5 Tips for the doctor's office with Dr. Kerry Krauss

1. Ditch the body shame (it serves no one!)

I wish we could talk about the uterus and vagina the same way we talk about the stomach or the lungs. If our kids don’t feel comfortable talking with us about these parts of our bodies, they aren’t going to want to tell us when things are going wrong. 

On a similar note, I don’t know of a single OB-GYN who cares whether or not you have hair down there - so don’t stress about it! And definitely no need to cancel your appointment because you’ve missed a wax or forgotten to shave. 

2. Try to talk about the difficult things

For so long, I think women suffered in silence and didn’t talk to their doctors or even their friends or family about what was truly going on for them. There used to be so much shame and guilt associated with things like pregnancy loss, sexual dysfunction, and postpartum depression, just to name a few. 

I am so encouraged now to see women sharing their stories and talking about what they are experiencing! I’ve had patients who have suffered from significant issues for years, even decades, and never felt brave enough to bring them up to their doctors or share their stories with others, but I’ve seen that change significantly in the past few years.

3. Think about your priorities when choosing birth control

There are so many options for birth control today, so if you aren’t happy with the method you are using, talk to your doctor! Each method has its pros and cons, and the best method for you might change depending on what your goals are. 

Decide what is most important to you. Is it having a method that is very effective, or is it decreasing symptoms of bleeding and pain with your periods? Be sure to make these goals clear to your doctor, and they will help you navigate the methods to help you choose the right one for you. 

The more birth control options we have, the more women are able to find a method that fits their unique needs. And the better a woman can control her reproductive health, the more she is able to live her life on her terms.

4. Become a nerd about your own body 

Learning about your body is one of the best things you can do for your health. Take the time to learn from reliable sources like Natural Cycles, ACOG (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), and your doctor. Don’t trust everything you read on social media or Google!

I was immediately drawn to the mission of Natural Cycles to empower women with knowledge of their own bodies, and their goal of expanding the app to cover all of the different phases of a woman’s life. To have all that educational material for patients in one place is wonderful, and I was also so impressed by the massive body of research that’s been done to answer more questions about women’s health. 

5. Advocate for yourself in appointments

Advocate for yourself and ask for more time to talk if you don’t feel like your doctor is hearing you. Many of us doctors WANT to spend more time with our patients but aren’t given enough time to talk about problems during an annual visit. Scheduling a dedicated appointment to talk about an issue may be a better option than trying to discuss everything during an annual appointment. 

I think the future of contraception is absolutely patient-driven. We have the ability now more than ever to educate women about their own bodies and what makes the most sense for them. There are also so many more options than there once were, which really allows women to choose the option that fits their needs. 

Take charge of your fertility with Natural Cycles 

Thanks for reading my tips! Hopefully, they’ll come in handy next time you visit the doctor’s office. If you’d like to read more about my journey to becoming an OBGYN, you can check out my Cycler story, where I also cover my own personal experience living with PCOS.

Interested in trying Natural Cycles? Talk to your doctor about switching birth control, or click “get started” to take our quiz and find out how the FDA-cleared birth control app can support you throughout your fertility journey.