Seashore Women's Health

06/09/2024

🤔 Have you seen your gynecologist this year?

American women will spend an estimated 40% of their life postmenopausal. 😮

Women’s health care should be much more than “Do I need to go for a pap smear this year?”

An annual Wellness Exam with your gynecologist is certainly a time to screen for many preventative diseases including other cancers of the reproductive organs besides the cervix.

ESPECIALLY if you are already experiencing perimenopausal symptoms, it is the ideal time to discuss ways to optimize your s*xual, metabolic, cardiac and bone health through the menopause transition and beyond.

Women’s quality of life matters!

06/09/2024

🤔 Have you seen your gynecologist this year?

American women will spend an estimated 40% of their life postmenopausal. 😮

Women’s health care should be much more than “Do I need to go for a pap smear this year?”

An annual Wellness Exam with your gynecologist is certainly a time to screen for many preventative diseases including other cancers of the reproductive organs besides the cervix.

ESPECIALLY if you are already experiencing perimenopausal symptoms, it is the ideal time to discuss ways to optimize your s*xual, metabolic, cardiac and bone health through the menopause transition and beyond.

Women’s quality of life matters!

03/24/2024

Measles cases are spiking nationwide. Measles is highly contagious and can lead to severe illness and complications. Anyone who is unvaccinated or undervaccinated is at risk. The MMR vaccine is 97% effective. Only nonpregnant adults born after 1957 who have not previously received the MMR vaccine should receive the MMR vaccine. See our new practice advisory for our recommendations: https://bit.ly/3TP8ZWM

02/24/2024

The recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling in LePage v. Mobile Infirmary Clinic jeopardizes IVF access nationwide. We support our Alabama members and the patients, families, and communities they serve. We’re committed to protecting reproductive health care access and eliminating legislative and judicial interference in medical practice. Read our full statement: https://bit.ly/3I7iBWl

02/12/2024

Awww….Thank you for nominating Seashore Women’s Health! 🥰

Cast your vote for the finest in town!

12/26/2023

12/21/2023

We got a special visit from our friends at Pelvic Prescription Physical Therapy & Wellness today!

11/11/2023

Over one third of women (36.7%) now report having been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lifetime. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the prevalence of depression in 2021 was highest among individuals aged 18-25 (18.6%), especially among adolescent females (29.2%). It’s never too early to focus on our mental health needs as women. 🧘‍♀️💖

10/31/2023

Happy Halloween from the Seashore Cowgirls and Cowboy Freddie! 🎃🤠🧡

08/31/2023

The office is closed today due to the storm. We will reopen tomorrow morning 9/1/23 at 8:30 am.

02/05/2023

📣 📣 This is an excellent article in support of the treatment of perimenopausal/menopausal symptoms in women. The author clarifies the controversy surrounding hormone replacement therapy (HRT) over the past 25-30 years. Current evidence supports that the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks in the MAJORITY of women suffering from symptoms. Many types of HRT, including FDA approved “bio identical” plant-derived hormonal medications, are covered by most insurance plans and should be affordable for all women. The decision to use hormonal or non-hormonal therapy to control symptoms and optimize health should be individualized. I encourage all symptomatic women to have a discussion with their trusted OB/GYN provider to see if HRT or non-hormonal treatment might be right for them. Please also share this article with the women in your life that may be suffering.

~ Nadine Antonelli, MD FACOG

Hot flashes, sleeplessness, pain during s*x: For some of menopause’s worst symptoms, there’s an established treatment. Why aren’t more women offered it?

12/01/2022

Happy 3rd Birthday to our sweet Freddie! We love you! 💗🐶🐾

11/09/2022

If you are looking for Leighton Morgan, PA, here she is! Leighton is available to schedule both existing patients and new patients through her new Wilmington mental health practice, Embrace Wellness Group. 😊

Meet Our Medication Providers:

"Hi everyone! My name is Leighton and I am excited to join Embrace Wellness as a psychiatric physician assistant! I graduated from Erskine College with degrees in biological sciences and French. I then obtained my Masters in Physician Assistant Studies from the Medical University of South Carolina in 2015. I have worked in various settings, including general psychiatry, family medicine, urgent care, and with a federally qualified health center.

At Embrace, my responsibility is to diagnose and treat a variety of mental health concerns, including depression, PTSD, anxiety disorders, ADHD, bipolar disorder and addiction. I have particular interest in the management of treatment-resistant depression. I am certified as a Spravato practitioner and Embrace is a REMS certified health center. I am excited to help patients in Wilmington and beyond find peace and better living through holistic and evidence-based medicine to diagnose and treat illness.

In my free time, I enjoy the beach, reading, practicing yoga and running around after my two rescue dogs, Lola and Winston."

Interested in scheduling with Leighton? Call 910-746-8717 to speak with our client coordinators or check out our website (link in bio) for more information.

10/31/2022

Happy Halloween from your friends at Seashore Women’s Health! Thank you for allowing us to care for you! 🥰💗💙💜🎃

10/05/2022

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week. If you or your loved one is struggling with depression, please know that help is available.

“Notably, for the first time, mental health conditions were a leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related deaths, which was reflective of the largest number of deaths among white, Hispanic, and American Indian or Alaska Native populations. “

CDC data show that over 80% of maternal deaths were preventable. For the first time in specific populations, mental health conditions were the leading underlying cause of pregnancy-related deaths. This information underscores the importance of and increasing access to the full spectrum of reproductive health care. Read ACOG’s statement to learn more: https://bit.ly/3E4WDCD

09/30/2022

Due to inclement weather, we have decided to close the office for the day. We will reopen at 8:30 am Monday, Oct 3. Please be safe!

09/30/2022

GOOD NEWS! 👏 👏 👏

Wilmington community psychiatric leaders Dr. Brett Gurkin, Dr. Christopher Myers and Hillary Faulk Vaughan have put together a stellar team of mental health professionals to serve my patients in need. I’m very excited to help share the news of this new comprehensive mental health group in Wilmington. They are an ethical, evidence based medical practice capable of managing a wide range of mental health issues including those requiring medication. They do participate with all the major insurers. This is a HUGE need in our community!

We are growing! 💚💚💚

In addition to clinical mental health services, we will be offering psychiatric medication management beginning October 24th!

And we're so excited to share more details about these new services (and more!) over the next couple weeks. Stay tuned!

09/28/2022

Three out of four women will experience painful in*******se at some point in their life. There are many causes of painful in*******se and sometimes multiple contributing factors. Getting to the root cause(s) can often be very frustrating for patients. Due to the sensitive nature of the topic, many women chose to just suffer in silence or to stop having s*x all together. Intimacy within relationships can be negatively impacted as a result. Taking a detailed clinical history and performing a thorough physical examination is the first step in helping women identify obstacles to enjoyable s*xual encounters. If you are experiencing persistent pain with in*******se, consider establishing a relationship with a trusted ob-gyn specialist who can explore this challenging issue with you.

This , engage in open conversations about s*x and s*xuality to cultivate the safety and health of your body and relationships. Share any concerns with your ob-gyn, and discuss safe practices. Learn more about s*xual health: https://bit.ly/3BnG5Tz

07/04/2022

Today’s decision is a direct blow to bodily autonomy, reproductive health, patient safety, and health equity in the United States.

07/01/2022

So what about….HORMONES ?!?!?!?

Pills, patches, gels, sprays, creams or pellets? Systemic versus local hormonal therapy? “Over the counter,” compounded hormones or conventional hormone preparations approved and regulated by the FDA?

What works the best? What is the safest?

Do you need to “check your hormones” before you start hormone therapy?

If you pay out of pocket, and have your “levels checked” does that mean the product is safer and more effective than conventional hormone replacement therapy?

It can be extremely confusing when a woman tries to do her own research on-line, especially when she does not have a medical degree or a background in reproductive biology.

Online sources are often fraught with bias because someone is trying to sell something to you.

It can get even trickier when you actually consult with various practitioners who prescribe hormone replacement therapy. They may be trying to sell something to you, too!

Not to mention, the various opinions from friends, co-workers, family members and even celebrities.

Women just want to be sure they are doing the right thing. Who can they really trust?

Hormones are powerful substances that can help relieve women's symptoms as they transition through menopause and beyond, but ALL hormones have risks and benefits…no matter what the source. There are also non-hormonal alternatives that are worth discussing.

Establishing a relationship with a trusted, experienced practitioner of women's health is always a good starting place. Just as no two individuals are exactly alike, there is no “one right way” to treat the symptoms of menopause which will certainly change as you transition through the years.

It is your physician's job to help guide you in determining the safest and most effective approach at relieving your symptoms based on medical evidence. They should also play a role in helping you protect your pocketbook!

The American College of Obstetrics & Gynecology has published the following fact sheet for patients. It's a very brief introduction to the subject. If you are considering hormone therapy to relieve your symptoms this is a good starting point.

Nadine Antonelli, MD FACOG

Hormone therapy is a medical treatment that can help relieve the symptoms of menopause and perimenopause. Learn about the different types of hormone therapy.

06/28/2022

Consensus statement from organizations specializing in maternal health.

This decision in Dobbs v. Jackson is a systemic dismantling of patient autonomy, reproductive health, and the patient–clinician relationship, and we soundly condemn this outcome.” Joining other organizations specializing in maternal health, we denounce the devastating consequences of the decision. Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/39ORl1k

06/28/2022

As a board certified OB/GYN who has been practicing for close to 30 years, I would argue that new life doesn’t start with conception. It could start with conception, but the process that occurs when a s***m successfully meets a viable egg in a Fallopian tube (or a Petri dish) is just a hope. There is no guarantee that life will successfully prevail.

Those that would argue that interruption of that process should not be allowed by men/women should consider that men/women manipulate reproduction in other ways to encourage possible life that would not exist otherwise. We can’t have it both ways. It is not fair to use reproductive medical science to help one woman achieve their reproductive rights and then refuse another because they don’t share your religious views.

Regardless, conception is always a hope. Life cannot continue without a woman. She must at least give birth should pregnancy even result in a live born infant. Even more importantly, there is no way for that life to continue without decades of support.

We have a crisis in this country. A religious minority refuses to protect the access to affordable contraception, reasonable parental leave policies, affordable childcare, affordable housing and quality education for the “yet to be born” at the same time criminalizing a woman for choosing to not continue with “a hope.”

Pro-life advocates would do well to use their energy and power more effectively and focus on a “life confirmed.” Keep abortion safe, legal and in the hands of women and their healthcare providers and instead focus on prevention of unintended pregnancy. It’s cost effective and avoids the conflict in the first place.

Next, take care of the already born, the “life confirmed”. Support the parentless, hungry, neglected, uneducated children who are alive and suffering now.

Above all, take care of women. Life does not exist without them.

Nadine Antonelli, MD FACOG

06/25/2022

President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Iffath A Hoskins, MD FACOG, speaks for me and Seashore Women’s Health when she calls the United States Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe versus Wade “a direct blow to bodily autonomy, reproductive health, patient safety and health equity in the United States.”

As a female board certified OB/GYN and mother, I will continue to educate, advocate for and take care of all women, regardless of their very personal choices about their reproductive health.

Nadine Antonelli, MD FACOG

You can read the full statement below.

Today’s decision is a direct blow to bodily autonomy, reproductive health, patient safety, and health equity in the United States.

05/24/2022

We are so excited to share wonderful news! Our dear Stella was just accepted to medical school! She has everything it takes to be an incredible physician. This opportunity was well deserved. She will be starting her studies at SUNY Upstate Medical University at the end of summer. Congratulations, Stella! We knew you could do it! We are so proud of you! You will ALWAYS have a home here at Seashore Women’s Health. ❤️

08/24/2021

This graphic represents the patients who are hospitalized at all Novant Health hospitals as of August 19th. The proportions of vaccinated vs unvaccinated are representative of what we're seeing in our area. The total number hospitalized at NHRMC is currently around 104. Each of the people you see here on this graphic represents a life. It represents a person with goals and dreams. Someone who has a family and people who love them. Please remember those loved ones when you're commenting on this post. And please remember them when you're out in our community. You can protect yourself and those you love by getting vaccinated. You can protect those you come in contact with by wearing a mask. You can make the difference between this graphic filling up with people week after week. With our hospital filling up with COVID-19 patients week after week. Head to nhrmc.org/covid to schedule your vaccine.

08/23/2021

Good news for those waiting for official FDA approval! The FDA just approved Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. It’s also been given a brand new name, Comirnaty.

FDA approved the first COVID-19 vaccine, now marketed as Comirnaty, for the prevention of COVID-19 disease in individuals 16 years of age and older.

08/15/2021

This is the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology’s official position on vaccine safety. Vaccines are safe before, during and after pregancy. The evidence is clear that COVID infection puts pregnant women at an increased risk of severe illness and death.

This recommendation in support of vaccination during pregnancy reflects evidence demonstrating the safe use of the COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy.

08/12/2021

Please get vaccinated!

UPDATE: the number of COVID-19 patients has risen over the past few days to the high 70’s.

NHRMC only had a few patients hospitalized with the virus just three weeks ago. As of Monday, there were 60 people admitted at NHRMC fighting the virus. More than 90% of COVID-19 patients being treated at Novant Health hospitals are not vaccinated.
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