Pregnancy for Professionals Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Today we bring in another patient voice. Jen is a labour and delivery nurse sharing her own patient experience via her two birth stories, the first a planned Cesarean section and the second, a very empowering Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC). Though Jen is a maternity care provider, going through childbirth herself has given her a multitude of valuable insights on both the process and the systems in place that support birthing people. Despite being intimately familiar with labour and delivery, she was surprised about what worked and what didn’t for her, and we’re so grateful she is sharing that empowering insight with us today.

“If there's one family that listens and takes away something that maybe resonates with them, or even one maternity care provider that listens and thinks, ‘I never thought about it that way that,’ I'll feel it was worth it.” - Jen

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Today’s topic might be something that many of us haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about - what kind of changes can occur within eyes during pregnancy? If a patient has a pre-existing condition, either physiological or specifically ocular, are the eyes particularly susceptible to damage during pregnancy and should specific precautions be taken? Could eyesight worsen during pregnancy? Or can it improve? What effects does breastfeeding have? And when should patients be guided to seek specialized help?

Ophthalmologist Dr. Amaka Eneh joins Dr. Alicia Power to answer the above questions and much more on today’s episode. As with many health issues, the earlier they are detected the easier they are to treat. To encourage patients to optimize their preconception health, consider downloading this clear, easy to read Preparing for Pregnancy guide to begin cultivating good physical and mental health as they begin their journey into pregnancy and parenthood.

Resources:

• Preparing for Pregnancy Guide

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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 which 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 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.

Resources:

• Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Protocols: https://www.bfmed.org/protocols
• JAMA Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery: What Is a Tongue Tie?
• IG: Dr. Elise Graham @elisegmd

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Today we are doing something a little different - bringing in a patient voice. Dr. Alicia Power interviews Sarah who shares her story of becoming a surrogate. Well - surrogate-ish. Her unique path to becoming a surrogate, and her pregnancy and postpartum journeys, spark great conversations around the healthcare system and how providers can hugely impact the patient decision making process in pregnancy and labour.

Resources:

• Water Birth and Immersion during Labour
• Homebirth!! Who, Where and How!
• Patient Resource: The She Found Motherhood Free Birth Preferences Mini-Course & Template

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Today’s episode is a must listen, as Dr. Sarah Lea interviews dentists Dr. Brin MacMillan and Dr. Sabrina Ma, co-owners of South Island Dental, on the do's and don'ts of dental work in pregnancy. They discuss if and when to get dental care in pregnancy, which procedures patients might want to avoid, how the changes brought on by pregnancy may affect dental health, and share some facts about radiation, nutrition, and how hormonal changes affect both the pregnant person and newborn, from an oral health and development perspective.

Resources:

• MI Paste

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Bad things happen in medicine. Sometimes it can't be avoided, but what we can do is try to prepare ourselves the best we can. On today's episode, Dr. Alicia Power & Dr. Maryna Mammoliti discuss what we can do in such events, the concept of radical acceptance, and how we can plan both as individuals and organizations to support each other during such times. In conjunction, we have created an Adverse Events Plan Template to help you build a tailored framework for moving forward.

Resources:

• Adverse Events Plan Template

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Dr. Vanja Petrovic and Dr. Alicia Power as they discuss Hypertension in Pregnancy, the leading cause of maternal death due to long-term complications, such as cardiovascular disease. They can also impact the health and safety of the developing fetus. But new evidence suggests that early screening and follow-ups can make a difference in the long-term health of the birthing person. Tune in to learn more about how adverse pregnancy outcomes offer a unique window into a woman's future cardiovascular health.

Resources:

• A hand-out for patients or office poster on Hypertension in Pregnancy: A stress test for your heart.
• Informative patient focused podcasts from She Found Motherhood:
  • Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy as a Stress Test

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Dr. Alicia Power and Heidi Machnee, Registered Midwife, review the evidence, risks, and benefits of immersion in water during labour, and water birth to both the delivering parent and the newborn, including reasons it may not be appropriate to consider a water birth and what safety factors care providers need to think about to ensure a good experience for the birthing person and baby.

Resources

• BC Women's Hospital Guide to Water Birth

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Dr. Michelle Morais, high risk obstetrician, and Dr. Alicia Power discuss all things preterm birth, including defining preterm birth, who is at risk and what are risk factors, what role the cervix plays and potential effects of other conditions, and last but not least, how and if it might be avoided.

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Join Dr. Katharine Smart, a pediatrician in Whitehorse, Yukon and former President for the Canadian Medical Association (CMA) and Dr. Alicia as they discuss the growing intersection of medicine and social media, and how healthcare providers can use social media to help educate and empower patients to have better outcomes within the healthcare system.

Resources:

• Follow Dr. Katherine Smart on Twitter or Instagram
• Dr. Katherine Smart's Podcast, SPARK: Conversations by Children's Healthcare Canada

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Please take a moment to fill out this very short anonymous survey (>1 minute). We want to optimize Pregnancy for Professionals to suit your needs, so any feedback is very valuable and much appreciated!