On Health for Women

Have you ever had a moment where someone doubted your instincts—only for science to prove you right years later? When I was applying to my medical residency, a doctor scoffed at my concern for BPA and endocrine disruptors. “You don’t believe in that BPA crap, do you?” he said. Well, here we are, decades later, with research linking BPA to miscarriage and endocrine disruption—even from something as...

Most women don’t look like they’re falling apart—even when they’re struggling to stay afloat. We keep it all going: raising kids, showing up for work, taking care of everyone else—while silently carrying stress, grief, trauma, and anxiety. And all that holding it together? It comes at a cost. In this heart-opening episode of On Health , Aviva sits down with UK-based psychotherapist and author Hele...

What if the way we care for new mothers is all wrong? Not just lacking. Not just outdated. But built on a model that misses the heart and soul of what postpartum truly is — and what it could be. When I was a home birth midwife, postpartum care was the care . I'd visit mamas and babies at home five or six times in the first few weeks. We’d talk about everything — from latch to lochia, sleep depriva...

In recognition of Maternal Mental Health Month I am re-sharing this 2023 conversation with the founders of The Motherhood Center in NYC. With Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADS) being the #1 complication associated with birth in the US and the #2 cause of maternal mortality, this remains a critical conversation. It’s not just you. You're not crazy. You're not a bad mom. You're not alone....

There are the stories we tell out loud, and then there are the ones we keep tucked away—the ones that ache the most, because we’ve carried them in silence. On this episode of On Health , we’re breaking the silence—and the stigma—around some of the most vulnerable, hidden experiences women carry: miscarriage, illness, identity loss, perfectionism, aging, and the loneliness so many of us feel but ra...

What if you already have what it takes to breastfeed your baby—and just need the right support to unlock it? This question is at the heart of my conversation with Lisa Paladino, Certified Nurse Midwife, IBCLC, and a fierce advocate for women and babies. Lisa has decades of experience helping families navigate the powerful, joyous, and sometimes  confusing, emotional, and occasionally challeng...

Have you ever left a doctor’s appointment feeling more defeated than when you arrived? Perhaps a diagnosis felt like a life sentence, or a well-meaning comment planted a seed of fear that lingered for months. This isn’t just bad bedside manner; it’s a phenomenon I call “medical hexing.” It’s the subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle, way that language in medical settings can disempower us, shaping o...

What if friendships were just as vital to our health as sleep, nutrition, and exercise? Research suggests they might be. But in our fast-paced, modern world, nurturing deep and lasting friendships can feel overwhelming. In this episode, I sit down with journalist and author Anna Goldfarb to explore the evolving landscape of friendship—why it can be so challenging to maintain meaningful connections...

Have you ever felt torn between dreaming big and staying realistic? Between trusting your instincts and wondering if fear is holding you back? In today’s conversation, we’re diving deep into what it truly means to reclaim your personal sovereignty—the ability to stand fully in your own power, free from self-doubt, external expectations, and the weight of comparison. My guest today, Dr. Emma Seppäl...

“You’re holding your baby too much.” “Just let them cry it out.” “You’ll spoil them if you respond every time they cry.” If you’ve ever heard these words—or wondered yourself whether nurturing your baby too much could backfire—you’re not alone. But the science is clear: responding to and connecting with our babies doesn’t spoil them; it builds their brains for lifelong emotional resilience and men...

In this episode Felicia Cocotzin Ruiz, known as the Kitchen Curandera, and I explore the profound role of ancestral wisdom in women’s health. Felicia shares her journey of carrying forward her great-grandmother’s curanderismo practices and how food, plants, and rituals can transform the way we heal and care for ourselves across life’s stages. From pregnancy to postpartum to the wisdom years of men...

Imagine living with the constant fear of leaking when you sneeze, jump, or can’t find a bathroom in time. Now add in the struggles of constipation, painful sex, or uterine, bladder, or rectal prolapse. These aren’t just occasional annoyances—they’re signs of pelvic floor dysfunction, which affects millions of women every year. This episode of On Health is for every woman—whether you’re preparing f...

I used to believe that for every good thing that happened to me, something bad had to happen as well to even it out, like a universal balancing system. Every time something good was going to happen, I always thought to myself, “What will the payback be?” In my years of experience working with and talking to women, I have learned that lots of women live with this fear, often for a long time. Listen...

Why does it feel like no matter how much we do, it’s never enough—Including—and especially—in our mothering?  It’s no wonder we feel this way! Societal changes have created a culture that ties worth to performance, often at the expense of our health and happiness, while macroeconomic trends that have shifted the way we think about work, education, and success, making it entirely focussed on e...

Intergenerational trauma refers to the transmission of unresolved trauma and its psychological, emotional, or even physical effects from one generation to another. This phenomenon can manifest in various ways, impacting individuals' mental health, coping mechanisms, and relational patterns. The cycle of intergenerational trauma underscores the importance of acknowledging, understanding, and active...

Imagine being told you had a “hostile uterus” and sent home, only to discover later you were on the brink of a life-threatening pregnancy complication. This isn’t fiction. Terms like “hostile uterus” and “irritable uterus” are still in use, and they’re dangerous. In conventional medicine, language like this often subtly blames women’s bodies for medical events, creating a culture where women who a...

Could your love relationship use a bit of boost? Some calm in the storm? Or are you looking for love that’s been hard to find? In this On Health for Women episode I’m joined by Dr. Alexandra Solomon, a wonderful couples therapist, professor, author of Love Every Day and the host of the Reimagining Love podcast. Together we explore the real meaning of love and how it can be cultivated through...

Feeling the first tickle of a sore throat? Or maybe you’re dealing with a full-blown cold or flu? In this episode, I’m sharing my top natural remedies to help you get through cold and flu season. From immune-boosting herbs to soothing teas, these are the must-haves I trust to keep my family healthy. I’ll walk you through how to use each one, with practical tips on safety, including what’s safe for...

Many of us are aware of the ethical minefield of fast fashion—from the labor issues to the environmental damage. But did you know that the clothes in your closet could be making you sick? In this episode, I’m joined by award-winning investigative journalist Alden Wicker, author of To Die For: How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick and How We Can Fight Back . Alden’s deep dive into the world of fashio...

I remember when I first started practicing as a midwife—way back in the '80s—there was barely a whisper about how nutrition could impact pregnancy. I taught my first prenatal nutrition class in 1990, and the hunger for information was almost palpable. It’s amazing to me that, fast forward to today, we’re still facing a gap in understanding just how much food and lifestyle choices affect both mom a...

Of all the stages in life, most women tell me they’d least want to revisit—it's puberty. If you're reading this, you survived it too. And while you likely have some fond memories, you also remember the awkward body changes, the anxiety of getting your mom to buy pads or tampons to avoid the dreaded checkout counter, the stress around your emerging—or non-emerging—breasts, acne, and the confusing w...

Despite advancements in medical technology and a growing awareness of maternal health, the emotional and psychological experiences of birthing mothers in the US often go unnoticed. In this eye-opening episode, Aviva Romm, an experienced midwife and MD, delves into a topic that is often overlooked and misunderstood—birth trauma. Aviva shares her personal birth story, other birth stories, and draws...

If you find yourself feeling chronically overwhelmed, with a to-do list you can’t ever get to the bottom of, and a nagging feeling that you’re never quite doing enough, this episode is for you. Joining me is Jenny Odell, the acclaimed author of zthe books How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy and Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond Productivity Culture . An artist and educator base...

Welcome to the second half of our alcohol miniseries! In part one, I focused on how alcohol metabolizes differently in women than men and how this increases women's alcohol-related health risks. I also talked about how alcohol can effect puberty, our hormones, and menstrual cycles. If you haven’t already listened, it's a perfect prequel to today's episode, where I talk about how alcohol may impact...

Alcohol. It's the kind of frenemy that many women have a love-hate relationship with. It may make us feel good in the moment—relaxed, more social, less anxious—but many women find that after a drink or several, they’re moody, irritable, don’t sleep as well, and feel overall kind of not-so-great. Are there reasons for this that are unique to women? And can alcohol have hidden effects on our estroge...