Labor of Love Podcast
Season 2: Stories from the Heart of Obstetric Care
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COVID-19 sparked major changes in how obstetric care is delivered in the United States and around the world. This podcast, hosted by Veronica Pimentel, MD, MS, FACOG, a practicing obstetrician–gynecologist and vaccine expert who gave birth during the pandemic, explores these shifts for health care professionals and patients navigating the new normal. Hear from moms and obstetric care professionals as they weigh these important vaccination and care decisions while discussing vaccine safety, mental health, and more.
Meet the Host
Veronica Pimentel, MD, MS, FACOG
Dr. Pimentel is an obstetrician–gynecologist and maternal–fetal medicine specialist. She is the director of research for the obstetrics and gynecology residency program at Trinity Health of New England in Hartford, Connecticut. She also serves as an assistant professor at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine. Her professional interests include addressing racial disparities in women’s health care. Follow Dr. Pimentel on Instagram @drvero4moms and Twitter @DrVeroPimentel.
Season 2: Stories from the Heart of Obstetric Care
In its second season, Stories from the Heart of Obstetric Care, the podcast focuses on the pandemic experience of obstetric care professionals. Dr. Pimentel will sit down with obstetrics colleagues to share stories and perspectives gained from working with patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This season’s episodes will provide a space for obstetric care professionals to peel back the layers of their work and share their challenges and triumphs in promoting public health during a pandemic.
Jump to Episodes
- How Mental Health Is Taking Center Stage in Obstetric Care
- Navigating Vaccine Hesitancy and Building Pregnant Patients’ Confidence
- Building Patient Trust in Uncertain Times
- Championing Health Equity in Obstetric Care
- Building Workforce Capacity in Obstetric Care
Episodes
Episode 1: How Mental Health Is Taking Center Stage in Obstetric Care
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Obstetric care professionals take on tremendous responsibility when working with pregnant patients, and that work can weigh heavily on their own mental health, especially during a pandemic. ACOG President Iffath Abbasi Hoskins, MD, FACOG, and Pooja Lakshmin, MD, a board-certified psychiatrist, author, and founder and CEO of Gemma, join Labor of Love host Veronica Pimentel, MD, MS, FACOG, to discuss multifaceted answers to mental health challenges for obstetric care professionals, such as burnout and work-life balance. The conversation provides valuable insights and helpful recommendations for how to promote personal mental health.
Resources
Episode 2: Navigating Vaccine Hesitancy and Building Pregnant Patients’ Confidence
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As COVID-19 continues to circulate, encouraging pregnant patients to get vaccinated remains important. Labor of Love guests Peg Boyd, DNP, CNM, who practices at OB/GYN Associates of Erie, and Ashanda Saint Jean, MD, FACOG, obstetrics and gynecology department chair at HealthAlliance Hospital, join host Veronica Pimentel, MD, MS, FACOG, to share how they answer patients’ questions about vaccines and effectively build vaccine confidence. They also delve into the challenges that obstetric care professionals face when working with patients who are reluctant to get vaccinated and offer practical advice about how to handle these discussions with sensitivity and compassion.
Resources
Episode 3: Building Patient Trust in Uncertain Times
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Rising misinformation and vaccine skepticism triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic have created unique challenges for obstetric care professionals to gain patient trust. In this episode, Labor of Love host Veronica Pimentel, MD, MS, FACOG, discusses strategies to build connection and trust with patients and deliver better pregnancy care with guests Camille Clare, MD, MPH, CPE, FACOG, chair and tenured professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Downstate Health Sciences University, and Kristin Lyerly, MD, MPH, FACOG, a board-certified obstetrician–gynecologist at CCM Health.
Resources
Episode 4: Championing Health Equity in Obstetric Care
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The COVID-19 pandemic drew attention to the ongoing crisis of health inequity, which continues today, especially among pregnant people in the Black community. Naima Joseph, MD, MPH, FACOG, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, and Christina Marea, MA, MSN, CNM, PhD, assistant professor at Georgetown University School of Nursing and midwife at Community of Hope, join Labor of Love host Veronica Pimentel, MD, MS, FACOG, to discuss how health inequity has affected systematically disadvantaged communities throughout the United States and how these disparities can be addressed head-on by obstetric care professionals and the health care industry.
Resources
Episode 5: Building Workforce Capacity in Obstetric Care
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The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the obstetric care workforce to its limit, creating unprecedented pressures on health care professionals’ mental health. Rachael F. Morris, MD, MS, FACOG, associate professor of maternal–fetal medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and Richard H. Beigi, MD, MS, FACOG, president of UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, join Labor of Love host Veronica Pimentel, MD, MS, FACOG, to discuss how the pandemic continues to affect the obstetric care workforce and what workplace initiatives have been effective to expand capacity and build better working conditions in obstetric care.
Resources
Season 1
Stories of Vaccines, Variants, and Parenting during COVID
In Season 1 of the Labor of Love podcast, Dr. Pimentel works to answer the questions new parents have about how COVID-19 and the vaccines may affect pregnancy.
GoFor ACOG’s COVID-19 Vaccination Considerations for Obstetric-Gynecological Care, visit our ACOG Clinical site.
This podcast and its related resources (“Resource”) are designed for patients and clinicians and set forth current information and opinions on subjects related to women’s health, and this Resource is for informational purposes only. The use of this information is voluntary, and both patients and clinicians should be familiar with and comply with all applicable laws and regulations. This Resource does not provide medical advice and it is not intended to substitute for the independent professional judgment of the treating clinician. This information should not be considered as inclusive of all proper treatments or methods of care or as a statement of the standard of care. Variations in practice may be warranted when, in the reasonable judgment of the treating clinician, such course of action is indicated by the condition of the patient, limitations of available resources, or advances in knowledge or technology. The information provided reflects the views of the presenters and not necessarily the views of ACOG, and is provided “as is” without any warranty of accuracy, reliability or otherwise, either express or implied. ACOG does not guarantee, warrant, or endorse the products or services of any firm, organization, or person. Neither ACOG Foundation, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, nor its officers, directors, members, employees, and agents, will be liable for any loss, damage, or claim with respect to any liabilities, including direct, special, indirect, or consequential damages, incurred in connection with this Resource.
This Resource was supported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a part of a financial assistance award totaling $300,000 with 100 percent funded by ACOG and CDC/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.