Be……Happy? What my gym experience taught me about self-care and self-love.

Happy!…..??

There I was. At a new gym for the first time. It didn’t seem like a very intimidating place (ideal for a person like me, who doesn’t thrive in anything athletic and was once described as “risk averse” by a very good friend). It was a bit of a confusing first class

charlotte-karlsen-585719-unsplash — I do not look like this during a pull up, or a modified pull up….. Photo by Charlotte Karlsen on Unsplash

because there were groups and stations, and it was all very new to me. So one of the exercises was a pull up. I looked at the instructor when it was my turn and said “any modifications?” and BeckyLindsayHeather enthusiastically said “for sure! Just jump into this (flimsy af rubber band looking) strap and I’ll help support you!” Now BLH looked to be very fit, but she was also about 4 inches shorter and about 40 pounds lighter than me, basically if I go down, I’m taking BLH with me. I looked at her with a kind of half smile half fear and replied, “yeah I’m not doing that.” Friends, the look of judgment that passed through her eyes was palpable. It wasn’t malicious, but she definitely threw a little shade in my direction. Flashback to the Presidential Fitness Challenge and the look on Coach Pariso’s face when she finally realized I’m not going to be one of her star athletes and let’s just all accept it and move on with our lives.

Now, why am I sharing this story with you? To get sympathy? Obviously. To discuss something important I learned that day? Yes, that’s probably more accurate. For those of you that read the blog, you know Dr Wendy and I focus on self-care quite a bit. It’s important to be your own advocate for not only health care, but also in your relationships, with your career, and definitely when you’re trying something new at the gym. We live in a time when self-care is shouted from the rooftops, but setting your own boundaries can be seen aggressive or almost like a lack of trying. I can understand why people feel so much pressure all the time. We should accept who we are and be happy with ourselves, but at the same time push ourselves “out of the comfort zone! Try harder! Be skinnier, richer, happier!” It’s almost like we are getting told to be better at being our best.

At the end of the day, it’s all about finding balance. Striving to be the best version of ourselves,

best version of ourselves, but remembering we are being the best version OF OURSELVES. Not the person running the gym next to us, not the neighbor whose flowers are growing better than ours (RIP Succulent Susan, you had a good run), not someone whose timeline is clearly different than ours. I did end up doing this modified pull up with Coach BLH’s help, but only because I asked her for it and stood up for myself and my boundaries. With that, I’ll sign off. Be happy, be well, and do your best.

I would like to thank Dr Wendy for holding down the fort, and letting me disappear from the blog for a few months. XO.

sagarwalmd

A Birth Story from the OB Herself: It May Help You Through…

I can’t believe I never shared this here before!

I originally posted this little gem on Sassy Plum. Here it is!

I was a resident physician and had just finished performing a c-section. We had helped bring a new life into the world. That usually puts me right on cloud nine, even to this day, but this day I went straight to the desk and put my face down on the cold table.

“One line appeared…then line two…”

A: “Are you okay?”
Me: “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m just a little nauseous and hot. It was hot in the operating room. I’ll be fine in a minute.”
A: “You’re pregnant.” (OB/GYNs always suspect this first.)
Me: “What? You’re crazy. No I am not. I’m on birth control, and, well, I’m just not.”
T: “I’m getting you a test from the ER.”
Me: “Fine, but I’m not.”
…
Line one appeared… then line two…
Disbelief.
I slowly walked back out into the hall where I was intercepted by my senior resident.
Me: “What does this mean? We just got a dog yesterday.”
T: “It means that your pregnant. Let’s go back to the call room and call your husband.”
…
Me: “Hey babe. I’m, well, I’m pregnant.”
Ed: “But we just got a dog…”

That was the beginning. That little twinkle in my eye is 8 years old now, but that was how my pregnancy began. Now fast forward to the end of the pregnancy.

“I didn’t feel like I had preeclampsia”

I had endured 80-hour work-weeks, no vacation (I had to save it all for maternity leave), nausea and vomiting that never completely went away, and sparse weight gain because of my vomiting tendencies. I would run down the hall to the bathroom to throw up and hear new nurses saying, “Where is she going?” Then I would hear the nurses who knew me saying, “Oh, she is just going to throw up.” They knew me so well.

At 35 weeks, I had my first elevated blood pressure in the office. It was only mildly elevated, in the “pre-hypertensive range”. My awesome nurse practitioner told me to recheck my blood pressure a few more times in the coming week, since she knew that I would be in the hospital every day. Being the disobedient doctor that I was, I waited 6 whole days to check my blood pressure again. The day before my next prenatal appointment, I was working in OB triage and I asked Miriam to take my blood pressure. “160/100.” Wait, what? Excuse me? So what are we saying? “Take it again.”

It was still stupid high.

“So how about I go home, rest a little bit and come back?” My doctor literally looked at me with an “are you crazy?” face. I knew better. My own patient wouldn’t be able to walk out of my eyesight with a blood pressure like mine. But I must have been different. I felt fine. I didn’t feel like I had preeclampsia. So what was the problem?

Multiple severely high blood pressure later, and after receiving IV blood pressure medications on top of IV medications (the big guns), my fate was sealed. I needed to be induced at 36 weeks. That was 4 weeks before my due date.

But we weren’t ready…

I had 4 more weeks left. I had work to do. The baby’s room wasn’t even started, let alone finished. My husband was an intern in the ICU and had just finished placing a life-saving central line when he got the call that it was about to go down.

My husband called in emergency favors and commissioned a group of friends who, over pizza and beer converted his DJ room/man cave to a baby’s room, complete with a hand-me-down crib and clothes and diapers from our baby shower 2 weeks prior. He then went to Target and bought a bassinet. So I guess we were ready. All that a baby really needs are clothes, diapers and a safe place to sleep, right?

“While history was being made, I was pushing”

I was admitted Sunday night. The decision was made to induce Monday morning. After a cervical balloon, some pitocin, breaking my bag of water, more pitocin, flipping me all over, an epidural, and a bunch more pitocin, I started feeling the pressure. I was tanked full of magnesium to prevent seizures that could be caused by preeclampsia and was feeling rather delirious on that Tuesday morning when the time came to push.

I remember looking up to see two of my favorite people in the world on the news. One had on the flyest yellow coat dress I had ever seen. The other had on a dapper black coat, a bright red tie, and had his hand on the Bible as he was being sworn into office. It was January 20th, 2009.

I had to watch the ceremony reruns later to take it all in because, while history was being made, I was pushing. I needed an emergent vacuum assistance because the baby’s heart rate dropped to dangerous levels. The vacuum failed twice, and my attending had to save the day by pulling my 4lb 13oz baby boy out with forceps (yes, the salad tongs). He is amazing today. He is smart, handsome and has a younger brother and sister.

“I am SO anti-delivery story”

You don’t know this about me, but I am SO anti-delivery story. Why, you may ask? Because knowing what happened in your delivery in NO WAY has any bearing on what will happen in mine. Did reading the details of my deliver change you or your pregnancy in any way? NO. I don’t even know you. This story, as with any other story, should be used for pure entertainment. Storytelling can be therapeutic and even fun. When it becomes anxiety provoking as you search for ways to stop what happened to me from happening to you, it has gone too far.

“Separate yourself from the stories that you hear”

My take-home message is this: If you are pregnant or desire to be, separate yourself from the stories that you hear. Remind yourself that YOUR pregnancy is normal until proven otherwise. I had to exercise this practice myself as an OB/GYN, considering the multitude of complications that I have seen in my career. If you are no longer pregnant but desire to tell your story to someone who is, remind that person that these crazy things happened to you, not to them. There is no need to drop emotionally charged delivery stories on a newbie, but if you do, don’t just leave them shaking in their boots. Reassure them and comfort them. Oh, and make sure that they listen to their doctor. Denial is not therapeutic.

If you had a normal, beautiful delivery, share that too. Sometimes the ladies who share the most are disproportionately the ones who had complications. Far more women have normal, safe, uneventful deliveries.
Check out another post by me that lists many other things to say and not say to pregnant women. Remember, my story is MY story. You will have your own.

Wendy Goodall McDonald M.D.

Dr. Wendy Goodall McDonald is a board certified OBGYN. She began practicing medicine in 2007 and now uses her extensive knowledge and growing following to increase health awareness in a fun and viral way. She is the founder of The Gyneco-blogic and an author of numerous books for adult and childhood health education and social growth. For more, check me, I mean her out at dreverywoman.com

https://dreverywoman.com/

August 18, 2018September 2, 2018

Wendy Goodall McDonald M.D.Leave a comment

Sink or Swim: Don’t Let This Tragic Water Accident Happen To You

I was in Mexico. I was young, about 23 years old. I had a twinkle in my eye and my whole life ahead of me. One day, a friend and I went to the beach. We were wading in the ocean, about waist deep. In came some large waves.

Looking around, people were jumping in order to avoid being splashed in the face. The motion of jumping with the wave was both fun and relaxing. It was like the waves were carrying us in the most therapeutic way.

Oh, the waves were carrying us alright.

bay beach blue clouds — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Mind you, I can swim. I have been swimming since elementary school. I was on the swim team at one point and even for a brief moment had visions of trying to train for the Olympics. I am the most confident and simultaneously the most insecure person I know. Ponder that. Back to my story.

The next thing you know, We were up to our necks in water. Literally went from standing waist deep, steps from the shore, to treading water and barely able to touch the bottom in a matter of fewer than 2 minutes. I also had left my glasses on the shore, but with my blurry vision, I could see people who looked like ants far, FAR away.

Now what do we do? Swim back? Tried it. It wasn’t happening.

We were seemingly unable to make it back to shore. And WE WERE IN THE OCEAN. I mean, I can swim, but for how long? Where were we going? What was going to happen to us? At least we would share this slow oceanic death when we were no longer able to tread water and began to sink in fatigue.

Out of seemingly nowhere appeared these young teenaged boys on surfboards. In Spanish, they told my friend and me to get on the boards. Now, I’m from Chicago. I don’t just jump on peoples’ surfboards who I don’t know. But wait, we were in the middle of nowhere in a very perilous position. My girl hoisted herself up on one of the boards. I guess we were about to take our chances with these young homies.

They started paddling and before I knew it, we were back to the shore. I was so grateful I could have church-hugged every one of them. They asked for money. They were volunteer lifeguards. I was broke. I hadn’t come to the beach with money. They got a series of thank yous and prayers. I think I dispensed a hug or two. If I could go back today, I’d give them a hefty tip.

What was the cause of this nearly life-threatening moment?

I was caught in a Riptide. Also known as a rip current.

But, what is a rip current?

A rip current is a strong current caused by tidal flow in confined areas such as inlets and presenting a hazard to swimmers and boaters.

Recently on Weather.com, they were talking about the hazards of rip currents and their presence on the east coast in areas near tropical storms. They can be present anywhere, though. Even at low tide.

So what should you do if you get caught in a riptide or rip current?

According to the website theartofmanliness.com, If you get caught in a rip current, here’s what to do:

Don’t panic. Feeling like you’re getting swept out to sea can be terrifying. But try to keep calm. Rip currents won’t pull you under — they’re just channels of moving water. And while they can extend a ways out, they do eventually dissipate, most within 50-100 feet of the shoreline. So you’re not going to wash up on the shores of a deserted island with only a volleyball for a friend.

Don’t try to swim against the rip. Deaths that result from riptides aren’t caused by the current pulling someone under; instead, the person typically panics, starts trying to swim against the rip to get back to shore, becomes exhausted, and drowns. An 8-feet-per-second riptide is so strong that not even Michael Phelps could swim against it. Don’t kick against the pricks.

Swim parallel to the shore. Instead of swimming against the rip current, you want to swim perpendicular to it, in either direction. Rip currents are typically only 20-100 feet wide. Once you leave the rip, swim at an angle away from it towards the shore.

Go with the flow. If you don’t have the swimming skills or energy to swim out of the rip, float on your back and go with the current. Just imagine you’re taking a spin on the Lazy River at the water park you went to as a kid. Once the rip current dissipates, you can do the parallel swim thing or try to signal to the lifeguard or someone else that you’re in need of help.

Thank you The Art Of Manliness for contributing to this women’s health blog. The irony.

While we’re at it, what do you do if you get caught in an undertow?

In Chicago, we love Lake Michigan. For years, Lake Michigan was known as one of the deadliest of the Great Lakes because of the currents. An undertow is a misnomer that comes from the sensation that a person’s feet are pulled out from under them during the rip current. The water is actually not pulling you under, it’s still out. An “undertow” is a rip current too.

close up of sea foam — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The best way to avoid this is to NOT SWIM in areas where “no swimming” signs are present. Also, avoid water deeper than 3 feet if you can’t swim as an adult, or 1 foot if you’re a child. Do not wade or swim when there is not a lifeguard present. Don’t be ashamed to use life vests. Make sure they are properly sized for the adult or child’s weight. A child can slip out of a vest that is too big, or not float properly with a vest that is too small.

Remind children who can’t swim the entire length of a swimming pool without touching the bottom that they CANNOT swim well enough to survive in the lake or ocean.

You aren’t trying to crush their confidence, but a child who THINKS they can swim because they can paddle 2 or 3 times and bounce their feet off of the bottom can find themselves in trouble when there IS NO bottom. They’ll PANIC, THEN SINK.

boy s face gray scale photo — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

I had never heard of a rip current before I got caught in one. If you know about it, you’ll know what to do if it happens to you. Already in 2018, there have been multiple deaths and countless rescues on Florida’s Eastern and Southern coasts in the US due to rip currents. Share this with someone. It could save someone’s life.

Click here to read more about rip currents from National Weather Service.

Subscribe and follow us as we continue to make “WAVES” here at The Gyneco-blogic. #punlife

Wendy Goodall McDonald M.D.

https://dreverywoman.com/

July 10, 2018September 6, 2018

Wendy Goodall McDonald M.D.Leave a comment

Play, Pause and Record. Essence, PopSugar, MadameNoire… A literature compilation and reflection with Dr. Wendy

Do you ever Google yourself?

I did today for the first time in a long time. In doing so, I scoured the first seven Google pages containing “Dr Wendy Goodall McDonald.” My findings made me smile!

This is my birthday month and in light of my rise to the 37th year of life, I plan to adopt the following theme. This theme is also in part because of my newfound love of recording and performing. The old tape recorders used to have the following signs:

STOP/EJECT, REC, PLAY, REW, FF, PAUSE.

I’m old enough to remember literally recording my favorite radio shows to be able to play using a tape recorder on road trips. My favorite tape including “Dear Mama” by 2Pac.

I digress.

My theme for this year of my life will be Play, Pause, and Record. I don’t want to stop, eject, rewind, or fast forward. I just want to have fun, take a moment to reflect and appreciate life, and record things that happen to forever immortalize dopeness. On to my Google search. Here we go:

1. Essence with Dr. Wendy

Numbers 31 to 35 of this post from the May 2018 issue of Essence came from your favorite OBGYN, your’s truly. The post was entitled:

48 Actions To Unleash Your Greatness

2. SELF with Dr. Every Woman

Just one of many of my quotes from this super fun an informative article entitled

7 Vaginal Products and Treatments You Just Don’t Need:

Beyond that, oak galls haven’t been shown to have any antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory properties, but if they do, using them is like “bringing Clorox to the rainforest,” Wendy Goodall McDonald, M.D., an ob/gyn and faculty member at Prentice Women’s Hospital, tells SELF.

3. Parents with Dr. Wendy

Not every late period means pregnancy. I was happy to contribute to this article in Parents about:

7 Reasons for a Late Period That Don’t Mean You’re Pregnant.

4. Romper with Dr. Every Woman

Never leaving out the pregnant or soon-to-be pregnant ladies, I was happy to weigh in on this Romper post about exercise in pregnancy, entitled:

Is It Safe To Work Out & Lose Weight While Trying To Conceive? It’s Important To Keep Healthy

5. MadameNoire and Dr. Wendy for Women’s Health Week

This 5-part series allowed your’s truly to contribute pearls that every woman should know. Check them out:

Misses Clean:

Women’s Health Week: For The Record, You Can Use Soap Down There, Just Not In There

Issa Prolapse:

Women’s Health Week: ICYMI, Your Vagina Can Fall Out

VBAC or Be Square:

Women’s Health Week: Giving Birth Vaginally After A C-Section (When You Can Do It, When You Can’t)

Breathe In, Breathe Down:

Women’s Health Week: Yeast Infections, Bacterial Vaginosis And The Importance Of Letting Your Vagina Breathe

Goodness Gracious, Great Balls of Fibroid:

Women’s Health Week: If You Notice A Stomach Bulge, Could It Be Fibroids?

6. PopSugar and Dr. Every Woman talk about stress and your cycle.

Can stress affect your period? I was able to help answer that question in this post:

These Experts Explain Why Stress Can Wreak Havoc on Your Menstrual Cycle

7. Healthline and Dr. Wendy talk about SEX

Does size really matter? Does every woman have a G-spot? I got your answers covered in this post:

5 Sex Questions You Were Afraid to Ask, Answered

8. The Karen Hunter Show and Dr. Wendy talk about becoming an OBGYN.

About 2/3 of the way down the page, is my face amongst GREATs like Cory Booker, Ruben Studdard, and Paula Patton. NOT on ANY OF THEIR LEVELS, but that’s dope to share the same web space.

Click here to hear me talk to Karen on her SiriusXM Radio show Urban View about how I decided to become an OBGYN. She was cracking me up.

9. Feedspot recognizes The Gyneco-blogic

This one was a treat. I still consider The Gyneco-blogic a new blog. We’re less than 2 years old but just reached 50,000 views. On June 6th, 2018, we graced the pages of Feedspot, coming in at #24 for the:

Top 100 Obgyn Blogs and Websites by Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

We were in good company too, including the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, among others.

10. The Happy Doc Podcast and Blog talks with Dr. Every Woman

Last but MOST CERTAINLY not least, by FAR one of the first platforms to notice me as a Doc trying to do it differently. Dr. Neel Desai and the crew on The Happy Doc blog and podcast featured one of my earliest and best videos:

I will always be grateful for the encouragement and support shown by Dr. Neel and The Happy Doc crew. They are among those who believed in me before I really believed in myself.

I am grateful.

I am grateful for all of those who have been with me on this journey. I am grateful to you for reading this trip down memory lane. It’s crazy to think that these media presences started less than a year ago. I pray that this is only the beginning of my journey to impact health literacy in a way that hasn’t been seen before.

I’m excited!

Follow me here, and on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and especially YouTube @dreverywoman. You can also find me at dreverywoman.com.

Wendy Goodall McDonald M.D.

https://dreverywoman.com/

July 7, 2018July 21, 2018

Wendy Goodall McDonald M.D.Leave a comment

A Rose By Any Other Name… What else can we call the Vagina this Independence Day?

I had the awesome fortune to meet Luvvie Ajaji and Franchesca Ramsey recently.

I was at a book signing event for Franchesca Ramsey’s new book, Well, That Escalated Quickly. It was such an amazing time because, within the event, Luvvie interviewed Franchesca. They talked about the book and Franchesca’s journey as an “accidental activist.” I highly recommend her book, by the way. (And Luvvie’s book, I’m Judging You. Both are very much worth the read.)

At the end of the event, there was a question/answer period.

I asked these awesome content creators a very important question. Paraphrasing:

Me: You ladies are dope, and I couldn’t find my bobby pins so don’t judge me. Anyway, I’m a gynecologist who creates a lot of content on a lot of different platforms. While people like my stuff and visit my media spaces, they don’t share it very often. Women don’t share Gyne content. How do you get women to share information that is good and valuable but a little uncomfortable for some.

They shared something really important. They said,

People don’t like the word Vagina.

Is that so? A word I use so many times per day I can’t even count? An organ that is present in half of the population, and sought after by the other half (almost)? This truth was hard for me to adopt. It’s true though. There is an absolute side-eye by some when I tell them that I am a gynecologist. I know their mind immediately goes to,

Does that mean you touch vaginas all day?

They don’t say it, but I know they think it. And, yes. I, with gloves and a lot of handwashing, touch vaginas all day. They need me. I am like a dentist for the crotch. You don’t look forward to seeing me, but if you don’t you’ll be in trouble.

I think a few things are important for me to discuss.

The word vagina IS IMPORTANT to use early on, even as children.

Children with a better understanding of proper anatomic terminology are often at lower risk for child abuse. Pet names be damned. If someone tells my kid to touch their penis or vagina or tries to touch theirs, they know what those parts are and that that is not acceptable. Of course protection against sexual predators is greater than just teaching proper nomenclature (fancy word for names), but it’s important none the less.

Alas, I won’t fight the social media share culture. Spreading health information won’t be stifled by people’s aversions to the V-word. What I teach my children is going to sometimes be different than what I post. Do as I say, not as I do, lol.

I propose the following alternate names for the vagina. You may see me periodically using these terms going forward when I release new blog posts and music videos etc.

The Kernel

My book, released December 2017 was entitled It Smells Just Like Popcorn. It is an A to Z (though the title says A to V ’cause that made me chuckle) guide to all things women’s health. What’s cuter for vagina than a Popcorn Kernel.

puff corn on gray ceramic bowl — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The Love Pocket

This is the term coined by Luvvie Ajayi in her book I’m Judging You. And I quote: “I prefer ‘love pocket,’ because it is surely a pocket that is full of love and should be treated as such.”

The VaJay

I was blessed to be invited to have a regular segment on WCIU’s, The Jam, a morning show airing daily in Chicago. The first segment that I did was entitled Yay or Nay in the VaJay. I think it is the cutest name and way easier to say than Vajajay. I’m here for The VaJay. (BTW, this was my first time on the show and I had no idea where to look, hence the perplexed look on my face as the segment began.)

I’m happy to take suggestions. Comment here or on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Follow them too. I am open to change and do it frequently, so, today it’s The Kernel. Tomorrow is anybody’s guess.

One thing it will always be is THE VA-GIII-NAAA.

No really, pick up your copy. Click the image. You won’t be disappointed.

Subscribe and follow us to never miss a “Kernel” of truth from The Gyneco-blogic.

#PopcornHealth

Wendy Goodall McDonald M.D.

https://dreverywoman.com/

July 1, 2018September 2, 2018

Wendy Goodall McDonald M.D.Leave a comment

Potty Break: When And How Do You Potty Train A Toddler?

As a mother of three, the last of my brood being a 2-year-old girl, I am currently deep in the trenches of potty training. I’m winning, though. Anytime we can take diapers and wipes off of the shopping list, we are all winning. I have a few tricks that I have learned along the way, and pitfalls to avoid as you enter your own tournament with your toddler.

1. Diaper trainers are a farce

To you, the parent, something that is like a pull-up (I have no issue with the brand, just the concept) is like pretend underwear that offers the security of catching urine and stool. To the toddler, they are diapers. Diapers. I thought with my first son that when we told him to wear them but to use the potty, that meant something. It meant NOTHING. Many actions in life change as a result of consequences or rewards. For my son, the consequence had to be to the feeling of urine running down his leg and realizing that this was not a normal or comfortable feeling.

2. Hard floors are a must

Whether on hard wood or a tile kitchen, you have to do “potty practice” in a place where mistakes won’t be catastrophic. You need to be in an accident state of mind. It a dirty job, but somebody has to do it. If you have carpet throughout your house, potty time should occur in the kitchen or somewhere with non-porous surfaces. If you have area rugs, consider removing them during the “potty tournament.”

3. For boys, get the high front potty

It doesn’t seem to matter much for my daughter, but my sons were very able to urinate over the potty if certain trajectories weren’t pre-specified. The type of potty that has a higher middle was way better to catch and prevent these surprises. I had two types of potties: the type that went on the floor and the one that went on the toilets. A step in the bathroom came in handy too, especially for washing hands.

4. For some little ones, boot camp may be the best way to kick start

Do you have a weekend off without any activities planned? Let’s go full diaper-free. I am still putting diapers on baby girl during naps or at bedtime, but she is being asked every 15-20 minutes if she has to go and is making magic happen on the toilet consistently. I have done a fair amount of laundry though. Plenty of panty, pants, leggings and sock changes in the moments where she forgets and feels a warm wetness travelling down her leg. We even had one run-in with number 2. Thank God there is no such thing as number 3 (that is a reference from the sweet movie, Home.)

5. Wait until they are ready

No need to give your blood pressure an unwelcomed boost. They all (for the most part) get it eventually. As much as that diaper purchase is something that you would like to see become a thing of the past, when they are ready, they’ll do it. It’s like walking.

My oldest son gave me so many headaches until we took away the pull-ups and just gave him long shirts to walk around the house in. He was almost three. I think back to the money I wasted on training diapers and the moments that I stressed while he looked at me, undoubtedly wondering why I was riled up. I didn’t get upset with him outside of reminding him what I wanted him to do. He wasn’t stressed at all. Eventually, the light bulb clicked and he never looked back.

With my second son, I just brought out the froggy potty and put it in the bathroom. He started using it on his own.

Now baby girl has decided it is her time. She gives me the same “ta-da” after a potty run that she does after playing an abstract Minuet on the upright piano my parents gave us. #Winning.

Read more about healthy bowel movement habits for adults and children. Thanks for reading this post originally inspired by my friends over at Sassy Plum!

Wendy Goodall McDonald M.D.

https://dreverywoman.com/

April 9, 2018April 22, 2018

Wendy Goodall McDonald M.D.1 Comment