You’ve heard of the emotional impact of menopause on women, but did you know that it can also cause anxiety and depression? Mental health is a topic that many people don’t want to discuss due to concerns of stigma, fear, and perceived reper…
Category: OB/GYN
Don’t call me “doctor”
“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 physician for more than five y…
Is having a baby a celebratory time? Not for everyone.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 8 women experience symptoms of postpartum depression (PPD). Furthermore, studies show that minorities have a higher prevalence of PPD, 38 percent with low-income Hispanic mot…
8 things I learned in my first year as an attending
1. You will be underestimated. This can look like many things: Little jokes about how young you look, having to correct how others say your name, having your orders questioned or not completed. What got me through this was reminding myself why I was th…
How I lost sight of my own health care while creating a women’s health care company [PODCAST]
“My world tumbled upside down. I was managing taking care of three children from home, helping them navigate the realities of our new world while trying to keep my staff employed and safe. I sadly said goodbye to many team members as they made th…
Maternal mental health in the time of COVID-19: How to find support
Motherhood can be joyous, frustrating, terrifying, miraculous, exhausting, and messy. It is all these things at once in normal times. But these, as we know, are not normal times. Among the many aspects of life that COVID-19 has upended, maternal mental…
How can we decrease maternal mortality for Black reproductive-aged people?
The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) signed into law by President Biden on March 11 provides direct relief to those impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, it could benefit low-income pregnant and postpartum individuals. The ARPA includes prov…
Don’t push harsh health care realities under the rug
On a recent call with a small health organization in rural Uganda, I asked the director about the C-section rate in the community. In some private maternity centers, this procedure is performed far more often than one might expect. I’ve learned t…
An organizational solution to lactation support for women physicians
In a previous post, I recognized lactation support for women physicians as an equity issue. Many of the women physicians I’ve interviewed have identified returning to work while breastfeeding as a major challenge and a major source of stress. Providing…
Let’s talk about vanishing twin syndrome
This letter serves to provide my story for other women who may experience vanishing twin syndrome (VTS) and the providers that care for them, especially given how common VTS is and will continue to be. For the folks who are either physicians or becomin…
