Everyday Wellness: Midlife Hormones, Health, and Science for Women 35+ Ep. 230 All the Things You Want to Ask Your Doctor About Vaginal and Pelvic Health, but Are Afraid to Ask
I’m delighted to have the honor of connecting with Dr. Betsy Greenleaf today! She’s a premier women’s health expert and bestselling author specializing in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. She is the first female in the United States to have become board-certified in urogynecology.
In med school, Dr. Betsy started specializing in general surgery. She soon realized that there was no emotional connection with the patients, so she changed to OB-GYN.
In this episode, I ask her the questions that many listeners have asked me privately. Dr. Betsy talks about her background in surgery, and we dive into the vaginal and gut microbiome, urinary incontinence, risk factors, chronic urinary tract infections, interstitial cystitis, uterine prolapse, vulvovaginal conditions, and various changes that occur in perimenopause and menopause. We also discuss the impact of the Women’s Health Initiative and therapies in addressing all of these issues.
I hope you will enjoy this conversation! Stay tuned for more!
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN:
- How Dr. Betsy got into urogynecology.
- Some of the common issues women go to see Dr. Betsy for.
- What sets women up for pelvic floor issues?
- How and when to do kegel exercises.
- What pelvic atrophy is and how to avoid developing it.
- Why women need to be diligent about emptying their bladders.
- What is interstitial cystitis, and what makes people susceptible to it?
- How the loss of estrogen impacts the vagina.
- Changes that occur in the vulva as women age.
- Dr. Betsy shares her take on the Women’s Health Initiative and hormone replacement.
- The problem with propylene glycol.
- Proactive ways to address conditions like painful intercourse, lichen sclerosis, vulvodynia, and rectal itching.
- The testing Dr. Betsy prefers for the gut microbiome.
- How is the vagina connected to the brain?
Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
Connect with Dr. Betsy Greenleaf
- On her website
- The Pelvic Floor Store
- On Instagram (drbetsygreenleaf_)
- Body Mind Spirit Podcast
- Some of Your Parts Podcast