This is a topic Drs. Sarah & Alicia frequently get asked about, and today they outline the four most common changes you may expect to see in your skin during pregnancy, why they happen, and what you can do about it!

1. Dark Spots

Melanin is the substance in our bodies that naturally gives pigmentation to our skin and hair. Increased levels of estrogen and progesterone occurring during pregnancy stimulates extra melanin production, which can in turn cause dark spots to appear on parts of our body, most commonly the breasts, inner thighs, and the face. Melasma is another term used to refer to these dark spots. It is more common in people with darker skin who naturally have more pigment than lighter-skinned people. 

To help prevent or reduce the appearance of melasma, avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight, use sunscreen, and sun protection. Topical vitamin C might also help to lighten the spots and it's considered safe to use in pregnancy. The dark spots usually fade once...

Today’s episode talks about returning to running after a Cesarean birth - but don’t be fooled by this seemingly narrow focus. The episode is chock-full of essential information about pelvic floors, scar tissue, and exercise that is useful for those pregnant, not pregnant, non-runners, and several years postpartum alike! Dr. Sarah herself learns a lot from Diane Rizzardo, a registered physiotherapist and founder of Elevate Pilates & Physio, about the essential steps to returning to activity after pregnancy and birth to lower the risk of injury, and ensure maximum benefit from exercise both mentally and physically, as your body recovers from the musculoskeletal injury of giving birth. Diane also shares with us the essential checklist of functional exercises you should be able to perform before returning to running - tune in and try them out for yourself!

What sort of considerations should be taken by someone after they've had a cesarean birth? Diane breaks it down into...

Let’s cut right to the chase - Drs. Alicia and Sarah have compiled a list of 6 things no one tells you about postpartum! Tune in to learn more about what to expect from the unexpected (yet all perfectly normal)! And follow the links they reference below for more related resources, guides, and tips.

1. Postpartum Hair Loss

 At about three months postpartum, most people actually notice losing their hair. This is because during pregnancy, the hair has actually paused its normal growth and shedding cycling and it's just getting back to its typical pattern postpartum! Within about three to six months postpartum, your hair should go back to its normal cycle, but it can seem alarming as it may come out in clumps. But don’t worry - this is just hair you normally would have shed if the process wasn’t paused during pregnancy. Consider using a volumizing shampoo or getting a haircut that may make your hair appear fuller. 

Hair loss may also occur due to...

Today’s podcast starts and ends with a BANG! It’s a topic that implicates neuroscience, hormones, human relationships, the physical body, the societal body - and yet sex and libido in pregnancy and postpartum is so rarely spoken about and so many couples struggle with in silence. But Dr. Kelly Casperson is here to the rescue! Originally a urologist with advanced training in pelvic medicine and surgery, Dr. Casperson shifted her practice toward sexual health and intimacy when she discovered so many women struggled with it, especially postpartum, and felt lost and helpless. Data shows that 70% of people struggle with sex after having a baby. But there IS something you can do about it, starting with listening to this extremely illuminating and interesting episode. You are not broken.

Open and Honest Conversation

Perhaps the most seemingly simple, important and yet rarely exercised step toward a better sex life at any stage of life - and even more importantly during the...

By now you’re probably familiar with Dr. Ginevra Mills. She's an obstetrician gynecologist with a specialty in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, a special interest in PCOS and lifelong health, and she's got three young kiddos of her own! We’ve been talking to her about fertility: how it changes with age, causes of infertility, and today we discuss what the next steps look like if you’ve been referred to a fertility specialist.

1. Initial Consultation: this initial meeting with a fertility specialist, such as Dr. Mills, will take approximately 30-45 mins and will largely be a discussion about your medical history. Have you had any surgeries, have you been pregnant in the past, have you or your partner had children before with other partners, have you had any terminations of pregnancy, and any history of sexually transmitted diseases, to name a few. 
1. Please know that none of these questions are asked with judgment - they are there to inform the...

Tongue ties are such a vast, controversial, and often misunderstood topic that we brought in pediatric otolaryngologist (ENT) surgeon Dr. Elise Graham to help us wade through the topic. She is also a mom to two boys with a complex breastfeeding journey of her own, which has brought her to shine a postpartum lens onto her field that she admits can gain from providing more support to patients, especially as information about tongue ties can vary greatly and specialized support can be hard to find. In addition to being a pediatric surgeon, Dr. Graham is also working towards becoming a certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) and earning a fellowship through the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, which is why we’re very excited to have her guide us through the evidence-based truth about tongue ties!

Basic Oral Anatomy

Infant airways are actually designed differently than adult airways! The main differences allow babies to breathe through their nose while they nurse - an evolutionary...

In Part II of our three part series on fertility, Dr. Genevra Mills, an obstetrician gynecologist with a specialty in reproductive endocrinology and infertility with three kiddos of her own, discusses with us causes of infertility. She gives us a most helpful breakdown of the main reasons for infertility in both the male and female partner.

Often causes of infertility can be somewhat obvious and easily identified, and most times patients have an idea that something's going on even before they get to that point of twelve months of trying without success. Here are the main medical conditions that can affect fertility between heterosexual partners.

Issues with Ovulation

There are multiple reasons why an egg may not be released every month, and issues with ovulation make up about 15% of a couple’s cause of infertility.

1. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): the first and most common ovary dysfunction is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome in which ovaries have too many follicles in them causing...

Fertility is a fascinating topic that touches almost everyone’s lives in one way or another. It is an evolving field of study that can be clouded with misinformation, lack of education, and new findings that have altered some of our fundamental understanding of the science behind it. This is why we have brought in Dr. Ginevra Mills, an obstetrician gynecologist with a specialty in reproductive endocrinology and infertility with three kiddos of her own, to help us wade through some of this information starting with: Fertility as we Age!

Let’s define infertility.

While this may seem like a basic place to start, many people may carry some misconceptions about how infertility is defined. The true definition of infertility is the failure to conceive after twelve months of intercourse without contraception. This doesn't mean that you're actively trying to get pregnant for a year. This means that you are not taking a birth control pill or using any type of barrier...

Consider this a bonus episode to our three part series on Pregnancy Care. We talked about how to choose a pregnancy provider, what to expect at your first prenatal appointment, and what a routine timeline of pregnancy care looks like. We are also huge proponents of empowerment through education, and often advise our patients and listeners to take a prenatal course to help them along their pregnancy to parenthood journey. But how do you even begin to find a course that’s right for you!? We’ve put together this quick guide with our top three things to think about when you're choosing your childbirth education class, to help you along in the process!

Top 3 Tips for Choosing a Prenatal Course

1. General Philosophy of the Instructor

This is really important. If your instructor's values and thoughts around childbirth education are not aligned with yours, you're just not going to jive. It can feel uncomfortable, reduce engagement, and you won't get out of it what...

In the third and final part of our three part series on pregnancy care, today we are providing you with an overview of what routine pregnancy care looks like, after the first prenatal visit we discussed last week! After the initial visit where we do a deep dive into your and your family’s medical history and a long survey of health related questions, we'll ask you to come back in about two to three weeks later for a complete physical exam. 

In today’s post, we’ll do an overview of what you can expect at your first physical, but subscribers to our Pregnancy to Parenthood Podcast Series get a much more in-depth look at what conditions we look for and tests we do, and what certain prognoses can mean for you. For the low, one-time cost of $47, get full access to over 40 informative episodes supporting you week by week, focused on the trimester and stage of pregnancy you are in. Tune in every week, or binge listen all at once and come back to the episodes you found...