It seems simple enough - and for the majority of people of birthing age conceiving is not a complex science - but with this episode we’d like to take a step back and discuss the very basics of getting pregnant! 

We chatted with Dr. Beth Taylor, a Fertility Specialist at the Olive Fertility Centre in Vancouver. Dr. Beth offered a lot of great insight into how you can know if you can get pregnant, the best ways to begin trying, and when you might need to look into getting some fertility help!

We should note right from the top that for the purposes of this episode and post, we are focusing on the heteronormative paradigm of the cis female and cis male having sexual intercourse to try to conceive - but there are many other paradigms and ways to conceive we will focus on in subsequent episodes! 

Top 4 Things You Should Know About Getting Pregnant

1. How do I know if I can get pregnant?

Most people start with the assumption that they are fertile, and often they are...

Have you ever thought about hypnobirthing? Curious to understand exactly what it means? Check out our latest podcast with Melanie Bearne from Better Birth Stories.  

Melanie is the founder of Better Birth Stories - Hypnobirthing & Positive Birth. She is a Senior Clinical Hypnotherapist, an Accredited Certified EFT Practitioner and an experienced Hypnobirthing teacher. She lives in Wandsworth, London with her partner, 3 awesome kids, and their rescue chihuahua.

Hypnobirthing focuses on three key spaces.

1. What is your understanding of birth, looking at your belief systems and past experiences of birth. 

2. Reviewing and understanding the physiology of birth. 

3. Understanding your birthing landscape. 

If you're preparing for birth, we'd also invite you to check out our free birth planning webinar series where we walk you through creating your own birth preferences and planning document please check it out here!

What is Circumcision? How many newborn males get circumcised? What are the risks? What are the benefits? 

Well, Dr. Ellen joins us on our podcast to discuss just these questions! 

Here is a brief synopsis of our chat. 

What is Circumcision? 

Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin on a penis.  The foreskin is the skin that covers the glans of the penis. 

How many boys are circumcised? 

This has changed over the years.  In the 1970s approximately 50% of men were circumcised.  It has dropped to approximately 25-30% of infant males now getting circumcised. 

How do I decide whether to circumcise my newborn baby? 

This is a decision that all parents should be involved in and should be made in the best interest of the infant.  Have a listen to our full podcast to get all the information you need to make a decision. 

The Canadian and American Pediatric societies DO NOT recommend routine circumcision of newborn males, as...

What is Placenta Previa? 

Placenta previa affects about 2% of all pregnancies. 

It is when the placenta covers part or all of the cervix. 

It is usually diagnosed around 20 weeks when you have your anatomy ultrasound. 

Why does this matter? 

Well, this matters because if your placenta is covering your cervix, the baby can not come out that way! 

As the cervix is an open tube, any dilatation or disruption of the cervix can also cause bleeding. 

Can the Placenta move? 

YES!! During the first two trimesters the uterus mainly grows from the top half (farthest away from your cervix) but in the third trimester the lower part of the uterus starts to grow and can pull the placenta up and out of the way! 

We always recheck the position of placenta's that are previa around 32 weeks gestation to see if they have moved out of the way to allow you to try for a vaginal delivery, if that is your goal! 

What if it doesn't move? 

Well, if it...

If you're pregnant or postpartum, then you've more than likely experienced pelvic pain in some way, shape, or form.  

And one of the messages we want to get out there is that YES it's common but it's NOT necessarily normal!  

Dr. Sarah talks with Lauren from Core Connection physio about all things PRPGP.  They cover lots of important topics including: 

What are the common myths and misconceptions about PRPGP? Let's talk relaxin, "instability" and "separation".

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 &...