Women’s Healthcast

Fourth Trimester: Perineal Tears

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 percent of people who give birth experience some degree of tearing in the skin or muscles between the vagina and anus. Despite their frequency, they’re not commonly discussed.  

Dr. Jon Pennycuff, a female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgeon in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn, joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about perineal tears – how often they happen, how they’re treated, and what he wishes more people understood about them.  

RESOURCES:

Pelvic Floor Health Guide – American Urogynecologic Society

Third and Fourth-Degree Perineal Tears – American Urogynecologic Society

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Fourth Trimester: Physical Recovery

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 common body changes in the postpartum period, what to look out for in terms of mental and emotional health, how to tell when you’re ready to resume activities like exercise, and more.

RESOURCES:

National Maternal Mental Health Hotline

Let us know what Fourth Trimester topics you want to know more about here: https://forms.gle/XaoArBtnxfHxA4Up7 

Introducing the 4th Trimester Mini-Series

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 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.  

Let us know what Fourth Trimester topics you want to know more about here: https://forms.gle/XaoArBtnxfHxA4Up7 

Contraceptive Coercion

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 to understand reproductive coercion and autonomy. 

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REPLAY: Promoting Pelvic Floor Health

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: https://www.obgyn.wisc.edu/community-talks

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Health Equity Innovations

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 Medicine Department of Ob-Gyn.

Dr. Howard discussed what she views as common causes of disparities in health care, why she frames the conversation around inequities in health care settings, and some of the most promising innovations in healthcare that could help reduce disparities.

Have a suggestion for a future episode? Let us know what health issues you'd like to learn about here! https://forms.gle/XaoArBtnxfHxA4Up7 

E-Visits for Contraception

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-visit system for UW Health patients. 

Have a suggestion for a future episode? Let us know what health issues you'd like to learn about here! https://forms.gle/XaoArBtnxfHxA4Up7 

Palliative Care and Advance Care Planning

Palliative care – medical care to help relieve symptoms and improve quality of life for people with serious illnesses – is often a key component of cancer care and treatment. During Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Catherine Zhang joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about palliative care, palliative care’s place in gynecologic cancer treatment, and how people can approach conversations around advance care planning in their own lives.

Dr. Zhang is a gynecologic oncologist in the UW Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, where she cares for people with all types of reproductive cancers.

RESOURCES:

The Conversation Project

What are palliative care and hospice care? - National Institute on Aging

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Perineal Tears: Cause and Recovery

Perineal tears, or perineal lacerations, are a very common complication that can happen during childbirth – somewhere between 60-70 percent of people who give birth experience some degree of tearing in the skin or muscles between the vagina and anus. Despite their frequency, they’re not a commonly-discussed topic. Our guest today hopes to change that.

Dr. Jon Pennycuff, a Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgeon in the UW Department of Ob-Gyn, joined the Women’s Healthcast to talk about perineal tears – how often they happen, how they’re treated, and what he wishes more people understood about them.

RESOURCES:

Pelvic Floor Health Guide – American Urogynecologic Society

Third and Fourth-Degree Perineal Tears – American Urogynecologic Society

Have a suggestion for a future episode? Let us know what health issues you'd like to learn about here! https://forms.gle/XaoArBtnxfHxA4Up7 

Over-the-Counter Birth Control

In July 2023, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a birth control pill for over-the-counter use, meaning most consumers could buy it from a pharmacy without a prescription. The pill will likely be available sometime in 2024.

To learn more about the progestin-only birth control that’s approved for over-the-counter use, we talked with Dr. Amy Domeyer-Klenske. We discussed how the pill works, important safety considerations for people to know, and the remaining questions about how birth control without a prescription might affect availability and access for people in the U.S.

Dr. Domeyer-Klenske is an obstetrician-gynecologist, director of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn, and president of the Wisconsin section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

RESOURCES:

Progestin-Only Birth Control - American College of Ob-Gyns

FDA Approves First Nonprescription Daily Oral Contraceptive - US Food and Drug Administration

Over-the-counter birth control is coming. Here's what to know about cost and coverage - National Public Radio

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