The first 1000 days of life, from before conception to a child's second birthday, set the foundation for lifelong health, and most of us have never been told the window exists. In this episode of The Hole Shebang, Kristen sits down with Dr. Deb Sloboda, professor and Associate Chair of Research in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Early Origins of Health and Disease, to walk through the developmental origins of health and disease in plain language. They cover preconception health for both partners, why the placenta is a fetal organ with a sex, epigenetics explained as dimmer switches, stress hormones in pregnancy, the gut microbiome and The Art of Creation, her arts based science translation project now headed to the British Science Festival.
This episode is brought to you by kGoal. Shop kGoal smart pelvic floor trainers at blueberrytherapyshop.ca and use the code kGoal15 for 15% off.
In This Episode
- [01:02] From French major at Guelph to falling for embryology at the Ontario Veterinary College
- [04:10] What the developmental origins of health and disease means
- [06:30] The first 1000 days, the window nobody talks about
- [08:18] The placenta is the baby's organ, and it has a sex
- [11:14] Male preconception health, the gap in research and healthcare guidelines
- [12:36] The six month preconception checklist for the partner with the sperm
- [14:17] Birth weight, famine cohorts and the metabolic thread in the research
- [18:00] Epigenetics explained: dimmer switches on your DNA
- [20:30] Stress in pregnancy and the placenta's cortisol gatekeeper enzyme
- [25:57] How first and third pregnancies reshape the gut microbiome differently
- [30:42] The Art of Creation: rappers and sculptors inside a pregnancy lab
- [35:57] Art Gallery of Hamilton to the British Science Festival in Southampton
- [38:00] The five words a Hamilton rapper said after a month in the lab
- [41:16] Art workshops for clinicians and where to find Deb
- [42:35] Theme song time
What Listeners Will Learn
Listeners will leave understanding that health trajectories begin before birth, that preconception advice applies to sperm as much as eggs, that the placenta actively protects a baby from everyday maternal stress, and that serious depression in pregnancy deserves treatment rather than guilt. They will also hear how art carried this science to the public better than any lecture.
About Dr. Deb Sloboda
Dr. Deborah Sloboda is a professor and Associate Chair of Research in the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences at McMaster University and holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Early Origins of Health and Disease. She has published 147 papers and 17 book chapters, won the 2015 Nick Hales Award, the 2017 Hamilton YWCA Woman of Distinction Award in Science and McMaster's 2024 President's Award for Excellence in Graduate Supervision, and is a founding co president of the DOHaD Society of Canada. She leads The Art of Creation, an arts based knowledge translation program.
Theme Song: Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads
Key Topics Covered
- Developmental origins of health and disease and the first 1000 days
- Preconception health and sperm health
- The placenta, epigenetics and stress during pregnancy
- The gut microbiome in pregnancy
- Arts based knowledge translation
Resources and References Mentioned
Listen to More Episodes Like This
Find them all at podcast.blueberrytherapy.ca:
- Secrets to a Healthy Pregnancy Journey with Dr. Kristi Adamo (Ep18)
- Healing the Gut for Hormone Balance with Stephanie Singh (Ep7)
- The Fertility Factors Nobody Talks About with Rachel Corradetti Sargeant (Ep31)
- It's More Complicated: Understanding Hormones with Dr. Stacey Ritz (Ep28)
- Understanding Severe Maternal Morbidity with Dr. Giulia Muraca (Ep9)
Our Sponsor: kGoal
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Blueberry Therapy carries the full kGoal range. The Classic is the insertable trainer most people start with. The Boost is a sit-on-top trainer you use fully clothed, which makes it the one Kristen recommends for pelvic pain, early postpartum and anyone who finds insertion uncomfortable. Both train the pelvic floor to release as well as contract.
Shop kGoal at blueberrytherapyshop.ca and use the code kGoal15 for 15% off. Not sure which trainer fits, call the clinic at 289-238-8383 and a member of the pelvic health team will help you choose.
Connect with Dr. Deb Sloboda
Website: slobodalab.com and artofcreationstudy.com
Instagram: @sloboda_lab and @aoc_study
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/deborah-sloboda
Connect with The Hole Shebang
If this episode made you feel less alone, that is the entire point of this show. Subscribe, leave a review and tell us what you want to hear next. If you are planning a pregnancy or in one now, Blueberry Therapy's multidisciplinary team supports every stage, book at blueberrytherapy.ca.
Follow The Hole Shebang on Instagram at @blueberrytherapypelvichealth
