MUSC Pregnancy and Childbirth Podcast

Nutrition: Nursing Mothers and Proper Nutrition

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 1 Jul 2008 09:40:08 EST

Registered dietician Kristin Crady talks about basic nutrition for nursing mothers, focusing on the importance of added nutrient-rich calories to the normal weight management diet. She provides suggestions for healthy snacks to account for the extra few hundred calories per day advised by dieticians. She concludes this nutrition podcast by addressing the issues of losing pregnancy weight, difficulty with milk supply, and certain foods that may lead to allergies in a nursing baby.

Pregnancy: Gestational Diabetes and Dietary Guidelines

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 20 May 2008 10:09:59 EST

Abby Van der Veer, a registered dietician who specializes in dietary counseling for pregnant women, offers advice for women with gestational diabetes. She emphasizes the importance of tight control of blood sugar as a protective measure for the fetus as well as the mother. Ms. Van der Veer recommends avoidance of drinks with excess sugar and suggests better alternatives.

Pregnancy: Dietary Counseling

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 20 May 2008 09:55:09 EST

Abby Van der Veer, a registered dietician who specializes in dietary counseling for pregnant women, talks about typical scenarios in which counseling is required. She lays out specific guidelines for what women should and should not eat when pregnant. To conclude this nutrition podcast, she also notes the importance of avoiding alcohol during pregnancy.

Infertility: Female Factor Infertility and Donor Eggs

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:48:00 EST

Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at MUSC, Dr. John Schnorr, talks about female infertility due to the inability to produce a viable egg. He emphasizes the importance of egg quality for embryo quality and, thus, for successful pregnancy. In this pregnancy podcast, Dr. Schnorr discusses the option of using a donor egg to increase the chance of pregnancy. He outlines the process of obtaining and implanting a donor egg, and he explains the vast increase in success rates for infertile couples who opt to use a donor egg.

Infertility: Evaluation and Treatment of Female Infertility

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:42:09 EST

Dr. John Schnorr, Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at MUSC, discusses the evaluation process for female infertility. He offers specifics regarding evaluative testing, noting that women no longer have to undergo surgical procedures as part of this process. Dr. Schnorr also goes over steps for infertility treatment, touching upon various treatment options. He concludes this pregnancy podcast by recalling a remarkable success story from his personal experience as an infertility specialist.

Infertility: Evaluation of Couples with Infertility

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:36:33 EST

Dr. John Schnorr, Director of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology at MUSC, begins this pregnancy podcast by defining infertility. He explains the evaluation process for identifying both male- and female-factor causes for infertility. Dr. Schnorr also addresses the difficult emotional experience and sense of vulnerability experienced by couples dealing with infertility. He concludes by talking about the high rate of successful pregnancy for those couples who undergo infertility treatment.

Anesthesia: Pain Relief During Labor

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 10:19:14 EST

Dr. Latha Hebbar, a specialist in obstetrical anesthesia, talks about both pharmacological and non-pharmacological options for pain relief during labor. She focuses on epidural anesthesia, offering the pros and cons of this method. In this anesthesia podcast, Dr. Hebbar also compares epidural versus spinal anesthetics and notes various conditions which would prevent a woman from receiving either. She concludes by discussing potential side effects of labor anesthetics, emphasizing the rarity of any such complications.

Vitamin D: Research at MUSC

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 5 Feb 2008 14:39:57 EST

In this podcast Dr. Carol Wagner, an expert in the area of infant nutrition, describes her research on vitamin D in pregnant and lactating women. Dr. Wagner notes that vitamin D deficiency is linked with many diseases that occur later in adulthood, emphasizing the importance of proper vitamin D levels during pregnancy and in the infancy period.

Breast Feeding: Benefits and Guidelines

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 5 Feb 2008 14:27:22 EST

Dr. Carol Wagner, an expert in the area of infant nutrition, identifies some of the significant benefits of breast milk, which consists of living cells unique for signaling the infant immune system and gastrointestinal tract. In this neonatology podcast, she explains the ideal time frame for breast feeding, noting that various factors affect what works for each individual mother. Dr. Wagner additionally covers the topic of maternal nutrition, including the issue of prescription and over-the-counter drugs, during lactation.

Sleep: Sleep Deprivation in Women

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:45:14 EST

In this sleep podcast, Dr. Qanta Ahmed, the associate director for the Sleep Clinic at MUSC, addresses sleep deprivation in women. She focuses on sleep during pregnancy and menopause. Dr. Ahmed emphasizes the importance of a sleep interview if a woman is experiencing sleep deprivation.

Genetic Counseling: Advice for Prospective Parents

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:04:43 EST

Ms. Sally Shields, the supervisor of genetic counseling for the Prenatal Wellness Center at MUSC, talks about important measures for women to take in order to reduce the likelihood of birth defects. She notes that South Carolina has the highest rate in the United States for certain birth defects, pointing to the importance of folic acid supplements from the beginning of pregnancy. She additionally discusses who is a good candidate for preconception genetic testing.

Genetic Counseling: Delivering Bad News

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:01:47 EST

Ms. Sally Shields, the supervisor for genetic counseling at MUSC, discusses how genetic counselors deliver results of genetic testing for a baby found to have chromosomal abnormality. She talks about the importance of making preparations for a baby that has been diagnosed with a lethal abnormality and also touches upon the support provided by the genetic counseling and delivery teams at MUSC.

Genetic Counseling: The Role of Genetic Counselors

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:56:02 EST

Ms. Sally Shields, the supervisor for genetic counseling at MUSC, explains who sees a genetic counselor and what genetic counseling involves. She describes how risk figures are determined and notes various methods of testing women may undergo to determine whether a baby has a chromosomal abnormality. Ms. Shields also discusses the importance of genetic counselors in helping women deal with their tests results and subsequent decisions.

Childbirth: Anesthesia During Delivery

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 8 Jan 2008 12:21:41 EST

Dr. Laura Goetzl, a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine, discusses anesthesia during labor and delivery, pointing out that most women have epidural analgesia to relieve pain during childbirth. She talks about newer combined spinal-epidural techniques as compared with traditional epidural analgesia.

Pregnancy Screening: Amniocentesis and Chorionic Villus Sampling

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 8 Jan 2008 12:18:15 EST

Dr. Laura Goetzl, an expert in high-risk pregnancy, explains a woman’s options if initial screening shows increased risk of Down Syndrome or another chromosomal abnormality. She distinguishes between amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling, noting the advantages and risks of each. Dr. Goetzl concludes by mentioning preparations a woman needs to consider if she elects to continue a pregnancy with chromosomal abnormalities.

Pregnancy Screening: First versus Second Trimester Screening

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 8 Jan 2008 12:13:26 EST

Dr. Laura Goetzl, a specialist in maternal-fetal medicine, contrasts first and second trimester screening for Down Syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. She notes the superiority of first trimester screening in terms of flexibility for subsequent testing as well as accuracy of the test itself. Additionally, Dr. Goetzl describes how results of screening are provided to the mother.

Pregnancy Screening: Who Should Be Screened?

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Tue, 8 Jan 2008 12:08:46 EST

Dr. Laura Goetzl, an expert in high-risk pregnancy, discusses screening for chromosomal abnormalities, noting who should be screened. She explains what is meant by “chromosomal abnormality” and points to the reasons screening can be important. Dr. Goetzl addresses the issue of false positive results in screening tests.

Infections: HIV in Children

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Thu, 6 Dec 2007 14:41:31 EST

Dr. Sandra Fowler, a pediatric infectious diseases specialist, indicates the prevalence of HIV among adolescent girls and describes how this virus is most often transmitted. She also talks about the great importance of HIV testing in pregnant women because, as she explains, transmission to the infant can be prevented with proper treatment.

Rheumatoid Arthritis: Pregnancy and Rheumatoid Arthritis

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Fri, 9 Nov 2007 10:18:00 EST

Rheumatologist, Dr. Alan Brown, discusses all aspects of pregnancy for a woman with rheumatoid arthritis, such as how to manage the medications, what needs to be discussed with the physician and how to have a safe, healthy pregnancy if diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

Lupus: Pregnancy and Lupus

muschlth@musc.edu (Medical University of South Carolina) — Fri, 9 Nov 2007 10:15:27 EST

Rheumatologist, Dr. Alan Brown, discusses all aspects of pregnancy for a woman with lupus, such as how to manage the medications, what needs to be discussed with the physician and how to prepare for a pregnancy if diagnosed with lupus.