Inside Mental Health
Healthline Media
Categories: Health
Listen to the last episode:
Dr. Asima Ahmad discusses the significant role doulas can play in pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, highlighting the importance of clear roles and communication between healthcare professionals, doulas, and birthing individuals for optimal outcomes. Dr. Asima’s personal experience with a doula demonstrates the benefits of having tailored support for physical and emotional well-being, underscoring the potential for doulas to alleviate stress and anxiety, and contribute to a more positive birthing experience. The conversation also addresses controversies surrounding doula services, emphasizing the necessity of teamwork and understanding in medical settings to prevent miscommunication and ensure the safety and health of both the mother and baby, with research supporting the positive impact of doulas on reducing medical interventions and improving mental health outcomes. To learn more -- or read the transcript -- visit the official episode page. “So I think there's a lot of different roles that doulas can play. I don't think it's just like a copy and paste for all. Personally, I've had five pregnancies, I have four children, and I'm lucky that I've always had a good support system in place. But for this last delivery, I did have a postpartum doula, and even though I had gone through it three times before, I found her insight and support to be valuable to not only myself but also to my family and friends.” ~Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH Our guest, Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH, is a co-founder and the chief medical officer (CMO) of Carrot Fertility, the leading global fertility care platform. As Carrot’s CMO, Ahmad leads clinical strategy, overseeing the company’s expansive network and telehealth program, which offers access to more than 10,000 reproductive endocrinologists, urologists, adoption experts, mental health experts, OB/GYNs, doulas, and midwives. In addition to her role at Carrot, Ahmad is a practicing reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist. She is double board certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility and obstetrics and gynecology. Ahmad earned a combined medical and public health degree from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. She completed her residency in OB/GYN at Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut and her fellowship training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of California, San Francisco. She has worked alongside and received mentorship from former ASRM presidents Dr. Hugh Taylor and Dr. Marcelle Cedars. Ahmad’s work has been published extensively in academic literature and internationally on various topics related to infertility, reproductive and hormonal health, gynecologic malignancies, and patient safety. Ahmad has been recognized by Entrepreneur magazine and Fierce Healthcare on their Women of Influence lists and named to Business Insider’s 30 under 40 in Healthcare list. She has also spoken at The World Economic Forum and has been featured in The New York Times, the “Today” show, “Good Morning America,” NPR, CNN, USA Today, Women’s Health, and more. Our host, Gabe Howard, is an award-winning writer and speaker who lives with bipolar disorder. He is the author of the popular book, "Mental Illness is an Asshole and other Observations," available from Amazon; signed copies are also available directly from the author. Gabe makes his home in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. He lives with his supportive wife, Kendall, and a Miniature Schnauzer dog that he never wanted, but now can’t imagine life without. To book Gabe for your next event or learn more about him, please visit gabehoward.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Previous episodes
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496 - Exploring the Role of Doulas in Maternal Mental Health Support Thu, 02 May 2024
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495 - Mastering Mental Fitness: Training for Self-Acceptance and Self-Affection Thu, 25 Apr 2024
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494 - Baseball’s Doc Gooden’s Journey from Star Pitcher to Mental Health Advocate Thu, 18 Apr 2024
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493 - Kids and Psychiatric Medications: Navigating the Maze Thu, 11 Apr 2024
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492 - Beyond Five Stages: Rethinking Grief with Krista St-Germain Thu, 04 Apr 2024
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491 - Humanizing Evil: Into the Mind of 'Son of Sam' Killer, David Berkowitz Thu, 28 Mar 2024
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490 - Unexpected Hope: Insights from CBS' Survivor with Producer Maria Baltazzi Thu, 21 Mar 2024
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489 - Untold Stories: Homelessness and Mental Illness Thu, 14 Mar 2024
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488 - Homelessness and Mental Illness (Bonus Content) Thu, 14 Mar 2024
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487 - Generational Echoes: Exploring Our "Family of Origin" Thu, 07 Mar 2024
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486 - Tiny Minds, Big Conversations: Navigating Mental Health Talks with Younger Kids Thu, 29 Feb 2024
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485 - Do Personality Tests Actually Work? Exploring the Validity of Psychometric Assessments like the MMPI Thu, 22 Feb 2024
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484 - What Is OCD Really Like and What Treatment Options Are Available? With NOCD’s Stephen Smith Thu, 15 Feb 2024
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483 - Embracing Your Sensuality: It’s Not What You Think Thu, 08 Feb 2024
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482 - How to Make Anxiety Your Ally in the Workplace Thu, 01 Feb 2024
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481 - Is There a Genetic Test to Diagnose Mental Illness? Thu, 25 Jan 2024
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480 - How to Date with Depression (or Another Mental Health Issue) Thu, 18 Jan 2024
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479 - How Do You Move Past Grief? Thu, 11 Jan 2024
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478 - Addressing Your Childhood Trauma with Dave Pelzer Thu, 04 Jan 2024
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477 - Self-Reflection in Eight Steps with Actress Stephanie Szostak Thu, 28 Dec 2023
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476 - Are Ketamine and Psychedelic Treatments Safe? Thu, 21 Dec 2023
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475 - Crying in the Workplace: How to Stop and Why You Shouldn't Have To Thu, 14 Dec 2023
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474 - Treating OCD with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy with NOCD's Dr. Patrick McGrath Thu, 07 Dec 2023
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473 - Does Online Dating Increase Loneliness? With OkCupid's Michael Kaye Thu, 30 Nov 2023
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472 - Do We Medicate Normal Behaviors? With Dr. David Cohen (Part 1/2) Thu, 23 Nov 2023
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471 - Are We Using Psychiatric Medications Correctly? (Part 2/2) Thu, 23 Nov 2023
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470 - Narcissism in Kids: Spotting the Early Warning Signs Thu, 16 Nov 2023
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469 - Happier Made Simple with Randye Kaye Thu, 09 Nov 2023
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468 - Mother of Mindfulness Shares How Positive Thinking Improves Our Health with Dr. Ellen Langer Thu, 02 Nov 2023
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467 - Stillbirth, Grief, and Humor with Comedian Liz Glazer Thu, 26 Oct 2023
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466 - Can Diet Pills Cause Eating Disorders in Teenagers? Thu, 19 Oct 2023
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465 - Sudden Hearing Loss Can't Stop Multiplatinum Rapper K.Flay Thu, 12 Oct 2023
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464 - Understanding Slavery’s Legacy and the Need for Diversity with Dr. Joanne Lunceford Thu, 05 Oct 2023
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463 - High Conflict Personalities and How to Deal Thu, 28 Sep 2023
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462 - Does Nicotine Help Anxiety or Improve Mental Health Issues? Thu, 21 Sep 2023
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461 - Discussing Suicide with Younger Kids and Preteens Thu, 14 Sep 2023
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460 - Why Peer Support? With NAMI's Dr. Ken Duckworth Thu, 07 Sep 2023
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459 - Lessons from the Holocaust with Max J. Friedman Thu, 31 Aug 2023
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458 - NFL Star Turned Doctor on Stigma and Mental Health Thu, 24 Aug 2023
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457 - AshleyMadison.com Shares What Causes Cheating in Relationships Thu, 17 Aug 2023
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456 - OCD Isn’t What We Think It Is Thu, 10 Aug 2023
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455 - Unlocking Our Potential with Humanistic Psychology Thu, 03 Aug 2023
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454 - Is Cancel Culture Real? With Comedian Emma Arnold Thu, 27 Jul 2023
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453 - Managing Regrets and Mistakes While Staying Mentally Healthy Thu, 20 Jul 2023
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452 - Alcoholism and Healthcare Workers. Are Frontline Medical Staff Experiencing a Mental Health Crisis? Thu, 13 Jul 2023
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451 - Is Existential Therapy for You? (And What Exactly Is It?) Thu, 06 Jul 2023
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450 - Can Acts of Service Benefit You? With FUBAR's Travis Van Winkle Thu, 29 Jun 2023
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449 - How We Misunderstand Feminism with Actor Romina D'Ugo Thu, 22 Jun 2023
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448 - Is Questioning Authority Mentally Healthy? Thu, 15 Jun 2023
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447 - The Rise in Forced Treatment and Abusive Guardianships Part 1 Thu, 08 Jun 2023