‘Listen to Black Women’ — Postpartum & Menopause
Watch ‘Listen to Black Women’ S6, Ep. 2 Part 3: Dr. Nicole Sparks & Dr. Jarrett Manning Keep It 100 On Postpartum, Hormones & Menopause
On the latest Listen to Black Women, our experts talk health, hormones, and healing—speaking openly about navigating postpartum and what to know about menopause. Jessie Woo and Lore’l chat with OB-GYN Dr. Nicole Sparks and cosmetic dentist Dr. Jarrett Manning for an honest conversation about the realities of women’s health and how they’ve navigated postpartum recovery and the effects of menopause.
What postpartum symptoms are normal after having a baby?
“One thing I noticed that we don’t touch on a lot is postpartum,” Lore’l said. “I’ve had a few friends go through it. I know some guys don’t even believe it’s real. They think it’s a myth.”
Dr. Nicole, who just had her fourth baby, walked us through it. “A lot happens in the postpartum period,” said the OB-GYN. “From the fluctuation of hormones to trying to figure out how to breastfeed your baby, to mastitis, to the night sweats—so you may be irritable and resentful … And then you’re worried about your body issues.”
Is it normal to “snap back” after having a baby?
Adjusting to a new post-baby body can weigh on new mothers. “We’ve seen a lot of people come and snap back, like they never even had a child, and other people feel the pressures from that,” Lore’l said.
“I hate the term, but some people do snap back, and then some people may wonder, why is it taking me months to lose the weight?” Dr. Nicole acknowledged.
The key to making it through the postpartum period is to reach out for support. “There are just so many things to navigate,” Dr. Nicole added. “So I tell people to have a plan in place. For me, I literally assigned each of my sisters and my sister-in-law a week to come help me. I usually always say, ‘I’m fine.’ I know by the fourth baby, I’m not fine postpartum. So I had people on hand to help me. It truly does take a village. You can’t do this by yourself. You’re not supposed to do this by yourself.”
The postpartum phase can bring up new health challenges, which is why it’s important to recognize the warning signs. “For me, I usually have normal blood pressure. But postpartum, it always creeps up,” said Dr. Nicole. “Postpartum preeclampsia is just as dangerous as it is during pregnancy. So you want to make sure you’re looking out for things like headaches or increased swelling, or your blood pressure is getting higher, your vision changes, fevers. Anything like that, you need to make sure that you bring it up to your doctor.”
How does pregnancy affect your teeth?
Dr. Jarrett addressed a common pregnancy myth she hears all too often. “I have a lot of patients that come in and say, ‘The baby took my calcium, or the baby made my teeth weaker.’ And that’s not the case,” she said. “Hormonal issues affect teeth and gums, but the baby is not taking anything away as far as teeth are concerned.”
Bleeding gums may signal changing hormone levels. “That’s part of the hormonal changes that can happen. Doesn’t happen for everyone but that is one of the signs that maybe hormones are fluctuating, especially if you haven’t dealt with those issues prior to pregnancy,” said Dr. Jarrett.
When does menopause start and what are the signs?
Finally, the conversation turned to menopause, going over the effects and practical advice for managing symptoms.
“The average age of menopause in the U.S. is about 51, but people may experience menopause before or after that,” said Dr. Nicole. “So the actual definition of menopause is you have to have one entire year without periods. If you’re still having periods, you’re probably in perimenopause.”
While Dr. Nicole sees it most often in patients in their 40s and 50s, she noted that some women may notice menopause symptoms in their late 30s. “You might have vaginal dryness or hot flashes, irritability. You may have issues sleeping, memory loss. And it’s because of this drop in estrogen that we need as women, and that’s slowly starting to go away the closer you get to menopause,” she added. “Some people may experience menopause and they’re fine—they don’t even want or need medication. Some people, their symptoms are severe.”
What are some practical ways to manage menopause symptoms?
It’s best to ease menopause symptoms with lifestyle changes before turning to prescribed therapies, Dr. Nicole said—such as using fans and cooling sheets and pillows to stay comfortable during hot flashes. “Turning the air down, making sure you’re eating right, exercising, and sleeping. You always want to start with those things and then, if none of those work, then your doctor might offer you some hormones,” she said.
Dr. Jarrett praised the effects of her own hormone regimen. “I can attest to that,” she said. “I’m in my 40s, and somewhere along the line, approaching 40, a lot of things went south—sex drive, energy. But once I started bioidentical hormone therapy, it has been a game-changer for me.”
Dr. Nicole noted that not every OB-GYN will prescribe the same hormone pellets used by Dr. Jarrett, “because there’s mixed reviews when it comes to that. But some patients swear by it, and here you are saying that it does work.”
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Season 6 of Listen to Black Women is officially here. This iOne Digital original series centers Black women as they explore life, love, culture, and community through candid, thought-provoking conversations—featuring guests who speak their truths and leave no topic off-limits. Catch new episodes every Thursday on MadameNoire.com.
