The Surprising Truth About Women and Heart Disease
April 7, 2026 | Episode 60
Producer’s Note: The following is an AI-generated transcript of The Wellness Conversation, an OhioHealth Podcast
SPEAKERS: Marcus Thorpe, Katie Lowe, Dr. Stephanie McGill
Marcus Thorpe 0:06
Well, it is a period of time a lot of people remember fondly, maybe some, not so much, but it's something that many women can relate to. We were talking about pregnancy, that's going to be the topic of this episode of the podcast, but we have a new voice who's actually going to join us and talk a lot about it. It is Katie Lowe, my new permanent co-host here on the wellness conversation. It is great to have you here.
Katie Lowe 0:27
Thank you. Marcus, yeah, it's so exciting to be here. Obviously, we are on the media and public relations team together, as well as I used to work with Lindsay, who was the former co host, so I was very familiar with the podcast I would follow along. And so to now be able to join these important conversations is really exciting to me. And you would think that assuming, like, this new role at work is like the big exciting thing in my life, but I am actually also very pregnant with my second daughter, so there's just a lot going on in my life right now.
Marcus Thorpe 0:58
I think it's going to be really cool, because you're going to add so much to this conversation we have so many women at all ages and stages of their journey. Some are thinking about having children. Some maybe don't want kids at all. Some maybe are pregnant, and some have already had their kids. So you're going to add a lot of insight into what it's like and how different pregnancy one versus pregnancy two can really be. And I know it has been for you.
Katie Lowe 1:21
100% yes, spoiler alert, it has been very different. I'm just excited, like you said, to be able to share what the last couple of weeks and months have been like for me. And like you had mentioned, I know a lot of women listening right now have either been through this in the past, or they may be going through this right now, and so to be able to open up that conversation and relate to them, I think it's gonna be really great.
Marcus Thorpe 1:44
What's cool about Katie is this is kind of what you do. I mean, you take on big things when you're pregnant. You actually joined our team on the media public relations team at OhioHealth when you're, like, eight months pregnant, right?
Katie Lowe 1:54
I know, crazy.
Marcus Thorpe 1:55
Yeah, you show up and it's like, hey, it's my first day, and I have this belly and I'm ready to give birth in about a month. So let's talk a little bit about kind of your journey for pregnancy baby number one, healthy, happy little girl who is about to be a big sister and all of those things. What has this pregnancy been like for you, and how does it compare to what you experienced the first time around with you and your husband, Brad?
Katie Lowe 2:21
So I feel like that's such a loaded question, because so many thoughts flood into my head. First of all, I mean, how exciting just to have another pregnancy, and you know, you're about to welcome another life into this world, and we get to give Lily, my first daughter, a sibling, and all of that is just so exciting and fills our lives with so much joy. But I would be totally lying if I said that this has been easy, and in fact, it's been really hard. Number one, in just in terms of, like, physical symptoms I've been feeling, you feel a lot of things sooner I, at least I experienced with this second pregnancy, so like, the pressure on your pelvis and all the fun things like that. I did experience a lot of pregnancy related headaches and migraines in my second trimester, which I know, like the whole work team was very familiar with. So that's just obviously very hard to go through. But I would say what's even harder is, you know, I mentioned I have a daughter already at home, and so it's just a whole new ball game to go from you know, it's just yourself, and you can take some time to lay down for a nap. If you know you're feeling really tired, or you just need a little bit of time to regroup. If you're feeling overwhelmed, you're like on the clock 24/7, you got a little one to take care of. And so I didn't ever get really that break. And so there were definitely times mentally where things would just start to kind of build up, and I would start feeling really overwhelmed. And it did get to the point where I had to bring it up to my OB just because I was feeling, you know, sad a lot of the times. And I was like, I don't know if I'm managing this 100% the best way. And so I wanted to make sure that I included my OB in that conversation. And so I'm super excited that she is also joining us today. Yeah. So, you know, women in this stage of their pregnancies, and really, at any stage of pregnancy, they have so many questions, so she's going to be able to lend her expertise.
Marcus Thorpe 4:26
I think it's a great topic with a great guest and now a great co-host with me too. So super excited to have you on this team, and we can't wait to dive into your journey and kind of big picture for women's health. I know that's been such a big topic for us here on the wellness conversation. So just welcome. We're glad to have you. It is really going to be great show. Thanks, Mark. And let's bring Stephanie McGill. Dr. Stephanie McGill, obstetrician gynecologist on the medical staff at Ohio Health Riverside Methodist Hospital is our guest. Dr McGill, it is so great to have you here. You're going to offer so much insight. Especially with Katie's journey. So let's first just talk about your own journey to get to where you are now and taking care of women and families.
Dr. Stephanie McGill 5:08
Yeah, thank you so much for having me today. I like to say that I've done a tour of Ohio. I grew up outside of Toledo, and then I went to medical school at Ohio University in Athens, I did my OBGYN residency here at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital, and my husband and I just fell in love with Columbus, with Riverside, and I fell in love with the group that I joined, and Columbus has just been home for the last eight years in terms of my road to being a OB GYN when I was in medical school and going through my rotations, it wasn't really something that I thought I was going to do, but quickly, through my rotation, I learned that I enjoy the privilege of being able to take care of patients on what would be some of the most important days of their life, the I practice full scope. OB GYN, so I see people for preventative health care appointments in the office. I take care of people pre pregnancy, some infertility issues, and then throughout pregnancy, whether that's a high risk pregnancy or a low risk pregnancy, do deliveries. And then I also have rather busy gynecology practice as well. I take care of patients with endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome. I do a lot of minimally invasive surgeries, including robotic hysterectomies, and then also a very busy perimenopausal and post menopausal practice with hormone replacement therapy as well.
Marcus Thorpe 6:53
That's it. That's all you do.
Dr. Stephanie McGill 6:55
A few different hats.
Marcus Thorpe 6:56
Goodness gracious, I'm tired just thinking about your days.
Katie Lowe 6:59
I know she's amazing. Obviously, brings so much expertise. So I know you're so busy too. So thank you again for coming. You know you have a good doctor when I'm already thinking, oh my gosh, when baby comes, I'm not gonna be able to see her anymore. Like how sad. But I wanted to, on a more serious note, go back to what I had just touched upon earlier, which is that that mental roller coaster that so many women go through during their pregnancies. And, you know, it's hard to tell when, like, what you're feeling, is this just totally normal and pregnancy related, or, you know, when you're constantly feeling super isolated and sad, at what point should you really go to your doctor and bring this up?
Dr. Stephanie McGill 7:42
That's a great question. I would say, regardless of if you feel like, Could this be normal or not, bring it up to your physician or your provider, because the reassurance that a lot of people are feeling this way or this may be more significant than most people would be feeling can be really important. And so even in the year 2026 we're not talking about mental health, the diseases in pregnancy, enough postpartum depression, anxiety, PTSD after delivery, which studies quote that those affect one out of seven women, which is an incredibly high number. I think pregnancy has so many physical changes and so many mental changes too. You have to think about like you said, you have a child at home, and you're exhausted at the end of the day, but there's still so many demands and things that you have to do, and that can be overwhelming, the point where I think it becomes more than just overwhelming. Hormonal changes are when you're feeling isolated, when you're feeling more than just like a little sad. You're crying yourself to sleep at night, when you feel like you're not like yourself. You're not able to give your family or yourself or your job, whatever it may be, your pets, the attention or pieces of you that you typically would give them. And so definitely, at that point, if you haven't already brought it up to your provider, definitely a good idea.
Marcus Thorpe 9:19
You two are rookies. I know when it comes to raising children, the veteran like myself, who has a 15 and 13 year old at home, both boys were a little further removed from having kids. So I kind of remember what happened. I kind of don't, but I do remember that uneasiness of the final weeks before the kids come right so much preparation going into just getting the house ready, or getting the room ready and those kind of things. But I think for my wife, it was okay. Are there things I need to do to make my body ready for what I'm about to have to go do? Right? And I can't relate to that, obviously, but trying to support her as best as I could. Can you talk about preparation? Operations in those final weeks for a woman and and for getting a body ready to have, like, the most amazing experience for families, often, of seeing this little baby come into the world.
Dr. Stephanie McGill 10:11
I think there's been a really big shift with social media. There's a pressure on women to make them feel like they have to be doing something, doing stretches, doing getting on the birthing ball. And really, the best thing that you can do to prepare yourself for labor and delivery is just stay active through pregnancy. That may be a 30 minute walk three to five times a week, that may be yoga classes, if that's something that works for you, but just trying to stay active that will help to prevent some of the aches and pains that we feel during pregnancy, and then can also set us up well for delivery too.
Marcus Thorpe 10:49
You can go on mile runs like Katie does. Oh my gosh. Are you still running too?
Katie Lowe 10:54
I am. It's getting real, though, lots of pressure. I do want to also ask, just because, you know this is along the same lines of You see so much more on social media things you should be doing, and you hear a lot of talk about that birth plan. And I like for for Lily, my first born, I was like, I don't really know. So do you, do you really think that you should have a birth plan? Or what are your thoughts on that?
Dr. Stephanie McGill 11:19
Yeah, I prefer to call them birth preferences, as opposed to a birth plan. The 30% of deliveries are via C section, so around the country, and certainly here at OhioHealth as well. And so the biggest reason why women have C sections are things that we can't plan for at all. Either the baby doesn't tolerate labor, our cervix changes and stops changing and we can't do anything to get it to change, or you make it to completely dilate it, and you push for a few hours and the baby just doesn't come down. And so I think when we get very focused on a specific birth plan or the way we want things to go, things may not go in that direction. And so definitely getting as much education as you can beforehand, and I'm hopeful that that would come through your OB GYN, or through your provider, and starting to talk about some of the things that you may prefer, some things that may be important to you throughout the third trimester and into the end of pregnancy can be really helpful. There are also wonderful classes here at Ohio Health in person, they have childbirth classes, baby basics classes and breastfeeding classes too, which I think can be great on kind of preparing you and gaining more information before the big day.
Marcus Thorpe 12:44
I did read some of the books going in. I just want to say that, first off, my wife may say, I don't know if you really read the books. I read the book, so I think I knew what I was getting into once we got into the birthing space. But I will say that once everything started, I forgot everything that I had read because it was chaos. I mean, there were people everywhere coming in and out. My wife was obviously in labor and those kind of things. So I just want to talk about the role of the spouse or the partner that's in there. Can you talk about where you've seen success and maybe where you've seen some things fall short. We don't talk specifics, but just big picture. Here, what you've seen that makes a good spouse or a good partner in the delivery space.
Dr. Stephanie McGill 13:29
Absolutely, I think the best thing is just reassuring, reassuring your partner, or sometimes it's not a romantic partner, but a family member. So if the family members, the person that comes with you, just reassuring them that they're doing a great job being a hand holder when the contractions hit, if somebody is planning to go unblocked or without an epidural, or without any pain medication, encouraging them during pushing, pushing, which could last for some two contractions or others four hours, and just being there to let them know what a wonderful job that they're doing, providing ice chips in between pushes, if that's okay with your Physician, that can be good getting that cold wash cloth on the forehead, cold again in between contractions can be really helpful to go back to birth preferences. I think talking with the person who will be in the room with you about some of the things that you prefer, and then they can help to be your advocate and help to communicate that with the nursing staff as well.
Marcus Thorpe 14:44
There's a lot going on in that room. Holy cow. I mean, look, the most important thing is you, the woman, doing what you need to do. But just from a viewpoint of my perspective, it's amazing how much work is going on in there.
Katie Lowe 14:58
And I think there because of that. That there is so much to be said, like you said, Dr McGill about, you know, talking maybe about what you want your spouse to do for you beforehand, and really clearly communicate that so they have some sort of expectation, because it can be so overwhelming in the moment, I wanted to take a step back and talk again more so just about multiple pregnancies or consecutive pregnancies, just because, again, personally, for me, I've felt a lot of differences this time, and I've certainly felt symptoms earlier, such as you know that pelvic pressure and bladder pressure even changes with my pelvic floor this time around. So how is that? Is that common to feel some differences in your second or third pregnancy compared to your first.
Dr. Stephanie McGill 15:46
That can be incredibly common. Every pregnancy is different, and it's not unusual to start feeling some of these symptoms early in or earlier in pregnancy. One of the things that I try to reassure my patients is that if they're having pain sooner, it doesn't necessarily mean that their overall pain in pregnancy will be worse, or by the time that they get to the end of pregnancy, they'll be absolutely miserable, because these things started earlier on, but definitely talking about the things that you're feeling with your provider, there are options if low back pain is a problem. There are a lot of low back stretches or things that you can do sciatica stretches at home, or maybe a referral to a physical therapist, or even some women see pelvic floor physical therapists during pregnancy. So sometimes, reassurance that these things can be normal is enough, but other times, there are options that can help you feel better as well.
Katie Lowe 16:41
Yeah, that's that's refreshing to know, because I think that's a, like you said, a very common thing, especially that I'm seeing on social media as well. So it's nice to know, you know, just because you're feeling some differences doesn't mean that you have to suffer in silence. You can get help. And there are resources out there.
Marcus Thorpe 16:56
I think navigation is really important, not just before, but obviously the Navigating after the baby's here, right? You know, you go home and now it's real, whether it's your first or now you've got another one in addition to the ones you already have at home. So let's talk about things to really watch out for when it comes to navigating some of that space, to make sure that you as a family unit, or you as maybe a single mom, are kind of leaning into what you're needing to do, but also what you're capable of doing, because sometimes that's a very different story from person to person.
Dr. Stephanie McGill 17:29
Yeah, one of the best things when we go back to thinking about preparing for delivery and preparing for a baby, I think also includes preparing for what the postpartum course looks like and preparing for after. So how do we want visitors to come in the hospital? Do we want family to come afterward? Is family planning, family or friends planning on coming to stay with us and just kind of being on the same page about those things can be really helpful, preparing for snacks because the post partum hanger hits out of nowhere, and so making sure that there's something nearby, for me, it was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that were pre made by my husband in the refrigerator so that we could be ready at a moment's notice when the peanut butter and Jelly hunger hit, and and just being on the same page about visitors, what, how we're going to split care and the night duties can be really helpful.
Marcus Thorpe 18:31
That's part of a plan, right? I mean, you have a birthing plan, what's going to happen inside of the room, hopefully, if everything goes according to plan. But I don't think a lot of people talk about all of that until the baby's there, and then you're kind of in fog mode. So it's hard to make those decisions in the moment, isn't it?
Dr. Stephanie McGill 18:49
Absolutely I have never wanted to be a pediatrician more than when I was expecting my first baby. And you know, not really knowing what going home with a new baby would look like. So I think definitely, just speak about pediatricians for a moment, having somebody that you trust. We always give a list of pediatricians in the area, but tell people to call their office. Some will say, that's great. Call us when the baby's here. Others have a meet and greet in their office, where you can go in and ask them questions, just to kind of help prepare for what to expect once you're discharged from the hospital.
Katie Lowe 19:28
That is so comforting to me that even physicians have that feeling of you're leaving the hospital and you're like, oh my god, I'm bringing a baby home. I don't know what I'm doing in this space. And I just wanted to say I also relate so much to, you know, thinking about that plan once you have the baby, because I certainly did not think about, you know, the day after, when you have this baby, and you do have so many visitors coming in, and it's so exciting for them, but Mom is still like, how. Having some contractions after labor, and you know, the mom has gone through such a traumatic experience, it's really hard for them. So certainly, you know, talking to your partner about ways maybe you would like them to manage the visitors, things like that, could go such a long way. I also wanted to talk about postpartum recovery. You know, there can be some complications, and there's a lot of things to watch out for. Any suggestions in terms of just things for women to look out for, or when they may need to call their doctor about something that could be worrisome.
Dr. Stephanie McGill 20:36
Absolutely, the biggest thing is prioritizing rest for sure. So whether that's in the hospital or going home, whether you've had a vaginal delivery or C section, the recommendations for calling are about the same. You would expect to have some bleeding afterward, but if you ever feel like you're having too much bleeding, saturating pads, passing multiple large cloths, feeling lightheaded or dizzy from the bleeding that you're having, that would be a reason to call a fever in the immediate postpartum period. Is always a reason to call signs of a breast infection, whether you're breastfeeding or not, redness, pain, fever, and then definitely mental health issues too. So baby blues are common. Baby blues are the initial sadness that we have for the first two weeks where everything can kind of feel a little bit overwhelming and a little bit harder. Sometimes at 4pm we start crying, just for no reason, because that's our body anticipating, not sure what the way, the way that the night's going to go. But if it ever feels more than that, where you're not feeling like you're able to take care of yourself, not feeling like you're able to take care of your baby, those are big reasons to call to in terms of just general postpartum advice. Usually, there's no restriction on walking. Of course, you'd want to consult your own provider before doing anything, but usually no restriction on walking. We recommend not lifting things that are heavy, but okay to carry the baby and the baby carrier, and then just making sure that you're getting plenty of rest, plenty of hydration and eating regular, frequent meals as well.
Marcus Thorpe 22:23
I think it's a unique opportunity for us to have you two on together, because you do know each other so well currently, because of you being pregnant and you taking care of her, could you pull back the curtain a little bit on this dynamic between the two of you and kind of what it's meant for you to have somebody that is so trusted and that you can lean into and and for you as a physician, about somebody who obviously takes it so seriously and really wants this to be a good experience for her and for her family, maybe that would be a great way for us to wrap this up as you two kind of sharing the experience with each other.
Katie Lowe 22:57
Yeah, well, I would say number one, I got so lucky finding Dr. McGill because, you know, as we had mentioned in the beginning of this episode, you know, I moved from Cleveland when I was very pregnant, so Dr. McGill took me on when I was at probably seven months pregnant, and immediately I just felt like I could trust her. She was so easy to talk to, and that has just continued throughout the second pregnancy, so much so that when I was feeling a lot of mental I don't know if I want to call them issues, but just struggles with, you know, anxiety and feeling some sadness, I felt no problem going to her and voicing that and just talking through ways to cope and handle that. And I think some women, you know, if you're not feeling that close or comfortable with your provider, you may not bring up some of those issues that you're you know you're struggling with because you don't feel that comfortable and and so I think, yeah, finding a physician and OB GYN that that you really have that comfort level with is huge, and also the fact it doesn't hurt that you're also a new mom, and I love that you can relate to what I'm going through as well.
Marcus Thorpe 24:14
Yeah, from a provider perspective, when you have a patient who is kind of front row seat for her own care and her baby's care. That's got to be just something that you go, okay, box check, this is what I like to see, right?
Dr. Stephanie McGill 24:27
Absolutely, I think Katie, you've done such a wonderful job just voicing the things that you've been concerned about throughout pregnancy, and I've just been so admirable about the big life changes that you've had, and how you deal with all of it with such grace. Pregnancy is hard enough, but moving to a new city, starting a new job, being further away from your family, those are all really big things, and I've just admired the way that you've dealt with. Everything. I think when I tell people to my best advice for finding a doctor is to find somebody that you can have a good relationship with, and somebody that you feel like you can confide in and tell things to. So that makes me feel good to hear that coming from you as well.
Katie Lowe 25:19
Well, thank you so much. Dr McGill, yeah, certainly a lot of changes, but it helps to have people around you, including my work, family, my physician, taking care of me that I feel close to and I can trust, and I think I would have had a lot more of a difficult time if I didn't find those people quickly.
Marcus Thorpe 25:38
Yeah, I'm glad you two found each other and we're able to talk about it today. And I think, I think it just brings people's awareness up of the importance of having the right person for you at the time in your life that you are. And so when Katie has three more babies after this, you'll be there to know. I just think it's great when you hear of like, the right way that it's working for people, and just know, as you're listening to this, that if you're not happy with the way things are going, if you're not getting what you want, you're not stuck with that person, you can go find something else that fits you and your space and what you need right then and there. So I think that's an important thing to remember.
Katie Lowe 26:18
Absolutely and I think it's also just important to continue building that community. Even you know after having that baby, moms can be really isolating, just hard, and if you're not a mom, you can't really relate to all the mental load you're taking on things like that. So that's why I'm really excited again to share my experience with you all listening, just because I think it can really build a connection there. And so I hope to kind of embrace the chaos of this period of my life, and I'll be sharing it with you all right here on this podcast.
Marcus Thorpe 26:55
Yeah. And so if you have questions or you want to check in or maybe share your own journey, you can certainly do that at our page. You can leave comments. We certainly read those. And you can like, favorite and subscribe each and every time to get make sure you're getting more on Katie's journey and just talking about women's health in general. And Dr McGill, it has been great getting to know you over the last half hour or so, and kind of hearing your perspective maybe once baby number two comes for Katie, we would love to have you back and kind of talk about the delivery process and how it all went, but it's been great to talk with you so far.
Dr. Stephanie McGill 27:28
I would love that. Thank you so much for having me
Marcus Thorpe 27:30
Absolutely and of course, we do want to thank you for joining us for The Wellness Conversation and OhioHealth podcast. Before we wrap this up, we invite you to follow us on all major social channels, hoping that you stay up to date on any new episodes and other health and wellness topics. If you're looking for more information on OhioHealth services and locations, including our OBGYN, all you have to do is go to ohiohealth.com
Speaker 1 27:53
And the information in this episode will also be available in written form on the OhioHealth wellness blog. You can find that @blog.ohiohealth.com thank thanks for joining us. Be sure to subscribe as we continue to explore all these important health and wellness topics with OhioHealth experts.