Pregnancy Pearls

A ton of you ladies have been working on your personal weight loss goals! To give yourself a boost, some of you have had weight loss surgery during this pandemic. Congratulations on taking steps to reach your personal goals. Now that you've started to lose weight, many of you might be thinking about getting pregnant... or maybe you're already pregnant.  Weight loss prior to pregnancy is great, but...

During pregnancy, with the growth of the uterus, the muscles in the abdomen called the rectus muscles, can separate.  After delivery, you might have a “mom pooch” with a weakness or bulge around the belly button. Well, this mom pooch might be the result of a rectus diastasis or a result of those rectus muscles being too far apart.  Check out this episode to find out what to do to get rid of the re...

Several people have had babies during the pandemic.  Although we joke about pandemic babies being different…having a baby during the pandemic really is.  Unfortunately, no consistent recommendations exist about exactly how you should care for your newborn during this pandemic.  So, in this episode, Dr. Plenty let’s you know her advice and discusses the advice of other experts in the field, some of...

Circumcision is a procedure done on males to remove the foreskin of the penis.  This procedure is commonly done within the first 48hrs of birth in most full term babies but could be done a little later for premature babies.  Many patients are confused about whether to get their baby boys circumcised in the hospital or if they should wait a little later so that their babies can have a procedure und...

Your baby’s growth is something that is monitored throughout your pregnancy to make sure your baby is healthy and doing well.  But what if you’re told your baby is small?  Your physician telling you that your baby has growth restriction (aka small)might prompt a ton of questions, like: “What does that mean? Does that mean something is wrong? What can I do to help my baby growth?  If you’ve ever ha...

Lightening vagina, pelvic pressure, frequent urination, heart burn… these are all symptoms many women complain about in the third trimester.  In this week’s podcast episode, Dr. Plenty discusses these common miserable symptoms to let you know why you’re experiencing them.  She also breaks down normal changes in the third trimester of pregnancy for both mom and baby. Make sure to download and liste...

Spina Bifida is a defect in the spinal cord that leaves the spinal nerves exposed to amniotic fluid. Babies with spina bifida can have issues with walking and bowel and bladder function.  This particular condition can be detected with a test called an alpha fetal protein test, abbreviated as AFP.  But, the AFP test can be abnormal for a number of other reasons?  Yep, and some of these reasons are...

This week, Dr. Plenty discusses an important women's health topic that we all need to know about, pregnant or not, and that's which STIs condoms don't protect you against. Yep! There are sexually transmitted infections you can get even if you're being safe and using a barrier method. Really, any infection you can get from skin-to-skin contact, such as herpes and genital warts, you can get despite...

If you're closely approaching your delivery date or recently delivered, I know you're looking forward to indulging in a a glass of wine. However, most things you eat and drink can accumulate in your breastmilk supply.  And if what you drink is alcohol, that means that after drinking, if you breastfeed, your baby could be getting a couple of sips of your wine as well.  The amount of alcohol you con...

Maternity leave is taking leave from work to prepare to be a mom.  Everyone’s different when it comes to taking leave. Some women choose to work until they literally go into labor or until their scheduled delivery date (if they have an indication for a scheduled delivery). Other women have to take Family Medical Leave or FLMA early and claim short term disability for medical reasons.  Check out th...

If you're pregnant and your baby is not head down at the end of the pregnancy, you have two choices for delivery: 1. Flip the Baby -or- 2. Have a C-section.  If you're someone who really wants a vaginal delivery and your baby is breech (or butt down), then this is the episode for you.  In this episode, Dr. Plenty discusses ""flipping the baby"" or what medical professionals call an external cephal...

Yoni steaming, also known as vaginal steaming, is a spa remedy used for vaginal cleansing.  It’s also thought to help with menstrual cramps, digestive issues, and even infertility.  But does it work, and is it safe? Learn more about yoni steaming, and find out the answers by listening to this week’s episode of the podcast.  We discuss the pros and cons of yoni steaming and whether it’s safe in pre...

Braxton contractions are a tightening of the uterus that comes and goes in preparation for the birthing process. In other words, they are contractions, but Braxton Hicks contractions  do NOT cause cervical change or lead to labor. Because of this, some refer to them as false contractions.  Did you know Braxton Hicks contractions can happen as early as 6 weeks. Yep!  And, they can occur throughout...

""Irish twins"" refers to having two babies 12months apart or less. Basically, this means that a patient got pregnant when the previous child was approximately 3 months old.  Some people call this situation having ""Dutch twins"" or ""Catholic twins"" as well.  Many women want to have multiple children who can grow up together. But, having babies this close together is considered high risk.  Downl...

As we reflect on all that we've been blessed with this year, many of you are thankful for your new bundles of joy on the way.  However, although you're thankful, many of you are also very nervous and want to know if what you're experiencing is normal.  It's completely normal to wonder what's going on with your growing little one inside of you. So, in this episode, we'll talk about pregnancy sympto...

Every November Prematurity Awareness Month is observed, with World Prematurity Day being recognized globally on the 17th.  One common reason for a preterm delivery is when a patient's water breaks before being full term (or 37+ weeks pregnant).  During pregnancy, the baby resides inside a fluid-filled sac, called an amnion which contains amniotic fluid. When someone says their water has broken, th...

Many people have questions about the safety of sex in pregnancy but might be afraid or too embarrassed to ask.  Well, this episode addresses all of those questions you might want to clarify, such as:  If you’ve been told not to have sex, does that include oral and anal sex too?  Can sex increase the risk of a preterm delivery? Should sex be avoided in certain trimesters?  All of these questions ar...

Over the pandemic, the number of people sick from the flu has drastically decreased due to hand washing and wearing face masks. However, with restriction loosening, healthcare professionals predict a spike in the flu.  Remember, the flu, before the pandemic, was one of the leading causes of hospitalizations and ICU admissions for pregnant women.  Whether you're pregnant or not, getting sick from t...

It’s the end of October, so we can’t forget to acknowledge Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  So, on this week’s episode, we talk facts about breast cancer, how and when you should be screened as well as dealing with breast cancer during pregnancy.  If you have breasts aka “lovely lady lumps”,  pregnant or not, this episode is on the “must listen” list.  The first step is getting checked.  I know thi...

Sickle cell anemia, also called sickle cell disease, is an inherited condition that causes sickling of red blood cells. These sickled cell aren’t able to carry oxygen effectively to tissues in the body. As a result of lack of oxygen to tissues and damage to vessels by the sickled cells, patients with the disease experience pain crises and organ damage (including heart attacks and strokes). Sickle...

Whether you have a high risk pregnancy or not, if you admit it, by the end of pregnancy you're miserable and trying to find some relief of pelvic pressure.  I know other women in your family might say:  don't get a facial; avoid massages; don't leave the house. LOL! Well, in this episode, we're going to talk about the safe ways to pamper yourself in pregnancy and things you should avoid.  If you'r...

We know you’ve heard that alcohol isn’t safe in pregnancy.  But do you really know the impact of even one drink in pregnancy?  To discuss the topic of alcohol and its impact, Dr. Plenty is joined by Mrs. Natalie Vecchione, a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) parent advocate and founder of FASD Hope.  She shares her experience with her adopted son who also has fetal alcohol syndrome and her ad...

Many of you might have noticed that your memory is a little foggy or that your thought process is kinda off during pregnancy.  If you've never been pregnant, have you noticed any family members or co-workers who are pregnant fishing for words that have slipped their minds? Some call it ""pregnancy brain"", but is that really a thing?  Check out this week's episode as Dr. Plenty discusses how pregn...

About 15% of couples experience infertility, which is defined as actively trying to conceive for a year without success. What should you do if this is you?  To discuss fertility options, Dr. Plenty is joined by Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility (REI) specialist, Dr. Tiffany Jones.  Dr. Jones is a practicing partner at Conceive Fertility Center in Dallas, TX. During this episode, Dr. Jones b...

In this week's episode, Dr. Plenty discusses the ""p"" word, meaning your period.  Your period, or menstrual cycle, should be normal to ensure that you're ovulating every month.  But what do doctors mean by ""normal""?  In this episode, Dr. Plenty discusses normal and abnormal periods.  She also talks about common and not-so-common reasons for abnormal menstrual periods and how abnormal flow is tr...