S2E4: Pregnancy to Perimenopause with Dr. Emmie Strassberg

Written By Komal Patil-Sisodia

S2E4

Women’s reproductive health doesn’t happen in silos. Pregnancy, postpartum recovery, fertility struggles, and perimenopause are deeply connected—biologically, emotionally, and metabolically. In this powerful episode of Reset Recharge, Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia sits down with Dr. Emmie Strassberg, a maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist, to unpack what women truly need to know as they move from pregnancy planning through perimenopause, especially after pregnancy loss or complications.

This conversation is essential listening—and reading—for women in their 30s and 40s who feel confused, dismissed, or isolated in their reproductive health journey.

Listen to the full episode:

By Dr. Komal Patil-Sisodia | Reset Recharge Podcast | February 9, 2026

Pregnancy to Perimenopause: Navigating Fertility, Loss, and Long-Term Health with Dr. Emmie Strassberg

Why This Conversation Matters

Many women today are:

  • Trying to conceive later in life

  • Experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss

  • Navigating high-risk pregnancies

  • Entering perimenopause soon after childbirth

  • Living with chronic conditions like PCOS, thyroid disease, diabetes, or endometriosis

Yet our healthcare system often treats these as separate issues.

This episode challenges that model—and offers a better one.

Meet the Expert: Dr. Emmie Strassberg, DO, MFM

Dr. Emmie Strassberg is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist with advanced training in high-risk pregnancies. After years in hospital-based MFM practice, she recognized a major gap in care: women weren’t getting enough time, education, or emotional support before pregnancy.

Now, she runs a telemedicine preconception counseling and pregnancy-planning practice, blending:

  • Evidence-based maternal-fetal medicine

  • Whole-person osteopathic principles

  • Coaching tools to support mindset, resilience, and healing

Her work focuses on helping women prepare for pregnancy—not just medically, but mentally and emotionally.

Preconception Counseling: What It Is (and What It Isn’t)

One of the biggest points of confusion for patients is the difference between:

Maternal-Fetal Medicine vs. Reproductive Endocrinology

  • Reproductive endocrinologists (REIs) focus on getting pregnant (IVF, IUI, fertility treatments)

  • Maternal-fetal medicine specialists (MFMs) focus on planning for a healthy pregnancy

Dr. Strassberg’s work lives in the critical space before conception, especially for women with:

  • Prior miscarriages or stillbirths

  • Preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, or growth restriction

  • Autoimmune disease, thyroid disorders, or metabolic conditions

  • Advanced maternal age (40+)

Preconception counseling helps identify risks early—and reduce them.

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Is Not a Personal Failure

One of the most powerful themes in this episode is reframing miscarriage and pregnancy complications.

“This is not a moral failure. Your body is not broken.”

Dr. Strassberg emphasizes that many women internalize pregnancy loss as a personal flaw—especially in a society that frames motherhood as effortless and inevitable.

Instead, she encourages women to:

  • Separate medical facts from self-blame

  • Understand that bodies have different capacities for health

  • Recognize that many complications are not preventable, even with perfect behavior

This reframing alone can be deeply healing.

Coaching in Medicine: Why Time and Curiosity Matter

Unlike traditional 10–15 minute medical visits, Dr. Strassberg integrates coaching principles into care:

  • Consent-based coaching

  • Curiosity instead of judgment

  • Exploring alternative narratives (“What else could be true?”)

  • Processing traumatic birth or pregnancy experiences

Sometimes, simply understanding why something happened—like an emergency delivery or pregnancy complication—can relieve years of unresolved distress.

When deeper trauma, anxiety, or depression is present, therapy is essential. Coaching and therapy are complementary—not interchangeable.

Pregnancy Complications and Long-Term Health Risks

This episode also highlights a crucial but often overlooked truth:

Pregnancy is a Cardiometabolic Stress Test

Certain pregnancy conditions significantly increase long-term health risks:

  • Gestational diabetes → 50–70% lifetime risk of type 2 diabetes

  • Preeclampsia → ~60% increased risk of future cardiovascular disease

  • Severe preeclampsia → often warrants early cardiology follow-up

Yet many women never receive appropriate postpartum monitoring—especially once life with a newborn takes over.

Pregnancy complications are early warning signs, not isolated events.

PCOS, Endometriosis, and Reproductive Health in Your 30s and 40s

Chronic reproductive conditions don’t disappear with age—or pregnancy.

Common misconceptions Dr. Strassberg addresses:

  • PCOS is “just irregular periods”

  • Endometriosis can’t be treated after childbearing

  • Symptoms should be ignored until menopause

In reality:

  • PCOS is closely linked to insulin resistance and pregnancy complications

  • Endometriosis symptoms may improve—or worsen—during and after pregnancy

  • Treatment options exist at every stage of life

The key is finding clinicians who understand these conditions across the lifespan.

Mental Health, Pregnancy, and the Fetal Brain

One of the most eye-opening parts of this discussion is the impact of untreated maternal mental health conditions.

Research shows:

  • Untreated anxiety and depression increase pregnancy complications

  • Maternal stress affects fetal brain development

  • Benefits of treating mental health conditions often outweigh medication risks

Stopping psychiatric medications abruptly during pregnancy is often more harmful than continuing them under supervision.

Healthy moms support healthy babies—emotionally and biologically.

Pregnancy After 40: Postpartum vs. Perimenopause

For women who give birth in their 40s, the transition from:
pregnancy → postpartum → perimenopause
can happen rapidly—and symptoms overlap.

These may include:

  • Sleep disruption

  • Mood changes

  • Brain fog

  • Weight changes

  • Blood sugar or cholesterol shifts

Many women assume symptoms are “just postpartum” and delay care for years. Awareness is the first step to intervention.

Practical Takeaways for Women Planning Pregnancy

Dr. Strassberg recommends considering a preconception visit if you have:

  • Prior pregnancy complications

  • Chronic medical conditions

  • Family history of genetic disease

  • Pregnancy loss or infertility

  • Plans to conceive after 35–40

Key basics:

  • Start prenatal vitamins 1–3 months before conception

  • Review medications and mental health treatment

  • Update vaccinations

  • Know your personal and family health history

Preparation is empowerment—not fear.

Where to Find Dr. Emmie Strassberg

Dr. Strassberg currently sees patients via telemedicine in:

  • Virginia

  • Alaska

Connect with Her:

  • Website: www.dremmiestrassberg.com

  • Instagram & TikTok: @DrEmmieStrassberg

She regularly shares evidence-based, compassionate education on pregnancy planning and women’s health.

Final Thoughts: You Are Not Broken

This episode of Reset Recharge is a reminder that:

  • Pregnancy outcomes do not define your worth

  • Your body is not failing you—it’s communicating

  • Education, compassion, and support change outcomes

Whether you’re planning a pregnancy, healing from loss, navigating postpartum changes, or entering perimenopause—you deserve care that sees the whole you.

🎧 Listen to the full episode: “Pregnancy to Perimenopause with Dr. Emmie Strassberg” on Reset Recharge

Komal Patil-Sisodia
Next

S2E3: When Menopause Sends You to the ER with Dr. Jessica Yearwood