You Deserve an OB/Gyn Who Listens 

 July 1, 2025  | Episode 42

Producer’s Note: The following is an AI-generated transcript of The Wellness Conversation, an OhioHealth Podcast

SPEAKERS: Lindsey Gordon, Marcus Thorpe, Dr. Jessica Guinness, Dr. Jessica Miller

Marcus Thorpe  00:00
And welcome to the wellness conversation and Ohio Health Podcast. I'm Marcus Thorpe. Before we get started, we'd love if you could like favorite rate and subscribe. It helps us grow this conversation.

Lindsay Gordon  00:23
And I'm Lindsey Gordon. Our guests today are two women's health providers here in central Ohio, Dr Jessica Guinness and Dr Jessica Miller, thank you both for being here today. You both are passionate about empowering women to play an active role in their health and well being. Dr Miller practices at Columbus OBGYN and you deliver at Dublin Methodist Hospital, and Dr Guinness, you practice at Avena and deliver at Riverside. So thank you both so much for being here. 

Dr Jessica Guinness and Dr Jessica Miller  00:51
Thank you for having us. 

Lindsay Gordon  00:52
This topic is one I actually recently posted about on Instagram, and I was so surprised at how quickly I started hearing responses from women about their stories and just their comments on this topic. Molly, for one, she said her OB notice signs of anxiety and depression before she gave birth, and her provider suggested she start medication in her third trimester, she said, quote, I truly believe it changed my life, and I'll be forever thankful for her and how she listened and cared for me. I get choked up thinking about that because I had a very similar experience as I've shared before. And then Christy added, she said, I'm so grateful my doctor didn't recommend that I be induced at 39 weeks, just because I was at advanced maternal age. And lastly, I'll share Laura said having firsthand experience with having an OB who didn't listen to now having one who is incredibly supportive, I can attest to how important it really is to have a provider who makes you feel seen and makes you feel heard. So Dr Guinness, let's start with you. Why is having that trusted, supportive OBGYN so important for a woman's overall health?

Dr Jessica Guinness  02:06
 I think that as OBGYN and women's health providers, we see women go through so many different phases of life. We see them go through, you know, puberty, pre puberty, years, puberty, reproductive years, menopause and beyond. And there are so many things that can evolve and change. There's so many great things. There's lots of challenges. And so it's really important to have somebody who you feel comfortable with and you can trust, who's going to help walk you along that path the whole time. I think it's very easy as we go through all of these phases of life, you know, and then add to the picture taking care of kids and taking care of aging relatives or parents and careers and life stressors, it's very easy as women, for us to take a back seat. And I think if you have a trusted physician or provider who you know cares deeply about you. It's going to be helpful to empower you, to to you know, find your your best life, best health. 

Marcus Thorpe  03:09
I have a couple of kids in their teen ages, and at school, I'm always telling them, guys, you got to advocate for yourselves. You got to talk to the teachers. You got to do all these things. And I think about my own life of going into like a doctor's office. And I think, do I always advocate for myself? And I would imagine inside, like an OBGYN office, you know, for a woman, sometimes you you don't always advocate for yourself. Why do you think that's a challenge? Dr Miller, and then what can we do to try to change that narrative and maybe become better advocates for ourselves when we go see our OBGYNs. 

Dr Jessica Miller  03:41
Yeah, that's something we run into quite a bit. I think it comes from a couple of things. I think our field in particular, is very sensitive. Can be embarrassing, feels vulnerable, so that keeps people away. And also people feel they're not going to be heard, they're not going to be listened to. And they also might think that their concern doesn't matter, that their pain isn't a big deal. They're just being whiny. They're overdramatic, which is totally not true. So I think you know, the first thing you want to do is just feel comfortable to say what's going on to the provider that you're with that you can be honest about your concerns, not worry if it's embarrassing or if you think it's not a big deal. So I think you just want to feel safe with that provider. I think you know being clear about what your goals are and what's really concerning to you from the beginning. You know, I have a question I really want to talk about. I have something I'm really concerned about. I might be embarrassed about it. Can we make sure we address this? I think then we know, okay, like we really need to make sure that we go over this concern. So I just think, if you feel safe and you feel comfortable, then hopefully we can talk about these embarrassing things and we can figure it out.

Dr Jessica Miller  04:50
And it may not be in that one visit, but it may be that we make sure we have a care plan, you know, over the next couple months, to make sure we get everything addressed and everything figured out. 

Marcus Thorpe  05:00
What are the handful of topics that you find that women are most hesitant to talk about?

Dr Jessica Miller  05:06
Yeah, I think a lot of OBGYN, but stuff around sex, I find, I think is such a sensitive topic for so many reasons. I think low libido can be really tough to talk about, particularly for menopausal women or people in perimenopause, issues regarding pain, pain with sex, pain with periods, can feel really intimidating to talk about issues with infections, itching, burning, odors. You know, of course, feels a little tricky to bring up for for some people. So those are the main, main things I think we run into, yeah. 

Lindsay Gordon  05:43
Do you think all too often with that pain, women just kind of, like, put up with it?

Dr Jessica Miller  05:48
Totally, absolutely yeah. I think we all told by other people in our family with uteruses, you know, oh, my periods hurt me for 40 years. It's totally fine. Just take an Advil, take a Midol. 

Dr Jessica Guinness  06:00
Yeah. I think it starts so early, you know, like, and you think about prior to puberty, elementary school, it's mysterious. It's taboo. You know, girls are talking about it, and depending on how much they may or may not know or be supported in those conversations, there's, you know, this propagation of, well, it's painful. It's terrible. Everybody, you know, everybody has pain. And I think from a very young age, girls than women are sort of led to believe that pain is normal in their lives. And you know, pain is just an individual perception. You know, for some people might be mild, for some people might be major, but it's just challenging, because I think right off the bat, we are doing women as disservice by normalizing pain issues when, in fact, they absolutely deserve to talk through what it is they're experiencing and what options are safe and available for them for treatment. 

Lindsay Gordon  06:59
I know the pain really just goes so much farther than the pain of childbirth, right? I mean, there's so many painful conditions that women just deal with because they think there's no relief or no resource out there for them. But the truth is, if they have that OBGYN and they advocate, then maybe they can, you know, find some solutions. Speaking of pain, we did actually get a question about this on our Ohio Health Instagram account. And I've heard this question a lot, too, about an IUD getting an IUD put in, Is it painful? Is it uncomfortable? Could there be complications with that? I know people are or women are afraid to do that, because they've heard horror stories that it could hurt.

Dr Jessica Guinness and Dr Jessica Miller  07:40
I'm sure you hear that a lot. Yes, we were just talking about, we're just talking about this. 

Dr Jessica Guinness  07:44
This is, like, a very relevant topic in our field right now. We're talking about this a lot. We're cut we're coming up with options for treatment. I think there's been, it's been sad because people have again. You know, in some instances in the medical field have been made to believe that that pain is normal, but for in women's health, for IUDs, for procedures, whatever the case may be, that is something that's very valid to talk with your doctor about. There it is very appropriate to come up with an individualized plan for pain management. For those things.

Dr Jessica Miller  08:19
Totally we have all kinds of options, including even going to the operating room under general anesthesia. Have definitely done that for patients that it's not doable in the office. I think we have so many other options, and you should have someone who kind of leads with, this is how we're going to manage your pain, and these are your options, not you have to bring it up and say, How am I going to manage my pain, and even our field is is getting better. We're working on it. So it's definitely something that's coming to light over the last year or two, that we can do better and that there are more options out there. So I think just be be open minded, that it may not be what you've heard or what people have heard from friends or social media that we can hopefully have a better experience with some of the stuff we have to offer.

Marcus Thorpe  09:04
You might be listening and you love your OBGYN and you're like, I would never, ever change. But maybe there are things that you could strengthen or things that you could bring up, so we want to speak to those people. But also there's people that are listening that are probably like, Man, I know my OBGYN is not the right fit for me, and I do need a change. What would you suggest for people who are looking to strengthen their relationship with the OB GYN? What, what makes a great fit? Do you think between woman and provider?

Dr Jessica Guinness  09:32
I do think, I mean, we all recognize that every patient's personality is different and every provider's personality is different. And if, if you feel that you don't have a great fit, that's perfectly fine, doesn't necessarily mean that that's a bad doctor. You just might need to find somebody who jives more with you. But I think, generally speaking, having somebody who asks open ended questions, who's warm and empathetic. I do you know somebody who's board certified, who is board eligible, whether that's a physician or a women's health nurse practitioner. There's a lot of misinformation that can propagate on social media. There's a lot of things or entities that can seem that they are medicalwithout necessarily going through the rigorous training that would be required of being a board certified provider. But I think finding somebody who is qualified, who's knowledgeable and who you can immediately feel they are listening to you, and they are they have your back. 

Lindsay Gordon  10:39
Do you think all too often, or are there occasions where I'm just thinking of conversations within my own circle of friends and loved ones where you don't realize whether the OBGYN is a good fit for you until sometimes it's like a significant situation is happening, whether It's like you've just undergone, maybe a miscarriage, or maybe you're struggling with infertility or something with that. And I've had loved ones say that they've had to pivot, you know, from when they've had delivered with one provider, they'll go to another provider for the next for the next baby. Do you, do you hear that often? Or do you, do you have anything to weigh in on that, and is there a way to sort of get ahead of that, and are there questions that we could be asking before it comes to that as patients? 

Dr Jessica Miller  11:29
Yeah, I think we do see that sometimes. And like you said, sometimes that might be a personality, like, I'm a yapper, maybe you want to, you know, find someone else is a little more straightforward. I think it just depends on what you're looking for, but in a crisis, you should feel like your doctor has your back, whether that's a miscarriage, about a bad situation, infertility, and I think that starts before you end up in that crisis situation. So I think you like we were talking about finding someone that is a safe place for you, that respects your you know your lived experience and kind of understands, you know, and would make a decision that you would want for you if you're not able to make that decision if you're in pain or under anesthesia, whatever that might be. And so I don't know that you necessarily have to ask, like your doctor, oh my gosh, what would you do if I was in this scenario? But you need to feel that they understand what your goals are, what your values are, and that you can talk to them if you end up in a situation like that and that way, you know whatever may come this person has my back. This person wants what I want, what's best for me. I think that that really helps set the stage for success, no matter what difficulty we run into. 

Lindsay Gordon  12:38
It's interesting. I was surprised at a recent visit where the beginning of my visit was about me, like, in my life and where I'm at, and it was like, a personal investment. And she wanted to know what, truly, what is going on with you at this moment in time. And I thought that was so great to know, like, Okay, this is how it's starting, right? And we're gonna be able to get into, like, maybe what I need in this moment, but I don't know. I just felt like I was seen as like a whole person in that moment. Do you feel like there's not enough women know that, that there is value in your OBGYN, in that way. Dr Guinness, you started talking about that a little bit at the beginning, about how you're really investing in that person, and you build that relationship with that patient? 

Dr Jessica Guinness  13:23
Yeah, I think that. I think it's relatively unique to our field other than primary care, of course, but I think that many of us feel, in order to best take care of a patient with a medical issue, it's we need to know who they are as an individual. I think that making that personal connection about where you are in that moment, what's going on in your life. what is your career looking like? How are things going with your relationships? What are your kids doing that all even though it's seemingly non medical that is you as a patient, as a person, and we do our best work when we're taking care of a person, not when we're taking care of a problem. You know, taking care of a person with a problem

Lindsay Gordon  14:16
Those are the only visits you're going to. I would hope you wouldn't go to the other ones.

Marcus Thorpe  14:16
It's so interesting to think about. I think about my wife and her journey with an OBGYN. And you know, the blinders that I have sometimes is, you know, while my wife was pregnant with our two kids, that's the scope I see her relationship with an OBGYN, right? Because I'm like, Oh, we're going to see these doctors all the time, and were getting to know them.

Marcus Thorpe  14:24
That's true. I don't go to those. But those but it's funny to think that your time with a woman while she's having a baby is very short compared to their lifespan and all that you do take care of. I think it's just maybe it's just an idiot's observation.

Marcus Thorpe  15:00
But like your your role is so much bigger than just delivering babies. I mean, it is amazing to think about that life journey with somebody. Are you able to kind of step back sometimes and think that obviously a new life into the world is so exciting and all of that, but the stuff you do on a routine basis is maybe in many regards, more important. 

Dr Jessica Miller  15:22
Oh, yeah, I think, I mean, I, I think I speak for a lot of us when I say, This is why we went into this field. You know, we want to see people evolve through their lives, to help them through all the different phases that that you could be in, and some challenging, you know, times.

Dr Jessica Miller  15:40
And it's, it is unique in medicine. You know, we can do the surgeries for you. We can do some of the primary care stuff overlaps. So it is a life, a lifelong relationship. And there's so many fun things. Delivering babies is amazing, but, but getting to see that baby two years later, or getting to see that mom five years later when she's done having kids is also really important too. So I think people really kind of say, Oh, you just do the baby thing. And we totally do, but, but there's a lot else here that you can get out of that, that we can kind of work together as team, guide you through, from a healthcare perspective, so many different phases of people, of people's lives

Marcus Thorpe  16:20
Yeah, and being that person that sometimes when things aren't going great, that that they need some familiar, friendly face, that they know when the door shuts, that they can be their authentic self with you. I think there's something to be said for that relationship that you've built over time, that, yeah, you're there for all the joys, but you're also there for some of the tough stuff. And I think that's what makes that relationship so valuable.  

Lindsay Gordon  16:43
Absolutely, I remember being like, really sad walking away from my six week postpartum checkup thinking, Ah, it's gonna be a whole year, you know, actually, God willing, it would be a whole year that no issues come up, you know, until I see her again. But now I see her all the time because I work with Dr Koffler. Shout out, Dr Koffler. 

Lindsay Gordon  17:03
Yeah. So I just think it's one of those things where I look when I think about this topic, and when I was sitting down to write our outline, I actually thought back to now that I'm a mom, I'm thinking about my daughter and how I'm gonna prep her for her, like, first visit one day, right? And I remember thinking back mine, and I was so terrified to go for the first time, right? Even for those like basic checkups with an OBGYN For a girl in my team in my teens, I was terrified. And I remember thinking at the time, sorry, Marcus, this is TMI, but here we go. I'm here for it all. I was like, you know, there's just stuff I have questions about, stuff that, like my the Care and Keeping of You book just isn't cutting it. You know, I had this book from American Girl doll, and I just had more questions than what was in this book and but I was too afraid to ask. And then that fear just kind of continues and it never ends. And so how would you break that cycle of fear for somebody? 

Dr Jessica Guinness  17:55
I one of my favorite things when I'm meeting a new young patient is right off the bat saying we don't have to do an exam today. You know, of course, exams can be very, very important, but it's so important for a patient to be on board and to be ready and to feel empowered whenever we're doing an exam. And I honestly when we tell them that an exam is not always required and we will do an exam when they are ready, it's like a switch flips and they automatically feel more comfortable. So I think that if somebody is going in for their first visit, it's perfectly okay. In fact, we want them to tell us if they are terrified at the idea of an exam, or just terrified to be there in general, because we can meet them where they are. We can segmentally, incrementally work through, you know, whether it's just establishing or if there's, you know, if they're having issues with their periods, or whatever the case may be. I feel like the field continues at any medical field continues to evolve. That's what medicine does. I think the field of women's health, we've made a lot of strides in terms of women being active participants in their care and very involved and empowered in their healthcare. 

Marcus Thorpe  19:14
I would imagine there's, you know, I think about men and women in general, that say, Oh, I haven't gone to a doctor in years. It's probably too late for me to go see a doctor. I mean, I don't need to. There's probably women that say, Well, I've never really gone to a true OBGYN that I don't even need to go see one. I would imagine you would say it's never too late to come see somebody and get started with this process.

Dr Jessica Miller  19:35
I think we really, you know, we are preventative health at our core, and so anytime you come in, we're just excited that you're you're taking care of yourself, and if we're behind on something great, we'll catch you up. I mean, no judgment. It's a safe space. Come in, just tell us where you are. You've been here before. You've never been here. You had a bad experience. So we can make sure to figure out why that was bad and how we cannot replicate that. That's totally fine. You would be surprised if we see people that come all the time or not at all, and that is totally fine. We're just happy to come and figure out what's going on. So it's not we're not judging in that sense. 

Lindsay Gordon  20:12
 Yeah, I think so too. And I do want to ask one question before we start to wrap up, and that's basically in this age where we get so much information online, right, like, right on the phone, and I went down the rabbit hole with women in weightlifting, and then it led to an episode, and here I am now walking with a weighted vest because Dr Devor said it was real. And okay, so I'm trying it. But I just want to say this, like, what message would you have for those listening? What should they be keeping in mind as they scroll and read and consume that information, especially as it pertains to women's health, like, what would you want them to know while they're like reading that?

Marcus Thorpe  20:12
That's great. 

Dr Jessica Guinness  20:53
I think we all do it. You know, on the physician side, we all scroll and consume that same content. I think that again, if you have an established relationship, or if you have not yet established a relationship, and know that what you might see on the phone or on social media is Gen is very generalized. It is not individualized. And when you come in to see an OBGYN or a women's health provider, you are getting individualized care to you. That person should be you should be able to come with them, come to them with whatever

Dr Jessica Guinness  21:35
myth or whatever statement, and you should be able to get a clear, concise explanation as to why that may or may not be true. You should. That's what we do. That's not offensive to us. We love that. I love that I should be able to answer with good evidence to support any of those questions. You know, from a social media standpoint, that's part of our training, that's our board certification and our ongoing education and maintenance of our license.

Dr Jessica Guinness  22:09
And so I think that's the difference. It's very easy to go online and make a statement, any of us can do that. It's not so easy to go through to dedicate your life to years of training so that we can give people the right answer, so that they can be their best self, so they can have their best health and well being. 

Marcus Thorpe  22:30
I love, I love the idea of, hey, take all that information if you want, then come to me and I'll tell you what's real and what's not. 

Dr Jessica Miller  22:35
Ask us. I saw this on Tiktok. Is this true? I probably saw it on Tiktok too. So I feel like, oh, I have some thoughts. I think also, just to add to that, be a little bit mindful of the source that you're getting things from. I'm not trying to say people's personal opinions and their experience are not valid. That's totally not true, but that's just their personal experience. If they're giving medical advice, really look for that. That the letters behind their name, the years that they have spent the we take test after test to prove that we stay up to date on information so we can be safe and evidence based and not not everyone portrays themselves that way. So looking for, you know, people that are board certified, people that are licensed, you know that that have some credentials behind their name is probably a better source to go to and take the other people's opinions, okay, that was their experience. Bring it to us and say, I saw this. Is this going to be my experience? What do you think? What applies to me? And we can help you narrow that down so that, you know, okay, like, maybe, maybe my experience won't be the same, and that can be really helpful or validation, maybe, yeah, that's absolutely, yeah, that's fine. That's the thing. It could happen.

Lindsay Gordon  23:44
Yeah, exactly like weighted vests. It was real.

Marcus Thorpe  23:44
Look at you. I've noticed you're pretty buff. This has been a great episode. We really appreciate you both coming in, and I hope we can have you back, because it really has been awesome. And you too, your personalities just come through. And it's been a really good conversation. So thanks for joining us. It's been so fun, and I can't mess up your names because of the same which is really and of course, we thank you for joining us too. If you'd like to read some more about this episode, you can go to ohiohealth.com and find out why you deserve a better OB GYN experience. 

Marcus Thorpe  24:19
Again, that's ohiohealth.com/the wellness conversation, and be sure to subscribe to join the conversation. 

Lindsay Gordon  24:25
And if you have questions that weren't covered in this episode, please drop us a comment. Be sure to check back for our next episode. Later this month, we're having a deep dive conversation into the space of supporting survivors of sexual violence, because the truth is, it's something that is very much underreported, and we're going to talk about the efforts to create an environment where survivors feel safe and secure. That's all in our next episode that drops on July 15, as always. Thanks for joining us. You.