The Hormone Genius Podcast Teresa Kenney and Jamie Rathjen

Have you ever thought about how we truly prepare for health in Pregnancy? Most of us probably haven't thought much about that topic, or if we have it probably leads us to think of a prenatal vitamin, and that is about it! Shouldn't something so important, so incredibly miraculous that our bodies do as women, take some planning & preparation? Heck, we plan everything as women from our educations/career paths, to our weddings, our homes and many important life decisions. Today, we will explore with an expert and woman with an incredible wealth of knowledge this question of "Is 9 Months Enough" to get you and your spouse body ready for the adventure of procreation?

Our guest today is Alexandria DeVito, MS, CNS, a functional nutritionist who specializes in fertility and preconception health. Alexandria is an expert in all things pre-pregnancy health and she is on a mission to build generational health for the future humans being procreated on this planet. She is the founder and CEO of Poplin, the first pre-pregnancy wellness company. Prior to founding Poplin, Alexandria worked in management consulting at McKinsey & Company. She holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. She also has a master’s degree in nutrition; extensive training as a doula, yoga teacher, and personal trainer; and is an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner, all of which inform her approach to pre-pregnancy wellness.

For our listeners of The Hormone Genius Podcast, Alexandria is offering a special 10% discount on their premium testing at:
https://app.getpoplin.com/ for with Code GENIUS 10.

Here is the link to Alexandria's book on Amazon!

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0C7DNHX15?ingress=0&visitId=e31a2828-b253-4eab-b0d6-176ec5d78e53&ref_=ap_rdr


Opinions, statements, and beliefs of our interviewees are not necessarily a reflection of the HG podcast's beliefs and opinions as a whole.

Medical disclaimer: The information presented in The Hormone Genius Podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical or mental health advice from a doctor, psychologist, or any other medical or mental health professional.

Today we will hear a story of perinatal depression from our guest Amanda Dailey. This story is difficult to hear and may be triggering for some who have had depression during pregnancy and also post partum. Amanda is sharing her story to "shine a light in the darkness." The good news is that is is full of hope and healing as well! So be ready to go on a journey with Amanda as she shares her difficult experiences related to her last pregnancy and severe mental health issues.

Did you know that about 11% of women will have perinatal depression (depression or other mental health issues during pregnancy). This is important to know and for women to understand that they are not alone when suffering with depression during pregnancy. Risk factors for depression or other mental health issues in pregnancy include:
A history of depressive, bipolar, or anxiety disorders
A family history of depressive disorders or perinatal disorders
An unplanned or teenage pregnancy
A multiple birth
A difficult or traumatic pregnancy or birth
An ongoing health problem with the baby
A lack of social support with low socioeconomic status and financial difficulties (https://www.ccjm.org/content/87/5/273)

Untreated depression during the postpartum period also has repercussions for both the mother and her baby. For the mother, it can lead to intense sadness, marked anxiety, and a lack of interest in life and the child, often resulting in poor or absent maternal bonding with the infant. It is also associated with failure to initiate breastfeeding or a shortened duration of breastfeeding.

Amanda will also give us beautiful information about a new project and organization that her family is starting The Philomena Project to give help to other mothers in this situation.

In her own words" through my faith, support of family & friends, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and therapy have helped me to heal. It is not a quick fix. A Christian artist Tasha Layton once shared what someone told her: “Depression is just the body's way of saying something needs to change.” Depression was just one of the symptoms to my underlying nutrient deficiencies in my body. It took over a year and half to discover this, but listening to my gut - the answers are in my body - proved to save my life and lead me to a truth path of healing."

Here are some helpful resources that Amanda has put together for mom's who may be interested in this topic and getting more help:

- Netflix documentary called Untold: Breaking Point, detailing tennis player Marty Fish's battle with mental health, https://www.netflix.com/title/81026434
- Artist NF (Nathan Feuerstein), has some great songs specifically about OCD
- A playlist on Spotify I have created over my 2+ year healing journey: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2EZjNM6EBMMPyOOLcTAInI?si=e5ca97f2dc134ae9
- Dr. Walsh's book, Nutrient Power
- Mensah Medical, https://www.mensahmedical.com
- Walsh Research Institute, https://www.walshinstitute.org
- Podcast, Eat for Life, https://eatfor.life"




Opinions, statements, and beliefs of our interviewees are not necessarily a reflection of the HG podcast's beliefs and opinions as a whole.

Medical disclaimer: The information presented in The Hormone Genius Podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical or mental health advice from a doctor, psychologist, or any other medical or mental health professional.

Have you ever had a hormone problem or physical condition and wondered if you could heal your body naturally? Most of us who want to live a more holistic lifestyle have, and we want to believe that their are pathways toward healing the body naturally. Today on the Hormone Genius Podcast we have an example of a woman who has learned a lot when it comes to healing her body naturally, and now she wants to help others have this same knowledge and the tools to heal naturally.

Leah Brueggemann is a Functional Diagnostic Nutritional practitioner, specializing in hormonal balance for women. Leah has a personal story of helping her horrible periods become painless, and also healing breast fibroadenomas in her own body with holistic treatments!

With the knowledge she has gained in her own personal journey and her education & training, she currently helps women balance their hormones naturally with nutrition, lifestyle and finally getting to the root issue. She has helped over 300 women get painless periods, stabilize their moods, lose weight and scale to 6 figures in their business. Leah has a passion for helping women connect to their cycle, which is their super power. When Leah is not chatting about hormones you will probably find her hanging out with her two sons and husband in the outdoors or reading a good book.

Opinions, statements, and beliefs of our interviewees are not necessarily a reflection of the HG podcast's beliefs and opinions as a whole.

Medical disclaimer: The information presented in The Hormone Genius Podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical or mental health advice from a doctor, psychologist, or any other medical or mental health professional.

Fibroids affect over 26 million women in the U.S. and by the time a woman is 50, over 70% of white females, and 84% of black females will have one! More than half of these 26 million women will experience associated symptoms with having fibroids in the uterus, causing disruption in quality of life and healthcare costs as well. Today Jamie & Teresa will look into what fibroids are, and how would you know that you have one? What things do you need to consider in the management of fibroid tumors? The good news is, first of all, they are always benign and not cancerous, but they do sometimes take medical and surgical management and a woman may need to decide which options are best for her.

Polyps are an overgrowth of endometrial stroma cells that grow within the uterine cavity. They affect about 10% of all women and can happen throughout the reproductive life of a woman, but their peak incidence is from 40 to 50 years of age. They are mostly benign, but in rare cases can be precancerous growths. They are often identified due to the abnormal bleeding they cause for women. About 29% of the time polyps can spontaneously regress, but many times have to be removed through a simple surgical procedure called a polypectomy.

We cannot fully go through all the options for surgical management because we are not doctors on the hormone genius podcast, but Jamie will ask nurse practitioner Teresa Kenney to help us go through the basics of this women's health issue and have a good overview of what to expect in having this condition

One question that Teresa did not know the answer to during the recording of this podcast, but then found out later, is whether she has a fibroid. Interestingly, Teresa looked at a recent ultrasound and found out that she does! It is small and it doesn't have any impact on her health, but it was something that she was unaware of until she took a deep dive into the issue of fibroids on the Hormone Genius Podcast.

We hope you continue to enjoy the content on this podcast. Please, like & share our podcast with your friends & family. Please follow us on social media too! Lastly, reviews are amazing and we would love for you to leave us one on the podcast platform of your listening pleasure! Thanks for all your love and support. Jamie & Teresa are so happy to journey alongside you in your holistic women's health story.

Medical disclaimer: The information presented in The Hormone Genius Podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical or mental health advice from a doctor, psychologist, or any other medical or mental health professional.

Finally, weightlifting is getting the attention it deserves! For years we have learned about how aerobic activity is good for our health and cardiovascular system. But in more recent years, more attention has been given to the benefits of lifting weights. It improves muscle mass, bone density, improves insulin levels, and promotes longevity and cardiovascular health. “Resistance training not only can improve or maintain muscle mass and strength, but also has favorable physiological and clinical effects on cardiovascular disease and risk factors.” American Heart Associaltion

We want you to not only understand the benefits of weights, but also how to start and the do's and don'ts of getting started. Join Jamie, Teresa & Emily having a great conversation about the benefits of weightlifting in your life. So let's dive in with a friend and passionate weight lifter, and registered nurse, Emily.

Emily loves being married to Dave and raising their six beautiful children. She’s a retired RN. As a homeschooling mom, she finds great joy in sharing new ideas and old books with her kids and gaining her own education in the process. She loves sharing the outdoors with her husband, soaking in early quiet mornings, and hitting the weights at the gym. She writes the newsletter “Mrs6am”- for women who want a more fulfilled femininity and a little fashion and exercise advice on the side.

You can sign up for Emily's newsletter here! https://mrs6am.beehiiv.com/

Medical disclaimer: The information presented in The Hormone Genius Podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical or mental health advice from a doctor, psychologist, or any other medical or mental health professional.

Dr. Marguerite Duane has an exciting message for us!

I am so excited to be joining our Hormone Genius Podcast friends at FACTS About Fertility for their annual in-person Conference in Austin, Texas on April 19th and 20th, Authentic Women’s Health: Advancing Access Across the Lifespan and want to invite you to come join us too!

This continuing medical education conference focuses on how to advance access for real, restorative women's health care, and features an array of experts to ensure the medical community is well-educated on the full spectrum of options available at every age. FACTS plans to offer CME credits.

Teresa Kenney APRN of The Hormone Genius is one of the Keynote Speakers!

The conference will include other outstanding keynote sessions, panel presentations, interactive case studies and breakout discussions on topics such as:
-Infertility in women and men
-Reproductive Life Planning
-Fibroids: An overview of diagnosis and management
-Amenorrhea in adolescents
-Managing peri-menopausal issues
-Options for expanding access to care
-Wide variety of interactive breakout sessions

This will be a great opportunity to learn from a dynamic community of medical professionals who share our passion for changing the culture of women's healthcare.

Register by March 15th and save up to $50 with the early bird pricing!

If you are unable to attend but would like to support student scholarships for the conference, you may donate here: https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/donation

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Megan Gephart, FACTS’ Conference Coordinator at conference@factsaboutfertility.org.

We hope to see you there!
Opinions, statements, and beliefs of our interviewees are not necessarily a reflection of the HG podcast's beliefs and opinions as a whole.

Medical disclaimer: The information presented in The Hormone Genius Podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for actual medical or mental health advice from a doctor, psychologist, or any other medical or mental health professional.