Issues with your thyroid are common in the baby-making years. In Australia about 2-3% of pregnant women are hypo or hyperthyroid. Then there is post-partum thyroditis. This is something that happens to 1 in 20 women after their baby is born. This needs careful assessment because the signs and symptoms can be dismissed as 'just part of having a newborn' or it can look like postnatal depression. In this podcast we talk about: What the thyroid gland does in our body What is hypo and hyperthyroidism...
Jul 16, 2020•23 min•Ep. 36
Epilepsy is pretty common, about 1% of our population take some form of anti-epileptic medication and about 2000 women in Australia each year have a pregnancy when they have epilepsy. The effect of anti-epileptic drugs are highly relevant to women's health from the contraceptive choice, right up to the management of pregnancy and breastfeeding. If this is you, then this podcast will give you tonnes of answers. We talk about: Who is in your healthcare team Contraception and epilepsy Folate needs ...
Jul 08, 2020•20 min•Ep. 35
VBAC or vaginal birth after Caesarean is possible for lots of women. There are a few ‘rules’ to help get you to your goal of a vaginal birth after having a Caesarean but the primary driver is…you have to want it. There are some extra interventions that will happen and knowing this before your labour is key so the interventions don’t detract from your experience. In this podcast we talk about: What makes you a good candidate for a successful VBAC Why there needs to be monitoring during a VBAC lab...
Jun 18, 2020•41 min•Ep. 34
Did you know that by about 45 years old, nearly every women will have little fibroids, about 2-3 millimetres in their uterus? These are round hard swellings of your uterine muscle and are often the cause of heavy periods. Although reasonably uncommon in your pre-pregnancy years, if you have a diagnosis of fibroids there are some factors for you to consider when you are trying for a baby. In this podcast we chat about: What symptoms are caused by fibroids How fibroids are diagnosed How fibroids c...
Jun 10, 2020•38 min•Ep. 33
One of the things we are measuring when you have an ultrasound during pregnancy is the length of your cervix. We want it to be long and strong right up until late pregnancy and ideally past 37 weeks. For some women, their cervix is found to be shortened or insufficient and they need surveillance and sometimes treatment to make sure their cervix doesn't open and trigger early labour. In this ep we talk about: How the ultrasound test is done What happens if your cervix is shortening What can be do...
May 22, 2020•23 min•Ep. 32
Ectopic pregnancy is another 'not rare' situation that is worthwhile knowing something about. This comes from a listener's request where she felt lost after being diagnosed with an ectopic pregnancy at an early 6 week dating scan. And we see this happen. Suddenly you are in the system as you start your medical treatment. All while you are also trying to cope with the grief of your miscarriage. In this ep we talk about: A little anatomy Symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy Different treatment options...
May 12, 2020•23 min•Ep. 31
We don't hear about assisted delivery as an intervention as commonly as we hear about Caesarean birth. BUT more than a third of mamas having their first baby will have their baby born with help from forceps or the vacuum. Seems like something we should know about right? In this podcast we talk about: When you need assistance in your delivery What type of assistance is used in what circumstance The risks and benefits of different procedures The questions you should ask you health provider +MORE W...
Apr 28, 2020•37 min•Ep. 30
Unless you are a blood donor or have had an operation in the past, you may not know your blood type until you are pregnant. This is really common. Why does it matter? As well as blood type, the ABO system, there are lots of different markers on the surface of our red blood cells. The system in pregnancy that we are interested in is the Rhesus system and the effect it can have on your baby (and subsequent babies). Want to have Dr Pat and Brigid guide you through your pregnancy? Join our expert le...
Apr 18, 2020•18 min•Ep. 29
Tearing might be on your mind as you get nearer to the birth of your baby. We know you are worried about the pain and how it might impact on your pelvic floor health. Your sex life. Your continence. For first time mamas, please know everybody gets a little bit of tearing. Whether it is a little - like a graze, or a lot, like a rare fourth degree tear - depends on a few factors and we have tips in this episode to help prevent or minimise your tearing. We also talk about what to do after you have ...
Apr 09, 2020•46 min•Ep. 28
1 in 5 pregnancies will end in a miscarriage but even as common as this is, it's not an easy topic to talk about it. This episode may be hard for some (or all) to hear. Please make sure you have your supports in place if you choose to listen. And we hope everyone listens. In this episode we have a poignant story from one of listeners, Mai, talking about her miscarriage, the process and the pain and the joy of becoming pregnant again. We cover: The types of miscarriage How miscarriages are diagno...
Apr 02, 2020•46 min•Ep. 27
Sometimes we need to go back to basics. This episode is for anyone who is thinking they might need a few hints on what they can be doing to increase their chances of getting pregnant. It's a bit light hearted and for some couples, this ep will be enough to help you well on your way to BABY. In this episode Dr Pat and Brigid talk about: What we mean when we say 'better nick' What a regular cycle means What your teeth have to do with it What your potential birth choices are Even when to start work...
Mar 19, 2020•33 min•Ep. 26
This is a tough subject. Bleeding or more specifically, a postpartum haemorrhage is a common fear women have as they get closer to the birth of their baby. Does everyone bleed at birth? Well yes, everybody has blood loss during childbirth but normal blood loss is not what everyone is worried about. It is postpartum haemorrhage. The lights and sirens emergency. In this podcast we cover: Why not every PPH is an emergency What is considered a post partum haemorrhage. (PPH) How blood loss gets measu...
Mar 02, 2020•25 min•Ep. 25
PCOS or polycystic ovarian syndrome is not simply a disease of the ovaries. The ovaries are one part of this complex hormonal syndrome which CAN include symptoms such as excess body hair, increased weight, acne and insulin resistance. Or just to trick us, no obvious symptoms until you start to trying to get pregnant. The focus then becomes the ovaries. This is because for some women with PCOS they are anovulatory meaning they don’t ovulate BUT this doesn’t mean PCOS = infertility, it just means ...
Feb 19, 2020•29 min•Ep. 24
Pre-eclampsia is not rare so it is worth finding out something about it. About 7% of all pregnancies are affected by pre-eclampsia. Sometimes it just needs to be monitored, sometimes it can rapidly deteriorate and the treatment for you and your baby becomes a decision about whether your baby is better off ‘out than in’. In this episode we cover: What is high blood pressure What are the signs and symptoms of pre-eclampsia Who is at risk of developing pre-eclampsia What you can do to help with hig...
Feb 04, 2020•22 min•Ep. 23
This is a long list of ALL of the symptoms in LATE pregnancy. Ok, not all. It is already the longest episode we have ever recorded. But if you’ve been wondering if you should worry about the itch on your belly or see someone about your swollen ankles or what you can do about not sleeping at night then you need to listen to this podcast. In this episode we talk about: Good benefits of late stage pregnancy. Yes we found a few. Insomnia Urinary frequency Pelvic pain Carpal tunnel syndrome PUPPS All...
Jan 22, 2020•51 min•Ep. 22
Two heart beats. Everyone has questions about twins. Fraternal, identical, same placenta, double ovulation, why twins seem more common? We are fascinated by how twins occur, how they grow in utero, how they are born... In this ep we give some gold for twin mamas and for those simply curious about twins. We also have a special treat – the women from “too peas in a podcast’ have a little cameo and give us practical tips about their experience as mothers of twins. This episode talks about: The diff...
Jan 14, 2020•42 min•Ep. 21
1 in 10 women have endometriosis - painful periods, pain with sex, bloating, pelvic pain, infertility or NO symptoms at all. Until they try to get pregnant. In this ep we talk about: The diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis Having a laparoscopy for endo treatment How the normal rules of ‘how long does it take to get pregnant?’ do not apply The steps you need to take after a laparoscopy and coming off your contraception +MORE Why did we start this podcast? Well we think there is a barrier for...
Jan 07, 2020•16 min•Ep. 20
We don’t usually learn about recovering from a Caesarean section until we are IN recovery. That’s not what we recommend. This can leave you blindsided, confused and disheartened. If you listened to our last ep, you’d know that caesarean section is NOT rare SO good birth prep means we need to include how to recover from Caesarean section right? In this ep we talk about: The hours just after a caesarean section What happens in the hospital in the first few days Pain and pain relief Moving after a ...
Dec 03, 2019•35 min•Ep. 19
We all know Caesarean birth is not rare – it seems as though many of our friends have had Caesarean sections, some of our neighbours, maybe our sisters too. BUT Even for something this common, a Caesarean section for some women is a mystery right up until it becomes her reality. This is where we hear, “if only someone had told me”. Well here is the good news, we’ve put some gold into this podcast to help you be the full bottle. Why did we start this podcast? Well we think there is a barrier for ...
Nov 27, 2019•41 min•Ep. 18
Pregnancy in diabetes, or gestational diabetes, is really common. Up to about 12-14 percent of all pregnancies. There are certain women that are more at risk of developing gestational diabetes but in fact, everybody is at risk. This can be hard because you might think – I am young, healthy and without symptoms so what am I doing with diabetes? And it is an issue in pregnancy that needs to be addressed. Most people know that in a diabetic pregnancy the baby can get very big which can complicate t...
Nov 18, 2019•30 min•Ep. 17
This ep is a bit of a pandora’s box. What can you say no to during pregnancy and birth? Well, you can literally say NO to everything. Ethically a health care provider can’t force a woman to accept any sort of treatment, even if they strongly believe their treatment plan is in the best interests of the mother and/or her baby. You have choice in your pregnancy and birth, your consent needs to be given and you are your own best advocate. The trick is knowing from an informed position what is worth ...
Nov 12, 2019•18 min•Ep. 16
Having a baby in the breech position presents its own set of challenges. A baby from 20 – 30 weeks moves around tonnes and that is expected and wanted because a healthy baby moves. If though, your baby is still ‘head up’ at 35 weeks we will need a plan for your baby’s birth. Why did we start this podcast? Well we think there is a barrier for women to get EXPERT pregnancy info that is practical, relatable and easy to understand. Dr Pat has helped 1000s of women have their babies and through this ...
Nov 05, 2019•29 min•Ep. 15
This is one of those tests that can feel a bit icky and remind you that yep, the process of growing a baby is at times, undignified. Some women choose not to have the GBS test and that is totally their right. Some women have the test and wonder later “what was that for?” This ep is 20 mins of power to help you be the full bottle on GBS testing so you can make some red hot decisions about your health care. If you like our style of pregnancy information then we have a free pregnancy quiz on our we...
Oct 30, 2019•21 min•Ep. 14
First trimester screening is a test for genetic abnormality and is commonly called the Down Syndrome screen. The types of test, the accuracy, the costs and the ability to give you a definitive answer about genetic abnormality is really not well understood by patients…and sometimes care providers. At times, a screening test can create more questions than answers. Firstly, it is normal to assume all will be fine. Most of us do that, right? It can then come as an enormous shock to you if you get a ...
Oct 23, 2019•21 min•Ep. 13
Most women spend most of their fertile time trying to NOT get pregnant but for those who want babies in the future, thoughts can wander to “what if my history of contraception impacts my fertility?” And it’s a common question. Contraception forms an integral part of a women’s life and is a very individual journey. What suits one woman may not suit another, even what suits you right now may not suit you at a different phase of your life. It is worth thinking about your options and putting a contr...
Oct 08, 2019•24 min•Ep. 12
Baby movements is your baby’s way of telling you all is well. A healthy baby should move. Imagine if you were really sick, you would still move around the bed and get up several times a day to go the toilet. If you lay in bed for many hours, not moving at all, you would probably be dreadfully ill. A baby that’s doing nothing is not normal. And why are we so insistent about baby movements? If we look at unexpected stillbirths in the third trimester, an alarming number of those stillbirths are pre...
Sep 30, 2019•18 min•Ep. 11
What to do about visitors to your newborn baby? Firstly, feel confident to stand by YOUR rules. This episode talks about one potential rule 'all visitors to have a whooping cough booster before visiting the baby'. Banning people from having contact with your baby, particularly if they are showing signs of a persistent cough, is really smart. We know it’s hard to not share the joy of a brand new baby with loved ones (hands up who loves a snuggle with a newborn?) but after a quick listen to this e...
Sep 24, 2019•12 min•Ep. 10
Induction of labour. This is recommended listening for every woman who is pregnant, particularly those getting close to the end of their pregnancy. Inductions AREN'T rare and can represent a challenge for some who feel blindsided by the significant change of plans. And blindsided is like a dirty word in your pregnancy, right? It's our mission to help women everywhere have access to information that is practical, expert and relatable so you can ask the right questions and go into each new stage o...
Sep 10, 2019•44 min•Ep. 9
The placenta is the frisbee shaped wonder pack that really has so many jobs as you grow your baby. Firstly, it sends oxygen and nutrients from the mother's circulation, down the cord into the baby. In reverse, it sends fetal waste products back up the cord into the placenta and off around the mother's body for excretion. It also is a gland that makes pregnancy hormones. BUT sometimes your placenta's position gets in the way of allowing your baby to head out your cervix when it's time for birth. ...
Sep 03, 2019•13 min•Ep. 8
We've all heard the term 'Premmie" and we've seen the little babies in the Special Care nurseries with their naso-gastric tubes, little caps on their heads and surrounded by monitors. It's a frightening image but sometimes it always seems to happen to someone else - until it doesn't. This podcast is all about defining what prematurity is. It covers: The known reasons for why a baby comes early. The signs that your baby might be coming early. The treatment your baby would need if they are born ea...
Aug 27, 2019•29 min•Ep. 7
