Ask Dr. Marie

For the first time ever, obstetricians and psychiatrists have issued joint guidelines for the treatment of women with depression who are pregnant and for those thinking about getting pregnant. I was stunned to learn that there were no specific guidelines to help women and their doctors before now.

I talked about these guidelines on Good Morning America and commented on World News as well. To summarize the detailed and comprehensive report: Experts believe that the risk of untreated depression to the health of the mother and baby are considerable and should be balanced against the risk of treatment with medications. They recommend that women with mild or controlled depression should try to wean off their medications before becoming pregnant. Psychotherapy such as talk therapy should always be used for women with depression and that this therapy may be enough for many women.

Who would think that my very favorite snack food of all time would climb the health ladder to join the cancer-fighting and much more colorful fruits and vegetables? According to scientists reporting at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society popcorn and many breakfast cereals contain “surprisingly large” amounts of polyphenols – members of the almost magical family of antioxidants that are believed to fight cancer and protect us from heart disease. I was always taught that it was the color in vegetables and fruits that signaled they were chock full of a whole host of antioxidants, but now we learn that simple cheap white foods such as popcorn and cereals are full of antioxidants too.

Some questions make many women blush with embarrassment — questions about sexual health. But “Good Morning America” medical contributor Dr. Marie Savard isn’t afraid to tackle some of women’s most sensitive sexual queries, including the truth about the G spot, sex after menopause and how to know if you’re having an orgasm.

Check out her answers to provocative questions you wanted to ask but may have been too bashful to do so.

And find out below what Savard advises when it comes to sex, low libido and other sexual health issues below.

My mission has always been to empower women as the guardians and nurturers of their own health. To do that well, women must understand their bodies and be tuned in to their personal health. I have always urged women to honor their intuition and emotions, including not giving anyone else’s opinion or needs higher billing than their own, be it a partner pressuring for you for sex or a doctor disregarding your questions and concerns.