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MONICA BERNER: I'm Dr. Berner. I'm a family physician, and I've cared for patients for over a decade. In this podcast series, we take on key health challenges facing workforces today and what we can do together to address them for our employers and their employees. Today, we'll be covering an important but complex topic-- women's and family health.
Employers likely already know just how important this topic is, but it can still be hard to know where to begin when it comes to providing comprehensive support to women in the workforce. That's why I'm looking forward to speaking with my guest today, Dr. Yolanda Lawson, an OB/GYN and executive medical director of maternal and infant health.
Dr. Lawson will help uncover some of these important answers with us, and I'm honored to speak with her. Welcome, Dr. Lawson. Please tell us about yourself and your professional experience.
YOLANDA LAWSON: Sure. So I'm an OB/GYN. I've practiced for over 22 years. And I've owned a birth center. I have experience in high-risk obstetric care, helping families achieve pregnancy, menopause. I always share with folks, my youngest patient was age 3, and my oldest was age 99. And so I had a distinct interest in inequities and disparities in women's health. And so have done a lot of work, whether it's testifying before the FDA and the Senate, and advocacy work and helping to inform policies among women's health care.
MONICA BERNER: So let's start with a really important point. Women's health is central to so much. Not only does it impact work, it's at the heart of family health and of our shared future. Women are often responsible for the health care decisions of the household, and their health can directly translate into the health of children, sometimes generations later.
But so often, women's health can feel generalized when each step of every woman's journey is completely unique and should be treated that way. Dr. Lawson, I'd love to hear your perspective on this. Just to start us off, what do you think are some important things to keep in mind surrounding women's health overall?
YOLANDA LAWSON: Certainly. So I often frame this that nearly half of the workforce in the US is composed of women. And so it's important to recognize that women, throughout the various stages of their life, they need different things.
And so we think about in our reproductive years, some of that may be family planning, infertility. Then there's pregnancy. When do I decide to get pregnant? What do I-- how do I-- the inter pregnancy interval. We don't talk about that enough, that interval of time between pregnancies and spacing.
And then I like to frame it as the mature woman. As a woman matures, there may be menopausal and other needs, even around their chronic diseases and other things they may be managing. It's important to think about, how do we support, provide resources for women throughout all of these various stages of their life?
MONICA BERNER: I love that approach. It's very nuanced, and it demonstrates we don't need a one size fits all solution. Not every woman is the same, and certainly not every age is the same.
So the stories you've told me in the past and your experience with women is very powerful. I'm glad you mentioned how different every path can look for women, especially when it comes to family planning. Whether a woman chooses to have a child or not, family planning coverage is crucial. And fertility benefits are also gaining more and more popularity and benefits design. Maybe we can take a moment to talk about this stage of a woman's life, and how employers can make sure that women feel supported. Can you talk a little bit about that?
YOLANDA LAWSON: Sure. So I think the first and foremost thing is ensuring that there's a comprehensive approach to this when you think about the benefit design. Again, as we keep reinforcing here, people need different things at different times.
And so as you think about family planning, those resources, but we have to start with just preventive care. Just sometimes it is so nice when I can see women before they get pregnant and offer preconception counseling. How do we optimize health, immunizations, all these other things that they need, to begin to start a pregnancy off on the right foot.
And then as they do become pregnant, they have lots of questions and concerns. It could be around all the changes, mood changes, nausea and vomiting. How do they cope? And in the workplace, there's always concern. How am I going to cope with pregnancy during the times and the challenges and the time commitment to work?
And so again, I think it is always so important to think uniquely, how do you address, fit in, support resources to accommodate everyone? Because that's what we're really talking about. How do we accommodate the needs across a range of people who need different things at different times?
MONICA BERNER: I love that approach, especially as a family physician, thinking of going upstream, thinking of addressing the needs ahead of time, and not waiting until someone's in the middle of a crisis. And you're right. There is so much nuance at this stage in a woman's life, and it's really important to support that balance.
The link between reproductive and behavioral health support is key, and it can be the right way to start a healthy pregnancy and beyond. So can you talk a little bit about how employers can provide the right resources during pregnancy and that immediate postpartum period?
YOLANDA LAWSON: Certainly. And so during pregnancy, it can be a challenging time. In the first trimester, your body is different. The foods you may have liked before are all different. And so making sure that you have things and you can accommodate.
It may be more flexibility in the work schedule. Oftentimes, women are swollen in pregnancy, back pain. They may need accommodations to help them be more comfortable in the workplace. We want to make sure they have resources about where to get breast pumps. They may need resources around other support providers, like lactation consultants and doulas. And so making sure that you have resources and information and education available to them to help them as they're making decisions about their health and growing their families.
MONICA BERNER: I like how you've called out some of the symptoms and conditions in the first trimester. Because clearly, that's a time when women are feeling very differently. Their bodies feel different. Their emotions are different, but you can't see it on the outside. And I think sometimes that is a time that's overlooked.
I mean, once you start showing your pregnancy in your second and third trimester, there oftentimes is a lot of attention on your needs. But during the first trimester, I think is sometimes the hardest time. Because people can't see it, they don't recognize that you need that extra support.
YOLANDA LAWSON: Absolutely. It's very common. And whether it's sleep, the discomforts, mood changes-- all of these things are real things. So even if it's something as simple as making sure individuals are aware of counseling and other supports to help them get through those challenging times. Because it is. There's a lot of angst and anxiety. It's balanced with the excitement of starting a family.
MONICA BERNER: That's right. That's right. And because so many young women don't live near family, they don't necessarily have that wisdom surrounding them any longer, and they need the support of their community, including their employer.
YOLANDA LAWSON: That's right.
MONICA BERNER: So let's talk a little bit about after the pregnancy. A lot of people talk about the end of maternity leave as sort of getting back to normal. But now normal has completely changed. And you're a new mom, and you're balancing a career and a young one at home. How can employers continue to show up and support their well-being.
YOLANDA LAWSON: The physiologic changes or the changes you go through after you have a baby, it's immense. It's tremendous. And you're absolutely right. Everything has changed. It is a new normal, and it is a transition time to get accustomed to that.
And so oftentimes, we know-- we hear about postpartum depression and all these other mood disorders, anxiety. And that's real. You have a new baby at home. And think about even if your baby had complications or you yourself had complications or challenges. And so supports around mental health and behavioral health are important during this time, but also those other resources.
Leave-- it's an often time, there are lots of questions about that. That communication begins really at the third trimester because folks are worried about how much time am I going to have at home with my baby.
So, you want to make sure these policies and things like that are-- the structures are in place so folks know what's available to them.
Their breast pumps-- well, how do I get a breast pump? The challenges--
MONICA BERNER: And where do I--
YOLANDA LAWSON: Where do I-- is there a lactation room? Will I have privacy at work? And people have all different types of work environments. And so we want to make sure that they have resources. They have options.
I often say as long as one feels they have options, that promotes not only retention of your workforce, but also it allows one to understand that my employer is concerned about my well-being.
MONICA BERNER: That's true. Very true. Becoming a new mom can be very empowering. But these new moms also need to know that they have the support to really embody their new role, that new balance, if you will. And it can be difficult to navigate, especially with fatigue. So thank you for that insight. Another time that women can really step into their power is during their perimenopausal and/or menopausal years. I know that's a real hot topic nowadays. But companies with women executives are actually 30% more likely to outperform other companies. And getting positions like those can often happen during this phase of a woman's life. But there's still so much stigma surrounding menopause.
So given that there's so much information out there right now, some true, some not true about menopause, let's start with the main points that you think employers should know about menopause and perimenopause.
YOLANDA LAWSON: And so first of all, it's important to understand what menopause is. It is a natural transition. That's why it was always called the change. It's another change in life. And so many times when women are going through menopause, of course, we all hear about the hot flashes. Hot flashes are going to be front and center. And then there's night sweats. The night sweats are really the contributor why they don't sleep well. And when you don't sleep well, what happens? Sometimes irritability. Sometimes concentration can be challenging, and that can impact productivity.
And so it's really important that employers are supportive of women as they're going through these changes. Because oftentimes, again, that can promote-- you can lose retentive employees when they don't feel they're supported through their unique needs.
Of course, making sure the environment that they're working in, and rather that's the ability to cool rooms and adjust temperatures. Sometimes there are changes with the bladder and the frequency having availability of restrooms and that freedom to get up to the restroom as you need.
Again, some flexibility with work. And of course, I'd be remiss not to mention sometimes the mental health and behavioral health supports that one may need during those times. And again, it's unique for every woman.
Every woman does not experience the same menopausal symptoms. But I think it's an opportunity when you're supporting these women, think about a multigenerational workforce, and you're supporting all of those generations in your work environment.
MONICA BERNER: Yeah, that's so true. I mean, every pregnancy is not the same. Every child is not the same.
YOLANDA LAWSON: Exactly.
MONICA BERNER: Every menopause is not the same. And you've given, I think, some really great examples of how employers can be sensitive to those needs for those executives, for those leaders within their companies that are providing them so much value.
YOLANDA LAWSON: Absolutely.
MONICA BERNER: Well, Dr, Lawson, we've really covered a lot here today, and you've certainly enlightened us to a lot of nuance in this space. Before I let you go, can you maybe point out the top two things employers can take away from this conversation, or things they can do now on behalf of women in their workplace?
YOLANDA LAWSON: Certainly. And so first, I would say, again, the importance of a comprehensive benefit design structure. So you're really ensuring that you have a holistic approach to meeting your employees' needs. Secondly, ask women what they want and what they need. They will use employee surveys, those types of things. Get feedback.
And then lastly, we recognize that not all workplaces are the same. I have women who wear uniforms to work, and they're in menopause, and the heat. And so-- or they're pregnant and maybe a police officer, have a 50-pound belt to carry daily.
So you have to meet people where they are. And so thinking about that in your specific workplace environment and how do, again, be responsive to those immediate needs of my employees?
MONICA BERNER: I think that's incredibly sage advice. When we come together as health providers, specialists, insurers, and employers to understand and support women in the workforce, we are putting women's health exactly where it should be, at the center.
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