Tales from the Stirrups

sadashek

Join Dr. Steven Adashek, an OBGYN with over four decades of guiding patients through every stage of life. From first periods to menopause, from contraception to conception, from dating to relationship challenges, from illness back to health, everything your group chat won't explain correctly. These are the stories and real lessons my patients have trusted me to learn from. Smart, honest, a little irreverent, and definitely not your typical doctor talk.

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27 episodes
weekly
Avg 10 min
English

Episodes 27

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#27
Yesterday · 32 min
Baby Blues or Postpartum Depression? Kathryn Shares Her Story
What's the difference between the baby blues and postpartum depression, and how can we recognize when a new mother needs help? We explore the symptoms, warning signs, and challenges of identifying postpartum depression, including why some women hesitate to tell their healthcare providers how they're really feeling. Kathryn joins me to share her personal experience with postpartum depression and the challenges she faced getting the support she needed. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#26
November 5 · 14 min
Why is Postpartum So Hard?
We spend nine months preparing for the baby's arrival—but how much time do we spend preparing for what happens afterward? In this episode, we explore why the weeks and months after childbirth can be so overwhelming, how we've lost the extended family support that once helped new mothers, and why the medical profession needs to do better. We'll talk about sleep, physical and emotional recovery, and bringing back the village—because having a baby shouldn't mean doing it all alone. Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#25
October 29 · 9 min
Should I Get Genetic Testing for Cancer?
This episode traces the evolution of cancer genetic testing, from early BRCA discoveries and costly, family-history–based screening to today’s more accessible, population-based approaches. It shows how falling costs are expanding access and enabling more people to understand their genetic risk, get tested, and act to protect themselves. Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#24
October 22 · 14 min
Is this perimenopause already?
Perimenopause doesn’t start on your 45th birthday—and for some women, the earliest signs may show up years before anyone thinks to call it perimenopause. In this episode, we look at what’s happening as the ovaries begin to change, why symptoms in younger women can be missed or blamed on something else, and why we may need to rethink when the menopausal transition really begins. Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#23
October 15 · 11 min
Heavy Periods? Painful Periods? Lucky You, You Can Have Both!
Do you miss school, work, or family activities because of painful or heavy periods? Dr. Steven Adashek explains why these problems happen, how they're evaluated, and the treatments that can make a real difference. Common doesn't mean normal—and you don't have to plan your life around your period. Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#22
October 8 · 9 min
“I Want to Bite the Heads Off Little Baby Birds!” — Understanding PMS and PMDD
PMS and PMDD can turn the second half of the cycle into a time of very real physical and emotional symptoms—bloating, fatigue, and mood changes that can feel like “I want to bite the heads off little baby birds”! This podcast helps normalize those experiences by explaining the biology behind PMS and PMDD and why it can feel so intense. Most importantly, it focuses on practical, evidence-based ways to feel better—from lifestyle and nutrition strategies to supplements and medications that can genuinely help. Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#21
October 1 · 9 min
How to Talk to Your Children about Sex: Stories from home and the office!
Through memorable stories from the exam room and his own family, Dr. Steven Adashek reflects on the lessons that shaped his approach to parenting and medicine. In the end, this series was never really about sex—it was about building lifelong relationships, raising good human beings, and creating the trust that allows conversations to continue for a lifetime. Part 5 of our 5 part series: How To Talk to Your Children About Sex Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#20
September 24 · 7 min
How to Talk to Your Children about Sex: Coaching Instead of Controlling (Ages 14–18)
As teenagers become more independent, a parent's role changes from controlling behavior to coaching good judgment. Dr. Steven Adashek shares practical strategies for asking better questions, preparing teens for inevitable mistakes, and building the trust that keeps families talking long after childhood ends. Part 4 of our 5 part series: How To Talk to Your Children About Sex Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#19
September 17 · 10 min
How to Talk to Your Children about Sex: The Smartphone Years: Teaching Judgment (Ages 9–13)
Today's preteens don't just learn from parents—they learn from smartphones, social media, friends, and artificial intelligence. In this episode, Dr. Steven Adashek explores how parents can teach judgment instead of fear, helping children navigate puberty, pornography, digital citizenship, and healthy relationships with confidence and common sense. Young children are naturally curious, and their questions are opportunities—not emergencies. Dr. Steven Adashek shares practical ways to answer children honestly, teach body safety, privacy, consent, and prepare them for puberty, all while building the confidence to keep coming back with more questions. Part 3 of our 5 part series: How To Talk to Your Children About Sex Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#18
September 10 · 8 min
How to Talk to Your Children about Sex: Curiosity Is Normal (Ages 3–8)
Young children are naturally curious, and their questions are opportunities—not emergencies. Dr. Steven Adashek shares practical ways to answer children honestly, teach body safety, privacy, consent, and prepare them for puberty, all while building the confidence to keep coming back with more questions. Part 2 of our 5 part series: How To Talk to Your Children About Sex Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#17
September 3 · 8 min
How to Talk to Your Children about Sex: The Myth of "The Talk"
Parents often ask, “When should I have ‘The Talk’ with my child?” Dr. Steven Adashek suggests we’ve been asking the wrong question. In this opening episode, he explains why children don’t experience one big talk about sex—they experience hundreds of little conversations that teach them about bodies, relationships, respect, privacy, and trust. Part 1 of our 5 part series: How To Talk to Your Children About Sex Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#16
August 31 · 1 min
How to talk to your children about Sex - Coming Soon!
This Thursday, tune into a new 5 part series: How To Talk to Your Children About Sex. It's the question Dr. Adashek gets more than any other and he has some ideas about how we've been thinking about "the talk" all wrong. It's a series about sexuality, but also about a healthy, open relationship between parent and child. We'll address big questions are consent, pornography, dating, puberty, healthy relationships, and more. Tune in on Thursday for Episode 1! Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#15
August 27 · 15 min
How Do We Stop the Leak? Treatment Options with Dr. Joan Blomquist
In Part II of our series on incontinence, join Dr. Steven Adashek and urogynecologist Dr. Joan Blomquist as they discuss the latest treatment options—from minimally invasive procedures to surgery—to help women get back to living life without worrying about leaks. Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#14
August 20 · 9 min
Why Am I Leaking? Finding the Cause with Dr. Joan Blomquist
When pelvic floor therapy, bladder training, and medications aren't enough, what comes next? Join Dr. Steven Adashek and urogynecologist Dr. Joan Blomquist as they discuss the evaluation of urinary incontinence and why an appointment is nothing to worry about! Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#13
August 13 · 8 min
Why do I pee when I sneeze?
Leaking urine when you cough, sneeze, laugh, or suddenly "have to go" isn't just common—it's treatable. In this episode, Dr. Steven Adashek explains the differences between stress, urge, and mixed urinary incontinence, along with the behavioral changes, pelvic floor physical therapy, and medications that can help you regain control. For a free patient guide to bladder health, visit Bladder Matters. https://www.astellasresources.com/urology-resources/bladder-matters/eng Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#12
August 6 · 8 min
Sex does NOT have to hurt!
Pain with intercourse is incredibly common — but it is not something women should simply “live with.” In this episode of Tales from the Stirrups, we talk openly about dyspareunia: the hormonal, muscular, neurologic, emotional, and medical causes of painful intercourse, and most importantly, the many ways women can finally find relief. Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#11
July 30 · 15 min
My stuff doesn’t work!! When sexual response hits the Snooze Button
In this episode, we take a broad look at sexual dysfunction across libido, arousal, and orgasm in both men and women, and how these concerns often overlap rather than exist in isolation. We discuss how to recognize when symptoms may warrant an evaluation, what that assessment typically involves, and how clinicians approach identifying underlying causes. Finally, we review treatment options, including lifestyle and behavioral strategies as well as medications that can help improve sexual function across all three domains. Have feedback or an idea for an episode? Email us! talesfromthestirrups1@gmail.com * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#10
July 23 · 13 min
Where Oh Where Has My Libido Gone?
In this episode, we explore libido—what a “normal” sex drive looks like and why there’s actually a wide range of healthy variation. We also break down the most common reasons libido can change, from stress and hormones to mental health and relationship factors. Finally, we look at when shifts in desire might signal something worth paying attention to and how to approach it without shame or confusion. * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#9
July 16 · 11 min
Vaginal Atrophy: "she ain't what she used to be!"
Vaginal atrophy is a common, often under-discussed change across the lifespan where declining estrogen can shift vaginal tissue from “pink, healthy, lubricated, and elastic” to thin, grey, dry and won’t stretch, making intercourse painful and sometimes impossible. This podcast explains the biology behind these changes and why symptoms like dryness, discomfort, and pain with sex are so common yet frequently overlooked. We also cover effective non-hormonal options and the evidence supporting vaginal estrogen, including its safety in women with a history of estrogen-sensitive breast cancer. * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *
#8
July 9 · 10 min
Dr. Adashek's Journey: Why OBGYN?
Before there were deliveries, surgeries, menopause care, and conversations about life's challenges, there was a vocal music major tending bar and trying to figure out what came next. In this episode of “Tales From the Stirrups”, Dr. Adashek shares his journey into medicine and the experiences that shaped his approach to patient care. Drawing on more than four decades of practice—and the lessons his patients have taught him—he explores the principles of listening, empathy, purpose, and partnership that now guide both his care of patients and his teaching of the next generation of physicians. Because the best lessons in medicine don't always come from textbooks—they often come from patients. * Remember, a podcast is not medical advice. It is simply education. I hope that this podcast will inform and encourage your conversations with your providers about your health and care. *

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