Healthy As A Mother

What happens when we stop viewing the menstrual cycle as an essential part of female biology and start treating it as something to suppress? In this episode, Dr. Leah Gordon and Dr. Morgan MacDermott take a deeper look at the history and culture surrounding hormonal birth control, how women came to view their cycles as inconvenient or problematic, and what can happen when symptoms like painful periods, PMS, acne, irregular cycles, or heavy bleeding are suppressed instead of investigated.

They discuss the difference between contraception and treating the root cause of hormonal symptoms, fertility awareness and modern cycle tracking, potential side effects and risks of hormonal birth control, informed consent, fertility, and why individualized care matters. Most importantly, this isn't an argument that every woman should avoid birth control, it's a conversation about understanding your body, knowing your options, and making intentional decisions about your reproductive health.

00:00 — Trailer & Introduction
03:38 — The War on Female Biology
07:05 — The History of Birth Control
11:08 — Is Birth Control Fixing the Problem?
13:58 — The Fire Alarm Analogy
16:40 — Informed Consent & Birth Control
19:21 — When Birth Control Has a Place
24:22 — A Personal Experience With Birth Control
30:21 — What Is “Woman Essence”?
34:54 — Fertility Awareness vs. Birth Control
40:10 — The Truth About the Rhythm Method
41:58 — Public Health vs. Individualized Care
44:42 — Can Birth Control Mask Fertility Problems?
45:32 — The Potential Risks of Hormonal Birth Control
47:46 — Depo-Provera & Emerging Safety Concerns
49:09 — How Much Do We Really Know About Long-Term Risks?
51:37 — Birth Control & Fertility: What We Know
53:03 — Why Did Male Birth Control Studies Stop?
53:59 — Birth Control, Responsibility & Choice
56:09 — Feminism, Motherhood & the Modern Woman
60:39 — Is Our Culture Designed for Mothers?
63:15 — Know Your Why Before Taking Birth Control
63:44 — Your Cycle Is a Vital Sign
64:57 — What Real Reproductive Freedom Looks Like
65:50 — Learning to Value the Female Cycle
67:47 — Finding Joy in Your Womanhood
71:09 — Closing

Resources From This Episode:
Download Dr. Leah's Free Fertility Lab Guide - https://drleahgordon.com/fertility-lab-guide-freebie
Join Womanhood Wellness membership - https://drleahgordon.com/join
Period as 5th Vital Sign - https://youtu.be/HIKr1R3iYKo?si=mLjYzAPYON15ArM0
Preparing Body for Pregnancy After Birth Control - https://youtu.be/THaoCkFAxWk?si=787HpG-E06M4L5Aq

Healthy As A Mother Podcast | YouTube
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | Instagram
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | TikTok
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | Merch Store

Find more from Dr. Leah:
Dr. Leah Gordon | Instagram
Dr. Leah Gordon | Website
Womanhood Wellness | Website

Find more from Dr. Morgan:
Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Instagram
Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Website

Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 10% at Earthley
Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 15% at Redmond
For 20% off your first order at Needed, use code HEALTHYMOTHER
Save $260 at Lumebox, use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER
Use code HAAM and save 10% at Fond

ADHD can look very different in women and motherhood: hormonal shifts, pregnancy, and postpartum can dramatically change how those symptoms show up. In this episode, we’re joined by integrative ADHD specialist Dr. Carrie McMillin to unpack the ADHD brain, including executive function, task initiation, working memory, hyperfocus, dopamine, and emotional regulation.

We dive into how estrogen and progesterone interact with dopamine throughout the menstrual cycle, why some women notice more ADHD symptoms during the luteal phase, and what can happen during pregnancy and postpartum. Dr. McMillin explains why the postpartum period can be especially challenging, including the effects of the dramatic estrogen drop, prolactin, breastfeeding, sleep deprivation, and the increased demands of caring for a baby.

We also discuss how to distinguish ADHD from normal motherhood overwhelm, anxiety, and sleep deprivation; how ADHD is diagnosed in adults; medications and supplements; iron, B vitamins, L-tyrosine, and other potential supports; the importance of building systems around your individual executive-function struggles; and why small sources of genuine joy can be an important part of supporting your brain.

Finally, we talk about perimenopause, irritability and PMDD, caffeine, screen time, and practical ways women with ADHD can work with their brains instead of constantly fighting against them. The biggest takeaway? Understanding what's happening in your brain can replace shame with self-compassion and help you build systems that actually work for you.

00:00 —Trailer & Introduction
03:06 —The ADHD Brain Isn't Broken
06:15 —The 3 Types of ADHD
11:02 —Task Initiation, Motivation & Executive Function
12:06 —Hyperfocus & Dopamine
14:57 —Why ADHD Affects Working Memory
19:29 —Why Motherhood Can Amplify ADHD Symptoms
21:00 —How ADHD Is Diagnosed in Adults
24:20 —ADHD & the Menstrual Cycle
27:26 —Estrogen, Progesterone & Dopamine
34:17 —ADHD During Pregnancy
35:35 —Why Sleep Deprivation Can Mimic ADHD
40:36 —How Pregnancy Changes the Brain
42:01 —The Postpartum ADHD Crash
44:36 —ADHD, Breastfeeding & Prolactin
45:45 —Supporting ADHD Postpartum
50:19 —ADHD-Friendly Systems That Actually Help
52:21 —Finding Joy When You're Overwhelmed
55:43 —Is It ADHD or Just Motherhood Overload?
58:25 —ADHD Medication: When Is It Worth Considering?
60:40 —Supplements & Natural ADHD Support
65:24 —ADHD, Irritability & PMDD
66:36 —ADHD & Perimenopause
67:17 —Building Systems Around Your Brain
70:08 —Caffeine & ADHD
71:47 —Screens, Dopamine & ADHD
75:17 —The Biggest Takeaway for Moms With ADHD

Resources From This Episode:
Dr. Carrie's Website- adhdetails.com
Dr. Carrie's Instagram- www.instagram.com/adhdetails
Smart but Scattered book- https://amzn.to/3RtakE8
The Radical Guide for Women with ADHD book- https://amzn.to/3PUJdS0
Your Brain Is Not Broken book- https://amzn.to/4dYcYdI
Do Less book- https://amzn.to/49YznFl
Finch app- https://finchcare.com/mobile
Trello app- https://trello.com/
ClickUp app- https://try.web.clickup.com/qcca0vh17mp2
Skylight calendar- https://tidd.ly/4s8VJe9
Get some of the supplements(creatine, L-tyrosine, pharmaGABA, L-theanine, lion's mane)recommended for 15% off on Fullscript- https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/mmacdermott/store-start
Use code HEALTHYMOTHER to get a discount on Needed Stress Support- https://www.thisisneeded.com/discount/HEALTHYMOTHER

Healthy As A Mother Podcast | YouTube
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | Instagram
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | TikTok
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | Merch Store

Dr. Leah Gordon | Instagram
Dr. Leah Gordon | Website
Womanhood Wellness | Website

Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Instagram
Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Website

Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 10% at Earthley
Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 15% at Redmond
For 20% off your first order at Needed, use code HEALTHYMOTHER
Save $260 at Lumebox, use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER
Use code HAAM and save 10% at Fond

In this episode of Healthy As A Mother, Leah and Morgan unpack one of the biggest fears many women have when considering IVF: Are IVF babies less healthy? They explore what the research actually shows around premature birth, low birth weight, NICU admissions, congenital heart defects, allergies, eczema, asthma, and autism.

More importantly, they ask whether those outcomes can truly be attributed to IVF itself. They discuss the many variables that can complicate the research, including the underlying causes of infertility, parental age, sperm and egg health, metabolic and autoimmune conditions, pregnancy complications, and the amount of medical intervention surrounding IVF. They also cover epigenetics, microbiome health, induction and C-sections, baby aspirin, pregnancy monitoring, and why optimizing both parents' health before IVF may matter.

Ultimately, this is a conversation about moving beyond fear and black-and-white thinking to look at IVF with more nuance, critical thinking, and hope. The hosts also share their personal experiences with IVF and why they believe it can be an important tool when it is truly needed, while still questioning how intentionally it is used.

00:00 – Trailer & Introduction
03:45 – Are IVF Babies Less Healthy?
05:34 – The Fear of IVF and Baby Health
07:05 – What the Research Actually Shows
09:26 – Relative Risk vs. Absolute Risk
10:33 – Is IVF Really the Cause?
10:59 – The Underlying Causes of Infertility
14:32 – Sperm Health, Egg Selection & Epigenetics
17:47 – Could IVF Itself Affect Health?
20:09 – Does IVF Bypass Natural Selection?
22:29 – How Parental Health Can Affect the Baby
25:27 – Are We Too Far Outside of Nature?
27:21 – IVF, Autism & What the Research Can't Tease Apart
31:17 – The Problem With How We Study IVF
35:09 – Could AI Change Medical Research?
37:14 – Why Patterns and Clinical Experience Matter
40:00 – The Absence of Evidence Is Not Evidence of Absence
41:55 – How to Think Critically About Research
42:53 – IVF and Congenital Heart Defects
43:45 – IVF, Allergies, Eczema & the Microbiome
46:04 – Pregnancy Monitoring After IVF
47:19 – Do IVF Patients Need Baby Aspirin?
48:46 – The Problem With Too Much Intervention
51:28 – IVF, Induction & C-Sections
54:27 – Could Birth Interventions Affect Baby Health?
56:10 – Are IVF Babies Actually Different?
57:19 – IVF as a Tool, Not a Failure
58:46 – How to Optimize Health Before IVF
59:59 – Using IVF Intentionally
62:00 – Finding Your Own “Edge” Around IVF
64:03 – Your IVF Decisions Are Yours
65:11 – A Message of Hope

Resources From This Episode:
Dirty Genes by Ben Lynch - https://www.drbenlynch.com/
Join Dr. Leah's Womanhood Wellness membership! - www.womanhoodwellness.com
Download Dr. Leah's FREE Optimizing IVF Guide! - https://drleahgordon.com/ivf-freebie
Download Dr. Leah's FREE Investigating Infertility Guide! - https://drleahgordon.com/infertility-freebie

Healthy As A Mother Podcast | YouTube
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | Instagram
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | TikTok
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | Merch Store

Find more from Dr. Leah:
Dr. Leah Gordon | Instagram
Dr. Leah Gordon | Website
Womanhood Wellness | Website

Find more from Dr. Morgan:
Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Instagram
Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Website

Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 10% at Earthley
Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 15% at Redmond
For 20% off your first order at Needed, use code HEALTHYMOTHER
Save $260 at Lumebox, use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER
Use code HAAM and save 10% at Fond

Dr. Morgan is back with her fifth baby, and this time, she's sharing the full, unfiltered story of her fifth home birth. From going past her due date and days of early contractions to the moment labor suddenly intensified, she walks Leah through what labor actually felt like, how she used breath, movement, and visualization to cope with contractions, and the transition that she says is one of the hardest and least talked-about parts of birth. She also shares the moment baby McLean was born, what it was like having her older children present, and the emotional experience of catching her own baby.

But the conversation doesn't end with birth. Morgan also opens up about her first 10 days postpartum, including the routines, nutrition, movement, sleep strategy, and support system that have made this her best postpartum recovery yet. She also shares an unexpected realization about her baby's positioning and why pelvic floor physical therapy may have been the missing piece during pregnancy.

00:00 — Trailer & Introduction
01:43 — Going Past Her Due Date
06:34 — The Hardest Part of Pregnancy
11:15 — Early Labor Begins
15:29 — Walking Through Early Labor
21:37 — Labor Starts Intensifying
24:54 — The Cervical Check
26:46 — Getting Baby Into Position
32:24 — What a Contraction Really Feels Like
37:37 — The Transition Into Active Labor
39:49 — Breath, Movement & Visualization
43:48 — Back Labor Begins
45:30 — Getting Into the Birth Tub
50:19 — The Hardest Transition of Labor
58:16 — Her Water Breaks & Baby Descends
62:18 — Baby’s Head Is Born
65:40 — Baby McLean Is Here
71:56 — Delivering the Placenta
74:22 — Her First 10 Days Postpartum
77:10 — Morgan’s Postpartum Routine
82:44 — Nutrition, Supplements & Movement
88:25 — Prioritizing Sleep With Five Kids
90:50 — The Pelvic Floor PT Realization
92:20 — A Conversation for Another Episode

Resources From This Episode:
Check out all of our birth story episodes here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGU59IXH2I4Q&si=EG-pWz6bWb18P3gm
Episode #32 - The Vital Importance of Baby's Position During Birth with Ann Gilligan, RN, LNC, RYPT - https://open.spotify.com/episode/2IMXN6PmYDZBUcm78G3QeX?si=yNNZH5-sQDG3OaKeRlXD6A
Yoga Playlist for birth - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/36Y59fsmMxscde4nmZCGmz?si=HLzvwBW2SDa2j8iH8jhHrA&utm_source=copy-link&pi=zGnsr2CdRha4h

Healthy As A Mother Podcast | YouTube
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | Instagram
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | TikTok
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | Merch Store

Find more from Dr. Leah:
Dr. Leah Gordon | Instagram
Dr. Leah Gordon | Website
Womanhood Wellness | Website

Find more from Dr. Morgan:
Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Instagram
Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Website

Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 10% at Earthley
Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 15% at Redmond
For 20% off your first order at Needed, use code HEALTHYMOTHER
Save $260 at Lumebox, use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER
Use code HAAM and save 10% at Fond

Trying to conceive can affect so much more than your fertility. It can change your sex life, create resentment, bring old trauma and insecurities to the surface, and leave couples feeling more like roommates than partners.

In this episode, Dr. Leah breaks down some of the most common relationship dynamics she sees during a difficult TTC or infertility journey, including the project manager and avoider, silent grievers, sex on schedule, and the unequal burden dynamic. She also shares practical ways to communicate your needs, involve your partner, protect intimacy, shift unhealthy patterns, and create a stronger foundation for the parenthood you're working toward. Most importantly, if trying to conceive has changed your relationship, you're not alone, and it doesn't mean your relationship is doomed.

00:00 Trailer + Intro
01:43 How Trying to Conceive Can Affect Your Relationship
02:47 When TTC Starts Changing Your Relationship
05:07 When Sex Becomes a Chore
06:43 The Vicious Cycle of Libido and Disconnection
10:06 How Hard Times Bring Old Wounds to the Surface
11:43 When Fertility Changes the Relationship Dynamic
16:04 The Project Manager and the Avoider
18:39 Give Your Partner the Map
20:06 The Silent Grievers
21:13 Sex on Schedule and Unequal Burden
25:35 The Hidden Grief of Trying to Conceive
27:30 The Micro-Griefs Women Carry
30:32 When Your Partner Doesn't Know How to Show Up
33:05 Creating the Support You Actually Need
35:30 Reconnecting With Joy and Your Identity
37:46 Giving Your Partner a Clear Role
41:37 Letting Go of Control
43:48 Protecting Polarity and Connection
49:28 What Your Partner Can Actually Do
51:50 Protecting Your Relationship During TTC
55:07 Breaking the Resentment and Disconnection Cycle
57:27 Getting Support and Processing the Hard Stuff
60:44 Building a Stronger Foundation for Parenthood
63:03 You Are Not Alone

Resources From This Chapter:
The Queen's Code book by Alison Armstrong - https://www.amazon.com/Queens-Code-Alison-Armstrong/dp/B01DAYC348/
The Queen's Code Podcast Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Kx1WKOBj6ByS9BWrMm3fH?si=afc6a448f29a40a1
Download Dr. Leah's FREE Fertility Lab Guide For Him & Her - https://drleahgordon.com/fertility-lab-guide-freebie
Join Womanhood Wellness Membership - https://drleahgordon.com/join

Healthy As A Mother Podcast | YouTube
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | Instagram
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | TikTok
Healthy As A Mother Podcast | Merch Store

Find more from Dr. Leah:
Dr. Leah Gordon | Instagram
Dr. Leah Gordon | Website
Womanhood Wellness | Website

Find more from Dr. Morgan:
Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Instagram
Dr. Morgan MacDermott | Website

Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 10% at Earthley
Use code HEALTHYMOTHER and save 15% at Redmond
For 20% off your first order at Needed, use code HEALTHYMOTHER
Save $260 at Lumebox, use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER
Use code HAAM and save 10% at Fond