In an earlier blog post I shared the important role that progesterone plays in maintaining pregnancy – progesterone literally means “pro gestate” and is critically important in sustaining a healthy pregnancy. I routinely assess my fertility patients for progesterone deficiency and treat during the first...

The impacts of chronic stress during pregnancy are well-documented – for mom and baby, including infant behavioural and attention problems and low birth weights. In my online program I dedicate an entire module to stress and the adrenal glands in pregnancy. I focus on...

There are countless good reasons to keep the sugar monster at bay during pregnancy – including healthy mom and baby weight gain, keeping energy levels constant, and decreasing the risk of developing gestational diabetes.  A recent study has highlighted another important connection: higher maternal intake...

Miscarriage can be a traumatic and disorienting experience for women and their partners – and deciding if, and when, to try again is a challenging question for couples to tackle. There are many factors to consider, so I wanted to share with you how I...

Awareness of post-partum depression is growing amongst all spectrums of health care providers, which is a truly important shift for mothers who struggle after the births of their children and need extra support. However, PTSD following a birth experience – despite being quite distinct...

Your body’s need for protein increases significantly during pregnancy – to support growth of maternal tissues (breast and uterus) as well as fetal growth and brain development. Low protein intake during pregnancy is associated with increased risk of “small-for-gestational age” babies, and animal studies...

The “gut-brain-axis” is getting a lot of buzz these days as we better understand the connections between intestinal function and cognitive/emotional centres in the brain. In short, the billions of microbes living in your gut affect how we think and feel – both positively...

When women start thinking about getting pregnant, they are routinely advised to start taking a prenatal with folic acid in it, to ensure they have adequate stores to reduce the chance of neural tube defects in the first trimester. A study that came out...

The Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) allows you to identify the days in your menstrual cycle on which you’re more likely to be fertile. This information can be used to avoid pregnancy, or help get pregnant when the time comes to start your family. FAM...

Miscarriages are incredibly common: it is estimated that 15% (1 in 7) of clinically recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage (i.e. those pregnancies that were confirmed with a positive pregnancy test). When a woman has a first miscarriage, it is typically considered a one-off event...