Pregnancy for Professionals Podcast

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 delivery, she was surprised about what worked and what didn’t for her, and we’re so grateful she is sharing that empowering insight with us today. “If there's one family that listens and takes away something that maybe resonates with them, or even one maternity care provider that listens and thinks, ‘I never thought about it that way that,’ I'll feel it was worth it.” - Jen 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!

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 specialized help? Ophthalmologist Dr. Amaka Eneh joins Dr. Alicia Power to answer the above questions and much more on today’s episode. As with many health issues, the earlier they are detected the easier they are to treat. To encourage patients to optimize their preconception health, consider downloading this clear, easy to read Preparing for Pregnancy guide to begin cultivating good physical and mental health as they begin their journey into pregnancy and parenthood. Resources: Preparing for Pregnancy Guide 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!

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. Stephanie Ferguson, obstetrician/gynecologist based out of Guelph, Ontario, joins Dr. Alicia Power on today's episode to wade through this complex yet crucial topic on which her current research and fellowship focus on, and where she has already published articles on the topic, linked below. Resources: New moms navigate postpartum care maze | October 19, 2023 | Canadian Affairs | By Dr. Stephanie Ferguson P4P Podcast Episode: Hypertension in Pregnancy 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!

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 needs, so any feedback is very valuable and much appreciated!

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 Management Tips The Well Calibrated Clinician: helping to regain control of your personal and professional life, this course is designed specifically for clinicians, who would like to make a positive change 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!

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, sleep, nutrition and how they can all impact each other during the perimenopausal time of change. Resources: HealthLinkBC: provides non-emergency health information to the residents of British Columbia Menaupause.org: promoting women's health at midlife and beyond MenopauseandU.ca: the facts on menopause from Canada’s experts 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!

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 improved time management, applicable for both clinical and personal development. Resources: Free downloadable resource with Time Management Tips The Well Calibrated Clinician: helping to regain control of your personal and professional life, this course is designed specifically for clinicians, who would like to make a positive change 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!

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: 11 Things We Wish We Knew About Breastfeeding Before Giving 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 needs, so any feedback is very valuable and much appreciated!

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 people, especially those who identify as gender diverse. One small step is listening to this podcast as well as attending our upcoming, free Interdisciplinary Perinatal Health Summit: Collaborative Care for Pregnancy, Birth, and Postpartum where Trystan will also be speaking more in-depth about Breaking Barriers with Language: Empowering Pregnant Individuals through Inclusive Care Practices. Resources: Register for the upcoming Perinatal Health Summit Listen to Sarah's Surrogacy Story for another story about inclusive care practices 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!

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!