One in eight people in the United States have high blood pressure or hypertension during their pregnancies. What does that mean for their health moving forward? Our guests joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about blood pressure and cardiovascular concerns during and after pregnancy. Dr. Kara Hoppe is an associate professor in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Megan Knutson-Sinaise is a research coordinator and health coach.  They discussed how common blood pressure issues are during pregnancy, important signs and symptoms to be aware of, and what people s ..read more

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. On the Women’s Healthcast, we’re airing a Fourth Trimester series, with episodes about physical recovery after birth, postpartum mental health, breastfeeding, and more. Dr. Katie Sampene joined this episode to talk about pregnancy prevention in the fourth trimester. Dr. Sampene as an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn. She discussed recommendations for spacing pregnancies, why people may want to consider a birth control method so quick ..read more

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will air a Fourth Trimester series, with episodes about physical recovery, postpartum mental health, birth control after pregnancy, and more. Dr. Molly Lepic joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about a common aspect of the postpartum period: breastfeeding. Dr. Lepic is an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn. She talked about how breastfeeding works, resources available to support people ..read more

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will air a Fourth Trimester series, with episodes about physical recovery, postpartum mood changes, breastfeeding, and so much more.  Our first episode covered general questions about physical recovery after giving birth. On this episode, we’ll learn more about one particular aspect of recovery: perineal tears, or perineal lacerations.   These complications are very common during childbirth: somewhere between 60-70 pe ..read more

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. For the next few months, the Women’s Healthcast will air a Fourth Trimester series, with episodes about physical recovery, postpartum mood changes, breastfeeding, and so much more. On the first episode of our Fourth Trimester series, Dr. Kim Bannon joined us to talk about physical recovery after giving birth. Dr. Bannon is an obstetrician-gynecologist in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She talked about comm ..read more

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists calls the 12 weeks after giving birth the Fourth Trimester. This can be a time of significant physical and emotional change, and also a period of time where it’s hard to prioritize your own wellbeing.   To kick off 2024, the Women’s Healthcast will air a Fourth Trimester series, with episodes about physical recovery, postpartum mood changes, breastfeeding, and so much more. Over the next several weeks, we will learn more about postpartum health from experts in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Depa ..read more

Reproductive coercion – any behavior that interferes with someone’s ability to make decisions about their reproductive health – can happen in the context of intimate relationships, family relationships, or even in health care settings.   Laura Swan, PhD, LCSW, research scientist in the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Population Health Sciences and the UW Collaborative for Reproductive Equity, joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about her research on reproductive coercion, and why she thinks it’s important for patients as well as providers ..read more

November is Bladder Health Month. To celebrate, we’re replaying an interview with Angie Sergeant, a nurse practitioner in the UW Health Women’s Pelvic Wellness Clinic. In this interview from 2020, Angie talks about risk factors for pelvic floor disorders, pelvic floor physical therapy and other interventions, and what visits to her clinic look like.  If you’d like to learn more about pelvic floor disorders, join providers in the UW Health Women’s Pelvic Wellness Clinic at a free, virtual Healthy Women Community Talk on November 14, 2023, at 6:00pm. More information and registration here ..read more

Health disparities in the United States are a pressing issue – and we see gaps in health outcomes across all aspects of ob-gyn care, too. What role does the health care system have in reducing health disparities? Dr. Denise Howard sat down with the Women’s Healthcast in advance of delivering the keynote lecture “Our Greatest Challenge: Eliminating Healthcare Disparities” at the 2023 UW Women’s Health and Health Equity Research Lecture & Symposium. Dr. Howard is Chief of Obstetrics & Gynecology at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and Vice Chair in the Weill Cornell Medic ..read more

Can starting a new birth control method, or changing your method, be as easy as opening an app, answering a few questions about your health, and picking up your prescription? E-visits for contraception are increasingly popular, whether offered through clinics or online-only services.  Dr. Eliza Bennett, an ob-gyn at UW Health, and Nicole Shapiro, a nurse practitioner and certified nurse midwife at UW Health, joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about e-visits for birth control: how the process works, what kinds of birth control are available using this service, and why they launched an e ..read more