Starting or growing a family is a deep desire for many people, but the path to parenthood is not always straightforward.
All are invited to a free, virtual community talk about navigating your fertility journey, presented by the UW Department of Ob-Gyn! Bring your questions about all aspects of fertility to a panel of experts at 6:30pm on April 10, 2023:
- Generations Fertility Care Director Dr. Bala Bhagavath will discuss physical and medical aspects of fertility care
- Clinical Psychologist Dr. Julianne Zweifel will talk about common mental and emotional concerns during fertility treatment
- Panelists at different points of their own fertility journeys will talk about their experiences with expanding their families
Register today for this free event and invite your friends!
Starting or growing a family is a deep desire for many people, but the path to parenthood is not always straightforward.
A panel of experts answered fertility questions during the well-attended virtual community talk "Navigating Your Fertility Journey" on April 10, 2023:
- Generations Fertility Care Director Dr. Bala Bhagavath discussed physical and medical aspects of fertility care
- Clinical Psychologist Dr. Julianne Zweifel talked about common mental and emotional concerns during fertility treatment
- Panelists at different points of their own fertility journeys shared their experiences with expanding their families
Watch the whole Community Talk now!
In early October, during Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, a local family hosted the fundraiser Cheers to Hope at Octopi Brewing in Waunakee to support the Hope After Loss Clinic!
Kristen Sharp, MD, associate professor in the Division of Academic Specialists in Ob-Gyn and founder of the Hope After Loss Clinic, and Julianne Zweifel, PhD, clinical assistant professor and psychologist in the Hope After Loss Clinic, were on hand to give short remarks at the fundraiser. Cheers to Hope raised $3,200 for the clinic.
The Hope After Loss Clinic offers a supportive atmosphere for those who have experienced pregnancy loss, working with people who have recently experienced miscarriage, stillbirth or infant loss, or are pregnant or considering pregnancy after a prior loss. The family that hosted the fundraiser also established the Joan M. Gilles Memorial Fund in the department.
Julianne Zweifel, PhD, assistant clinical adjunct professor in the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, published a Views and Reviews piece in the journal Fertility and Sterility!
In “The risky business of advanced paternal age: neurodevelopmental and psychosocial implications for children of older fathers”, Zweifel and co-author Julia Woodward, PhD, out of Duke University, review literature investigating the association between advanced paternal age and their children’s mental and behavioral health:
“This analysis revealed that children, and even grandchildren, of older fathers face significantly increased incidence rates of psychiatric disease and behavioral impairment. The data do not show evidence of superior parenting behaviors among men with APA. Finally, children of men with APA are significantly more likely to experience early bereavement, which is associated with psychological and developmental consequences.”
Read the whole article here.
While emotional changes after having a baby are not uncommon, many may not know how to identify the more severe symptoms of postpartum depression.
In an article on CNET, Julianne Zweifel, PhD, of the UW Ob-Gyn Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, outlines the differences between baby blues and postpartum depression, and discusses the factors that can cause PPD:
“Many factors can contribute to depression after childbirth, including social factors like not having a support system, societal pressure to feel a certain way and the way a person's body reacts to hormonal changes.”
Read the rest of “Postpartum depression: What to look for and how to cope” here.