When I found I was pregnant, the first thing my sister in law gave me was the book – What To Expect When You’re Expecting. Since the early 80s, it’s been the bible of a mother-to-be’s pregnancy journey. And now we have apps like The Bump, Ovia, Sprout, WebMD Pregnancy, and more that walk us through each trimester week by week illustrating how our baby goes from being the size of a blueberry to a watermelon.
But what happens next? How come we aren’t as informed about what happens during postpartum? I personally asked my OBGYN a bajillion questions and she was a fellow twin mom so had a lot of advice relevant to my situation. During my hospital stay after my c-section, I must have befriended at least 6 RNs who were taking care of me during various shifts and they were all very helpful and chatty and didn’t hesitate to give me their 2 cents. And of course, I was searching every topic under the sun on Google and YouTube from from — how long does it take to recover from a c-section to when will my milk come in.
On this episode, we’re going to do a crash course on what to expect after you have your baby or babies and how to feel mentally prepared with all the things that happen after pregnancy – essentially, what to expect to expect when you’re done expecting.
My guest on this episode is intrepid mother of two, Dr. Taraneh Shirazian, Dr. Tara for short. She’s an ob/gyn, practicing gynecologic surgeon and an Assistant Professor at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City. Tara is recognized as an international leader in global women’s health and a frequently cited expert in this field. She is also an accomplished researcher focused on interventions designed to decrease maternal morbidity and mortality, with work published in prominent medical journals such as the American Journal of Perinatology and ACOG Today. She launched a company called Mommy Matters because a simple truth: women everywhere find it hard to focus on their own comfort and recovery during pregnancy and after childbirth. Mom takes care of everyone else, but who takes care of mom? Mommy Matters has products including a pregnancy pillow and postpartum kit.
Dr. Shirazian is also the founder of Saving Mothers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to eradicating preventable maternal deaths and birth-related complications in low-resource settings. Saving Mothers believes no woman should die giving life.
Tune In:
About My Guest:
- WEBSITE: MommyMatters.com
- INSTAGRAM: @becausemommymatters
- PRESS: Dr. Taraneh Shirazian
- WEBSITE: SavingMothers.org
- INSTAGRAM: @savingmothers
Show Notes:
- 4:30 – What happens to the body during pregnancy
- 10:00 – Symptoms we face during pregnancy – morning sickness, hemorrhoids, and more!
- 12:45 – What is the best labor scenario?
- 17:00 – Breach presentation babies and unforeseen circumstances during labor
- 18:56 – Natural vs. cesarian labor
- 23:00 – Epidural and its effects
- 27:15 – What to know about having a c-section
- 30:40 – Emotional and physical side effects during postpartum
- 33:00 – Breastfeeding and lactation consultants
- 33:50 – What happens during recovery
- 42:00 – Dr. Shirazian’s Mom Sense moment