“By denigrating midwifery care, pathologizing the natural process of birth, and instilling fear of complications and pain, doctors persuaded women to give birth at the hospital under their care. By touting the benefits of anesthesia, forceps deli…
Category: OB/GYN
The voices of women physicians with infertility
“I wish I had known how common this is. I would have started sooner.” It is currently estimated that one in four women physicians has infertility (compared to one in eight in the general population). Why do I care? Because I’m one of …
We’re not OK, but we know you are
The day just felt weird. I had this feeling of impending doom over me that morning as I sat in bed studying, waiting to get dressed for afternoon clinic. Once I got there, I was cramping, and I knew things were not OK. It was so intense throughout that…
Stratified reproduction in medicine
Shellee Cohen defines “stratified reproduction” as the practice in which society assigns value to offspring and, therefore reproductive capacity of different groups of people. While commonly race or socioeconomically based, this can be base…
Physician identity: who you are vs. what you do [PODCAST]
“‘Hi, my name is Kristin Yates, and I am the OB/GYN doctor.’ This is how I greet most patients for the first time. It has never really felt natural to introduce myself as ‘Dr. Yates,’ even now that I have been an attending…
Lawmakers don’t care for our patients. Doctors do.
On September 1st, 2021, Texas Senate Bill 8 went into effect. While the law’s stated goal is to severely limit a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion in Texas, it also designates private citizens to sue not just abortion providers, but an…
Pregnancy and the COVID vaccine: What expecting mothers should know
“Is it safe for a pregnant woman to receive the COVID-19 vaccine?” This is the biggest question being asked of OB/GYNs right now. The short answer is “yes.” The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal and Fetal …
This obstetrician recommends midwifery care
In 2014 I learned about the worsening maternal mortality statistics in the U.S. and the racial disparities in maternal health, which socioeconomic or medical risk factors could not explain away. I decided a community-based solution was necessary becaus…
Burnout and bias? Or medical gaslighting?
Five years into my practice as an academic allergist/immunologist, my perceptions continue to evolve. Though once primarily informed by my mentors’ wisdom, I continue incorporating my experiences as both physician and autoimmune patient to guide …
Medical school is more than practice problems
It was the first day of my third year of medical school. I was assigned to an outpatient OB/GYN clinic. I woke up early, had only a coffee for breakfast that I would later regret, hesitantly wrapped a stethoscope around my neck, unsure if this specialt…
