The OBservations Podcast

Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist Dr. Jeffrey Wright and AAPLOG CEO and board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Christina Francis discuss how to treat premature rupture of membranes (PROM), especially pre-viability. This first half of the conversation covers what PROM is, its causes, and risks to mom and baby. Dr. Wright is a board-certified Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist in North Carolina. He completed h...

Future Medical Professionals for Life CEO Gavin Oxley discusses the challenges faced by pro-life aspiring medical professionals,  how current pro-life medical professionals can support them, and more. For his undergraduate degree, Gavin studied medical anthropology, ethics, and care at the University of Virginia, during which time he founded FMPFL; today, he is working on his Master of Legal Studi...

Board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Vivina Napier offers information about Issue 1, the pro-abortion proposed Ohio state constitutional amendment. Dr. Napier discusses the current abortion landscape in Ohio as well as the potential impacts of Issue 1 on the preborn and on women. Helpful resources: Learn more about Issue 1 from Protect Women Ohio Learn more about Do No Harm Ohio , the medical professional c...

Board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Vivina Napier offers information about Issue 1, the pro-abortion proposed Ohio state constitutional amendment. Dr. Napier discusses the current abortion landscape in Ohio as well as the potential impacts of Issue 1 on the preborn and on women. Helpful resources: Learn more about Issue 1 from Protect Women Ohio Learn more about Do No Harm Ohio , the medical professional c...

Genetic Counselor Caroline Aragon discusses the role of genetic counseling in the case of difficult prenatal diagnosis, the challenges and opportunities of recent improvements in genetic technology for life-affirming care, and more. Here to speak to these challenges is Caroline Aragon, a board-certified genetic counselor based out of Minnesota, where she offers telehealth genetic risk assessment,...

Katy Faust, Founder and President of children's rights organization Them Before Us, discusses her organization's work, why our healthcare system needs to prioritize the needs of children, and what medical professionals can do to advocate for children in their practice. Katy publishes, speaks and testifies widely on why marriage and family are matters of justice for children. Her articles...

In part 2 of this two-part episode, theologian and writer Dr. Grattan Brown discusses broader insights from his essay series highlighting the experiences of pro-life medical professionals. Dr. Brown is a Catholic theologian with a background in philosophy and literature. During the past 25 years, he has written about bioethics and served on various hospital ethics boards. He received a Doctor of S...

In this first half of a two-part conversation, theologian Dr. Grattan Brown will be discussing his essay project highlighting the voices of pro-life medical professionals. Relevant Links: writer grattan brown | Rehumanize (rehumanizeintl.org) Dr. Brown is a Catholic theologian with a background in philosophy and literature. During the past 25 years, he has written about bioethics and served on var...

In this episode, board-certified family physician Dr. Lisa Gilbert further discusses the adoption system and how medical professionals can support pregnant patients considering making an adoption plan for their children. Dr. Gilbert is on faculty at the Ascension Via Christi Family Medicine Residency Program. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). After residency, she...

In the first of this two-part episode, board-certified family physician Dr. Lisa Gilbert, FAAFP discusses what medical professionals need to know about adoption: the demographics of patients who make adoption plans for their children, the reasons that go into an adoption decision, an overview of the adoption process, and more. Dr. Gilbert is a board-certified family physician and is on faculty at...

In part 2 of this two-part episode on fertility awareness and cycle charting, Dr. Marguerite Duane offers thoughts on the current state of fertility education in medical training, reviews common misconceptions about FABMs, and offers resources to medical professionals and patients. Dr. Duane is a board-certified family physician and the co-founder and Executive Director of FACTS About Fertility, a...

Dr. Marguerite Duane, board-certified family physician and executive director of FACTS About Fertility, discusses fertility awareness and cycle charting -- their roles in a physician's practice and patients' lives. This is the first of a two-part conversation. Dr. Duane recently completed a primary care research fellowship with a focus on fertility awareness at the University of Utah. Sh...

(This episode has been re-uploaded.) In the first of this two part episode, Robin Atkins discusses the relationship between abortion and mental health, drawing from the psychological literature as well as her own experience as a practicing mental health counselor. Robin Atkins is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has been in practice for over 15 years and has operated her own practice since 2...

In this second of a two-part episode, Dr. Calum Miller explains the impact of sex education and contraception on abortion rates. Dr. Miller currently works as a medical doctor in the UK. He also teaches Philosophy at the University of Oxford, where his research focuses on abortion policy in practice. Dr. Miller has given over 40 academic presentations internationally and taken part in multiple deb...

In the first of this two-part conversation about public policy and induced abortion, Dr. Calum Miller makes evidence-based assessments of the claims that (1) abortion restrictions don't lower abortion rates and (2) expanding welfare programs do lower abortion rates. Dr. Miller currently works as a medical doctor in the UK. He also teaches Philosophy at the University of Oxford, where his rese...

Dr. Christina Francis offers more insights on how to defend the pro-life position on abortion. Topics include the "hard cases",  tips for application in a medical or school setting, and more. Dr. Francis is a board-certified OB-GYN with nearly two decades of experience; she currently works as an OB-GYN hospitalist in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She is also an associate scholar with the Charlott...

In this first of a two-part conversation, AAPLOG CEO Dr. Christina Francis offers thoughts on how pro-life medical professionals can best articulate their views on abortion. This episode covers preborn personhood, bodily autonomy arguments, the definition of abortion, and more. Dr. Francis is a board-certified OB-GYN with nearly two decades of experience; she currently works as an OB-GYN hospitali...

In this episode, Indiana State Senator and emerency medicine physician Dr. Tyler Johnson offers insights on his own career about how pro-life medical professionals can maximize the change they make in their communities by speaking out and getting involved in government. Indiana State Sen. Tyler Johnson was elected in 2022 to represent Hoosiers in Senate District 14. Dr. Johnson represents portions...

Board-certified OB-GYN Dr. Steve Braatz offers insights on serving post-abortive patients. Resources mentioned in this episode from which you may benefit are: Support After Abortion:  www.supportaferabortion.com Rachel's Vineyard: www.rachelsvineyard.org Steven Braatz, MD is AAPLOG’s chair of the board of directors. Dr. Braatz is a board-certified OB/GYN on staff at Northeastern Health Center...

In this episode, maternal fetal medicine specialist Dr. Jeffrey Wright explains what an abortion is and isn't in light of post- Dobbs media narratives surrounding the definition of abortion and whether legal abortion regulations allow physicians to treat pregnancy complications. Dr. Wright is a board-certified Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist in North Carolina. He completed his MD and a res...

In the second of this two-part episode, Robin Atkins discusses the relationship between abortion and mental health. Topics include sexual assault, advice for medical professionals having conversations on abortion with patients, and more. Robin Atkins is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who has been in practice for over 15 years and has operated her own practice since 2015, specializing in reprod...

In this episode, Betsy Morton, RN, CNM discusses the role of pro-life healthcare in her midwifery practice, the lack of inclusion of pro-life midwives by the American College of Nurse-Midwives, and more. Betsy Morton, RN, CNM has been on the AAPLOG board as head of the Midwifery subsection since 2019. She currently serves as Nurse Supervisor for the Erlanger Nurse-Family Partnership, which is a co...

In  the second of this two-part episode, attorney Erik Baptist, senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, and host Dr. Christina Francis offer an explanation of the federal lawsuit challenging the FDA’s approval of the chemical abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol that’s currently moving through the courts, The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA. Topics include the potential...

We're taking a break from curbside consult material to bring you an update to a federal lawsuit that may have implications for your patients. In  the first of this two-part episode, attorney Erik Baptist, senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, and host Dr. Christina Francis offer an explanation of the federal lawsuit challenging the FDA's approval of the chemical abortion dru...

In this episode, Dr. Susan Bane and Kristen Eckenweiler, Medical Director and Patient Services Director at a pregnancy resource center in North Carolina, offer advice for medical professionals on how to navigate abortion decisions and more. Dr. Susan Bane is a board-certified OB-GYN based in North Carolina. She serves as the Medical Director of Choices Women’s Center, and is an AAPLOG Board Member...