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In Part 2 of this conversation on Healthful Woman, Dr. Nathan Fox continues his discussion with anesthesiologist and author Dr. Christopher Choukalas about his book, Even the Darkest Night: A Father’s Journey of Hope and Healing from Paternal Depression. Dr. Choukalas shares what inspired him to turn his experience with paternal postpartum depression and anxiety into a book and how writing became an important part of his own healing.

In this episode of Healthful Woman, Dr. Nathan Fox sits down with anesthesiologist and author Dr. Christopher Choukalas to discuss his deeply personal journey through paternal postpartum depression and anxiety. Dr. Choukalas shares the experience of becoming a first-time father to twins during the COVID-19 pandemic, witnessing his wife’s life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage, and struggling with anxiety and the pressure to control an unpredictable new reality.

In part two of this episode, Dr. Brett Einerson explains how doctors manage placenta accreta once it has been diagnosed. He discusses planning for a preterm delivery, the tests that are necessary, creating a surgical plan, and more.

Dr. Brett Einerson, assistant professor of OB/GYN and maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Utah, joins Dr. Fox to discuss placenta accreta. In this episode, they cover why Dr. Einerson chose to study and specialize in placenta accreta, what defines the condition, and common symptoms and risks.

In this Mailbag episode of Healthful Woman, Dr. Nathan Fox answers listener questions about gestational diabetes and continuous glucose monitors, umbilical cord edema, fetal movement with an anterior placenta, chemotherapy exposure during pregnancy, and pregnancy after a history of placenta accreta spectrum. Tune in for thoughtful, evidence-based insights into these complex pregnancy questions and what expectant mothers should know when navigating them.

In this Mailbag episode of Healthful Woman, Dr. Nathan Fox answers listener questions about some of the most common—and confusing—pregnancy and childbirth concerns. He discusses placental lakes and what they mean for pregnancy, VBAC after a previous C-section, cervical swelling during labor, the likelihood of having another fast labor, and whether it’s safe to continue breastfeeding during a new pregnancy. Tune in for practical, evidence-based insights on pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum health.

Dr. Stephanie Lam returns to the podcast to discuss vaginal infections and vaginitis, which are very common and, she estimates, affect 20-25% of patients. Dr. Lam and Dr. Fox review common types of infections, what symptoms to look out for, treatment options, and when patients need to schedule an appointment with their gynecologist.

"Jewish Fast Days: Can Pregnant Women Try to Fast?" - with Dr. Stephanie Melka

Dr. Melka joins Dr. Fox on Healthful Woman to explain what women should do when they first find out they’re pregnant. She covers topics like when they should have their first appointment with an obstetrician, what types of appointments they will need to schedule when to start taking prenatal vitamins or adjusting their diets, and more.

In part two of this two-part episode, Devon returns to share how her son's NICU stay, early health challenges, and a difficult postpartum period unfolded, including her own struggle with postpartum anxiety and the treatment that helped her through it. She reflects on how becoming a mother has reshaped her confidence and self-trust, and shares what she'd tell someone facing a first pregnancy. Dr. Fox and Devon close with a candid conversation about the unpredictable emotional terrain of a second pregnancy after a complicated first.

In this episode of the Healthful Woman Podcast, Devon shares her journey from an early miscarriage through a subsequent pregnancy marked by growing anxiety and a diagnosis of fetal growth restriction that required increasingly close monitoring. She walks through a tense induction and labor, including some frightening moments as her son's heart rate repeatedly dropped, leading up to a dramatic delivery. Dr. Fox adds expert context throughout on the medical reasoning behind key decisions.

Dr. Sara Kostant returns to Healthful Woman to explain what patients can expect in the final 4-6 weeks of their pregnancies. She covers topics like common symptoms, increasingly frequent visits to your obstetrician, and what doctors look out for as labor and delivery grow closer.

This episode of Healthful Woman features Dr. Jaclyn Bonder, associate professor of Clinical Rehabilitation Medicine at Cornell with expertise in pelvic, pregnant, and postpartum pain.

In this episode of Healthful Woman, Dr. Fox continues his conversation with Dr. Esther Rollhaus, a reproductive psychiatrist, as she shares the second half of her deeply personal journey through postpartum psychosis. She discusses her recovery, the treatment that helped her heal, returning to work as a psychiatrist, growing her family through surrogacy, and how her experience has shaped the compassionate care she now provides to patients facing postpartum mental health challenges.

On this episode of the Healthful Woman Podcast, Dr. Nathan Fox speaks with reproductive psychiatrist Dr. Esther "Esty" Rollhaus, who shares the first part of her personal fertility and birth journey: years of male-factor infertility and multiple IVF cycles during medical school and residency, culminating in a twin pregnancy. She recounts a harrowing delivery at 32-33 weeks complicated by an unrecognized preterm labor, an inability to breathe while pushing, and serious postpartum infections in both her and her newborn son, followed by a difficult seven-week NICU stay for both twins. The episode closes on a reflective note about the disconnect between the joy she expected as a new mother and the fear and emotional numbness she actually experienced.