Dr. Crigler Talks Women, Food and Family

Q: What percentage of the health problems you deal with regularly would you guesstimate might easily be solved through nutritional changes and exercise? Can you give some examples?

Dr. Crigler: 100%. Plant based diets will assist in losing weight, decreased systemic inflammation of the body, decrease incidence of type 2 noninsulin dependent diabetes, decrease constipation and risk of hemorrhoids (for our pregnant patients) and help decrease exposure to exogenous hormones often found in meat and dairy products. Exercise helps maintain ideal body weight, increase insulin sensitivity (reducing gestational diabetes) and also helps keep mom in shape for the laboring process. After all, they don’t call it labor for nothing! Northside Hospital-Cherokee has a good online maternity resource- that’s one place to start.

Q: Can you share an example of a patient where one appointment made a difference in their health decisions or treatment?

Dr. Crigler: I saw an 80 year old diabetic, arthritic patient with complete pelvic prolapse who still lived on her own, cooked for herself, and really valued her independence. Two doctors at other clinics recommended different surgeries that would likely take weeks to months to recover from and put her at risk of infection. I saw her as a 3rd opinion and offered her a pessary to hold everything in place. We happened to have the exact size she needed in stock and she left that day with a cure to her prolapse, no recovery time and I am sure made it home in time to cook her own dinner.

Q: You mentioned that you had the privilege of not just seeing your sons being born, but also delivering them yourself. Do you remember your first thoughts as they both came into the world, or did you remain in ‘doctor mode’ until the whole process was over?

Dr. Crigler: I was in residency while both my sons were born so while I had delivered a couple of hundred babies already, I was still nervous. I did my best to play both the supportive husband and skilled obstetrician role at the same time during the labor. As they were crowning, I did tear up in amazement that we had made this miracle, and then simultaneously, as trained, remembered “protect the perineum”, in hopes to limit any vaginal tears. After delivery, I placed them both on my wife’s chest, cut the cords, and then went into complete husband-daddy role.

Read more of Dr. Crigler's Q& A on his blog at the Cherokee Women's Health Specialists website.