"10 possible causes of a swollen vagina or vulva and how to find relief."

I am CONSISTENTLY fascinated by the amount of DISinformation online nowadays BUT am also increasingly ENCOURAGED that there is EXCELLENT medical reporting where you may not have expected it in the past. Online publications like SELF and GLAMOUR are now utilizing qualified professionals to “vet” and fact check their information and typically have very qualified health reporters.  Here is an example of a well done article that I was asked to review for accuracy about none other than our STARS of our show: The VULVA and VAGINA!!

"Covid vaccine trials didn't monitor menstrual changes. Researchers say it's part of a bigger problem."

And since periods are often on our mind (until Menopause where among other benefits you have the glory of NO MORE BLEEDING!!!!), we wanted to address whether or not the COVID vaccine (AND for that matter, probably COVID illness itself) can alter the amount of bleeding.  Many of us as physicians anecdotally noted that more patients were calling with heavy bleeding with a TEMPORAL relation to when they got vaccinated.  This was not at ALL a surprise to ME as an OBGYN, as we receive dozens of calls EVERY week from patients with heavy/irregular bleeding and our evaluation includes (but is not limited to!!) POTENTIALLY a pelvic ultrasound to see the anatomy, POTENTIALLY hormone tests (ie thyroid and female hormones) to ensure all are normal, and THEN assuming all normal we OFTEN net out that bleeding changes could have been due to “stress, travel, weight loss/weight gain” and now many of us add to the list “timing of the COVID vaccine”.  Luckily, it does NOT confer any long term harm but MERELY reflects what many of us say, that our menstrual cycle is essentially a “vital sign” and this is signifying that you have undergone some immune changes (as is expected when a vaccine helps your body create antibodies).  What is STILL necessary is more data that INCLUDES female-specific information like INQUIRING about a woman’s menstrual cycle during ALL clinical studies.

"RSV is surging. Here's what to watch for and answers about treatment options."

‘TIS the season…to be JOLLY but alas, also, to be CAREFUL about exposure to the myriad viruses---especially if you have a newborn. It is a good reminder to stay up to date on the vaccines that you CAN, in order to minimize certain illnesses.  But there are some that we do not yet have vaccines against.

Pregnant women are encouraged to get the Flu vaccine in ANY trimester (and while many patients commonly note that they should request the “preservative free” one, data shows that over 90% ARE “thimerosol free” AND more importantly the AMOUNT of Thimerosol (a mercury based preservative typically only in the MULTI-dose vaccine vial) is so neglible it’s equated with the amount of mercury in a tuna-fish sandwich (ie ALLOWED when you’re pregnant;)…getting the vaccine can also indirectly help the baby as antibodies will cross the placenta as well.

The new “bivalent” COVID vaccine is available (again BOTH Delta and Omicron variants) and pregnant women are ALSO encouraged to get this to protect themselves in ANY trimester (and again, the antibodies will likely cross the placenta and help protect the baby as well).  While we KNOW there is MUCH controversy and anxiety over the “vaccine”, mRNA technology and all the data point to safety in pregnancy whereas we see complications from the COVID infection all the time when contracted during pregnancy unfortunately. As ALWAYS ask you doctor and decide collaboratively!

The Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) is ALSO recommended BUT between 27-36 weeks of pregnancy because this is SPECIFICALLY given in the THIRD trimester when the antibodies will pass through the placenta to the baby and last until the baby is about 6 months old to decrease the odds of PERTUSSIS (aka whooping cough) until the baby is vaccinated. The recommendation also encourages any close contacts (family/friends/caregivers) to be boosted if they have NOT been within the last 10 years (IF there is any doubt, better to boost!)

This season, for various reasons that are not CLEARLY delineated yet, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is on the rise EARLIER than usual.  While ALWAYS a source of concern for newborns, with many being admitted to the hospital every year, it is behaving more aggressively this year and this is POSSIBLY due to the fact that many of these babies have not been exposed to others during the pandemic and so do not have enough natural immunity.  As always, regardless of concern for COVID 19, we encourage being cautious about taking your newborn baby “out and about” in large crowds or having them in your home during this winter season!