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The ocean isn’t magic, but it helps the healing. We went to the beach with a full slate of work—course updates, new cases, retreat planning—and a fuller heart, talking honestly about what it takes to recover and what it means to care well. Missi is four weeks post‑mastectomy, relearning daily life without lifting, reaching, or rushing. Cara remembers months on bed rest, the longing for a hair wash, and the quiet panic of being still. Together, we map the gap between “Let me know if you need anything” and help that actually helps.

We get specific. Meals that work now: soup kits, coordinated signups, gift cards for flexible nights, and a simple text that asks, “What are you craving?” Practical gear that makes life easier soft button-front pajamas, the best mid-calf socks, body butter, pillows, and just things to make you comfy. We talk about partners who carry silent fear, why giving those people a break matters, and how to name needs without feeling guilt. We share how to build an Amazon list so friends far away can send the right things, and why short notes and small jokes land in the loneliest hours.

There’s identity work too. Losing the “before” version of yourself—the runner, the teacher, the do‑it‑all person—hurts. We name the grief, celebrate tiny wins like sleeping in a bed again, and lean on survivors who text the latest guidelines at just the right time. No Googling spirals, just trusted teams and steady pacing. If you’ve ever asked, “What should I do for my friend who’s sick?” or struggled to ask for help yourself, this conversation hands you a clear, compassionate checklist you can use today.

#DeliverEDExamPrep #RelaxED #YouveGotAFriendInMe #RecoveryJourney #BreastCancer #Bedrest #WeBelongToEachOther #LoveWins #WeCanDoHardThings #Survivor #Brutiful @somaintimates @ugg @lululemon @lolablankets @takethemameal @giveinkind

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Ready to land a midwifery job that actually fits your philosophy, pace, and life? We open up about our own first-job journeys—what went right, what we’d change, and how each step shaped our expectations. From researching practice models to reading culture, we walk through the practical prep that matters most: knowing how the team truly functions, how midwives share call, and how collaboration shows up when the unit gets busy.

We also get tactical about interviewing without sounding scripted. You’ll hear simple ways to show your value as a new grad, even without L&D experience: bring a lean portfolio, summarize your clinical sites and numbers, and frame weaknesses as active growth plans. We share the questions that reveal the soul of a practice—what a clinic day really looks like, how decisions are made, and where midwives can train in procedures like first assist, colpos, or circumcisions. We also address the productivity myth, explaining how OB-heavy roles unlock revenue capacity across the team while improving access and experience.

Career seasons don’t always unfold on your timeline, and that’s okay. We talk about handling rejection as redirection, running mock interviews with mentors, and keeping notes on what bothers you so you can ask sharper questions next time. If you want a job that respects physiologic birth and evidence, values your voice, and gives you room to grow, this conversation will help you get there.

#DreamCatch #BabyCatchers #MidwifeLife #NewGradMidwife #MidwivesSupportMidwives #MidwiferyCareers @growmidwives

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A new season meets a new reality: we’re grateful for 100K downloads, proud of students who crossed the finish line after multiple tries, and honest about a recent breast cancer diagnosis that changed the rhythm of our days. Missi walks through the surprise pathology, why we chose an aggressive plan, and what bilateral mastectomy and a forced season of stillness look like for a do‑everything human. We talk openly about anxiety, support, and “aggressive optimism,” because clarity and community make uncertain roads feel possible.

Then we shift gears to a masterclass on the labor patterns every clinician grapples with: malposition and asynclitism. We break down synclitism versus anterior and posterior asynclitism, how to read the sagittal suture and fontanelles, and why uneven effacement is a blazing clue. You’ll hear practical tools for OP and OT that move beyond clichés—mapping interventions to the inlet, mid‑pelvis, and outlet so each position serves a purpose. Think the jiggle as gentle myofascial work, forward‑leaning inversion to free tension, and strict sidelying release with stacked hips. We show how peanut balls, fire‑hydrant, rock‑the‑boat, sacral massage, and internal femur rotation widen the right spaces at the right time.

For second stage, we dig into manual rotation: when to attempt it, how to disengage enough to succeed, and how skilled hands can shorten labor and prevent operative delivery. Along the way we highlight nurse‑midwife teamwork, patient‑centered pacing, and trusted resources like Spinning Babies and the Labor Progress Handbook that give units a shared language and a sharper plan. Variation in fetal position isn’t failure—it’s an invitation to find the position, create the space, and encourage the movement.

If this conversation helps your practice or your spirit, follow, share with a colleague, and leave a quick review. Your support fuels more teaching, more tools at the bedside, and more stories of perseverance and healing.

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A packed hallway at the ACNM Annual Meeting turned into the perfect backdrop for a clear, compassionate deep dive on adolescent gynecology. We talk candidly about what really helps teens feel safe in care: transparent consent, real confidentiality, and avoiding unnecessary pelvic exams. From there, we walk through the high-yield topics every clinician faces with young patients—irregular cycles after menarche, painful periods that derail school days, and the difference between normal discharge and vaginitis that needs treatment.

We spotlight the red flags that can’t be missed, especially ovarian torsion posing as vague lower abdominal pain, and why transabdominal ultrasound often beats transvaginal imaging for adolescents. You’ll hear how we build a thorough menstrual history that captures timing, flow, and impact on daily life; how we normalize the maturing hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis; and where first-line therapies like NSAIDs, combined pills, progestin-only methods, and levonorgestrel IUDs fit. We also lay out a patient-led approach to contraception counseling—centered on goals like bleeding control, privacy, and ease of use—while weaving in emergency contraception, STI screening strategies, and the crucial role of the HPV vaccine in preventing cervical and other cancers.

Throughout, we keep the focus on trauma-informed practice. That means offering safe words like stop and out during exams, letting teens handle instruments to reduce fear, and moving complex conversations to when patients are fully dressed. We include considerations for transgender and gender-diverse adolescents, from menstrual suppression to reputable clinical resources. By combining practical tools with a respectful tone, this episode gives you a roadmap to adolescent gyn that improves comfort, detects danger early, and builds trust that lasts into adulthood.

If this conversation helps you care for teens with more confidence, subscribe, share with a colleague, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.

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A fracture rarely starts with drama. It’s often a quiet misstep, a stumble off a curb, or a slip on a throw rug—and that’s exactly why bone health deserves our full attention. We’re taking a clear, practical tour through osteoporosis and osteopenia: what they are, why they’re “silent,” and how to get ahead of them with smart screening, daily habits, and targeted treatments.

We unpack the biology of bone remodeling—osteoclasts that break down old bone and osteoblasts that build new—and the outsized role estrogen plays as it declines through perimenopause and menopause. You’ll hear exactly who should get a DEXA scan at 65 and who needs it earlier based on risk factors like prior adult fractures, long-term steroid use, low body weight, family history, or conditions like hyperthyroidism, celiac disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. We demystify T-scores versus Z-scores so you can read your results with confidence and know where osteopenia ends and osteoporosis begins.

From there, we get tactical. Nutrition that actually moves the needle, weight-bearing exercise and resistance training you’ll actually do, and when medication is actually warranted. We round it out with fall prevention you can implement today: balance training, better lighting, grab bars, safer footwear, and a clutter-free path through your home. If you care about staying strong, steady, and independent, this conversation gives you the tools.

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Ever wonder how midwifery knowledge makes its way from practice to publication? This episode pulls back the curtain on the world of midwifery publishing with two luminaries who shape how we learn and share our profession's wisdom.

We're joined by Dr. Melissa Avery, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health, and Dr. Julia Philippi, lead author of the foundational text Varney's Midwifery. These publishing powerhouses share their journeys and offer practical advice for midwives at every career stage who want to contribute to our collective knowledge.

"Your work doesn't do you," Dr. Avery reminds us. "Until we write about it and disseminate it, no one else is really benefiting from it." Both guests demystify the publishing process, from crafting that intimidating first draft to navigating peer review. Their message is refreshingly straightforward: just start writing. Whether you're considering a clinical case study for JMWH or wondering how textbooks like Varney's evolve to reflect contemporary practice, this conversation provides the roadmap you need.

We explore the differences between journal articles and textbooks, the value of becoming a peer reviewer, and practical strategies like forming writing teams and protecting your writing time. For students and educators, Dr. Philippi offers fascinating insights into how midwifery texts might evolve to meet changing learning styles, potentially moving beyond the "eight-pound two-ounce textbook" to more interactive formats.

Whether you're a student, new graduate, or seasoned midwife, this episode will inspire you to share your unique midwifery knowledge and experiences. Your voice matters—and with the right approach, it can strengthen midwifery care everywhere.

#EveryMidwifeHasAStory #AcademicMidwife #GetPublished #MidwivesWhoWrite #TheScholarlyMidwife #TeamworkMakesTheDreamWork @jblearning @midwiferyandwomenshealth @juliaphillippi

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The ACNM hallways are still buzzing in our heads, our voices are scratchy from a thousand hugs, and we’re curled up with a year’s worth of holy-grail favorites to share. This is our practical, joyful guide to small upgrades that make real days better. If you’re looking for thoughtful gifts, travel allies, or daily comforts that punch above their weight, this roundup is our best-of—the things we buy again, gift often, and swear by. If something here makes your day easier or your night softer, share this episode, leave a review, and tell us your favorite under-the-radar find so we can try it next.

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A stomach that feels “off” can be easy to brush aside—until it shouldn’t be. In this episode, Cara and Missi dig into the quiet warning signs of ovarian disease, separating the everyday from the rare but dangerous ovarian pathology. You’ll learn how to read the body’s cues using the BEAT mnemonic (Bloating, Early satiety, Abdominal/pelvic pain, Trouble with urination or bowels), what ultrasound reports actually mean, and why most ovarian cysts are benign even as we stay alert to red flags.

We walk through the physiology of the menstrual cycle—why ovulation naturally creates a cyst each month—and how that helps explain functional cysts that disappear on their own. Then we shift to the features that raise concern: septations, solid components, irregular borders, and blood flow on Doppler. We talk openly about the limits of CA125, the absence of a reliable screening test, and why surgical biopsy still anchors a definitive diagnosis.

We unpack how opportunistic salpingectomy at the time of hysterectomy or permanent sterilization can cut risk, and how combined oral contraceptives lower lifetime risk by suppressing ovulation. We also cover who needs genetic counseling—BRCA1/2, Lynch syndrome, and other familial cancer clues—and how to build smart follow-up plans that balance reassurance with action. Most ovarian findings are benign; the key is knowing when to watch and when to act. If this conversation helps you or a patient put a name to a nagging symptom, it’s done its job.