Women’s Health with Dr. Huh

How can providers help pregnant women make informed decisions that match their values when it comes delivery options such as induction of labor or vaginal birth after C-section? Allison Shorten, Ph.D., RN, and Ann Peralta, founder of Partner to Decide, discuss how decision aids give women and their care teams clear, research-based information to guide conversations about options and preferences regarding delivery. Learn about their current collaboration on an aid for vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC).

There’s no way to anticipate the unique questions, concerns, and types of support you’ll need during pregnancy, and that’s why perinatal nurse navigators are an important part of UAB's pregnancy care team. Nurse navigators Jasmine Maye, RN, and TeShawn Hardy, RN, join Dr. Huh to explain how they engage with patients and the rest of the team. They highlight some key moments when having a perinatal nurse navigator makes a big difference.

Placenta accreta spectrum, a condition where the placenta doesn’t detach after delivery, can quickly become life-threatening. Dr. Huh talks with gynecologic oncologists Michael Straughn, M.D., and Trey Leath, M.D., about what makes this a dangerous condition; how it may affect the bladder; and why it’s most often managed with a hysterectomy. Learn why early diagnosis and referral to a tertiary center can make all the difference.

Placenta accreta spectrum, which refers to a placenta that attaches too deeply, is a little-known condition with serious risks for pregnant women. Dr. Huh speaks with Akila Subramaniam, M.D., and Haller Smith, M.D., about the condition’s rising incidence, how it is diagnosed, and how team-based planning improves outcomes. Learn how early recognition helps providers prepare for safer deliveries.

Black women in Alabama are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.

Audra Williams, M.D., and prenatal nurse navigator Jasmine Maye discuss the clinical and socioeconomic hurdles to improving Black maternal health, as well as the programs making a positive difference.