Sister to Sister Women's Care, LLC

07/03/2025

Hello Sister-to-Sister Family -

Thank you so much for joining me as I blogged about my fibroid journey, the post-op recovery, and all the unexpected twists and turns that occurred. I am so excited to share this chapter of my life with you all. I hope that some part of this 6-part series resonates with you or someone you love.

Please like, share, and follow!

Until Next Post,
💫 Dr. Mara

Direct link: https://s2swc.com/blog%3A-midwife-minute?blogcategory=Fibroid+Series

06/30/2025

Six weeks post-hysterectomy.
Saayyyy Whaaaaat 🎤

Pain-free. ✅
Moving again. ✅
Grateful beyond words. ✅

This journey has been emotional, empowering, and exhausting, but I’m proud to say I listened to my body, trusted my gut, and gave myself time to recover fully.

From constipation battles to getting back on my bike, hormone crashes to moments of peace, this recovery taught me how to be soft with myself. And now…I’m walking back into my career, my calling, and my body with new energy.

If you’re navigating fibroids, surgery, or just want a real, raw account of hysterectomy healing…read the last article of my blog series.

Share with a friend. Let’s stop suffering in silence.

https://s2swc.com/blog%3A-midwife-minute/f/part-6-six-weeks-post-hysterectomy

IG .maramidwife
Email me at tamara@s2swc.com
💕Dr. Mara

Part 6: Recovery, Reflection, and Reclaiming My Energy

06/30/2025

True vs False Labor? Let’s Break it Down!!

False labor is kinda all over the place… like a middle school band warming up.
True labor is rhythmic, strong, and gets closer together… think Beyonce live in concert!

If you’re not sure which one you’re feeling, don’t guess… CALL YOUR PROVIDER. We can help you decide whether it’s safe to ride it out at home or come in to triage for a full evaluation.

Trust your body and TRUST YOUR GUT. Do not be afraid to reach out!
💕Dr. Mara

06/13/2025

The first few weeks after hysterectomy? Whew.
The emotional toll, the boredom, the body fog…it’s real. But so is the healing, and so is the freedom.

In this new blog post, I’m sharing the part no one talks about:
📌What it felt like to say goodbye to my uterus.
📌How I prepped emotionally and spiritually.
📌The exhaustion hit harder than I expected.
📌Why therapy and sisterhood saved me.
📌What I’m learning about myself on the other side.

If you or someone you love is facing this surgery, share this. Bookmark it. Come back to it. We don’t have to go through healing in silence anymore.

💜 Read the blog: https://s2swc.com/blog%3A-midwife-minute/f/the-silent-struggle-emotions-and-rest

Part 5: The First Few Weeks & the Emotional Toll of Hysterectomy

06/05/2025

Surgery Day + That First Breath After

I barely slept the night before my hysterectomy, maaaaaybe 2 hours. Not from doubt, but because after 14 years in OB and surgery, I knew too much. I had witnessed enough intubations to keep myself up, replaying every possible scenario, I wasn’t afraid of the surgery… I was afraid of what I couldn’t control.

And here’s what no one told us about surgery day:
-Follow every single instruction. Your surgical team isn’t making suggestions... they’re laying out your safety net.
-The moment they say “no food after midnight,” your stomach gets extra dramatic.
-I arrived early (a miracle in itself), my coworker met me and my mom, and just like that I felt grounded again.

Once back in pre-op, I had my IV placed, vitals done, pregnancy test taken (because, protocols), and I requested Versed. Why? Because lying flat on an OR table is my trigger, and it wasn’t going to be peaceful unless I had a little help relaxing.

My team was ALL women. ALL brilliant. ALL compassionate.
My surgeon came in, my urogynecologist came in, and my mom met the resident, fellow, CRNA, and PA. I looked at her and said, “Look at all this woman power and all this diversity. I’m safe here.”
The last thing I saw? A photo of the PA’s baby, I helped catch. Full circle.

The surgery didn’t convert to open, shout out to the laparoscopic win, but baby, the gas pain was real. Post-op, I felt heavy and full… like I couldn’t move or burp. My nurse was everything. She stayed on top of my pain, reassured me, and never made me feel rushed. I stayed in recovery about 6 hours, long enough to p*e, hydrate, and get my bearings.

Here’s what I wish more of us knew:
-General anesthesia knocks you out, but doesn’t manage pain. My team had a plan, pre-op Tylenol, post-op fentanyl + dilaudid. But honestly, it was around-the-clock Tylenol + Motrin and SLEEP that helped me heal.
-Gas and bloating were wild. Senna and my binder helped. But that first walk to get that gas moving… I barely made it past three houses before I had to lean over, hands on knees, deep breathing like I was between pain, exhaustion, and being back in labor.
-The post-op tiredness isn’t the same as the fibroid fatigue. This is a ‘rebuild-your-body-from-the-inside’ tired. And it requires giving yourself grace.

By Day 2, I was able to labor-coach myself through the most anticipated bowel movement of my life (midwives, y’all already know). I now FULLY believe in the power of J-breathing.

Rest is essential. Not a suggestion. A prescription.

I’m grateful for my team, for the timing, for the brilliance in that OR, and for the power of telling the story with my own voice.
💕Dr. Mara

✨ In Part 5, I’ll share more about what recovery really looks like—emotionally, physically, spiritually.
Let’s keep naming what was never said out loud.

Part 4: Surgery Day & Immediate Post-Op

06/05/2025

OMG! Our episode is posted!!!!!
🌸 New Episode Alert: Early OB Visits & Prenatal Care Models 🌸

Expecting? 🤰 Tune in to the latest episode of Ob/Gyn Time by Cleveland Clinic, where Dr. Erica Newlin and myself, Dr. Tamara Noy CNM, delve into:
🩺 What to expect during your first OB visi
🧑‍⚕️ Exploring different prenatal care models
🤝 How collaboration between OBs, midwives, and specialists ensures comprehensive care

Whether you're newly pregnant or planning ahead, this episode is packed with insights to empower your prenatal journey.

🎧 Listen now: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/podcasts/ob-gyn-time/early-ob-visits-and-models-of-prenatal-care

Erica Newlin, MD and Tamara Noy, CNM, DNP discuss the early OB visits and walk us through what to expect from different models of prenatal care.

06/01/2025

✨ PREPPING FOR SURGERY: What They Don’t Tell You ✨
Part 3 of my Fibroid Series: “The Silent Struggle”

So listen… getting a surgery date is one thing...
Getting your body, mind, and spirit ready for it? That’s a whole other beast.

Once I found my surgeon, the real work began. My hysterectomy was scheduled, but what came next was months of lab work, pelvic exams, scans, and even a referral to a urogynecologist to address prolapse (yes, that’s a thing too).

-Blood work to check my anemia.
-Pelvic ultrasounds that were invasive but necessary.
-MRIs to map out the surgical approach.
-Endometrial biopsy to rule out cancer.
-Urodynamic studies to check bladder strength.
-Multiple pelvic exams…some uncomfortable, ALL critical.

Was it overwhelming? Absolutely.
But was it worth it? 1000%. 🙌🏾

✨ The biggest lesson?
Being Informed = Being EMPOWERED.
We deserve full explanations, thorough evaluations, and shared decision-making. Don’t let anyone rush you or make you feel like you’re asking too much. You’re asking for what’s necessary.
I’ll say it again for the folks in the back:
➡️ Advocate for lidocaine if you have to undergo urodynamic studies.
➡️ Ask all the questions.
➡️ Keep a symptom log.
➡️ Trust your intuition. It’s not “extra,” it’s accurate.
You are not just preparing for surgery. You’re preparing for the rest of your life.
💬 Drop a 💜 if you’ve ever felt unprepared, unheard, or unsupported through your fibroid journey.
Let’s make space for healing with full information and full power.

📚 Up next in Part 4: I walk you through the week of surgery—what I packed, how I prepped my home, and what I learned the hard way so YOU don’t have to. Stay tuned.

Part 3: Pre-Surgical Preparation

05/29/2025

💜 Part 2 is here: A Provider Who Listens 💜
There’s a difference between knowing something is wrong and having someone actually hear you.
I lived with chronic pelvic pain, fatigue, low mood, brain fog, and a body that was screaming… but I was constantly told to wait, to manage, to minimize.
Until my chiropractor listened. Until my gynecologist heard me.
✨ She felt what I was feeling, even when I didn’t have the words.
✨ She saw what wasn’t showing up clearly on the scans.
✨ And she spoke what I hadn’t yet said out loud.
That moment of being heard cracked something open in me and I couldn’t unhear it. I knew I needed a hysterectomy. Not just for the pain, but for my peace.
As a Black woman and a provider myself, I had seen too many of us dismissed, misdiagnosed, and forced to prove our pain. That stops with me. And I hope this post helps it stop with you, too.
In this article, I’m walking you through how I chose my surgeon, why shared decision-making mattered, and what I wish I knew before that first consultation.
🛑 Don’t just “deal with it.”
🗣 Advocate for yourself like your quality of life depends on it… because it does.
📋 I’m also sharing:
• Questions to ask your provider
• Labs to consider if fatigue is your biggest symptom
• When to seek a second opinion
• How to prepare a symptom log that gets results
👂🏽 You deserve to be heard.
🤝🏾 You deserve a provider who listens, collaborates, and respects your lived experience.

Read Part 2: A Provider Who Listens and reclaim your right to wellness.
📖 This is your body. This is your life. Let’s get you the care you deserve.
Like, share, comments, save!!!

And sis, don’t ignore your instincts.
They never lie to you.
💕Dr. Mara

Part 2: A Provider Who Listened

05/25/2025

NEW SERIES LAUNCH: Living with Fibroids – Part 1
“Living with the Symptoms”

For years, I was told, “Your fibroids are small.”
For years, I minimized my own pain.
Until the backaches, the fatigue, the heavy cycles, the mood swings—and the silence—became too much to bear.

This first article in my new 6-part series gets personal. I’m sharing the real, raw journey of what it felt like to live with fibroids, advocate for myself, and finally be heard.

If you’ve ever:
➡️ Felt like your symptoms were dismissed
➡️ Struggled with chronic pelvic pain or fatigue
➡️ Been told to “wait and see”
➡️ Wondered if you were alone

…this is for you.

✨ Read Part 1: “Living With the Symptoms”
✨ Discover the power of being heard
✨ Get ready for Part 2, where we break down what fibroids are and how to talk to your provider

📖 Click to read. Share to support. You’re not alone.
💕Dr. Mara

Let's Dig into Part 1: Fibroids, Fatigue, and Feeling Heard

01/03/2025

Mammograms. A necessity if you are over 40 year-old!

Early detection is how we save ourselves and our sisters and our friends. Breast self-exams are first line and should start as early as age 20. Get to know YOUR breast tissue. Learn each lump, each bump, how they look at different angles (standing, leaning forward, from the side). This should be performed monthly, regardless if you have monthly cycles or not. Pick a date and stick with it.

Want hear more about what I have to say? Check out my latest blog post in “Midwife Minutes”. Link is in my STORY from today.

https://s2swc.com/blog%3A-midwife-minute/f/mammograms

10/10/2024

Listen. Being a Midwife is NOT for the weak.
9 years ago I did not think I would even finish school. (Story for another post)
Now, hundreds of babies and hundreds of families later, I am so blessed to have been a part of so many of your stories.

Every woman deserves a midwife. If not for your birth, for your annual exam, your pap testing, STI testing, or just to hear your story. Striving hard to make midwifery-led care the standard of care for so many women here in greater Cleveland.

Happy Midwifery Week to the women who came before me, came after me, came because of watching what we do in this community. What we do is unicorn work, we are so special in this birth world. 👣

💕Dr. Mara

03/04/2024

Doula friends, Midwife sisters… chime in!!! 💕
They asked, I answered!! Cheers to hearing women’s voices!

Nurse midwives and certified doulas can be important parts of your pregnancy and labor team. But what do each of them do? Find out.