OB/GYN

The impact of sleep on fertility: Why rest matters for reproductive health

Conditions
December 3, 2024

Introduction

Sleep is not just a luxury; it is essential for maintaining health, and its role in fertility is particularly profound. From regulating reproductive hormones to protecting egg and sperm quality, sleep impacts every stage of the reproductive process. Yet, sleep disturbances—such as insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and irregular schedules—are often overlooked in fertility discussions. Recent research highlights how poor sleep affects fertility in men and women, influencing natural conception …

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Seeing the unseen: How racism manifests in professional spaces and how you can help

Physician
November 28, 2024

My sister and I speak almost every day. Sometimes we talk about our kids, our husbands, and our jobs. She is an attorney in the military and part of the JAG corps. I am an academic obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN), which means my practice involves education. We are both Black women in majority-white professions. Our morning conversations about our respective jobs are sometimes about the work itself, which we are both passionate …

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How lifestyle choices today could impact your future family’s fertility [PODCAST]

Podcast
November 21, 2024
YouTube video

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Epigenetics is transforming our understanding of fertility. In this episode, fertility specialist Dr. Oluyemisi (Yemi) Famuyiwa joins us to explore how lifestyle factors like diet, stress, and environmental exposures influence gene expression through …

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Resilient heart: a journey through medicine and life

Physician
November 21, 2024

Prologue: a life forged in resilience

If you had asked me in the early days of my life where I thought I would end up, my answer would have been straightforward—a career in medicine like my mother, a family of my own, and perhaps a path well-traveled. But life rarely follows the lines we draw for it. Instead, it takes unpredictable turns, tests our strength in ways we never expect, and …

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When a physician gets a rare disease diagnosis

Conditions
November 9, 2024

As an OB/GYN for the past 22 years, I have loved delivering babies, performing surgeries, and having long-term relationships with my patients. Now, I am on the other side of things, as a patient myself. I was diagnosed with adult polyglucosan body disease (APBD) in April of 2023 at the age of 59.

APBD is an ultra-rare, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a deficiency of glycogen-branching enzyme. The result: an accumulation of …

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Gender-based violence and the life-changing power of reconstructive surgery for survivors

Conditions
November 8, 2024

This year, the world was shocked by the tragic death of 33-year-old Rebecca Cheptegei, who had just completed the women’s marathon at the Olympics in Paris. She succumbed to her injuries in a Kenyan hospital after her partner’s brutal attack left 80 percent of her body burned. This horrific incident is not isolated; it is part of a disturbing global pattern of gender-based violence (GBV).

According to the World Bank, …

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How abortion laws turned our family vacation into a life-or-death dilemma

Conditions
November 5, 2024

This past summer, we planned a family vacation with our two adult daughters and their significant others to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The trip was scheduled for July 6. After we planned our vacation, our older daughter announced her pregnancy, and to our surprise and delight, she was expecting twins! She consulted with her OB/GYN and was permitted to go on the trip under the condition that she …

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How pharmacy benefit companies are making fertility treatments even harder for patients [PODCAST]

Podcast
October 21, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Oluyemisi (Yemi) Famuyiwa, a fertility specialist and founder of Montgomery Fertility Center, to explore the hidden barriers patients face when accessing fertility medications. We delve into the complex role …

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Early retirement may not be the solution to your burnout

Physician
October 12, 2024

I miss my stethoscope—the small black one with the tiny neonatal head. I wore it around my neck constantly while on duty in the NICU and L&D. It served as an outward symbol of my knowledge and experience. Inwardly, it reminded me of all the things I could detect about a baby by simply looking, listening, and gently touching. My little stethoscope was ready in any emergency. It helped me …

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Why postpartum care is failing new mothers [PODCAST]

Podcast
September 29, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Phindile Chowa, an emergency medicine physician, to discuss her personal and professional journey through postpartum care. Phindile shares her harrowing experience of childbirth and postpartum depression, shedding light on …

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Postpartum crisis: a physician’s call for comprehensive maternal support

Conditions
September 29, 2024

The moment my daughter was placed on my chest, I knew something was wrong. Her skin had a blue-purple tinge, and she barely cried. I instinctively began rubbing her tiny body, trying to stimulate her, but she remained quiet and minimally responsive. When I tried to put her on my chest to nurse, she did nothing. My doctor quietly left the room, and soon after, a team of medical professionals …

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E-cigarettes aren’t as safe as you think: the fertility risk you must know [PODCAST]

Podcast
September 25, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Yemi Famuyiwa, a renowned fertility specialist, to discuss the hidden dangers of e-cigarettes and their impact on reproductive health. As e-cigarettes continue to gain popularity, evidence reveals alarming risks, …

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The role of epigenetics in fertility: Can lifestyle choices affect future generations?

Conditions
September 19, 2024

Epigenetics has revolutionized our understanding of how lifestyle factors—such as diet, stress, exercise, and environmental exposures—affect fertility. Unlike genetic mutations, which change the DNA sequence, epigenetic changes modify how genes are expressed without altering the DNA itself. These changes occur through mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modifications, and they play a critical role in fertility. Even more intriguing, these epigenetic changes can be passed down to future generations …

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A future male OB/GYN’s commitment to patient comfort

Conditions
September 16, 2024

The modern IUD has been an option for women for 60 years now.

CDC just updated its 2016 guideline that advises physicians to discuss pain management options. This comes after continued viral TikTok patient stories about IUD insertion pain have garnered increasing attention from the medical community.

For perspective: According to OB/GYN’s Kristyn Brandi and Aliye Runyan, MD, their patients describe the insertion procedure as sometimes feeling like …

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Should transgender athletes compete in women’s sports?

Conditions
September 5, 2024

Watching the 2024 Paris Olympics reminded me of my intense love for sports. It is the nobility, beauty, strength, agility, and fairness that attract me and the audience. Performances by Simone Biles, with her majesty and strength, to Katie Ledecky’s’ power and domination, surrounded by Olympic and world record performances, often bring me to tears. These attributes have abounded in Paris, but unfortunately, something foul is also afoot.

Sexual and gender …

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Balancing residency and pregnancy [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 31, 2024
YouTube video

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In this episode, we sit down with Amaka Nnamani, a pediatrician who shares her powerful story of starting her residency while four months pregnant. Amaka discusses the unique challenges she faced balancing her …

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Are e-cigarettes harming your reproductive health?

Conditions
August 27, 2024

In recent years, e-cigarettes have emerged as a popular alternative to traditional cigarettes, often marketed as a safer choice. However, accumulating evidence reveals that e-cigarettes pose significant risks, particularly to reproductive health. This concern is especially urgent given the ongoing decline in fertility rates across the United States, which have reached historic lows in recent years. As a reproductive specialist, I find it crucial to address these risks and emphasize …

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Pelvic floor dysfunction: the overlooked health crisis [PODCAST]

Podcast
August 24, 2024
YouTube video

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We sit down with Carine Carmy, a health care executive, to explore the often overlooked world of pelvic floor health. Carine shares her personal journey and sheds light on why many women, like …

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From plant milk to human milk: the untapped climate solution

Conditions
August 23, 2024

Did you know? August 22nd marks World Plant Milk Day. Get ready for a creamy, non-dairy cheers! Once just reserved for soy, the list of alternate milk options now includes everything from macadamia to hemp to flax to rice milk.

But has anyone stopped to wonder why our milk craze, first ignited with the glass bottle deliveries of 1878 and now perpetuated with the bougiest …

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The hidden impact of pharmacy benefit companies on fertility treatments

Conditions
August 22, 2024

Fertility treatments are a challenging journey filled with emotional highs and lows. For many, these treatments represent the hope of starting or growing a family. However, one of the less obvious but critical aspects of this journey involves pharmacy benefit companies (PBCs). These companies play a significant role in determining access to fertility medications, and their influence can create unexpected barriers for patients and health care providers alike.

Pharmacy benefit companies …

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CME Spotlights