Mother-of-three and local restaurant owner Sasha Stone understands the impact of creating a balance between the allure of a big city with the comforts of community. At her family’s restaurant, City Pharmacy, Sasha and her husband strive to create a place “Where Friends Meet” through a unique setting that honors the history of Covington while highlighting a unique, fresh dining experience. 

When Sasha had a preference of where to deliver her third child, Birdie, it is no surprise she selected the personalized and high-quality care provided by the local birthing experts at Covington Women’s Health Specialists. Sasha’s understanding of the value of neighborhood support and community at City Pharmacy enabled her to appreciate the sincerity and compassion of Dr. Meridith Farrow, an OB/GYN with Covington Women’s Health Specialists. As a doctor and patient who both hail from Covington, their bond deepened because of their common experiences as local community members. Sasha received exceptionally attentive and individualized care from Dr. Farrow during emergency surgery and her third pregnancy. She will never forget it.

When Sasha first married, she and her husband lived close to downtown Atlanta. She became pregnant with her first baby, Moody, shortly after they had relocated back to Covington to be closer to family.

“I had been living in the city so I went to a hospital in the city to deliver my son. I thought I needed to deliver at a big, city hospital in order to be comfortable and safe,” Sasha said. “It wasn’t a bad experience, but it was definitely not a personalized or unique experience.” 

As Sasha neared her due date, her doctor encouraged her to consider inducing labor. While this was not necessarily the birth plan she had in mind, she admits that she hadn’t thought too much about a birth plan so she deferred to her obstetrician.

“About an hour after they induced labor, my heart rate and my baby’s heart rate dropped,” Sasha remembers. “They changed the medication they were giving me and I went on to labor for another seven hours before my labor stalled. After 10 hours, the doctor came in to talk to me about doing a C-section.”

Before moving to a C-section, Sasha asked if she could try to deliver naturally. Her doctor agreed to let her try, but the baby’s heart rate dropped, again, and she was immediately taken into surgery.

“It moved so fast, within 15 minutes, I was in the operating room and they were delivering Moody,” Sasha said. “I was so happy that he was safe and healthy, but still a little disappointed that I wasn’t able to deliver him naturally.”

Six months after her son was born, Sasha discovered she was again pregnant. Since it was so soon after delivering Moody, she returned to her physician in Atlanta for prenatal care. However, through her work at the restaurant, Sasha had met local OB/GYN, Meridith Farrow, M.D., and they had become friends.

As it got closer to Sasha’s due date, she and Dr. Farrow discussed Sasha’s scheduled C-section and her disappointment in not being able to deliver her second son, Hyde, naturally. Dr. Farrow encouraged Sasha to talk to her physician about attempting vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC), but when she asked her doctor about it, he told her he did not perform that type of delivery.  

“I wasn’t thrilled that I was having another C-section, but I also knew that there were risks, so I didn’t push the issue,” Sasha said. “But, I do remember wondering why he wouldn’t at least take the time to talk to me about my options and what I was thinking about like Dr. Farrow was doing, and I wasn’t her patient! It was then that I finally understood what I had felt during Moody’s delivery and now this baby’s…rushed. I felt like the hospital and the doctors were on a schedule and needed to move things along to make room for the next patient. They were very kind and considerate, but there was a lack of warmth due to the rate at which they were moving me through the process.”

Local Comfort

A year and a half later, the Stones decided they wanted to add to their family. Sasha became pregnant, but within a few weeks began to have bleeding that caused her alarm. Although she and Dr. Farrow had a deep friendship, Sasha was not her patient, so she called her Atlanta doctor’s office. The doctor spoke with her over the phone and diagnosed her as having a chemical pregnancy, sometimes called an early miscarriage, which is a pregnancy where a fertilized egg does not fully implant in the uterus.

“Although I wasn’t very far along in the pregnancy, it made us sad that I had miscarried,” Sasha remembers. “But, with two boys under the age of four at home, I knew how blessed I was and that the sadness would pass.”

A week later, Sasha’s bleeding had not subsided and was continuing to worsen. She was out of town when she began to experience terrible abdominal cramps that left her unable to walk. She was finally able to reach an on-call physician with her Atlanta doctor’s office who told her to go to the closest emergency room.

Scared and in tremendous pain, she called her friend, Dr. Farrow. After speaking with Sasha and the ER physician, Dr. Farrow ordered Sasha to be transferred and admitted to our local hospital, Piedmont Newton Hospital.

Dr. Farrow quickly discovered that Sasha had an ectopic pregnancy that had ruptured and that she needed emergency surgery. Prior to going into surgery, Dr. Farrow spoke with Sasha about the risks and possible outcomes. Knowing that the Stones wanted more children, Dr. Farrow said she would do everything she could to save the ovary but that she couldn’t make promises.

“Even though I was in a situation that was serious enough to require emergency surgery, Dr. Farrow and other members of the staff took the time to talk to me, answer my questions, and make sure that I was comfortable with the plan of care,” Sasha said. “They displayed so much compassion and care for me and my husband.”

Sasha’s surgery was successful and Dr. Farrow was able to save her ovary. She recovered well and, a short time later, was able to get pregnant again. This time, there was no doubt in her mind who would be taking care of her and her baby, Dr. Farrow with Covington Women’s Health Specialists. During this pregnancy, Sasha found great comfort knowing she could rely on Dr. Farrow and have a positive birthing experience at a local hospital.

The pregnancy progressed smoothly and Sasha scheduled her C-section, but a week before she was scheduled to deliver, she began having contractions. When she got to the hospital, she told the nurses about her scheduled C-section, but she was admitted to a regular labor and delivery room until she could be examined by Dr. Farrow.

Confirming that Sasha was in active labor, Dr. Farrow asked if Sasha wanted to attempt to deliver via vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). She knew that Sasha had wanted to have her other children naturally, and wanted to give her the opportunity to do so safely. They agreed that Sasha would try to deliver naturally, but that Dr. Farrow would halt everything and move her to the OR if there were any issues. Fifteen minutes later, Birdie Stone, the Stone family’s third child and only daughter, was born. 

“I was overcome with emotion,” Sasha said. “Our daughter was perfect and beautiful and there were no complications. Once I had time to reflect on things, I was just so grateful that Dr. Farrow approached my pregnancy and delivery with an open mind and really took the time to understand what was important to me.”

Covington Women’s Health Specialists provides the balance of high-quality clinical care with the comforts of local service.

“You think you have to go into Atlanta to have a good experience, but, in fact, by doing so you are missing out on having the best, most personal experience,” Sasha said. “There is no better care than local care and having everything you need right next door. The doctors and staff at Piedmont Newton want for you what is important to you. They want to make you feel like family.”

Are you an expecting mother looking for family-like OB/GYN care? We’re happy to help. To learn more about the Covington Women’s Health Specialists experience, please call 770-385-8954 to speak to our team, or click here.

This school year, your teen may have more on their mind other than hitting the books. While you may not have proof, you could suspect that they may be sexually active. 

At Covington Women’s Health Specialists, we want to help both parents and teens have good conversations that lead to well-informed decisions. 

Start at the Very Beginning

Teach boys and girls as they grow up about the parts of the body, how these body parts work, and that they are always in charge of consent. These steps can help ease you all into sex health conversations as they age.

If you’re behind in this department, arm yourself with information. Resources such as Planned Parenthood, The Center for Parent and Teen Communication, Stanford Children’s Health, and our own blog about the importance of overcoming STD stigma can offer both education and encouragement.

Remember you don’t have to tackle the entire complexity of human sexuality (disease protection, birth control, consent, masturbation, etc.) all at once. Start with the facts, and build from there. 

Face Your Fears

You might hesitate to discuss sex with your teen, and Educate Empower Kids has some guesses as:

• Having your own issues around sex
• Worrying you’ll destroy their innocence
• Suspecting that talking about it will encourage it
• Being hesitant about alienating them
• Feeling it’s plain old awkward and embarrassing for both of you

Certainly, you both may encounter that brief, awkward moment where you’re imagining the other one “doing it”, but these discomforts are far less serious than facing pregnancy, an STI, or sexual abuse together. 

Do what you need on your own to come to grips with your emotions, first. Then practice “the talk” with a trusted friend, partner, or family member to help you gain confidence and control. 

Focus on Their Feelings 

“The easiest way to start is to be real with your adolescent: ‘This is really hard for me to talk about . . .’” recommends Warren Seigel, M.D., FAAP, Director of Adolescent Medicine at Coney Island Hospital, Brooklyn, N.Y. “‘But it’s important to talk about, and we have to talk about embarrassing things sometimes.’” 

Acknowledging their awkwardness (and yours) may help minimize it all together. 

After that, let your teen be your guide. Ask open questions about what they’ve heard, seen, and are curious about. Listen to their answers, address them honestly, and be responsive to their feelings before jumping in with yours. 

Also keep in mind that your teen may not have the same sexual orientation you do.  “Be clear that your love is unconditional: that you will always love, support and accept them, and that they can talk to you about anything,” Reach Out recommends. 

No matter how they feel, come back to the conversation from time to time. Even if you both consider the first talk a success, conditions can change and new questions arise at the click of a text or link.

Healthy sex and healty relationships are important to us at Covington Women’s Health Specialists. For more guidance on talking to your teen about sex, or to arrange an appointment for them, connect with us online or call 770-385-8954.

Pregnancy presents many changes. Navigating all of them — physical, mood, relationship, life— can be tough, in part because each single change presents potentially dozens more to deal with. Some you might be well prepared for, others may be a surprise. Even the smallest divergence can be disruptive. (See our blog post on how pregnancy affects your skin.)

Considering everything else there is to contend with during pregnancy, changes in season may not be at the top of your concerns list, but they can still be a factor. Which is why Covington Women’s Health Specialists is here to help prepare you as much as possible.

As summer blooms into its full force, here’s some advice about coping well with summer when you’re expecting.

Keep Cool

“Every stage of pregnancy can slightly raise your body temperature,” Healthline Parenthood confirms. And there’s good reason. The regular hormonal and blood flow requirements of pregnancy alone can raise your body temperature, but carrying around an extra person also means you’re carrying around their extra heat.

It’s why staying cool (and, staying hydrated) is paramount. Some cool-down advice during pregnancy includes:

• Drink more than 8-12 glasses of water per day to compensate for extra water loss due to sweating and other physical demands
• Wear a hat or use an umbrella against sun exposure
• Enjoy more AC at night to promote comfortable sleep
• Carry moist towelettes or a washcloth to wipe down and cool off
• Give yourself a cool foot soak at the end of the day
• Wear loose, breathable fabrics to allow for increased breeze and sweat evaporation
• Avoid exercising in high temperatures

Keep Active

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, exercise during pregnancy can help with several matters, including reducing back pain and keeping your heart and muscles strong. But it’s easy to get overheated. That hot yoga class or humid, mid-day walk outside? They may not be the best idea for summer pregnancy activity, since your body temperature and sweat output would be elevated even if you weren’t expecting.

That doesn’t mean you should avoid exercise altogether, however. Though the best exercise regimen is often determined on a case-by-case basis, gauging your own temperature may be the best guide. “If you look in the mirror and you see that your face is really flushed, I’d take it down a notch,” Erin O’Brien, a prenatal and postnatal exercise specialist based in Pasadena told Grow by WebMd.

Indoor treadmill walking, water exercise, and smooth flow yoga are some possible activities that will keep your body (and your blood flow) moving, without compromising on a comfortable temperature. And you can take advantage of massage and water therapy to help with aching muscles and joints

Keep Eating Well

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of anyone’s diet, but especially when you’re pregnant. “Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day – these can include fresh, frozen, canned, dried or juiced,” the NHS recommends. These foods not only provide essential vitamins and nutrients, but also key amounts of fiber.

Enjoying vegetables and fruits can also help you maintain good hydration. Cucumbers, watermelon, celery, and zucchini are some reliable go-tos the Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials recommends to maintain your fluid flow.

Summer is also a great time to enjoy an abundance of fresh produce at its peak nutritional value. Eating seasonal fruits and vegetables means richer flavors and maximum nutrients, as they are harvested at peak ripeness. Buying local produce from farmers’ markets not only provides the freshest food but also supports the community

At Covington Women’s Health Specialists we want to help expectant mothers, their partners, and other family members prepare for childbirth regardless of the weather. To discuss your summer (or fall, or winter) pregnancy plan, book an appointment online or call 770-385-8954.

 * Understand, Your Minor Daughter Has Rights Concerning Her Reproductive Health.*

Last month we shared the benefits of annual OBYGN visits for grown women, but is it the same for teens and tweens? Puberty, after all, can be a confusing time saddled with overwhelming change — do you need to add a new appointment (that may be uncomfortable or awkward) to the mix?

Early Conversations Will Help

Confronting issues in conversation, rather than avoiding them, often helps diffuse fear or awkwardness — even if it feels difficult at first. The same is true for talking about body changes. Starting these conversations early and keeping them open, honest, and ongoing gives girls a solid foundation of knowledge. Regular, age-appropriate discussions about the body, how it works, and how it changes over time can help them feel confident and informed, while also reducing embarrassment or stigma.

So, When to Go?

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists cuts right to the chase — recommending the first visit happen between the ages of 13 and 15. “The scope of the initial visit,” they assert, “will depend on the patient’s concerns, medical history, physical and emotional development, and the level of care the patient is receiving from other health care professionals.”

Dr. Vash-Margita, chief of Yale Medicine Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology (PAG) further explains in a 2018 interview with Yale Medicine that the initial appointment is meant to educate both patients and parents, and build a relationship with the health specialist.

As during similar appointments with adult patients, the first visit is an opportunity to establish a baseline, and address questions and observations about overall body health and changes. It can also pave the way for open conversations about menstrual issues, puberty adjustments, questions about sexual health, and pregnancy prevention as they arise.

What to Expect

“Girls often think there will be a pelvic exam,” says Dr. Vash-Margita, “which is not true. In the beginning of the visit, I tell my patients that, most likely, they will not need an internal pelvic exam. After that, there is a visible sigh of relief and the conversation goes more smoothly.”

More typically, the appointment involves a general physical exam (height, weight, blood pressure, etc.), and an external genital exam. The external genital exam could also be an opportunity for patients to get involved and learn specifics about each part.

Think of this as a chance for a patient and gynecologist to have a conversation and get to know each other — the first of many interactions in the patient’s journey to overall, long-term wellness. That approach should help relieve any (understandable) nervousness.

Going to the gynecologist regularly is simply one step of many that women can take to maintain overall health. It’s something even a Disney princess can do, as shown in Danielle Sepulveres and artist/illustrator Maritza Lugo’s collaboration on a series of illustrations depicting Disney princesses visiting their gynecologists to raise awareness in 2016 for Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Beginning this journey at puberty (even if it doesn’t exactly feel magical) is simply one easy way to build and support habits for long-term health.

At Covington Women’s Health Specialists — whether you’re an early adolescent, a Disney princess, a postmenopausal woman, one considering pregnancy for the first time, or have any other health questions or concerns — we care about your entire well-being. Book an appointment with us online, or call 770-385-8954.

*Even if your daughter has not reached the age of 18 yet, she has rights under Georgia State Law.

A minor who understands the risks, benefits and proposed alternatives to certain health services concerning her sexual and reproductive health, may give informed consent. This includes all health care services related to pregnancy or becoming pregnant, reproductive cycle, vaginal infections, sexual functions, without notifying a parent (unless she chooses to do so). Although substance abuse is not a reproductive problem, it also falls under this law.

So, your daughter will be asked if she would like to be interviewed and examined without you being present. While not in your presence, your daughter may consent to or request services that she does not tell you about or that you have not planned on her having leading up to her visit. As a parent, this may offend you, however these laws exist because some young women cannot or would not receive reproductive healthcare in the absence of these laws.

We respect your relationship you’re your child; however, we respect your child’s autonomy in these matters and we will follow the law.