Mum's The Word! The Parenting Podcast - DR LAUREN JACKSON: Vaginas, Birth & Everything In Between

Episode Date: June 29, 2025

This week on Mum's The Word, Georgia is joined by someone very special — her sister, Dr Lauren Jackson, a brilliant Obstetrics & Gynaecology doctor.It’s an open, honest, and refreshingly candid chat as Dr Lauren answers YOUR listener questions about all things vaginas and pregnancy.From c-sections to coils, period pains to postpartum, no topic is off-limits.Whether you're a mum, mum-to-be, or just curious, this episode is packed with expert insight and sisterly banter.Grab a cuppa — it’s about to get real!A Create Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to Mum Is The Word. I'm your host, Georgia Jones, and today I'm joined by my sister! Who also goes by Dr Lauren Jackson. She's a very important person. So Lauren is an obstetrics and gynaecology doctor. Well done. And she's here today to be the best sister in the world, but also answer all your questions that you've sent in. Now we were inundated, Lauren. I would say there was well over 100 questions.

My word. So we have filtered through, but what we shall say as a disclaimer before we start is this is just generalized information. If you are worried, please go and see your doctor. Lauren is not your doctor. She's just giving some general information and guidance. That's it, yeah. Is that correct, Lauren?

That's it, exactly. Now if I accidentally call my sister Poo during this podcast, I apologise. And likewise. That is what we call each other and is what we have called each other since we were little girls, isn't it? Yeah, I don't even know where it came from. I feel like it's linked to me potentially being a bit mean to my sister and saying that her eyes were the colour of poo at one point.

That might be it. And it stuck, and it stuck forevermore. So, Laura, welcome. Thanks, hi. Oh, I mean, I'm so excited to have a family member on, especially my sister. It's so funny being here with having all the background, because I watched you and now I'm like, oh, I'm so excited to have a family member on, especially my sister. It's so funny being here with all the background, because I watched you and now I'm like, oh, I'm here.

Me and Lauren are always like, oh, imagine coming to our places of work. And now you're actually at my place of work. Yay, it's so exciting. I wonder if I'll ever see you on the ward. Actually, I have seen you work your doctor magic before. Do you remember? Oh, that was years ago. There was one time when I nearly had my appendix out

and my sister came marching in. She was like, you're only, you were. I was a student. I don't think I was qualified. She came in and she said to the consultant, if my sister doesn't need to have her appendix out, please don't take them out. Cause at that point I was.

Them, there's one. There's one appendix. Oh, there's only one appendix. There's one. I thought there was two appendix. No, there's only one. And that. There we go. And that guys is why my sister's the doctor and I'm the host of a podcast. We started, we started already. We started strong. So what am I like as a sister, Laura? Oh you're great! Am I? Best sister ever. Thanks! Yeah you are, you're a good egg. Thank you. There's only 14 months between me and Lauren. 15 months. No, I spoke to mum the other day and she said it's actually 14. Oh, I suppose, because I'm the end of September,

and you're the beginning of December. Yeah, 14 months. What must our mum have been thinking? I really don't know. I really, like, when I had Joe my first, I remember thinking when he was about six months old, mum got pregnant now, and thinking, what on earth? And I did the same thing and I said to mum,

mum was I a mistake? Was I a happy accident by any chance? I just don't know, I don't know how you, and I didn't sleep. I didn't sleep at all, did I? Lauren didn't sleep until she was three years old, did you? I think I was four, mum said. Oh wow.

It was when I went to school, that's when I started to sleep. Poor mum, I mean she obviously had naps but she didn't sleep through the night, did you? No. No. So Lauren is here to answer all your obs and gynae questions. So just quickly Lauren, obstetrics and gynecology is? So it's like pregnant women and women's health.

So obstetrics is kind of the care of women antinatally, in labor, postnatally, and then gynecology can cover like early pregnancy as well often. And then kind of any kind of gyny like periods, menopausal, kind of anything about kind of the vulva, vaginal, cervix, all that anatomy basically. She's a very, very handy sister to have, especially when I was pregnant.

Yeah. She went to bed the night that I went into labor, fully clothed, with her makeup on, ready to spring into action should I need her. And did you need me? I didn't, because Cooper came very, very quickly. So, Laura, let's get started on the questions, because we've got a few to get through,

and these are all anonymous, no names will be named. So the first question is, I'm getting anxiety about having my coil changed, how can I cope with having this quick procedure done? Okay, so like having a coil put in, a lot of people are really anxious about it, like whether they've had one in before, whether it's the first one they've had,

like it's not an uncommon thing at all. And the first thing I would say is for any examination, for anything, like not even just gyne, but anything, if it's too uncomfortable, you don't like it, you're not happy with it, you just ask someone to stop. Like that isn't a problem. Like we're not here as doctors to kind of like hurt you or make you struggle through things.

Like if something is uncomfortable for you, you just tell us to stop. Like that's not an issue. Like I've heard stories where women have said, oh, you know, I was screaming and this was happening, that was happening. I was like, just tell us to like, just tell us to stop. Just tell us to stop, we'll stop.

But also then if you want a coil in, so coil basically goes in, you have a speculum in. So then if you know, it's like the little, it's kind of a little so coil basically goes in, you have a speculum in, so then if you know, it's like the little, it's kind of a little plastic tube that goes in the vagina and then opens up so that we can see the cervix up at the top. So like if you've had a smear test, it's the same. Can I say something about the speculum?

Yeah. It always scares me that when they then close it back up again, it's gonna nip the inside walls of your... Yeah, I know what you mean, but... Of your vagina. Of your vagina. That is your vagina, Georgia. So vagina on the inside. What's it on the outside? Vulva. Vulva and the lips, what are they called? Labia. Big ones are? Labia.

Majora. Labia majora. Oh Labia majora. And the little ones are Labia minora. Minora. There you go. Majora and minora. Minora. Therea. Minora. Majora and minora. Minora. There you go. So now you know your anatomy. Yeah, so you have to be a little bit careful, but there's just a way of doing it. Like you get used to putting them in and out.

And also like everyone's anatomy is different. Like obviously it's roughly the same, but everyone's a bit bigger there or smaller there or this is bigger, that's bigger. So you just kind of have to work with what you've got and you just learn as you're doing it, the ways of turning things. And we put lots of gel on the speculum

so it goes and should go in super easy. So yeah, so you kind of, it shouldn't nip. Sometimes it can, but it shouldn't. So basically that goes in and opens up like you're having a smear test. And then we kind of push the coil very gently through the cervix. The cervix is like a long tube and you just kind of push the coil very gently through the cervix. The cervix is like a

long tube and you just kind of gently push it through. You might need to kind of grip the top bit of the cervix and sometimes if we do that we might put some local anaesthetic in that can sometimes sting a bit but we'll always like warn you if that's what's happening. But one of the key things if you're having something like this done for any kind of intimate examination and it's easier said than done is to try and relax. Yeah. So I know that's like super hard but the thing is that whole area is just like muscle. Yeah. And if you like tense those muscles, obviously then that's like you're almost fighting against somebody.

Yeah. So it's worth like just having a breath, like taking a few deep breaths first. If I can see someone's really like anxious or like tense, what I often do is just get them to take a few deep breaths first. Yeah I can see someone's really anxious or tense, what I often do is just get them to take a few deep breaths first and then carry on. And then you go. It's not always a doctor that inserts a cholezy. No, so you can get special nurses that I think are trained to put them in,

like sexual health clinics and places like that. You can have it done at your GP, you can have it done with a gynaecologist, you can have it done at a family planning clinic. So yeah, you have to just be trained in putting them in. They're not like tricky normally. Some people can, the anatomy, like I said, can be a bit different, so it can be a bit more tricky.

Most people tolerate it like really, really well. A bit uncomfortable, maybe a bit of like period cramps just after it's gone in, because it's like the uterus is kind of like contracting around it. Yeah, going, who, what's this? Yeah, like, hi, who are you? How big are they? How big's a coil? They're about like contracting around it. Yeah, going, who, what's this? Yeah, like, hi, who are you? How big are they? How big's a coil?

They're about like a couple, two, three centimeters, couple of centimeters. Generally, most people's like Utrees are around the same size. Some people's, particularly if you've got like big fibroids, which are kind of like a benign lump of muscle, sometimes the Utrees can be a bit bigger and make it a bit harder to get a coil in.

Are they still T-shaped? Yeah. So how does that T go in through your cervix? Does it bend? Yeah, it bends when it opens out like that. Right, okay. It's like a little, almost like an umbrella. Yeah, got you.

Very clever. And then when they come out, they kind of collapse back down. Right, so it's not like dragging a T through your cervix. No, no. Okay, that's nice and reassuring. There was another question I wanted to ask you about the coil. Oh, how long roughly would it take to insert a coil into someone?

If it was, yeah, you know, if it was straightforward, like a couple of minutes. Oh, so super quick. Yeah. So super quick normally. Like I've actually had one put in and it was absolutely fine. A lot of gynaecologists you will find have coils in. Really? Yeah, because they're great. I mean, they're a form of contraception, but they're also really good if you have heavy periods. Are they?

Yeah, because well, there's a couple of different types of coil. So there's a copper coil, and then there's one that has hormone on it. So a copper coil generally makes your periods heavier, just from the way it is. So they're not as popular really anymore. They're popular with some people

because they're not hormonal. So there's no hormones in your system. So if you're particularly sensitive to hormones, or you really don't want hormones, extra hormones in your system. So if you're particularly sensitive to hormones or you really don't want hormones, extra hormones in your system, then that's an option. But the ones that we tend to use more are the ones that have progesterone on them. And that's because that just acts locally

on the inside of the uterus and thins out the lining of the womb. So a lot of women that have those corals put in will have no periods whatsoever. Oh, right, okay. Yeah, and like they go from having like really heavy periods to having no periods whatsoever. Or really light periods. Okay. And you know that story that that one baby came out holding onto a coil. I've seen that picture. Did it really happen? Well there is a picture doing

the rounds on the internet of a baby like and they're so funny because they're like being born and they're like holding it like this. Like the Statue of Liberty, you know, like with the thoughts. So you can get pregnant if you have a coil in, but it's very unlikely. The failure rate, I can't remember off the top of my head, but it's like less than 1%, I think.

Okay. Is that kind of similar with all contraception methods? Yeah, yeah. So all contraceptions have a failure rate. Like, so, and I won't quote them all because I'm likely to get some of them wrong, but if you go on like the sexual and reproductive health website, they'll all be there. It's very easy to find.

But they're all quite similar. Yeah, but the interesting thing that you need to look at if you're looking at the failure rates of contraception is perfect use and typical use. Okay, what's- So perfect use is if you use a form of contraception like a condom, perfectly. Right. So perfect use is if you use a form of contraception like a condom perfectly right every single time. Yeah. And typical use is how it's actually used. Okay. In the

wild. So like the pill. Yeah. Perfect use would be taking it at 8am every single morning on the dot every single day. Yeah. Like clockwork and never being sick. Yeah. And. Yeah, whereas. Or having diarrhea. Yeah, whereas typical use is like you forget it one day and then, you know, whatever. Like that, so that's what we're talking about. So we have like the typical and the perfect. Okay.

And that's just something that's interesting to look at because obviously if you have a form of contraception in like a coil or an implant, you can't get wrong generally, then you can't forget about it, then their typical and perfect use is generally much closer together. Okay, got you. So yeah. Thanks, Laura. So next question, top tips for an elective C section, having my first baby and I'm so nervous. So yeah, so there's lots of reasons that women might have an elective cesarean, whether that's a medical reason, a reason with a pregnancy or personal choice,

like women can choose to have a cesarean. Yeah, so it is a choice because I feel like way back when, when we were younger, it kind of wasn't really a choice. It was almost frowned upon. Yeah, I think things have changed. Like certainly, I mean, I feel like, showing my age now, but like, I worked out in like this summer, I'll have been a doctor for like 15 years. Oh my god, really?

Yeah, yeah, I qualified in 2010. Wow, Laura! Yeah. Well done you. So I think, as with medicine, as with anything, things do change. So certainly when I was first starting, there was, it was a lot more difficult, I think as with medicine, as with anything, things do change. So certainly when I was first starting, it was a lot more difficult, I think, if you wanted an elective caesarian,

just what's called maternal requests, like you just want one. But now, as long as you make an informed choice, it's all about informed decision-making. And I think people sometimes get a bit upset with that, thinking that we're trying to, as medical professionals, try and talk people out of stuff. But it's not so much about trying to talk people out of stuff.

It's just making sure that if you go into something, you know exactly the risks. So for example, with elective caesarean, something I often talk about, which I think some people don't always realize, is how that impacts future pregnancies. So if you're someone that wants like four, five, six babies, having an elective caesarean potentially isn't your best option first time, if you've someone that wants like four, five, six babies, having an elective caesarean potentially

isn't your best option first time, if you've got other options. Because with every caesarean you have the risks increase and things like that. So yeah, so you just need to be like, have a proper discussion about the risks. But think about this, like how to prepare for an elective caesarean,

just like you would prepare for any birth really. Like sort of thinking about what's important to you in that like, do you want music on at the time? And if you do, or what I always say is download the playlist because- When you get into theater, there's no wifi. Well that's it, NHS wifi is like notoriously rubbish. Like I spend my day trying to log in and log out

and log in and log out. Cause it says you have signal, you don't have signal. Like it's just rubbish. So download your playlist. Usually there is a speaker in theater, a day trying to log in and log out and log in and log out. Cause it says you have signal, you don't have signal. So download your playlist. Usually there is a speaker in theater, but if not, you can just play it through the speaker on your phone and have it next to you. Think about whether you want things

like delayed cord clamping. Cause usually with an elective, like we can still do that quite easily as long as baby's happy. Is there a reason for delayed cord clamping? So yeah, I mean, I'm not 100% sure cause it's more of a like neonatal thing. And we always say like, once we've handed the babies out,

we're like, we're done. You're the ones that make sure they're safe. And then, and then, yeah. There's only so much in my brain I could cope with. Which is cutting a woman open and pulling a baby out. Yeah, I try my best to make it nice. Yeah. But yeah, so there is-

It still blows my mind that my sister actually like operates on people. That's like dad though, like every time I speak to dad, like I said, been doing this job 15 years. Every time I speak to him about like my job, he's like, so you're the one that actually makes the cut. I'm like, yeah dad, I am. He's like, oh right, wow.

And it's like, just blows his mind. Well, does dad ever speak to me like that about my work? Oh, I'm sure he does. No, I'm joking. I'm sure he does. When I won Miss England, I've never seen anyone get on stage as quick. Yeah, she's mine, she's mine.

Right next to me, there it was. 50% my genes, she's all mine. Funny how Lauren graduated as a doctor. No, it was the first time I graduated. She's all mine. Funny how Lauren graduated as a doctor. No, it was the first time I graduated. So in the uni I went to, you do three years and then you like graduate with like just a kind of normal degree and then you do another three years

and get your medicine. So it was after that first three years. So Lauren graduated from her first three years and I won Miss England on the same day, didn't we? Yeah, we literally had to like hot foot it from my ceremony to the competition. And then you won it and like mum and dad, just I think they thought they were like

the most well-rounded parents in the world. They had like one daughter that had just graduated from Cambridge, the other one that had just won Miss England and they were like, we're done. Parenting win. Level up. Yes, sorry, back to the next section. So yeah, think about what you want. Think about what's important to you.

Try and keep calm because it can be a really weird environment going into data. Yeah. It's like when I walked in here today, I was like, wow, this is all very unusual. And that's what data is like. Some people find that hypnobirthing techniques can be really useful in this situation as well. And it's really interesting because hypnobirthing techniques can be really useful in this situation as well. And it's really interesting because hypnobirthing people often talk about

for like vaginal births or kind of low risk settings. But actually when I found they come into real use for a lot of women is when things are maybe not going the way they wanted or the way they planned or the way they preferred. And it just helps you kind of center yourself, grounded yourself, like calm yourself down and just focus on the moment.

So yeah, I'd say if you've learnt any of those techniques that can be really useful as well. Do you talk to the women when you're like cutting them open and explain what you're doing or no? Not really, so there's usually like a drape up. So from just like under their boobs here there's a drape that goes up. But they've got the anaesthetist at the top end. So there's always a drape up. So just like under their boobs here, there's a drape that goes up. But they've got the anaesthetist at the top end.

So there's always a doctor with them. So the anaesthetist is like in charge of pain relief and they're the ones that put the injection in the back to make them nice and numb. So they'll always have someone with them up at the top end. And the mum would always have a person, well, usually would have a birth partner with them, whether that's their partner or a family member or something. Yeah.

So they've got someone with them. Yeah. And then once baby's delivered, normally baby gets quick check over and then comes straight back to the mom. So then I would say like, moms get really distracted. Like they don't care what I'm doing by that point. Yeah.

Because they've got a baby. Yeah, they're just like, it's fine. Yeah. Stitch me up. Yeah. I thought, do you know, that's why I was like, when I had Cooper, I had no idea what was going on. I don't remember a placenta arriving. Really? I don't know, that's why I was like, when I had Cooper, I had no idea what was going on. I don't remember a placenta arriving.

Really? I don't know, not a clue. And all I know is the, well, I think they gave me some injection to get the placenta out. Did you look at your placenta? I don't think so. I took it was a blur to be honest with you. And I know this stitch, I had some stitches,

but I can't even, I just remember I was shaking. I think my body must have been in a bit of shock. Because it was so quick. It all happened quite fast. Yeah, it did, didn't it? And yeah, it's a blur. It's an absolute blur. So talking about labor,

is labor as painful and scary as people say it is? Something I've always been worried about. I mean, this is really each to their own, isn't it? Yeah, and I think like kind of the whole kind of pregnancy experience is very different for different people. But with regards to pain, some people won't want to call it pain or surge or wave or whatever, which is fine.

But obviously there is something happening there and you may enjoy it and you may not enjoy it. Some people masturbate when they're giving birth. Have you ever? Oh no, because you do cesarean. No, but I help with normal births as well. Oh you help with normal births as well? So there's a lot of like things like that can kind of, it's all about releasing the right hormones. So oxytocin is kind of like a hormone that helps labor so anything that can kind of stimulate that people will think. But yeah. I mean if that's what gets you going. I've not looked into it, I don't know anything about it.

Don't quote me on that, I do not know anything about that. But I've lost my train of thought now, you've thrown me completely. Because I said the word masturbate to my sister, who's a bit of a prude. I'm not a prude, I'm not a prude. I don't know, but it'll never be painful and scary. Oh, that's what we're talking about.

Well, I mean, what's interesting is you just can't ever, it like, if you prepare yourself in the best possible way, it's gonna be what you make. If you got, make of it, if you've got the support around you, yeah, it's not the most comfortable experience, but there's pain relief. Yeah, and that's it.

There's all different types of pain relief as well. Like, so you can have tablets, you can have gas and air, you can have a little injection, you can have an epidural, you can use showers and warm water, baths, massage kind of. I did majority of my laboring in the bath, didn't I? And that really helped me. I think whenever, ever since I've been a little girl,

if ever I've not felt well, I've got in the bath. I mean, you love a bath. Oh, I love a bath. You love a bath. Really hot bath. Really hot bath. Obviously not when you're pregnant, but. Yeah, no.

But yeah, and that helped me. I did want a water birth, didn't I? But there was no time. But, but like, so for instance, like Lauren obviously is 15 years of being a doctor in obstetrics and gynecology and neither of your births went to plan. No, I mean. But that's just look of the draw, wasn't it?

Yeah, I mean, I didn't go to plan as in like, I didn't have emergency Cisarean birth times, but you know, on reflection, like that's fine. Like I wasn't, I think with the second one, I was a little bit more annoyed with myself almost because I was kind of like, oh, this probably means if I have another one, I can't really have a vaginal birth, try for a vaginal birth.

I'm not gonna have any more. So, not a problem anymore. But like, I think, cause it had kind of taken something away from me. Whereas with the first time I was like, okay, so I've had kind of taken something away from me. That's what you felt. Yeah. Whereas with the first time I was like, okay, so I've had a caesarean, never mind. I could have another vaginal birth. But yeah, I think there's a lot of, you know, it's such an emotive topic is like

labor and how you birth your baby. And there's so much on kind of, you know, the internet and social media about positive birth experiences, negative birth experiences, you're kind of the right way to have your baby. And there's not really a, you want a safe birth and you want one that you feel happy about and that you feel in control of and that you're involved in, I think.

Like when you look into women that have experienced kind of like birth trauma, then a lot of that stems from not feeling listened to, not feeling like they were part of the process. She's sad that that still happens, isn't it? Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. But you can request to kind of go over your birth, can't you? Yeah, yeah, so if you feel afterwards

like you're struggling with the birth process, what happened, you can ask for, it's normally called something like birth reflections. Different hospitals have different names for the specific clinic, but if you speak to your midwife or your GP, they can request, and normally it's either a specialist midwife or a consultant, so a doctor, or both,

and you sit down with the notes and go through kind of what happened because sometimes you might just need something explaining to you like why did something happen or sometimes just to say to somebody look this happened and it really upset me and then for that team to then be able to feed it back to that department as a whole is really helpful for people working within that department. But I mean ultimately that's to help the patient if they've struggled, if they've had a negative experience, but it can help the hospital as well.

So yeah, never be afraid to go and ask for something like that. Or equally like, if you are wondering about what to do for your birth, like there are also like birth options clinics. Oh is there? Yeah, so like if you've had a caesarean before, if you haven't had a cesarean before and you're thinking about that or you're wondering about induction or something, like you can go and speak to somebody

about the birth options that you have. Like one of my huge like pet topics is kind of antenatal education because I just think we really need like women to know so much more about things. Rather than just how to change an app. Yeah, and like it's just so important. So just kind of educate yourself around that.

And I think then when you kind of go into it, you know what's happening, it just helps. Do you have an insatiable fascination with the paranormal? Are you ready to dive headfirst into the eerie realms of the unexplained? Brace yourself for the supernatural world is about to reveal all of its secrets on the Paranormal Activity podcast. And who better to guide you through this hair-raising journey than myself, Yvette Fielding, renowned

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Paranormal Activity with me, Yvette Fielding is your ultimate destination. Will you dare to join me? Listen to Paranormal Activity with me, Yvette Fielding, wherever you get your podcasts from. So back to contraception now, in your opinion, what is the least harmful form of contraception?

Is contraception harmful? Well, everything has risks, right? Like every medication, everything you do, like, you know, you walk down the street and you take a risk, right? Yeah. Like everything is a risk. Antibiotics. Yeah, well, I mean-

Ruins your gut. But think about, like, people used to die of things because we didn't have antibiotics. Like I'm not saying we haven't gotten the other way now, like that's a very controversial topic. Let's not open that bag of words. We won't open that bag of words. But all medications have risks.

Yeah. And it's different for different people. So it depends on you and your health, your BMI, whether you smoke, like all kinds of things about what is safest for you, what's more effective for you. Well like for instance, I remember for years I was on, this must have been the error of a GP back in the day, I was on a contraception, the pill, can't remember which one it was. Yeah the combined pill I think, wasn't it, where you had estrogen and progesterone. And because our mums had breast cancer twice. I don't which one it was. Yeah, the combined pill, I think, wasn't it, where you have estrogen and progesterone.

And because our mums had breast cancer twice. I don't know, it was because you had migraine. Oh, it's because I was a migraine sufferer. With aura, with migraine, with like visual disturbance. I thought it was to do with mum and breast cancer, no. I don't think so. I could have sworn it was something to do with cancer. But anyway, whatever I had,

I shouldn't have been on that pill. So that was a more dangerous pill for me, but for other people. So it's all about risk, stratification as well. So there's like, it's called UK MEC, UK M-E-C, and it like lists the contraceptions and then like their risk profiles for various different other conditions.

Right. And it's like one to four. And I think one means, get this the wrong way around probably, but I think one means like it's absolutely fine and four means really not a good idea. And then you decide along your, people take their own risks

and decide what they wanna have. I wouldn't say there's one contraception that's better or worse than another. It's what's best for you as an individual and what fits in with your lifestyle, fits in with your other conditions or whatever. And you just have to have a good thing. And that's the difficulty sometimes.

If you go to your GP, they don't always know. So is there some way you can go to have like a big old discussion about it? Obviously I've got you, so I'm lucky. Yeah. So like I've never worked in a GP practice as a doctor. Like I did that as a student, so I can't say exactly like what they do and don't know.

And different GPs, I think like, will have specialist interests. So some might be really interested in contraception and better to go. But there's always like sexual health clinics that we often refer people to that have a lot more knowledge around that sometimes. And some GPs will know loads about it.

I think it is kind of a bit of their bread and butter. But it also depends on your other conditions. So if you're a bit more complex, like you have a medical condition or something, then they might not wanna give you something that might interact and might refer you to like a specialist. But yeah, ultimately just think about what's important to you for your contraception

and just go off what is safest for you individually. to you for your contraception and just go off what is safe is for you individually. There's another question on IUD, that's the coil, isn't it? Yeah. About insertion and removal with no pain relief, which we didn't actually mention the pain relief side of things. Do they give you pain relief to remove it?

So I think usually removing it's usually really super easy because when you remove it, you literally, there's like a little tiny thread that hangs out of the surface in the vagina. Like pulling tampon out. Yeah, but no, it's so much less than that because the threads like a thread on a, like on a, you know, like a sewing thread. It's like that sort of thing.

So you can't feel it. Like, you know, you can't, if you have sex, you can't feel it. Like your partner can't feel it. Like it's just kind of there. And then what we do is we put the speculum in, we just grab that with like some little, we call them, yeah, essentially something similar,

and then just pull it and it whips out really quickly. So it takes like barely any time. When you put it in, it can be a little bit more uncomfortable because like I said, sometimes you need to hold the cervix to kind of stabilize it and then push it in and it can just take a little bit longer. So sometimes that can be a bit more uncomfortable. So often people might be encouraged to take like some paracetamol ibuprofen before they go if they normally

take those meds. And it depends where you're having it. Like I always say, you know, like stay in the deep breathing. If you want to put music on, like put music on and just kind of zone out. If you want a friend with you or your partner with you or someone with you. Honestly, you can do that. Yeah, you can take someone with you to like hold your hand if you want it. It's like completely your call.

Funny, you always feel like you can't do loads of things when it comes to being like in adopter surgery and you're having a procedure done. It's only like if you're in theater, like a cesarean is pretty much the only time I think we can have someone with you in theater and that's if you're awake. If're in theater, a cesarean is pretty much the only time I think we can have someone with you in theater, and that's if you're awake. If someone ends up having a cesarean

and a general anesthetic, we have to ask their partners to step out. Really, right. Yeah, so anything that's done in a theater, we tend to, it's just the patient. But if you're in like a clinic room and you want someone with you, then ultimately it's gonna make the doctor's job easier

if you're more chilled and calm. But yeah, something else as well, which like we hadn't talked to, is like sometimes with the speculums, people like to put them in themselves. So you can even have to do that if you find that easier. So it's like, it's just like, just inserting it into the vagina, that's fine.

Is that quite a common thing that people require? I wouldn't say it's common, but like if people want to do that, that's fine. Right, okay. Or like if you're having an ultrasound scan and they use like a probe that goes on the gen, you could put that's fine. Right, okay. Or like if you're having an ultrasound scan and they use like a probe that goes on the gen, you could put that in yourself. Right, okay.

And then the doctor kind of needs to take over to leave it around or whatever. But yeah, if that just is easier for you, that's fine. Like. God, who knew we had all these choices and options? God, we've actually got quite a lot of period questions here. Next one is, I have very heavy painful periods. Is the coil the only real option?

So no, like there were lots of different options for heavy periods. Get pregnant. No joking. No, I'm joking. That's why I'm this sister. I did that so it sounds like me because we've got the same voice. First of all, if you've got heavy periods, please go and see your GP. If you're flooding at night, passing big clots, if it's just too much for you, you're feeling

faint or dizzy or all these things. Some people have horrible periods. Poor women, eh? Some people are really unlucky with their periods. It's just horrible. But there are lots of things that we can do. So first step is obviously going to see your GP. They'll probably refer you for an ultrasound scan

and then you probably go up to see gynaecology if the GP can't sort it out. So things that we often start with first are non-hormonal medications that might help slow the bleeding down by acting on the way the blood clots to kind of help it or kind of trying to thin out the lining of the womb. So hang on, so that medication,

is it anything to do with like birth control? No, no, so there are some that are non-birth controls that like will just try and help with the bleeding. But then a lot of what we do use is often hormonal. And a lot of women have an issue, or I see women that are like, I don't want any hormones, and that's fine, it's just it can be quite difficult to treat, because essentially what you need to do

is alter your body so that you're not bleeding as much. And the way you do that is by altering the hormones that's stimulating that tissue to kind of grow and then bleed. So it is a really difficult thing to treat if you're not keen on hormonal medication. So the things we often use are things like the contraceptive pill because that can help.

Again, the Myrina coil, we were saying before, can make your periods really light. And then there are kind of like surgical things you can do, but we really tend to offer those further down the line once we've tried medication. Right, once you've tried other options that aren't quite as invasive. Yeah, and it's that risk benefit thing,

like having an operation has higher risks than generally than like taking a tablet or having a cold put in. So like when you're training as a doctor, you're taught like the Hippocratic oath and it's like, first do no harm. So it's like, first thing we wanna do is not hurt anybody. So you'll wanna treat people in a way that is the least harmful to them.

Yeah. So you always start with kind of like the lower down things and then work your way up. Yeah. So there are lots of things. I would say the coil is generally works as a really good option for a lot of people. Yeah. For heavy periods, but not everybody. She's so knowledgeable. Very nice listening to you talk like that. Getting bambooz's so knowledgeable this listening. Very, very nice listening to you talk.

Getting bamboozled with all this knowledge. So chances of a premature baby this time around after having my second at 35 weeks due to damaged cervix in my first labor. Now you had your second at 35 weeks. Yeah, he was at 35 actually. So you can relate to this a little bit. Yeah, so I mean, the thing with premature babies

is there's loads of different reasons that babies can be born prematurely. It can be a pregnancy thing, as in like you go into labor just prematurely. It can be kind of what we call iatrogenic, which means the doctors have encouraged baby to come out early because maybe you've got a medical condition that you had outside of pregnancy, which is getting worse.

You've got something like preeclampsia that's developed in the pregnancy. That means you might... Did you have that? No, I had something called, it's got a new name now. It's called intra-hepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. Oh. Just get itchy in pregnancy and my liver like doesn't like me being pregnant at the end. Right.

Yeah. But there's like lots of conditions like that, that we might say actually, we think it's safer for baby to pregnant at the end. Yeah, but there's lots of conditions like that that we might say actually, we think it's safer for baby to come a bit earlier. There's also, I think this question sometimes is alluding to kind of the cervix. And sometimes if women have had treatment to their cervix for abnormal smears, that can sometimes cause a weakness to the cervix.

And so what women will often be offered is maybe to go to something called a preterm birth clinic where they to the cervix. And so what women will often be offered is maybe to go to something called a preterm birth clinic where they scan the cervix and check it's not getting shot. That depends on what you've had done. It's not for everyone that's had surgery to the cervix, like it's certain things and your midwife should like pick it up and then refer you into the right clinic. Is this lady then more likely to

almost be looked after a little bit better, because she's had got a damaged cervix already in her first labor, she'll be under more care will she? So if you are high risk for whatever reason, then yeah, you'll be referred to doctors. So when you're pregnant, if like in your pregnancy, you were like really nice and low risk,

didn't have any problems, just really nice, straightforward pregnancy you were like really nice and low risk, didn't have any problem. It's just really nice, straightforward pregnancy. So you just saw a midwife, just looked after by the midwife throughout the whole care and that's like great. Um, went and had them on the birth center. Perfect. Yeah. But if somebody is identified as higher risk and that might be because they've

got a medical condition, there was something that happened in their previous pregnancy, if they've been pregnant before or something that develops in the pregnancy then they'll be invited to come and see a doctor as well and it might just be we see them once and then we let them be looked after by the midwives or it might be we see them regularly and they see the midwives as well. It's just kind of making sure they have that right level of care so it all depends on what's happened previously or just what's happened in your life and your health up to that point basically. Our mum had a heart shaped wound, didn't she? Oh yeah, she says that, doesn't she?

Yeah, so like some people do, because when the uterus forms, it forms from like two tubes that come together. So sometimes if they don't quite come together at the top, you get like a little dimple. That's cute, isn't it? Yeah. Imagine having a little heart shaped wound.

Interestingly, your heart is not a heart shape, right? Oh, yeah, it's not cute isn't it? Imagine having a little heart shaped womb. Interestingly your heart is not a heart shape right? Oh yeah it's not really is it? I've got a book on the heart and I'm sure there's some reason why it's depicted like that I can't even board it is. But it's weird isn't it? Yeah. Heart's not a heart shape. Heart's not a heart shape? Oh wow you've got a mind on. Who's gonna start questioning life? Oh, when do we need to check our pelvic floor? Let's all do a little, everybody collectively, let's all do a squeeze. Oh, that's my phone. I mean, whenever you want, basically, you don't have to have been pregnant even.

Can I strongly suggest from the minute you know what your pelvic floor is, start doing your pelvic floor because I went on my child's trampoline a couple of days ago and it's not what I thought it was because I thought my, well, I mean, my pelvic floor actually did get quite a bit better because I worked on it, but I haven't for a little while. And then you went on the trampoline.

And then I went on the trampoline. And I suppose it's a muscle, isn't it? You've got to- Yeah, there is nothing more sobering as a woman to go on a trampoline and basically just wear yourself. Yeah, yeah. Like, it comes out of nowhere. Oh, it just like falls out of you.

It falls out of you, doesn't it? Mummy, where are you going? Nowhere! She's got shades of her trousers. I would say, check your pelvic floor. Yeah, so basically check when, check. Does she mean check or does she mean? I don't know.

But the thing is you can't sort of check your pelvic, well, I'm sure actually probably physiotherapists can check your pelvic floor. But your pelvic floor is basically a whole like sling of muscle that is just down there and It can become weakened through pregnancy because it gets stretched and sometimes even torn So you need to keep just strengthen it now The thing is you can do your pelvic floor exercises at home

You can find online like how to do those as various apps that can help you with that but ultimately if you think you're struggling or if you are incontinent like But ultimately, if you think you're struggling, or if you are incontinent, like whenever, and you're not happy about that, then go see your GP and they can refer you up and then the things that need to happen can happen. You don't need to just sit there and be like, oh well, I've had two children, this is my life now.

Like that doesn't have to be your life. And there's not like a specific pelvic floor check, like say at six weeks after you've had your baby is there. We don't have our pelvic floor checked after birth, do we? No, no. It should probably be a thing actually. Cause I did, but only because I saw a woman's pelvic health physio.

Physio, Claire, Claire Bourne. Who is fabulous. She's wonderful. If you're looking for, we both know her, don't we? Go and look at her, bitch. She's fab. She'll teach you how to check your pelvic floor. She will, she will. We're nearly out of time, Laura,

so I'm gonna try and... Whistle. Whistle. Quick fire. My first labour was an emergency C-section following a low-risk pregnancy. Should I get a V back, which means vaginal birth... After cesarean.

...for my second or an elective. Completely your choice. Completely your choice. This is where the Birth Options Clinic is gonna come into really good use. Go and chat to them. Yeah. Kind of depends around the circumstances

around your cesarean, like what advice would be. Generally, the main risk for having a vaginal birth after cesarean is a risk of that scar rupturing, so coming apart. Right. Happens in about one in 200 cases. So again, risk benefit. Some people that's a huge risk

and they're like, absolutely not. Some people are like, oh, it's nothing, I'll go for that. About 25% of women that aim to have a vaginal birth after cesarean would actually end up having a section. So I tried to have a vaginal birth after my first baby and I ended up having a cesarean. It's just one of those things, like, just what happens. I think that's what you've got to remember about birth.

It isn't always gonna go to plan and you've got to be at peace with that, I think. I think that's what all pregnant women should be kind of taught from day one, really, that your birth implant, that they get you to write. It's not a birth plan, it's birth preferences. Birth preferences. Birth preferences.

Cause that's what it was called the plan when I did it. It probably was. It's potentially not going to be how your birth goes. And I think that needs to be really stressed nowadays. Cause I think when you're writing that preference plan, you think that's just how your birth's gonna be. Cause I was like, I'm gonna have a water birth, there's gonna be music playing.

And I mean, there was no time for me to get in that bath. It was still being filled up whilst I had a child on my chest and was being stitched back up. I mean, that is the perfect birth for some people, isn't it? Well, yeah. Right, can taking contraception for prolonged periods affect or reduce your chance of pregnancy?

So the only contraception that is known to affect your fertility is the injection. Some people call the depo. Lauren told me this a minute ago and I was like, what? And I can't remember the exact timing of how long it affects you for, but it does come back to normal, but it just, it takes a bit longer. Right, so it doesn't make you less fertile. It just means your fertility takes a while to come back. Yeah, yeah, I think that's it.

Whereas everything else, theoretically, once you stop using it, or it's out of your system, you're back to normal basically. Yeah, well think, if you miss a pill, they're like, you will get pregnant. That's what the evidence says anyway, so. And last question, I've always wanted more's what the evidence says anyway. So. And last question. I've always wanted more clarity on the morning after pill.

Does it affect hormones and ovulation? What the morning after pill does is try to delay your ovulation. Right. So it is a kind of hormone that basically tries to prevent you from ovulating. So that if there's sperm hanging round, it doesn't meet with the egg. Hanging around in there. It does, it hangs around for like seven days.

That's awful to think that, it's just in there festering away, hanging around. Never think about it the same way again. Never think about it the same way. But yeah, so it's basically trying to make your egg be released after that sperm has gone. That's what you're trying to do to prevent fertilization. So it's almost gonna prevent it for the next seven days then really, if that's how long the sperm lasts. Yeah, I mean, it's a bit complicated

because if you're using this all the time, it'll be easier for people to work out exactly when it's best to give you and stuff. Because it's all to do with like the length of your cycle and therefore when you should normally ovulate and kind of working that back and whether it's. We strongly suggest to read the instructions. Yeah, well you shouldn't, I don't, yeah.

I mean normally you would have like a consultation about it or talk to someone about it. But there are times when it will work better because it's all to do with, obviously, if it's trying to prevent you from releasing an egg from when you would normally ovulate, which is like the midpoint in your cycle but some people will have longer cycles some people will have shorter cycles so that's different for different people so right well Lauren that was wonderful did you enjoy that i've learned so much have you yes and i'm

sure all our listeners will have done as well i I hope so. I feel like there might need to be a part two on this because there was that many questions. Yes, I'll come back. We've got through about 10% of them. So, that's a wrap on another episode of Mums the Word. Thank you so much for joining us today. We were joined by my amazing sister, Lauren Jackson. And don't forget to leave us a

review, follow us on socials at mum's the word underscore pod and subscribe to our YouTube channel just search mum's the word. Until next time I'm Georgia Jones and this is mum's the word and we will be back with another episode, same time, same place, next week.