Hi everybody! BriChronicles here with a new one for you.  

This is the New Year, we’re actually January 1st filming this and this is my friend, my first guest of the year 2022 and her name is Dr. Sephora Pierre.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: Hello everyone!

BriChronicles: Yes. Just so you know she’s very special to me, we are longtime friends. I am not just introducing her to you because she’s my friend but she’s a true professional.   She’s an OBGYN and I think a lot of people in the community would love to know that there is someone like her out here doing  this.  

So ladies, if you need an OBGYN this is your girl.   She will give you a lot of professional suggestions.  

First things first, let’s find out why you picked this particular profession.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: Wow, I feel like this is a trick question here *laughs*

But before I start I would like to wish a Happy New Year to Brigitte.

BriChronicles: Thank you!

Dr. Séphora Pierre: We had an interesting year in 2020 & another interesting year in 2021 and we just hope that 2022 will do something completely different.  A little bit less viral..

BriChronicles: Yes

Dr. Séphora Pierre: ..a little more health & joy.   

BriChronicles: Oh yes

Dr Séphora Pierre: One thing I would like to say is that in terms of Obstetrics & Gynecology OB-GYN for short, it is something that from the beginning, before I started med school, I was interested. The part that really got me is that fact that I get the privilege to be a part of something special in couples, which is the delivery of their child. The first, the second, the fifth, it doesn’t matter, there is always something special about the moment when it’s happening in the right ways.  It’s very privileged to be a part of something like this.  I mean there is a whole lot of interesting things in medicine but not a lot where you can say “congratulations”! Like, it wouldn’t go very well to say “Congratulations, you have an ulcer!”, that doesn’t really go as well as “Congratulations you have a boy or it’s a girl”.

BriChronicles: It’s a baby!

Dr. Séphora Pierre: It’s a baby, yeah!

So, I think I am more of an upbeat person and based on that, when I started medicine, that drew me more than the other specialties that are all quite interesting.

BriChronicles: Right.   I’ve always known you to have quite an attraction to children, to babies.  You always seem to want to be around babies and there was something about delivering them.   Oh & one of the biggest things I remember you said was you had delivered a baby once on January 1st, was that correct?

Dr. Séphora Pierre: Yes! Yes!  That was maybe two or three years ago I think it was for 2020 or 2019 I don’t recall very well, but yeah, that was very special because it was really close to midnight and we were trying to get the first New Year baby of the province (of Ontario Canada) and we lost cause it was one minute passed midnight when we had the baby. I think that a Toronto Hospital got the midnight one.

BriChronicles: Oh *laughs*

Dr Séphora Pierre: We cut it close but yeah you’re right it is very interesting.   In terms of kids I always loved them but it was more the delivery part of things.  Once they are out I must admit I am not as comfortable, I love them, but I am not with them, I love them with their parents.

BriChronicles: Ok

Dr. Séphora Pierre: But not as comfortable myself to take care of them once they are out.  

BriChronicles: Oh, I didn’t know that.  Really?!  *looks at Dr Pierre*.   

Congratulations!  Your baby *motions handing over the baby*.  *laughs*

Dr. Séphora Pierre: That right, that’s right *laughs*  Exactly, your baby.

BriChronicles: Everything is going well. *laugh* 

Dr. Séphora Pierre:  Exactly, your baby! & if something is a little bit off beat, where is the pediatrician right?  Because those are the guys that takes care of the baby once they’re out.  But, no, I really enjoy kids in general, probably not as much as..

BriChronicles:..keeping one for a good while and enjoy the cries and all that.

Dr Séphora Pierre: Right *laughs*

BriChronicles: That is where you draw the line. *laughs*

Dr Séphora Pierre: They are actually the super heroes when it comes to that yeah.

BriChronicles: Oh wow.  Ok, well you know what, at least you take really good care of them, the parents and the baby, that’s most important.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: That’s the goal. That’s definitely the goal yes.

BriChronicles: And you know what, this is a great time to have you here because with everything that is going on out there, the vid & all that, mothers have to take more care of themselves so they would come to you for advice.

Dr. Séphora Pierre:  Yes

BriChronicles: Is there any particular advice you would have for a patient coming to you with their concerns.

Dr. Séphora Pierre:  Yes.  Actually, this is a question I get on a daily basis with my pregnant ladies in terms of what is happening with covid.  One of the things I want to be clear in passing around is that, we are learning every day as we go, so it is not as easy as if; “Oh Dr., I have lupus, what happens in pregnancy?”

Well there is a whole chapter in the gynecology book about lupus and pregnancy.  

But its not the truth for covid because we are learning every day something new.  

So, I tell them right off the bat that the information I have about the virus is limited.  

In the very beginning of the pandemic I knew nothing.  Then as the months go by you start learning things about it.  At the beginning of the pandemic in fact, they said that pregnant women were not at risk or more at risk to be sicker than other women to get the virus, and as it progressed, they realized that more women that are pregnant can catch the virus. It’s a fact they are more likely to go to the ICU than a woman that is not pregnant.  They are more likely to get sicker than a woman who is not pregnant or due to the fact that women are adapting to build their immune system, so the baby can stay inside of them, given that their immune system is slightly diminished they are more propensed to get around the flu for instance.  It’s been challenging trying to get the right information at the right time because things are evolving as we speak.   One of the things that we talked a little bit about was the stillbirth and it’s not a study it’s merely an observation, that I observed that there was an increase in stillbirth in the last year, which means in 2020-2021 I used to see stillbirths. I work in a small hospital and we don’t see it that often but I saw six in the last six months which for me is a lot.

BriChronicles:  It’s sounds like alot.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: Added in the research there is an increase in stillbirth worldwide with that virus, whether it’s a virus directly or an effect indirectly, I’m not sure and I don’t want to say it’s covid, but there is definitely something that is driving those numbers, so for the ones that are working for instance in healthcare or in higher risk places, I suggest that you use you barrier methods. So mask, wash hands be aware of your surroundings, be aware of who’s sick and who’s not and get away from those. And without going into the whole polemic of the vaccines or no vaccines or so, the Society of Obstetrics & Gynecology of Canada recommends pregnant women, for all the reasons that I mentioned earlier, to have their vaccines to protect them from having it because the truth is once you have covid we don’t have the actual treatment for it.  So it would all be supportive, we would give you the fluids, we would give you Tylenol if you have a headache etc but there is nothing, there is no antibiotics for this, right? So, you’d have to sort of like live the consequences & then we hope that it’ll be a mild disease but it could not. So then, if you can protect yourself & not have it that would be better, yeah.

BriChronicles: That would be the ideal solution or situation. So, yeah, a lot has transpired in the past couple of years. I can understand this thing so new & having so many different variants one ends the other one starts..

Dr Séphora Pierre: That’s right.

BriChronicles: And whatever you took for the one prior, it might not even apply for the one coming..

Dr Séphora Pierre: That’s right.

BriChronicles: It makes it difficult & you all are scrambling to figure it out.

Dr Séphora Pierre:  That’s right.  That’s right, it’s like reading a story without knowing the ending.  Some people, they like to read novels & they read the end chapter & they’ll start over.  I’ve never done that, I like to read my chapters one after the other but some people like to read the end & then start their books.  Well with covid you don’t get to do that. You have to pass the pages, see oh ok, you know the story in full.   We’re hoping things are going to settle down, it will probably still be around but we’re just hoping that it won’t be that much of a drain both in people & in the system in general.

BriChronicles:  Right.  So for the pregnant ladies, make sure that you take well care of yourselves at the end of the day. Don’t be afraid I would say. I know that the conversation has geared towards stillbirths and that is a reality but…

Dr Séphora Pierre.  Right, but let’s be clear here, thank you for that. Yeah, let’s be clear, I am not saying that everybody that catch covid will have a stillbirth, absolutely not.  It’s was just an observation I was saying. So for the pregnant women, just to make you feel better I’m still working hard, still delivering very healthy babies & healthy moms & things are still looking good, & I like where I am because I get to see the hope of it.

BriChronicles: Right.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: So you get to see the happy part of things. There is much more happy then unhappy still in the birthing centres across the province.

BriChronicles: And you know what, like all good things there is always a warning. 

Dr Séphora Pierre: That’s right

BriChronicles: So make sure that you take heed, protect yourselves.  

Now we are talking about vaccines even if you are pregnant, is that what you said?!

Dr Séphora Pierre: That’s definitely the recommendation of the Society of Obstetrics & Gynecology. It showed that it was protective, especially for the delta variant to decrease the transmission & to decrease the disease in the pregnant lady.

BriChronicles: Ok, so make the sound decision for you at the end of the day.

Dr Séphora Pierre: That’s right.

BriChronicles: Before you didn’t have to & now it’s being strongly suggested by the OBGYN, gynecology of Canada (Society of Obstetrics & Gynecology of Canada). At the end of the day, the choice is yours & make the right one for you.  But still take all the precautions you can.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: That’s right.

BriChronicles: Is there anything particular you can share with us, maybe the number one thing you see in your practice as an OBGYN, as a doctor?

Dr. Séphora Pierre: I’m just gonna put the obstetrics part of the gynecology aside a little, because the truth is pregnant woman again, it’s sort of a learning phase for them. There are a lot of books out there for you know how to be healthy when you’re pregnant and all the weeks and what not. It’s not necessarily exactly how it’s going to be because everyone will go through their own adventure as I call it for the weeks of pregnancy. So I’ll leave that part aside & start with the gynecology part.  

So gynecology is what studies the diseases of the female reproductive system, meaning all the issues with periods, the issues with the ovaries, all the issues with the uterus & pelvic pain and endometriosis. Anyways a whole slew of that and one of things that I think surprises me is how much as women, we don’t know about our reproductive system.  We know some but we don’t know a whole lot.  I am just going to give you an example.  Some women that come in very frequently are for abnormal menses. Either they don’t see it or they see it too much.  It can be one or the other & sometimes stuff in between. I’ve had women that I felt had, that I was referred to, because they were anemic which means that their blood volume was low or their iron volume was low & they didn’t know why. When they were sent to me and they were like; “I don’t know why they are sending me here, they said my iron is low”. They didn’t really clue in that the truth is, if you are bleeding, your red blood cells carries the iron. So if you are bleeding every month a significant amount of red blood cells, you’re loosing your iron, therefore you are going to be anemic. So, the reason for your iron deficiency or your anemia is likely because you are having too much period, but what’s that? Nobody knows.  No body is saying do you bleed a lot for your period or a little bit? Right?  We don’t have that conversation. And what is a lot and what is a little bit? That’s very…for me some people would be saying; ‘oh yeah, the first few days I change every hour’.

BriChronicles:  Wow, that a lot.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: I’m like really?!  

BriChronicles: Yeah, that would be a lot. 

Dr. Séphora Pierre: Exactly! Yeah; ‘but you know I’ve been doing it since the age of seventeen. So I never thought anything of it’. 

BriChronicles: Nobody told you anything.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: Yeah, nobody cause that’s my normal.  But it’s not.  Or somebody would come in my office trying to get pregnant & say; ‘well actually my period comes only one or two times a year’. 

BriChronicles: Oh

Dr Séphora Pierre: ‘But I’ve been like that since I was young’.  So for them, it’s their normal. So I feel like there is just sort of a lack of understanding.  Or not really a lack of understanding it’s just we don’t know our bodies. It’s sort of a closed space. 

BriChronicles:  We don’t really talk about it yeah.

Dr. Séphora Pierre:  Exactly.  We spend a lot of time on our face, all the zits going on, and a lot of time in our hair especially if we’re black…

BriChronicles:  Yes, yes.

Dr Séphora Pierre: But when it comes to down there we’re like well… It skips, it’s like the Barbie doll that they used to give us, you don’t really see anything *laughs* it’s just there is nothing in between there. 

BriChronicles: You can’t really…*laugh*

Dr. Séphora Pierre: Yeah, there is nothing there.  It’s like it doesn’t exist. That’s one of the things that surprises me. And in my setting as well, I get a lot of adolescents as well who are experiencing new things, new boyfriends & so on..

BriChronicles: *does air quotes*

Dr Séphora Pierre: *laugh*.   And also there is a lot of misconception and a lot of knowledge gap that needs to be done because then that’s how you get pregnant before you want to & get all those STDs that you did not want to and there is something that needs to be done better then it’s been.

BriChronicles:  So then what would you suggest? Or are you able to suggest something for them to be more aware of their bodies & what it means & things like that.

Dr. Séphora Pierre:  Well one of the things, I will not get into all the curriculum at school & so on because I know that that’s always a debate.

BriChronicles:  Yes, it’s very sensitive..

Dr. Séphora Pierre:  It’s more up your alley than mine. But I wouldn’t mind that they maybe introduce some of the health care providers into discussion to probably do a better job that way.  Regardless of the what the politics.., maybe remove the politics…

BriChronicles: They should remove the politics, yes.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: ..out of sexual health and you know, sexual health should be also about what women find out. What’s normal and what’s not normal on their bodies which I don’t think I’ve seen anywhere talk about.  And then out of that us women, again, we were brought up I think that way, where we don’t, especially black women, we don’t talk about it.

BriChronicles: Celebrate it.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: No, we don’t talk about our genitalia at all.

BriChronicles: No we skip it completely *laughs*, we learn!

Dr Séphora Pierre:  We don’t talk about sex at all.  We just learn as we go..

BriChronicles: We make mistakes along the way & then we’re like, ‘oops! Oh so that’s what happens. Ok’.

Dr Séphora Pierre: So maybe we should be encouraging each other more to talk about those things too. We can spend an whole hour or two talking about natural hair versus chemicals, we should probably take an hour of those two hours to talk about, I know it’s less interesting, but periods, period pain, fertility if that is important to you and stuff like that, & sex!

BriChronicles: I know that pretty much, natural hair has just really started to flourish to the point that we are embracing it. Even that was an issue growing up that I can recall.  You know, the comfort level of enjoying your own hair has now started to become more of a normal thing where before it would be I’m hiding it at all cost.

So I can kind of see the parallel to how we were brought up on knowing our reproductive system, our genitalia, it’s sort of taboo.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: That’s right.

BriChronicles: You know, we don’t talk about that. That’s your secret private stuff, so if your parent doesn’t know much about it, there is no way they are going to communicate that to you and there is also a shame thing that goes along with it right?

Dr. Séphora Pierre: That’s exactly it!

BriChronicles: And talking about sex seems to be shameful. For a woman wanting to try to understand their genitalia is shameful, so we can understand why we’re just like *hands raised* ah, you know, that’s just the way it is. And then once things starts to happen, you start to question, well, is this normal or is that normal and then you find out oh, it’s not normal?

Dr. Séphora Pierre: That’s right

BriChronicles: So it’s always good I would say, not to be shy & afraid to talk about it.  

Dr Séphora Pierre: That’s right, that’s exactly right.

BriChronicles: Right, in a healthy way of course.  We’re not going to be irresponsible about how we talk about this.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: And if somebody comes up to you with an issue, well if there’s an issue, you just listen & if you don’t know, and you try refer them to somebody that might. And if you do know you’re either sure or say; ‘hey yeah, that doesn’t sound too normal maybe you should’ ..stuff like that. Because again, we don’t tend to talk about things like that or be helpful to somebody else.

BriChronicles: We learn from movies, tv, the celebrities like, it’s glamourous.  In high school we used to read romance books & the fantasy.  But you know it’s so true.  I think about myself, I found out recently some health issues that I have that I wouldn’t have known about if I had not seen a gynecologist or been referred to one. 

Dr Séphora Pierre: That’s right.

BriChronicles: And I also had to let go of my pride & say yes I’ll go do it because I was holding off for years to go see one to be honest.  At the end of the day it is a benefit. 

Dr. Séphora Pierre: That’s right.  You can’t lose about getting new information in general and if it’s about yourself it’s definitely a bonus.

BriChronicles: Yeah.  That’s a really good tip.  It’s really good to know about that because I had no idea that, you don’t think about it, that most women don’t know.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: And now, in 2020 or even before, there is the social media part of things so now, there is a whole lot of information and it’s very difficult to find the truthful information, the useful information versus the intoxicated information.  You’ll be surprised sometimes patients tells me, ‘but yeah, but I read it on the net’.  As if this was it.  They read it on the net so it must be true.

BriChronicles: That’s a funny thing that you bring up.  I was just speaking with my dad about how everything is online. Especially on YouTube. I’m a big YouTube watcher and that was by default.  I decided not to have cable & I had to figure out how to entertain and keep myself in the know. YouTube has so much information and I was telling him how you can find anything, ANYTHING.  So, if you have ever thought about it you go and you google it, you go on YouTube you will find what you are looking for.  So you saying that just lit a lightbulb and you take it like factual information. 

Dr Séphora Pierre: That’s right. So some of it is true. In fact, a lot of it is true but it’s how it’s conveyed and some of it is just pure false.  If you don’t know that and you know, I am just going to throw in example that is probably not there. They say if you have a heavy period & you just have to drink a cup a vinegar every day.., again, it’s not there but it could be you know. This is terribly not good but then you can have a YouTuber say, ‘hey, I had issues with my period and I went to the gynecologist and they suggested this’, and that might have been a good information resource but it’s just you have to be able to find out what is true. Kind of like photoshop right, you get a lot of photoshop online and you look at it and you wonder was this real or…”no that doesn’t really look like Will Smith body attached to Will Smith’s head!”  *laughs* Right?  But you must be able to do that with most of the information & online as well.  

BriChronicles: Yeah, you have to be careful with everything nowadays eh? 

Dr. Séphora Pierre: Yeah, exactly.

BriChronicles: That’s the big two words; Be Careful.  Do your research, do not walk with your head down.  A lot of people are now starting to be aware of their surroundings, aware of what is going on because of what they are living in.  We can’t walk with our eyes closed anymore.

Dr. Séphora Pierre: That’s right.

BriChronicles: So if you are unsure of something, go seek a professional at the end of the day. Right?!

Dr Séphora Pierre: Right

BriChronicles: *points at Dr. Séphora Pierre*.  And you have one right here. 

Dr. Séphora Pierre: Ah! 

BriChronicles: How long have you been practicing?

Dr. Séphora Pierre: Ok!  So medicine is a long haul, but we’re going to start with obstetrics & gynecology per say.  So, residency is about five years so, without counting those, I have been in my current location of work for a good seven now, so I have actually been fully practicing & licensed for about seven years now. 

BriChronicles:  Very good.  If you guys are interested you know I will have the link below, information provided, you can do the research yourself.  I went and I checked and a lot of wonderful reviews are happening there.  So you know you’re in good hands. 

Please, please do not hesitate and reach out to a professional for any issue that you might be encountering.  And if you have any questions please go ahead & comment below.  I will transfer them to Dr. Pierre and we will contact you with the answer.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Dr. Pierre:  No,  I would just wish everyone again a better 2022 & definitely as Brigitte summarized very well, if you have any issues regarding pregnancy or female reproduction in general, in other words with your period or other, just definitely seek professional health.  And if you are going to get your information online, I’m not saying it is totally wrong but just be aware of the websites you are using. Take the ones that look professional to you & not somebody who doesn’t seem to know what they are talking about, dabbling in a slew of opinion and things, but someone that is actually knowledgeable in obstetrics and gynecology and I hope that everybody is well.

BriChronicles:  And that’s it for you guys! It’s the years 2022, let’s start it off in a good note. Let’s keep it going to the end! Do your research and make sure you protect yourselves, you be safe and everything should be ok.

BriChronicles is back at y’a with something else soon so keep an eye on that.  You have a great day! 🙂