When I was going through my undergraduate training – I would have 3 cups of coffee per day. My mom and my relatives kept telling me to cut back on my caffeine consumption, but never really told me why. “Its not good for you!” they would say, but what does the evidence say? What are
As a doctor, I encourage mothers to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is affordable, helps with bonding and has health benefits for both the infant and mother. In my medical practice, many new moms come to see me because they are having difficulties breastfeeding. Before having a child of my own, I would do a basic physical screen
I’m sure everybody out there has a friend or family member with whom they just can’t see eye-to-eye with, and that relationship seems more like a battle than one of support. Co-existing with a person like this means that you are (likely) going to have to be around them. Boundaries are key when dealing with
If you have a member of your family who causes you to feel like you are walking on eggshells with, you often feel stressed, frustrated, or emotionally drained, this might be a sign that you are dealing with someone who has a very strong personality. It can be difficult when this person like is a
I was a big baby. My mom had gestational diabetes when she was pregnant with me, and as a result I was nearly 11 pounds at birth! During my own pregnancy with Madi, I worried frequently that I was going to have gestational diabetes since my mom had it. Gestational diabetes is when a woman
In so many ways, Motherhood starts in pregnancy. From the moment we learn about our pregnancies, we prioritize our own health for the benefit of our babies, such as taking prenatal vitamins, avoiding certain foods, and choosing an appropriate prenatal pregnancy exercise plan. Because pregnancy is such a unique period in a woman’s life, with
When I was pregnant with Madi I smelled like coconut oil constantly. I was told by my mom and her friends to slather my belly with coconut oil to prevent stretch marks. I suspected that this may not have been the best method to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy, but I did it anyway because
Mindfulness is a meditative practice where you intentionally bring your attention to experiences in the here and now. It helps us to become more present in our day-to-day life by focusing on what we are doing instead of where we are going. For example, if you are drinking a cup of coffee, you are focused
As we age, our bone density naturally changes, putting us more at risk for osteoporosis, making bones more brittle, weak, and increased risk for fractures and breaks. Building strong bones is especially important for women because it affects women almost 5x more than men! Osteoporosis increases as women age because of the female biology after
After getting to know some of the parents, I have learned that there are those who do not want their child to be vaccinated for HPV. Some parents may be worried that their child is too young to receive the vaccine, or believe they’re not in a high-risk group. Worldwide, over half a million women