Healthy As A Mother

Painful sex is far more common than most women realize and far more complex than we’re ever taught.

In this episode, Dr. Leah shares her deeply personal 18-year journey with painful sex, low libido, and feeling dismissed by the medical system, alongside a comprehensive breakdown of the real root causes of pain during sex, from trauma and pelvic floor dysfunction to hormonal changes and lesser-known conditions like provoked vestibulodynia (PVD).

We talk honestly about why painful sex is not something you should “just push through,” why many conventional treatments miss the mark, and how healing often requires addressing multiple layers at once: physical, neurological, hormonal, and emotional.

If sex has ever felt painful, burning, tense, or emotionally complicated, or if you’ve been told everything “looks normal” but something still feels wrong, this conversation is for you.

Painful sex is not a personal failure, a relationship problem, or something you should tolerate. It’s often a signal, and when you understand the signal, healing becomes possible.

Content Note
This episode includes discussion of sexual trauma, medical trauma, and chronic pain. Please take care while listening and pause if needed.

What We Cover in This Episode
Why painful sex is common but not normal
How trauma (sexual, medical, or cultural) can create involuntary pelvic floor tension
The difference between deep pain vs. pain at the vaginal opening (and why that matters)
What vaginismus is and why dilators alone often aren’t enough
How pain and pleasure share the same neurological pathways
The role of vibration in interrupting pain signals
Why hormonal birth control can contribute to painful sex
What provoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is and why most women have never heard of it
How postpartum hormonal shifts can cause pain even when labs look “normal”
Why testosterone matters for vulvar tissue health
The connection between low libido and pain
How hypertonic (overly tight) pelvic floors contribute to pain, birth challenges, and postpartum issues
Why every woman should see a pelvic floor physical therapist at least once
How scars, tailbone injuries, infections, and nerve pain syndromes play a role
Why healing painful sex requires a root-cause, multi-layered approach
A message of hope: healing is possible, even after years of pain

00:00 Trailer + show intro
02:00 Why painful sex is more common than we think (and why women feel so isolated)
04:00 Dr. Leah’s personal story: living with painful sex from the very beginning
08:00 Being dismissed by doctors + why chronic pain is so confusing and isolating
12:30 Why treating symptoms doesn’t work
16:00 Endometriosis and deep pain during sex
25:30 Why pregnancy sometimes improves pain (and why it doesn’t always last)
32:45 Vaginismus explained
40:45 Pain, pleasure, and the nervous system
44:30 Trauma healing during pregnancy and how it changed postpartum pain
47:45 Provoked Vestibulodynia (PVD)
52:45 Birth control, testosterone, and why estrogen isn’t always the issue
56:45 What finally worked
59:45 Other overlooked causes of painful sex
1:04:30 Hypertonic pelvic floors
1:08:30 Final reflections, hope, and next steps

Resources Mentioned:
Dr. Leah's When Sex Hurts Immersion Course Waitlist
When Sex Hurts (book)
Womanhood Wellness Membership
Episode: Birth Preparation for Sexual Trauma Survivors

The placenta is one of the most misunderstood organs in pregnancy, yet it plays a central role in implantation, miscarriage risk, fetal growth, preeclampsia, birth complications, and postpartum recovery.

In this episode of Healthy As A Mother, Dr. Morgan delivers a clear, grounded crash course on the placenta: what it is, how it forms, how it functions, and what can go wrong. We unpack common myths, explain real risks without fear, and clarify why the placenta quietly determines so many pregnancy outcomes.

This conversation is designed to replace anxiety with understanding and confusion with clarity, so parents can make informed decisions throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

In this episode, we cover:
What the placenta actually is and why it’s often called the baby’s “twin”
How implantation and early placental development affect pregnancy outcomes
Why male fertility and sperm health matter more than most people realize
Placental anatomy explained simply (chorion, amnion, Wharton’s jelly)
Common placental variations and what they really mean
Serious placental complications and how they’re managed
First-trimester bleeding and subchorionic hemorrhage
Placental insufficiency, fetal growth restriction, and preeclampsia
The third stage of labor and birthing the placenta
Active vs expectant management and Pitocin use
Retained placenta, postpartum hemorrhage, and recovery
What to do with the placenta after birth: encapsulation, burial, lotus birth, or disposal

Educational purposes only. Always consult your healthcare provider for personal medical care.

TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Why the placenta matters more than people think
03:00 – Placenta development and implantation
09:00 – Male fertility, sperm health, and pregnancy outcomes
15:00 – Placental anatomy explained simply
18:30 – Cord insertions and placental variants
22:00 – Velamentous cord insertion and vasa previa
27:00 – Placental positioning and placenta previa
32:00 – Placenta accreta and surgical risks
37:00 – Subchorionic hemorrhage and first-trimester bleeding
42:00 – Placental insufficiency and fetal growth restriction
45:00 – Preeclampsia explained
48:30 – Placental abruption
50:00 – Retained placenta and postpartum hemorrhage
53:30 – Birthing the placenta (third stage of labor)
56:00 – Pitocin and hospital management
59:00 – What to do with the placenta after birth

➡️ New episodes every Wednesday

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 Fond
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

Why does modern motherhood feel so hard — even when you’re doing everything “right”?

In this episode of Healthy As A Mother, we explore a powerful lens for understanding hormones, fertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and burnout: humans are animals — and modern life is not designed for our biology.

From nervous system dysregulation and chronic stress to fertility struggles, postpartum depletion, and emotional overwhelm, this conversation reframes modern motherhood as a biological mismatch, not a personal failure.

We cover:
The “human animal in captivity” concept
Why community is essential for mothers
Sunlight, sleep, movement, and hormonal health
Nervous system overload, modern stress, and burnout
Why self-care isn’t indulgent — it’s biological necessity

This episode is for women and mothers who feel like something about modern life, health, and motherhood just isn’t working — and want a deeper, root-cause understanding.

00:00 Introduction: The Human Animal
02:05 Humans as Animals
05:10 Animals in Captivity
09:15 The Continuum Concept
14:05 Biohacking vs Nature
18:20 Hormones, Detox & Toxic Load
22:45 Genetics & Sensitivity
27:10 Evolution or De-Evolution
31:30 The Loss of the Village
36:20 Reciprocity & Support
40:55 Parenting, School & Disconnection
44:35 Sunlight, Sleep & Circadian Rhythm
48:40 Men, Women & Biological Roles
53:10 Food, Nutrient Depletion & Seasonality
57:45 Sensory Overload & The News
1:03:10 Warriors, Nurturers & Purpose
1:08:40 Living Like an Animal Again
1:12:30 Final Thoughts

👉 New episodes every Wednesday

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
I Am Documentary
Continuum Concept
The Red Tent
Ishmael

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 15% at Redmond
For 20% off your first order at Needed, use code HEALTHYMOTHER
Save $260 at Lumebox, use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER

Our culture and systems have failed many women who want to be mothers, not through malice, but through neglect, misalignment, and outdated priorities.

In this episode, we explore how education, feminism, medicine, and career culture shaped a generation of women who were never truly prepared for motherhood. This is a nuanced, honest conversation about how our culture and systems have failed many women who want to be mothers.

We want to say this clearly up front: this conversation reflects our lived experiences and what we see in our work. It is not meant to invalidate women who had supportive, empowering paths to motherhood, nor does it represent every experience across different socioeconomic or cultural backgrounds.

What we explore here is a pattern. For decades, women were encouraged to prioritize education, career, and productivity, often with little to no preparation for health, fertility, or motherhood. Feminism brought women freedom, opportunity, and choice, and we honor that deeply. But like all cultural movements, there were unintended consequences that many women are only now grappling with.

In this conversation, we discuss:
• Why motherhood was treated as an afterthought rather than a life path
• How feminism empowered women — and where systems failed to evolve alongside it
• The lack of reproductive and health education for young women
• How birth control often masked dysfunction instead of addressing root causes
• Why so many women feel blindsided by fertility struggles in their 30s
• The cost of prioritizing weddings, careers, and productivity over preparation for motherhood
• Maternal burnout, postpartum strain, and the lack of systemic support
• What a more integrative, honest, and compassionate approach could look like

This is not about blame. It’s about awareness because we can’t change what we don’t acknowledge. Our hope is that by having these conversations openly, we can support women now and create better systems for future generations. If this episode resonated with you, please consider subscribing, sharing, or leaving a review. These conversations matter.

00:00 — Why We’re Having This Conversation
02:45 — This Isn’t Everyone’s Experience But It’s a Real Pattern
05:30 — Feminism Gave Women Choice... And Then the Pendulum Swung
09:45 — When Motherhood Became an Afterthought
13:20 — Career First, Motherhood “On the Side”
17:40 — The Lie We Were Sold About Fertility & Birth Control
22:10 — Why So Many Women Are Struggling to Conceive in Their 30s
27:15 — “Our Society Is Not Set Up for Women to Become Mothers”
31:00 — We Prepare for College & Sports — But Not Health
34:30 — Imagine a World Where Girls Are Taught About Their Bodies
38:20 — The Cost of Ignoring Motherhood (Burnout, Infertility, Trauma)
42:45 — Weddings, Nurseries & Misplaced Priorities
47:30 — What the Medical System Gets Wrong About Fertility
52:10 — How This Could Change for the Next Generation
56:00 — This Isn’t About Blame, It’s About What’s Broken
59:00 — Final Thoughts, Hope & Why These Conversations Matter

👉 New episodes every Wednesday

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Join Womanhood Wellness
Social Studies Docuseries
The Time Machine Movie

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 Fond
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

In this life update episode, we’re sitting down for an honest, unfiltered conversation about what’s really been going on behind the scenes: from pregnancy and health updates to sleep deprivation, motherhood challenges, and big life decisions.

Dr. Morgan shares a deeply personal pregnancy update, including navigating pregnancy while being sick, fertility considerations, and what it feels like to prepare for another baby while holding space for uncertainty. Dr. Leah talks candidly about postpartum sleep struggles, co-sleeping, teething, and the emotional toll of chronic sleep deprivation, alongside the sweetness and perspective that comes with motherhood.

We also dive into the realities of running a business while parenting, navigating children’s health concerns, making hard decisions around fertility and family planning, and learning how to hold both gratitude and exhaustion at the same time.

This episode is a real, grounded conversation for anyone who wants honest motherhood talk — no filters, no pretending, just real life.

What We Discuss
Pregnancy life updates and preparing for a new baby
Pregnancy after health issues and navigating early pregnancy anxiety
Fertility differences and conversations around IVF and family planning
Postpartum sleep struggles, co-sleeping, and chronic sleep deprivation
Teething, illness, and children’s health worries
Motherhood emotions: gratitude, overwhelm, fear, and joy
Running a business while parenting young children
Making peace with uncertainty and big life decisions
Holding opposites in motherhood — exhaustion and sweetness at once

00:00 – Welcome & why we love life update episodes
02:15 – Social media, sharing updates, and being more offline
06:30 – Deciding whether to have another baby
12:45 – Pregnancy after health issues & fertility considerations
20:30 – Getting sick in early pregnancy & managing anxiety
27:40 – Progesterone, fertility differences, and early symptoms
33:50 – Finding out the baby’s gender & family reactions
39:45 – Emotional shifts, energy changes, and pregnancy differences
45:30 – Sleep deprivation, teething, and postpartum struggles
52:10 – Children’s health worries, co-sleeping, and mental load
57:00 – Gratitude, perspective, and closing thoughts

👉 New episodes every Wednesday

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
Araza Makeup - Use code DRLEAH for 10% off!

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 15% at Redmond
For 20% off your first order at Needed, use code HEALTHYMOTHER
Save $260 at Lumebox, use code HEALTHYASAMOTHER