Overlooked is a podcast about women's health which features immersive personal storytelling in each episode. Subscribe to the newsletter to learn more about the guests and topics the show covers, and to hear about live podcast tapings and other events.
Last week's episode on cesarean births hit a nerve
|
It seems like the episode about cesarean births really resonated with so many of you, and I’ve had some wonderful, enriching conversations about how it brought to mind a range of memories and experiences for people. Here are some of them: this first one is from a listener in Oakland, Brianna Darcey, who got in touch on Instagram. And then, my friend and collaborator Aarti Vaid Pedersen commented on a post I wrote for LinkedIn about my own experience: Aarti and I also spent some time talking about switching our language from ‘c-section’ to ‘cesarean birth’, and how intentional you have to be to make that switch. In the episode, Helena Grant pointed out that the term c-section was medicalized language, and she preferred calling it 'cesarean birth' - and I do think language matters. And then also on LinkedIn, Joanne Griffiths messaged me: Joanne and I instantly got into a really wonderful exchange, past the pleasantries (and on LinkedIn!) and into what really matters when it comes to the legacy of cesarean birth. Joanne’s point about not talking about it because ‘it turned out alright’ really resonated with me. I held back for many years because I figured that’s how people would inevitably react. And really, we want to move past these difficult experiences, don’t we? But all these years later, it seems like actually yes, we still want and need to talk about what happened, and what our bodies still hold on to. I know I do. It moves me to have these conversations and hear these stories. It shapes my questions as a journalist, and influences the kind of topics I do on the show as well, so I’m grateful to you guys for getting in touch. If you want to share your story, email or send me a voice memo: hello@overlookedpod.com. Next week's we're publishing a 'hidden history' episode, for Women's Health Month - an episode that will make you realize that history is still being written, and how much further we have to go. I think you'll like it! Wishing you the best of health, Golda |
Overlooked: a women's health podcast
Overlooked is a podcast about women's health which features immersive personal storytelling in each episode. Subscribe to the newsletter to learn more about the guests and topics the show covers, and to hear about live podcast tapings and other events.
The story of cancer is changing quickly. Just in the last month, two news stories brought positive developments: The first was a groundbreaking new drug for advanced pancreatic cancer, which was just given approval by the FDA here in the US - it doubles the survival time for patients. And then, a new cancer vaccine for melanoma showed great results for patients in a large clinical trial. There’s hope here, for sure. But all of this has made me wonder about the nature of cancer survivorship. I...
“I started to think of Black women as having this terrible strength,” Dr Kemi Doll told me when I interviewed her last year. Dr Doll is a gynecologic oncologist and health equity researcher, and “A Terrible Strength” is, in fact, the name of the book she’s just released, which explores the topic of womb health and Black women in more detail. It's a terrific read. This week I'm re-airing one of the most powerful conversations from season 4: my interview with Dr. Doll, about endometrial cancer...
This week's episode features stories from First Person Health, the audio story workshop I teach. The first one comes from Patsy Day, who tells a devastating story about her stillborn child. When I heard the material Patsy sent me, it made me quite emotional, and I had to sit with it for a long time, before re-listening to her recordings with a producer's ear. Patsy lands a punch at the end of this piece by stating that in the UK, "The underfunding of stillbirth research is a political act."...