yoga + pregnancy

My Work

I am a board-certified clinician in general OB/GYN and Maternal-Fetal Medicine, and a researcher in a growing field that is highly relevant to patients nationwide. My research aims to bridge the gap between Eastern alternative medicine and Western medical practices.

During my second year of Obstetrics and Gynecology residency training, I completed a 200 hour yoga teacher training program which prompted me to explore the interaction between medical principles and yoga practices. Annual since 2015, the Society of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) and I have been putting the “OM” in MFM by offering daily yoga classes to annual meeting attendees -- allowing me to promote yoga to my peers and colleagues.  

During my Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship, I earned a Masters in Biomedical and Health Informatics propelling my quest for answers through research. For my thesis, I conducted a randomized controlled trial assessing the acute changes in fetal behavior for women practicing yoga for the first time during pregnancy. Our findings revealed no significant changes in Doppler flow or fetal heart rate, suggesting fetal tolerance. This study was recognized at national meetings and published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology in 2016.

Following fellowship, I joined Saint Louis University School of Medicine. I continued working extensively with residents and MFM fellows, teaching evidence based medical techniques and assisting them with their research endeavors. To address the impact of stress and burnout during their training, I developed a yoga based wellness program. Over 8 weeks, trainees were encouraged to engage in weekly yoga classes as well as nutrition and physical challenges. At the end of the program, we demonstrated a significant reduction in components of burnout, anxiety, and blood pressure with subjective improvements in trainee experience. Our study, titled “Addressing Obstetrics and Gynecology Trainee Burnout Using a Yoga-Based Wellness Initiative During Dedicated Education Time” was presented at several meetings and published in May 2019 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.  

Additionally, I continue to give back to my local and medical community. I serve as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals, including Obstetrics & Gynecology. I have created an online resource for evidence based alternative medicine practices for pregnant women. 

I am focused on developing a yoga research center to conduct well designed research studies that assess the efficacy of yoga and meditation to alleviate common ailments that affect our high and low risk pregnant patients, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, nausea and vomiting, thyroid disorders, etc. My vision to contribute to medicine and science stems from my experiences as a physician, researcher and yoga practitioner, aiming to map a more holistic understanding of the ability of humans to heal and grow.