Kim (00:03.402)
Welcome to this week's episode. I'm joined by Dr. Rachel Olivier, and we are gonna be talking about sexual wellness postpartum, post-birth. And this is a topic that I don't think gets a whole heck of a lot of attention, but it's, I can remember back in the day, 19 years ago when I gave birth for the first time. So I'm looking forward to this conversation. Welcome, thank you so much for joining me.
Rachel Ollivier (00:28.493)
Thank you very much for having me, Kim.
Kim (00:31.402)
Maybe if we could start out by having you tell us a little bit about yourself. So what got you interested in this topic? I know you are a nurse practitioner. You're also now a researcher. Can you tell us a little bit about what led you down this path?
Rachel Ollivier (00:48.874)
Yeah, so I started my nursing career in 2016 when I graduated from the University of British Columbia in Kelowna. And since then I've really had an interest in both frontline clinical practice and in research. And I find it's a profession where we can sort of have the option to bridge the two. So kind of coming out of graduation I knew I had interest in research and further pursued that through my graduate studies at Dalhousie University.
And really, I think it's something that's always been what I've loved, I've loved having the combination or the blend and when I'm in clinical practice, I want the research piece and when I'm in research, I'm thankful to have the clinical lens. So it's been amazing being able to bridge the two in terms of my practice as a nurse practitioner and having kind of the research background as well, especially in women's health. I think it's an area where we need a lot of that. And so for me, it's just been that much more fulfilling to be able to have that in my career.
Kim (01:43.874)
Amazing. And so you mentioned you were at Dallin and as I understand it, you're coming back to BC and you'll be doing more research with the University of British Columbia. Is that correct?
Rachel Ollivier (01:55.24)
Yes, yeah, I'll be based at the BC Women's Hospital and working with the Women's Health Research Institute as well as yes with UBC.
Kim (02:02.938)
Okay. And so sexual wellness has been something that you have been studying as part of your graduate studies and will continue to do. So tell us a little bit about that. What led you down that route? Why did you choose to focus there and maybe some of the things that you have been studying to date?
Rachel Ollivier (02:19.63)
I started my graduate studies and knew I had interest in women's and maternal health. As I began looking at what I want to study, what I want to do for my research, I learned from my experience working. I actually volunteered in a sexual health clinic during my undergraduate degree and so had that lens there. It started to think, I wonder if there's anything on sexual health after birth. Do a bit of a search in the literature and lo and behold, there are big gaps in that
So that was kind of the first step of really seeing, okay, there is something I can, you know, meaningfully contribute here. And it was a kind of a topic that also bridged my two interests being, you know, gynecology and women's health and the sexual health piece as well. So it was a good combination and I had the support, you know, of mentors and supervisors at Dalhousie and kind of going after that topic and applying a research lens that I, you know, I think has benefited that area of the literature. And yeah, so it kind of started from there.
Kim (03:21.146)
Alright, and so tell us about your research. What maybe one of the topics were, what were you studying, what did you find?
Rachel Ollivier (03:33.063)
So with my doctoral research, I looked at interviewing, so I interviewed 11 postpartum individuals who were living in Nova Scotia, and so that's sort of been my primary study in this area so far was through my doctoral work. But one thing I really noticed in the literature and kind of, okay, where could I bridge was that a lot of the research on sexual health after birth
had looked at sort of the context of couples or people who were in a relationship. And something that I wanted to know was kind of more in depth of the individual's experience. And so that was kind of something that I was very intentional with in terms of my work, but I was able to interview several people about kind of their experiences after birth. So they were between one and six months postpartum.
So I think that really added to the richness of the data as well in terms of all these things that they were navigating, it was actively going on, it was something they were actively experiencing rather than looking back on as being in the past. So that I think really was also very special to be able to engage with people who really kind of were actively negotiating a lot of these things, a lot of these issues. And from that really, really rich data kind of came about in terms of all the issues that people are experiencing. It's very multifaceted.
as we'll talk about in a little bit, but that was really something that I think was, you know, a great way to sort of engage with people. And now we're looking to publish it. I've, you know, now finished my dissertation. So just now it's more about getting the word out there of these findings. Absolutely.
Kim (04:59.643)
Are you able to share, like maybe before it's published, I don't know the process. Maybe you're not quite able to share what the results were or even what some of the questions were. Are you able to share any of that?
Rachel Ollivier (05:12.782)
So in the interviews, I really kept it very open in terms of questions. I wanted it to be very much led by the participants in terms of what they wanted to bring up. So starting off with that, sexual health, it was sort of a question of, okay, how do we define that? What is or what isn't sexual health? And that was something I wanted to keep very open and include not only physical components, but mental, social, relational components, which is in line with the World Health Organization's current definition of sexual health as well.
So with that, some of the questions I asked were really, you know, what are your thoughts on your sexual health after birth right now? What are some of the challenges that you're facing? And it kind of really led. People really were able to kind of bring up what they wanted and it kind of was, it was more authentic, I think, in that way of just really leaving it open. So yes, you know, in some of the answers, I think sexual activity really was foregrounded in how they defined sexual health. But for others, there was so much more. So a lot of the findings centered on...
a relationship between body image and sexual health after birth, identity as a mother, and how that kind of can play into it in terms of identity as a sexual person, a sexual being, and a mother. Redefining intimacy was another theme in terms of kind of how people sought that connection and redefined kind of what that looks like in their relationship. And another finding that was really big was the six-week check and kind of the meaning of that and how that was really...
such a moment for people. It was something that I think, you know, when people ask me what surprised you most about your findings, it was that, because it really was such a moment, and something that, you know, I went about asking about it in kind of the question of what was a moment when you thought about your sexual health after birth, whether that was in the grocery store, in the shower, wherever it was, and every participant said, you know what, the six-week check. So that really was a strong kind of
theme and the findings. And I think I wasn't surprised necessarily that it was a thing, but just how significant it was and really the meaning that surrounded that. So that was something that I think was also neat, neat just to see what came out from people.
Kim (07:19.238)
Interesting. Okay. So I want to start there with the six-week check because I know in the line of work that I'm in with pelvic health, the six-week check is a pivotal time and it's historically been thought of as that's where you get your green light to have sex again, go back to fitness, go back to regular activities. And I have felt that it's maybe a little bit misguided or I mean, and I'm thinking specific to.
pelvic health and I know sexual wellness and sexual health is a component of that. But when I think about like pelvic floor recovery, which will play a role potentially in the body image stuff that we're going to talk about and the capacity to have insertive sex and pleasure and what have you, I feel like there's not enough information provided. So I think people go there thinking, am I going to get the green light or not? And then they
Rachel Ollivier (08:05.282)
Mm-hmm.
Kim (08:14.51)
think that the green light means just, okay, just everything's on the table again. So what were the people, what was the importance of the six week check? Was it the green light that, okay, now it's quote unquote safe to have maybe insert of sex or sexual activity in our relationship? What was the significance that they talked about?
Rachel Ollivier (08:39.693)
So yeah, absolutely, as you said, it was something that was important to them, I think, to kind of get that green light or that green check from their healthcare provider about, okay, this is safe to resume sexual activity if you want to. But really the meaning it held for people was sort of a bit of a dual meaning because I think for some, it had that feeling of kind of, okay, this is a bit of a return to normalcy. It felt like more of a milestone where it's like, okay, we're at six weeks, we're getting just back to kind of the normal.
whatever that is for afterlife and one's sexual relationship as well. And I think for others it really felt like more of a deadline, where it felt like it was too soon, it felt like a very arbitrary time for sort of, you know, am I supposed to be feeling ready, what if I'm not, is something wrong with me? All those sorts of questions, because it really is kind of constructed as a time where, again, yeah, sort of this expectation, both socially and sometimes I think perceived medically, to be a time when people are supposed to be...
feel ready, which we know is not true, it's so individual. But really I remember talking to a few participants who really kind of felt a sort of a sense of dread in a way of that six-week check of okay what are they gonna say, please I need more time, I feel like I need more time. So it also kind of brought up another issue of okay, getting the green light, you know being kind of safe and everything's looking healthy and recovering well, but then also kind of bringing that back to
Okay, what does this mean for me? Because I'm not feeling ready. And as much as the healthcare provider can judge physical healing or things like that, issues like emotional readiness, like pain, those are subjective, right? So it's something that, again, is up to the individual. But it was also kind of difficult, I think, for some to kind of say, okay, the healthcare provider says this, I'm feeling this way. And having that conversation with their partners.
And kind of, again, just trying to keep it open and still, you know, go along with kind of what they were feeling. And that's kind of where that theme of trust your gut came up a little bit in my research of, okay, I'm getting this information, I'm, you know, cleared from, you know, the nurse practitioner, the physician, or whoever it was, the midwife. But it was something that, again, had multiple components. So the six-week check, I think, kind of really brought all of those things together.
Rachel Ollivier (10:53.206)
And it was interesting to see how people navigated that. But yeah, the definition could kind of, yeah, it could be that positive, that negative, it could alternate in terms of how people perceive that time.
Kim (11:03.702)
Yeah, that's so interesting because I think that exactly as you said, there's some people that look at it as they're waiting for that to get, get confirmation that everything's okay. And then even though they may feel okay, they want, they want the clearance from their care provider. Whereas other people are looking at that thinking.
I feel like I should be feeling better than I am and I'm not. And does that mean that I'm failing or does that mean that I am something's wrong? And so there's that piece of the dread in there as well. So I think that that, I don't know that there, there maybe in the future, if we can have different, a different presentation of what that six week check is supposed to. Be or mean, and, and rather than the interpretation of it, supposed to mean this all clear and.
everything should be fine by then because that hopefully could alleviate some of the pressure for people. But, um, yeah, that's interesting. So some of the other things that, that I know that you have talked about and factored in, so let's go down the path of body image and there's, so I don't want to put words into your mouth. We'll hear what you say, but part of that body image, at least with regards to what the field that I'm in is
the pelvic floor, the vulva, the vagina. And so some people think of body image as the weight gain, or I feel, I don't feel like it's my body, my breasts are bigger and I'm leaking milk and you know, all these types of things, but body image can also be the, the way that you feel. And if your pelvic floor isn't feeling great, or you feel like there's been some sort of change to the appearance of your external genitalia, there's the concern there.
was that brought up by any people in the discussion of body image?
Rachel Ollivier (12:53.939)
It was, yeah. And it was something, as you said, I think a lot of people really felt that, yeah, they didn't recognize their bodies. There was sort of this connection that had changed of, okay, yeah, my body looks very different now and what does that mean for me? And in terms of kind of the pelvic floor, you know, again, we talk about changes, you know, breast changes, abdominal changes, things like that. But really, pelvic floor was a definitely piece of that, of kind of that comfort and familiarity piece coming in where, okay, things have changed.
And there was also kind of a bit of a fear of, okay, what is this gonna feel like? Fear of pain were some things that participants talked about in my research. And so kind of one thing that people used to navigate that interestingly was just sort of self exploration, masturbation of okay, this is a comfortable way for me to explore sensations, explore how things are feeling down there. So it was interesting to see how really people, yeah, did kind of take agency or show agency in that way.
of kind of re-exploring their bodies and just kind of what that filter looks like, even before necessarily involving their partners. But really it is, it's something that I think is really connected to our sense of self, our sexual identity, and that does, it really changes, not only in terms of the appearance of our bodies postpartum, but also the function of our bodies postpartum. So again, that's kind of where a big example of the breast changes and breastfeeding comes into play as well.
But yeah, certainly the pelvic floor was kind of a component that people did also include in that body image change and what was important to them.
Kim (14:24.398)
Yeah, I think the conversation around pelvic health is definitely increasing. So there's more people who even are familiar with that term or understand the importance of pelvic floor exercise. A lot of people now have pelvic floor physical therapists as part of their kind of birth and recovery team, if you want to call it that. And so I'm glad to hear that was brought up. I think maybe it.
Rachel Ollivier (14:43.497)
Thank you.
Kim (14:52.186)
probably has always been there, but maybe people now have words or terminology to describe that part of their body rather than down there or it's taboo and we don't talk about what's happened. And it's much more of an open conversation, at least from my point of view. Can you talk a little bit about the breastfeeding piece as well? And this is like, I remember I gave birth just over 19 years ago for the first time. And
Rachel Ollivier (14:58.731)
Yes.
Rachel Ollivier (15:03.639)
Mm.
Kim (15:21.522)
I remember we were joking about how big my breasts were. Like overnight when your milk comes in, they, it was, they were ginormous and I don't have, I normally don't have big breasts. So for some people, some partners, so I have a male partner, my husband, he was quite excited about that, but they're very painful and sore. And so there's this, there's a sexuality,
component to this voluptuousness that I had, but I didn't want any sort of sexual activity that would involve my breasts, if that makes sense. So I'm curious to understand and hear what people talked about and how breastfeeding influences sexual wellness from a postpartum perspective.
Rachel Ollivier (16:01.443)
So yes.
Rachel Ollivier (16:11.862)
Certainly, and yeah, as you're saying, there's several components to that. And I think a lot of the participants echoed, I think what your experience was as well, in terms of kind of these changes, but sort of, again, the meaning of the breast, how was that meaningful to people? And for a lot, I think it was sort of like, okay, I'm using my breasts in a different way now to feed and nurture my baby and have that connection.
And you know, for some they said, you know, right now it feels like my breasts are for my baby Not for my partner kind of thing. So there was again that active negotiation of This different use and different function of the body and I think for a lot of people again with you know Some of the physical symptoms like, you know feeling heavy the swelling they can be sore at times You know nipple dryness nipple soreness all those sorts of things as well But also kind of I think for some feeling touched out a little bit where there is so much contact and you know
it's something you're feeding it over a couple hours with the baby. So also kind of something where it was actually very nice for a lot of participants to just have physical space and not have anyone touching them when it was not needed. So with that, you know, and then it's kind of with breastfeeding, we also talk about the hormonal components as well. So you know, it's prolactin, oxytocin, and sort of the main culprits in terms of changes are estrogen and progesterone. And that also can cause quite a bit of vaginal dryness for most folks as well. So
That was something that came up in my research of actually some second time parents where they said, you know, this time I kind of knew what I needed in terms of, you know, asking for a vaginal moisturizer or an estrogen cream to be prescribed to sort of help with some of those symptoms. But again, kind of, you know, we don't necessarily talk about this all that much. So a lot of people kind of said, you know, it was nice to kind of go in and know a bit more what I needed and, you know, navigating some of the physical.
symptoms associated with breastfeeding was also something that people brought up in my research. And you know again even talking about you know say the milk injection reflex when you know someone is around for climaxing, again it doesn't happen as often but it's something that happens right. So all these taboos, all these things that kind of happen and if people are experiencing them it's sort of like okay is something wrong with me am I normal? So for me it's about yeah getting these out here saying yes it's normal it can happen.
Rachel Ollivier (18:27.006)
There's also been people who have written blogs or have talked about experiences of arousal during breastfeeding and during nutsuckling, again, because of those hormonal responses that are happening in the body, the oxytocin, that cuddle hormone that we talked about. So again, these things are normal. There's nothing wrong with you. So that's also something that I think is important to kind of discuss with breastfeeding and, again, all those changes that are sometimes unexpected. So...
Kim (18:52.854)
Yeah, I think I, I mean, I knew that you, you read about it. People, your midwives tell you, I was prepared that there would be some, but I wasn't quite prepared as to how big they got and how painful it was. And then, and now, so 19 years later, of course, I, I'm, I'm very much open with what I share about my body. And, and sometimes people think it's TMI, but now I almost have a hangover from that tenderness that was created from.
Rachel Ollivier (19:12.073)
Thank you.
Kim (19:21.57)
breastfeeding where that initial latch and painful and like, oh, like it just, it doesn't, it's not as pleasurable for me as it was prior to breastfeeding. That's my personal story. I'm not saying that that's going to be the same for everybody, but it'll be interesting to, if your studies take you kind of looking at people in the next phase of life and what, if there has been a quote unquote hangover from some of the changes.
Rachel Ollivier (19:32.786)
Okay.
Kim (19:47.246)
postpartum and how they navigate that from a sexual wellness perspective. But, um, okay. Uh, kind of on the topic back to when we were talking about the changes to the body, for some, not it, thankfully not common, but it can happen. There can be potential birth injuries. There could potentially be trauma associated with their birth. So did those topics come up as part of your study?
Rachel Ollivier (20:16.074)
Definitely, yeah. And it's something that we've seen a little bit more in the literature in terms of looking at physical and perennial trauma and how that affects sexual outcomes after birth, as well as kind of comparing vaginal versus cesarean sections in terms of outcomes. So it is mixed across the literature. We know that physical trauma does negatively impact sexual health after birth, sort of with more, especially more severe grades of tearing. And so yeah, something was, I think for a lot of people,
Again, as I said, knowing when to kind of seek out resources or how to seek help if they had concerns around that. But also again, that conversation of pelvic floor, you know, when my grandma gave birth and my mom gave birth, that, you know, was not really a thing. So my research really kind of uncovered how there is this, you know, more social conversation. There's that social discourse emerging of pelvic floor health as being something important to sexual health after birth. And, you know, we're seeing people, you know, even in pregnancy.
seeking pelvic floor physiotherapy prior to delivery and after birth and again really having kind of that ownership over yes this is an important component of my sexual health which I think is fantastic. In terms of the participants that I interviewed there were several who experienced third degree tearing and that's kind of where again as you mentioned I'm glad you brought it up I think we really could go further with this research of you know I did interview a few people at around the six month mark postpartum.
who had some injury to the perineum and were still very much experiencing issues. So I think going further to that one year mark, even further would really, I think yield some very rich data. And yeah, for some people, again, they had experienced quite a bit of trauma. So it was also navigating, any talk of health for the therapy, for the people who did seek it, they really found it so positive.
because it allowed them, I think, to really understand what was going on with their body, how that individual feedback, that individual assessment, and also kind of that coaching, where I think there was, I remember one kind of talking about, you know, she said, at times I feel hopeless, you know, not only because, you know, I'm not able to have sexual activity or things are very painful, but, you know, for her, it was crossing her mind of, you know, I also wanna have more kids.
Rachel Ollivier (22:34.782)
And this is really an issue right now. So what is this gonna look like long-term? It was definitely a stressful experience, I think for those who hadn't had, experienced that during delivery. So again, it's no surprise, I think, to anyone who's delivered a baby that these things do impact sexual health. But really, I think we could kind of go into the research a lot more of, okay, yeah, how do people really experience that over the longer term?
What, how does meaning of the pelvic floor change? How do people see it? All those sorts of things. So yes, absolutely.
Kim (23:10.647)
And what do you hope to do? So you're fairly new into your research career and into the research and you've already highlighted that there's a void and there's lots of opportunity for other research to happen. What do you want to do with your data? So what is your hope that the more and more you research, would this hopefully maybe create different guidelines, maybe more awareness of pelvic floor physiotherapy?
better understanding of return to sex and that it doesn't have to be a six week mark, so to speak, or what are you hoping to do?
Rachel Ollivier (23:45.994)
Yeah, I think again, there are so many possibilities and it's nice, you know, having the clinical lens as well.
Rachel Ollivier (23:54.518)
first patient educational tool on sexual health after birth to be used on postpartum units in midwifery clinics and public health offices. So that's something that's been rolled out over a few provinces in Atlantic Canada so far. So really kind of again bridging that information gap I think that's something that I see is a huge piece where we can come in you know as healthcare providers you and I both have that lens.
of being able to offer that support and offer that information. Because I think when you're a new parent and you're navigating so much, there's so many changes. And we all know the Google rabbit hole is sometimes very scary. So having reliable resources to kind of go on. And if people are needing extra assistance or follow up, knowing how to access that as well. So information for me is a big piece. And I think we really have an opportunity where, again, as a nurse, I know that that's how we do discharge teaching on those units.
So having I made kind of just a little one-pager, simple, but as a way of not only having kind of a resource for information, but also a way of kind of bringing up the conversation either with, you know, their nurse or their midwife or the obstetrician. It's kind of a nice medium to sort of, again, just bring it up, simply bring it up, I think even is so powerful. So having that rolled out, getting the education out there, you know, having these conversations during the prenatal period as well.
And yes, certainly I think my research has certainly, you know, a position in informing policy, informing, you know, what's available in terms of resources. Again, pelvic floor physio was something that the participants in my study felt was so positive. But we also know it's an issue in terms of accessibility because it's not covered. So people are paying out of pocket if they don't have private insurance. So even things like that, you know, we see other countries where it is publicly funded. I think that's an important certainly, you know, thing to add.
because we know that influences outcomes far beyond the postpartum period in terms of gynecological health and preventing prolapse and all those sorts of things. I see that trend throughout my career as well, having worked in gynecology as a registered nurse as well. I think there is a lot of space for this certainly in a variety of ways, including public conversations.
Rachel Ollivier (26:05.702)
on podcasts or whatever it is, it's also important just to talk about it, get the research out there and normalize some of those conversations. Because I think the more that we have people share their different experiences, the more we normalize different experiences, rather than say a one size fits all with the six-week check, which we know is not helpful to most people, right? So that I think is also important in terms of conversation.
Kim (26:29.314)
Yeah, I have a sincere hope that at some point during my lifetime, we have pelvic floor physiotherapy covered by our governments. And I mean, so I'm in Canada, obviously, I hope within Canada, but really, at the end of the day, I hope it becomes a global standard of care. I just the mental health savings, the bottom line.
Rachel Ollivier (26:41.521)
Yes.
Kim (26:56.682)
financial cost savings to both governments and persons, individual pocketbooks with, you know, not having to buy pads and what have you. I just feel like there's so much opportunity there to save sexual wellness, to save mental health, to save a person's physical exercise capacity if we could remove the barriers of pelvic or physiotherapy and make it more accessible. So I really hope that your research and others will.
we'll move that needle forward because it just, I think, I think it would change the world. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. One more topic I wanna talk about before we go is contraception. So that's another big component, obviously. So you've said, you know, there's some people in there that maybe have had some negative experiences, but they're thinking, I wanna have another baby. And then there's other people that are thinking, maybe they've had a negative or positive, but they're thinking, I don't want to have.
Rachel Ollivier (27:29.282)
Absolutely, I second that. I second that.
Kim (27:53.322)
another baby or at least not anytime soon. So what sort of tips do you have from a contraception topic? So what was in your studies, what was coming up as what people were using or thinking about and what are your recommendations for contraception in the early, like how soon should they start and what are the forms that they should be considering?
Rachel Ollivier (28:15.223)
Yeah, so it's definitely something we get questions about. One thing that actually is usually covered at the six-week check, so it's good that again, if sexual health does come up at all at that six-week check, it's usually about contraception. So there are certainly many methods, and it's an individual choice of what's best for you and your health in partnership with your healthcare provider. But certainly non-hormonal methods are safe, so things like the copper IUD.
Also progesterone only methods we know are safe during the postpartum period, so you know I always say there is possibility of becoming pregnant any time after birth, even if someone is still passing lochia or still having that bleeding. It is important to have some method of contraception, so whether that's use of you know male condoms kind of for a little bit or whatever is best. So some progesterone only options include you know what's commonly deemed the mini pill, so the progesterone only pill, as well as the arm implant, so next planin.
and progesterone-only IUDs like Mirena. So those are all options for people postpartum generally that are safe for most people. And yeah so it's kind of again a conversation in terms of you know timing for people. We also hear a lot about kind of the what's called the lactational amenorrhea method that people use well if and if they're breastfeeding and doing so regularly. So there are guidelines as well from the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada.
So it is required if people are using that. Again, it's not necessarily the most reliable form of contraception, but people do, you know, talk about it. But it's important to have very regular breastfeeding for that one to be effective. So again, usually that one we have just a conversation with the patient about, you know, what their beliefs are, what's best for them in terms of, you know, risk tolerance and things like that. Yeah, so no, it's something that definitely comes up and there are a lot of options, which is nice.
and kind of again seeing what's needed in that medium postpartum period and then perhaps longer. So generally I find this is something that healthcare providers will touch on, which again is also important.
Kim (30:11.284)
Okay.
Kim (30:17.282)
I just thought of a question I've actually never thought about this before. Um, how soon postpartum could somebody have an IUD implanted? I, so I could make an assumption that after the six week check, it could happen, but maybe that's not true. What, what is, when can that happen?
Rachel Ollivier (30:36.551)
So yeah, that can happen at the six-week mark. And actually we see some examples where people actually immediately postpartum, so immediately after delivery have an ID inserted if they know that they want.
Kim (30:45.899)
Really?
Rachel Ollivier (30:48.086)
So it is a possibility. There is some level of higher risk if that is done. So there's an increased risk of uterine perforation as well as expulsion of the IUD because the uterus, the cervix, everything is still going back down to size. It takes about six weeks for all that to go back down to pre-pregnancy size. So it is possible to have an IUD inserted actually immediately after birth. But again, we usually have kind of a conversation because there are some risks associated with that.
And yeah, so kind of again, it's kind of what's best for the patient. Usually we're kind of, if it's not done immediately after birth, typically we're having that conversation at the sixth week mark. And it is absolutely safe to have an ID inserted at that six week check, if it's something people want.
Kim (31:31.354)
Wow, I had no idea you could do it immediately. That's interesting. Yeah, very cool. Thank you so much for your work and for sharing your knowledge. Where can people learn more about some of the work that you have done, the work that you will be doing? Do you have a website or a location that you would direct people to?
Rachel Ollivier (31:34.976)
Yes, yes. Yes.
Rachel Ollivier (31:52.293)
I have, so I have a ResearchGate profile, which is generally where most of our publications are out, so again, that's sort of the research piece. But my profile on ResearchGate is something that people can look into if they're wanting to look at the literature that I've been involved with, other maternal health research more generally. And otherwise, I am on social media, on Twitter, for anyone who's wanting to connect there.
And yeah, kind of as things come up, as projects come up, I'll usually share, again, be sharing those features or things like that, so yeah. Thank you very much for having me, Kim.
Kim (32:24.29)
Amazing, and I will post the links to those in the show notes. So thank you so much for spending half an hour with me and sharing all this amazing knowledge.
