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Themamadoc.net A blog about an OB/GYN’s mission to share her meditations on Christ and to reduce maternal mortality

In June we celebrate cancer survivors! I think a lot of people approach the topic of cancer like “I hope I don’t get it....
25/06/2025

In June we celebrate cancer survivors! I think a lot of people approach the topic of cancer like “I hope I don’t get it.” What if we approached it like “I’m going to do something to prevent it.” Let’s put faith over fear by making sure we are up to date on screenings:
1) Schedule your well woman exam for your Pap smear (cervical cancer screen)
2) Take a friend with you to your screening mammogram (breast cancer screening) and then go to the spa afterwards for massages
3) Drive a loved one over age 45 to the hospital for colonoscopy (colon cancer screening)

If you or someone you know does not have medical insurance, you should still pursue screenings. Look for organizations that raise money to pay for screenings such as mammograms like

I was invited to be on the medical board of SurviveHer this year and I could not be more pleased to support this impactful organization which not only provides money for screenings such mammograms but also supports breast cancer survivors through programming & care packages. Follow the IG page for , feel free to drop names of a cancer survivor in the comments so we can pray for their strength, send a token of love to a cancer survivor whom you know and do something proactive today to lower your cancer risk!
















This Juneteenth I want to be joyful about our freedom but I have a heavy heart for the family of Ms. Adriana Smith. She ...
19/06/2025

This Juneteenth I want to be joyful about our freedom but I have a heavy heart for the family of Ms. Adriana Smith. She was declared brain dead in February 2025 but was kept alive due to her 9 week old embryo based on the Georgia law regarding having a pregnancy with a detectable heart beat.

On 6/13/25 her infant was delivered by emergency cesarean section and Ms. Smith was taken off of life support on Tuesday 6/17/25.

All we can do now is pray for her infant so he can overcome the physical challenges of being preterm and we should pray about his mental fortitude regarding a life without his mother.

The way we can honor Ms. Smith and our ancestors on this Juneteenth is by pursuing estate planning. Young women who become pregnant are not likely thinking about end of life issues but as we fight to lower the Black maternal mortality rate we must prepare ourselves if some unfortunate circumstances occur. I urge each of you reading this page to get life insurance, to create a will and develop an advanced directive (also known as a living will) so that your family & your physicians will know your wishes if you were impaired so that you could not advocate for yourself or if you died. This preparation will not change the laws of your state so keep yourself up to date on the local laws.

May God accept the spirit of Ms. Smith with open arms, may He cover her son with the blood of the Lamb and may we pour libations this Juneteenth over any Black woman who has lost agency of her body…we shall overcome!

✊🏿❤️🖤💚














Fertility can be tough. Some people spend the vast majority of their lives trying not to get pregnant and when they want...
23/05/2025

Fertility can be tough. Some people spend the vast majority of their lives trying not to get pregnant and when they want to conceive they can’t. Other people had a baby before they were ready but struggle to find the right contraception method that won’t give them overwhelming side effects.

Wherever you are in your fertility journey, I can empathize with you and help you. .obgyn we partner with awesome fertility specialists in the greater Houston area. If you need fertility treatments but the cost is a barrier, then here is a dose of hope for you!

Scan the QR code or visit http://www.yourivfgrant.com/ to apply for in vitro fertilization grants or genetic testing coverage.

Grants can be used at any clinic, but those choosing Aspire Houston Fertility Institute will also receive a 10% discount on fertility services. Deadline is JUNE 23,2025

Be safe this Memorial Day Weekend and be encouraged if you want to pursue motherhood!

















Once upon a time when I was in medical school , I was invited to participate in a week long training at the prestigious...
16/04/2025

Once upon a time when I was in medical school , I was invited to participate in a week long training at the prestigious Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. It gave me an incredible opportunity to meet medical students from across the nation—-from Morehouse to Harvard. We attended lectures, practiced medical procedures and simulations. I am still Facebook friends with many of these awesome individuals who practice medicine even today. This program targeted minority students to recruit physicians of color to Mayo Clinic back when systemic racism in healthcare was acknowledged.

The problem with our current state of affairs is that removal of diversity and inclusion programs (often called DEI initiatives) does not erase the legacy of hatred towards persons of color in this country.

Not only will there be less Black physicians in the future if we do not do something radical about diversity….the shortage of OB/Gyns in the U.S. will worsen Black maternal health crisis.

This is a call to action:
1) DEI initiatives are good for everyone particularly in healthcare because where there is a diverse population there will be diverse thoughts about how to care about those patients by taking into account cultural & ethnic contexts
2) We have to change the laws that reduce reproductive freedoms—-particularly in southern U.S. states—since they are not only reducing access to care but discouraging medical students from entering the Ob/Gyn specialty.
3) I implore to change the structure of our specialty which is too vast—-I recommend 2 years of general Ob/Gyn residency and 2 years of track specific training (to prepare for general Ob/Gyn care, specialty training Gyn oncology, or hospitalist medicine) We have to reduce the burnout with creative solutions to help Ob/Gyns rest & perform self care
4) We must work collaboratively with other birth workers to save












Welcome to April which is Minority Health Month! 🙌🏾Thanks to all who participated in the CARE Connection: “Getting to Re...
02/04/2025

Welcome to April which is Minority Health Month! 🙌🏾

Thanks to all who participated in the CARE Connection: “Getting to Reproductive Equity” on Saturday 3/29/25. We had an exceptional time learning about reproductive justice, s*x education and just overall fellowship about the endless work to protect reproductive rights. Yes…before you get judgy…that’s me in the floral dress that’s probably too short for a panel discussion but I wear scrubs & crocs everyday. You are going to have to deal with these legs and those pumps, Ok! 👠

Anyway we need community activism and resource sharing more than ever in these turbulent times. If there was ever a time to celebrate Black health improvement and opportunities for wellness despite systemic racism…it’s now. Minority Health Month is no longer acknowledged by the federal government (no surprise) so we will do what we always do…celebrate ourselves. Do something meaningful to celebrate your health this month…go for a walk outdoors, add another vegetable on your plate, or grab a fan to learn the Boots on the Ground line dance! 👢

















As we close out women’s history month, you are invited to this reproductive health seminar called “The Care Connection: ...
27/03/2025

As we close out women’s history month, you are invited to this reproductive health seminar called “The Care Connection: getting to reproductive freedom.” Join us on Saturday March 29, 2025 from 10 am to 2 pm in the Texas Medical Center.
















Have you ever heard of Match Day? It happens on the 3rd Friday of March every year and it is the most stressful day for ...
21/03/2025

Have you ever heard of Match Day? It happens on the 3rd Friday of March every year and it is the most stressful day for medical students. You discover the hospital to which you were “matched” based on a computer algorithm. Apparently in the 1950s the hiring of medical students by hospitals became chaotic and hospitals were offering contracts earlier and earlier to compete. This Match system was designed to make it more fair and equitable (words that we are not allowed to say out loud these days but that’s a talk for another time).

So cheers to all of the medical students who matched today and I pray that some of you are destined to become the well trained Ob/Gyns whom we need to reduce maternal mortality.

I can’t believe it’s been 17 years since I matched! You can tell from my smile I received my No. 1 choice! To this day I am so proud of my residency training at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO. It was such an honor to learn how to become an Ob/Gyn in my hometown. It meant I was not just learning surgery, Pap smear collections and pregnancy care but I was in my element. I knew the culture: I understood how St. Louis folk ate…helps to counsel people about gestational diabetes management. I understood what sporting events they liked and the parks they visited. Medical students do not have to be natives of the city where they train, but I implore them to become invested in that city to see their patients on eye level. I could go into an exam room and say “welcome to Nellyville” and a smile would light up on my patient’s face!

It was not easy…but with God’s help I endured the long nights and endless days so I could learn everything about my craft. I knew women and babies would rely on my expertise and judgment one day so I was willing to sacrifice to show up in a meaningful for my future patients. My advice for the newly matched medical students: never stop learning. Keep reading the latest medical studies, observe a procedure that a colleague is performing to learn a new technique or creative instrument, listen to your patients…they will tell you what is wrong and you have to have an ear available to hear them.


So Europe gets it…even California but why doesn’t the entire world understand that miscarriage is a trauma. It’s a loss ...
20/03/2025

So Europe gets it…even California but why doesn’t the entire world understand that miscarriage is a trauma. It’s a loss of hope, expectations and legacy. If you receive bereavement leave for the loss of a loved one in your family, why should you return to work after a pregnancy loss?

Thanks to .ly for showing us miscarriage leave is now becoming available in the United Kingdom and Germany.

Here’s what we can do in the U.S.:

#1) Ask your Ob/Gyn to write a letter or complete family medical leave act (FMLA) forms to grant you 2 weeks minimum off work (some people need surgery for the miscarriage so you have to account for your response to anesthesia and pain medications)

#2) Partner with a psychotherapist to help you cope with your pregnancy loss. While there are many lovely psychotherapists, consider using therapists who have been trained in pregnancy/postpartum/miscarriage such as Your mama, cousin and friends may be concerned but they may not have experienced anything like what you are enduring and they may not be trained to help you have productive strategies to overcome the grief

#3) Exercise-particularly outdoors to connect with nature, to keep your muscles toned, to get sun exposure for Vitamin D and to improve your mental health by releasing endorphins. Try something new to create new neuropathways like linking up with you local chapter of

#4 Focus nutrition on consuming iron-you have likely had a blood loss following your miscarriage so you want to restore your iron levels with green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach), red meat (steak) and/or yams

#5 Reconnect with your spirituality. Some people question everything after pregnancy loss. It’s not your fault this happened. Turn to a higher power for prayer, meditation, journaling. I always pray that Christ will return joy to my patient’s life and that He will give her the desires of her heart (Psalms 37: 4 NIV)

You will get through this but you do not have to suffer alone. Advocate for yourself to have appropriate time for healing.





Thank you, , for prioritizing women’s health. I know some of you think the prenatal vitamins will be taken by those who...
13/03/2025

Thank you, , for prioritizing women’s health. I know some of you think the prenatal vitamins will be taken by those who are already pregnant and the birth control pills will be taken by those who want to hold off on pregnancy but I want you to know you can take both at the same time. 💪🏾

Follow me on this: you’re not ready for a baby just yet so birth control makes sense to avoid an unplanned pregnancy but you envision a pregnancy in 2 years…start taking your prenatal vitamin now! When you stop your birth control pill and you have a positive pregnancy test, you are already taking a prenatal vitamin which will reduce the risk for birth defects by building your folic acid stores. Unless you are eating kale salads everyday 🥗, Sis, I guarantee you will need more folic acid.

I get so worried when I meet newly pregnant patients who tell me at 6 weeks that they have not started their prenatal vitamin yet. Are we waiting for the gender reveal?! Organogenesis (=development of your baby’s organs) is between 3 weeks and 8 weeks. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to give your baby all of the building blocks he or she will need. 💊



















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