Wondering what GBS in pregnancy is? How do we screen for Group B Strep? How do we treat GBS during labour?  What effects GBS has on your newborn?  

Well today's podcast is for you! 

Did you know that 15-40% of pregnant people have Group B Strep in their perineal region at time of delivery? 

Historically this bacteria has caused significant illness in babies including: 

• Septicemia (blood infections)
• Meningitis (nerve and brain infections)
• Pneumonia (lung infections)

1-3% of term babies who contract GBS die, and 20-30% of preterm babies who contract Group B Strep die.  This is too high!! So we recommend a few things. 

1) Screen all pregnant people around 35-36 weeks of gestation (or earlier if they present in threatened preterm labour). 

2) Treat all people who screen + for GBS with intravenous antibiotics during labour. 

3) If people present and have not been screened, then treat based on risk factors. 

Wanting to learn more...

We talk lots about the impact of pregnancy loss on the pregnant person, and the challenges of postpartum as a culture, but we also need to talk more about how these life experiences impact you as a couple and how it changes your couple story. 

Dr. Sarah had the opportunity to talk with Dr. Stephen and Erin Mitchell, who are parents of three young children and are also work in the area of counseling. Stephen has a PhD in Medical Family Therapy and Erin has a Masters in Counseling Psychology.  

They talk candidly about how pregnancy, pregnancy loss and parent hood impacted them as a couple and they share strategies about how you can prepare for parenthood as a couple. 

Additionally, they offer a number of incredible online resources including a FREE pregnancy mini-course, and a comprehensive online course aimed at couples called Create Your Couple Story. And for our community, they've extended a discount code so if...

VBAC

Curious about your birthing options after having had a previous cesarean section?

We have you covered! For most women, you can either elect to have another cesarean section or you can opt for a Trial of Labor After Cesarean Section (aka TOLAC) in hopes of having a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean Section (aka VBAC). 

Below you will find a quick summary of our podcast where Drs. Sarah and Alicia discuss the benefits and risks of TOLACs and VBACs.  But, please subscribe and listen to the podcast below to hear all the juicy details! 

So, you may be wondering, who would make a good candidate for a TOLAC? In general, you would be a good candidate for a TOLAC if you had a previous cesarean section for the following reasons: 

1. Baby’s position (i.e. breech position or if your baby was looking up, as opposed to down to the ground) 
2. Poor placental position (i.e. if the placenta was lying over the cervix) 
3. Distressing fetal heart rate (too fast or too...

Join us to discuss this topic with Dr. Rebekah from @parentlikeapediatrician.  She answers the top 5 questions that parents have about vaccinating their kiddos. 

Check out this amazing resource around vaccinations!

https://www.chop.edu/centers-programs/vaccine-education-center

1. How do we know vaccines are safe?

2. Will the number of vaccines overwhelm my baby's immune system? Can I space them out?

This is a great question.  Vaccines have been engineered to...

We talk so much about how to prepare for birth, but we want to focus the conversation on how to prepare for postpartum as well, starting with pelvic health! 

And although we are maternity physicians, pelvic physiotherapy is not our area of expertise so we chatted with Melissa Dessaulles, pelvic physiotherapist and founder of Mommy Berries Health.

Melissa shares her story of how she got into pelvic physiotherapy and her top tips on recovering postpartum. 

Melissa talks about the importance of rest and swelling management but also how that alone is not enough. Connect with a pelvic physiotherapist when you feel ready to gradually work back towards activity and establish your rhythm postpartum. 

If you want more information about caring for your body postpartum check out our recent blog and podcast with Dr. Kelsey Mills where she talks about the importance of vulvo-vaginal health postpartum. 

Dr's Sarah &...

As we get older, friendships can become complex to navigate. Layer in emotions around fertility, pregnancy loss, or even the devastating loss of an infant or child and it can be challenging to know how to help those you love. 

And as difficult it is to talk about pregnancy and infant loss, it touches all of us throughout our lifetime. 

In the podcast below, Dr. Sarah chats with April Boyd, a Psychotherapist, and Coach, who specializes in supporting families through infant loss. She candidly shares her own experience with loss and offers practical, gentle ways of navigating relationships & life after loss. 

If you're interested in learning more from April, head over and visit her website the Love Loss Project where she shares content to help others heal through their experiences of grief and loss. 

And for those who are experiencing pregnancy after loss, we connected with Dr. Alda Ngo, Director of Chinese Medicine, about the...

Gut Health and Nutrition in Preparing for Pregnancy

Have you ever wondered which prenatal supplements are right for you?

Have you contemplated how to optimize your nutrition in preparation for your current or next pregnancy?

We have you covered! 

Listen to the podcast below to get all the delicious details! 

Now, as you may know, many pregnancies are unplanned.  With that in mind, some women are able to use nutrition to prepare for pregnancy, while others are not! So, please do not feel guilty if you did not take these steps previously or even in your current pregnancy. We are just hoping this podcast will provide you with food for thought (pun intended)!

Did you know that the prenatal period provides a great opportunity to optimize your nutrition? We encourage all mamas-to-be to take a prenatal vitamin whenever possible. Prenatal vitamins contain folic acid which is very beneficial for your baby’s development as it prevents certain birth defects that occur...

Regardless of whether you had a vaginal delivery or a cesarean section, you need to know how to care for your postpartum perineum. 

Avoid Irritants: 

Bleeding postpartum is inevitable, and it's already in a sensitive way after delivery, so do your best to avoid irritating products on your perineum.  Keep it clean and dry, and try to not use any unnecessary products on it. 

Try to find sanitary napkins that do not have irritating linings on them, try incontinence underwear such as Depends or Always. 

You can also use period underwear, once your bleeding has settled down nicely. 

Keep it Clean: 

Have a bath or shower daily, and there is no need to use anything other than water to clean your vulvo vaginal area.  If you do choose to use a soap, be very gentle and choose something like CeraVe, Dove unscented or another mild cleanser.  But again...no need to! 

Some people find it stings while they pee in those first few...

 Homebirth!! 

We are so excited that Heidi, a registered midwife, joined us to discuss the topic of homebirth that we don't know much about!

We discuss what homebirth vs hospital birth looks like, who is eligible for a homebirth and how to prepare for a home birth. 

We also discuss what are the safety plans that you need to ensure you have set up to have a safe home birth. 

Now don't forget...you still have to have a hospital bag packed...so check out our free download on what are the important things for you, your partner and your newborn to have packed! 

The Essential Packing List

 Twin pregnancies, seem to be more common than we once thought, but some result in a vanishing twin in the first trimester. 

In this episode, we discuss the different types of twin pregnancies including mono-mono, mono-di and di-di twins. 

We discuss how these differences impact the care through the pregnancy and the mode of delivery options available!

We also discuss potential issues that could affect the pregnant person and the babies. 

Join us on the She Found Motherhood podcast to learn more about Twin Pregnancies!

A big thank you goes to Veena, a medical student working with us for putting together all the research on this topic!!