“Stay out of my uterus” is a rallying cry for women defending reproductive rights. But it’s more than just that. Patient 1: Female went to urgent care for back pain, had a negative pregnancy test, and saw a physician who prescribed a …
Category: OB/GYN
When the music stopped
For a long time, I have known that I do not need Beethoven, Bach, or A. R. Rehman. No offense to these extremely talented artists, but music to my ears will always be hearing the baby’s heartbeat on the doppler, hearing the baby’s first cry…
Supporting a new mom: my experience and some helpful tips
I recently came across a number for the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline. It took me back to my first pregnancy and postpartum experience. I belong to a traditional family where there is an expectation of bearing a child after a year of marriage…
Gender inequality is making burnout worse [PODCAST]
“If we want to alleviate the fatigue and frustration women physicians are experiencing, we can always start by solving two old problems: (1) All doctors need fewer bureaucratic tasks forced upon them, and (2) women physicians must be able to work…
Shift from fighting for reproductive rights to fighting for reproductive justice
Although feminist movements include the fight for reproductive rights, they tend to forget to center on justice. Historically, the protection of women’s reproductive rights has not been a priority for governments; however, the drive and the act o…
A physician’s infertility story [PODCAST]
“My IVF baby turns 12 this week — and having attempted frozen and fresh IVF cycles six years ago, which did not result in pregnancies — I can also hold tenderly the space for those who have heard those words, ‘Only one child?’ Yes. On…
How reversing Roe v. Wade will affect physicians and patients [PODCAST]
“These changes on the horizon for our country are unlike anything we have ever experienced. We have only experienced an expansion of rights for those who have been denied fair treatment. Going backwards only infringes our ability to pursue life, …
Reproductive and abortion care is health care
It is getting very crowded in my exam room. As a practicing obstetrician, I have counseled women for more than the past 36 years and our conversations have always been private. Suddenly, for the first time in 50 years, judges and politicians are vying …
A choice of of maternal compassion
It was supposed to be a routine 20-week ultrasound appointment. The specialist abruptly knocked and entered. The next few hours of my life went by in choppy, disconnected segments. The specialist said he was sorry. Her bones were not growing properly. …
Infertility treatment’s hidden costs [PODCAST]
“Looking to the future, since I only froze one embryo and my ovary reserve is diminishing, we are hoping to go through another infertility treatment cycle. Although, once again, the medications are once again being denied. Infertility is just lik…
