you to registered midwife Heidi Machnee for joining us and sharing her research and expertise. Feedback: Please take a moment to fill out this very short anonymous survey (>1 minute). We want to optimize Pregnancy for Professionals to suit your needs, so any feedback is very valuable and much appreciated!

Tongue ties are such a vast, controversial, and often misunderstood topic that we brought in pediatric otolaryngologist (ENT) surgeon Dr. Elise Graham to help us wade through the topic. She is also a mom to two boys with a complex breastfeeding journey of her own, which has brought her to shine a postpartum lens onto her field which she admits can gain from providing more support to patients, especially as information about tongue ties can vary greatly and specialized support can be hard to...

Today we are doing something a little different - bringing in a patient voice. Dr. Alicia Power interviews Sarah who shares her story of becoming a surrogate. Well - surrogate-ish. Her unique path to becoming a surrogate, and her pregnancy and postpartum journeys, spark great conversations around the healthcare system and how providers can hugely impact the patient decision making process in pregnancy and labour. Resources: Water Birth and Immersion during Labour Homebirth!! Who, Where...

Today’s episode is a must listen, as Dr. Sarah Lea interviews dentists Dr. Brin MacMillan and Dr. Sabrina Ma, co-owners of South Island Dental, on the do's and don'ts of dental work in pregnancy. They discuss if and when to get dental care in pregnancy, which procedures patients might want to avoid, how the changes brought on by pregnancy may affect dental health, and share some facts about radiation, nutrition, and how hormonal changes affect both the pregnant person and newborn, from an...

Bad things happen in medicine. Sometimes it can't be avoided, but what we can do is try to prepare ourselves the best we can. On today's episode, Dr. Alicia Power & Dr. Maryna Mammoliti discuss what we can do in such events, the concept of radical acceptance, and how we can plan both as individuals and organizations to support each other during such times. In conjunction, we have created an Adverse Events Plan Template to help you build a tailored framework for moving...

Dr. Vanja Petrovic and Dr. Alicia Power as they discuss Hypertension in Pregnancy, the leading cause of maternal death due to long-term complications, such as cardiovascular disease. They can also impact the health and safety of the developing fetus. But new evidence suggests that early screening and follow-ups can make a difference in the long-term health of the birthing person. Tune in to learn more about how adverse pregnancy outcomes offer a unique window into a woman's future...

Dr. Alicia Power and Heidi Machnee, Registered Midwife, review the evidence, risks, and benefits of immersion in water during labour, and water birth to both the delivering parent and the newborn, including reasons it may not be appropriate to consider a water birth and what safety factors care providers need to think about to ensure a good experience for the birthing person and baby. Resources BC Women's Hospital Guide to Water Birth Feedback: Please take a moment to fill out this very...

Dr. Michelle Morais, high risk obstetrician, and Dr. Alicia Power discuss all things preterm birth, including defining preterm birth, who is at risk and what are risk factors, what role the cervix plays and potential effects of other conditions, and last but not least, how and if it might be avoided. Feedback: Please take a moment to fill out this very short anonymous survey (>1 minute). We want to optimize Pregnancy for Professionals to suit your needs, so any feedback is very valuable...

Join Dr. Katharine Smart, a pediatrician in Whitehorse, Yukon and former President for the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and Dr. Alicia as they discuss the growing intersection of medicine and social media, and how healthcare providers can use social media to help educate and empower patients to have better outcomes within the healthcare system. Resources: Follow Dr. Katherine Smart on Twitter or Instagram Dr. Katherine Smart's Podcast, SPARK: Conversations by Children's Healthcare...

Kate Borsato, perinatal mental health therapist and educator, and Melissa Dessaulles, BScPT, BScKin, Pelvic Health, discuss the individualized, unique experiences of birth trauma, its links to PTSD and the best ways for people to seek out help. Feedback: Please take a moment to fill out this very short anonymous survey (>1 minute). We want to optimize Pregnancy for Professionals to suit your needs, so any feedback is very valuable and much appreciated!

Dr. Sarah Lea is joined by Registered Dietician Noelle Martin to discuss the latest evidence around prenatal nutrition basics, how to approach a discussion about nutrition with your prenatal patients, and how to give tailored recommendations that go beyond the generic multi-vitamin. Resources: Links to recommended and verified vitamin brands: Kids Star Nutrients Needed Garden of Life New Chapter MegaFood Canada NF8 Pink Stork DHA Specific Recommendations: OmegAvail Nordic...

Pelvic physiotherapist Melissa Dessaulles hosts this webinar featuring Dr. Roxana Geoffrion, urogynecologist and Dr Sinéad Dufour physiotherapist and PhD, focused on the pelvic floor during vaginal birth and common symptom sequelae. The focus is on practice guidelines that direct care for incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in the perinatal populations. Resources The Pelvic Floor Project Podcast: Pessary use for prolapse with gynecologist Dr. Paula Espino Be Pelvic Health Aware: Your...

Intrusive thoughts are unwanted or unconscious thoughts that pop into our conscious mind. During the postpartum period, they are often related to accidental harm or intentional harm to baby, and can feel very disruptive, frightening, and isolating for new parents to experience. Dr. Sarah Lea and Psychologist, Bsc, MACP, RPsych and Co-Founder of Mama Psychologists Chelsea Bodie discuss this phenomenon and how to best support patients that may be struggling with it. Resources: She Found...

Melissa Dessaulles, BScPT, BScKin, Pelvic Health and Gráinne Donnelly, Advanced Physiotherapist in Pelvic Health and clinical researcher, discuss the 2019 returning to running postnatal guidelines for health, medical and fitness professionals managing this population. Resources: Download the Returning to Running Postnatal Guidelines for health, medical and fitness professionals Feedback: Please take a moment to fill out this very short anonymous survey (>1 minute). We want to optimize...

Dr. Ellen Forbes, Board Certified Urologic Surgeon and Expert in Male Fertility, provides the latest evidence around newborn infant circumcision including medical reasons for considering the procedure, any contraindications, and how to best support your patients in making an informed decision. Feedback: Please take a moment to fill out this very short anonymous survey (>1 minute). We want to optimize Pregnancy for Professionals to suit your needs, so any feedback is very valuable and...