Dr Nancy Tshala Kazadi

12/05/2026

01/05/2026

Most medical staff won’t celebrate Workers Day today.
Our hours don’t change. The wards don’t close. The labouring women don’t wait.

That is the sacrifice we choose — every year, without complaint.

But here is what I want to say today.
In the labour ward, two kinds of labour happen simultaneously. Hers;primal, physical, everything her body has. Ours;clinical, relentless, everything our training demands.
We meet at that intersection.

This carousel is for every midwife, nurse, and doctor working today. And for every woman who laboured — on Workers Day or any other day.

Happy Workers Day South Africa. 🤍

25/04/2026

Obstetrics is not for the faint hearted. Things can change in SECONDS!

Coffee is a must
Adaptability is essential
Not being prepared to preparing for disaster

We’re always in our toes in anticipation…

Gynae calls are a lot more predictable 😅😅

25/04/2026

Obstetrics isn’t for the faint hearted. Things can change is SECONDS…

25/04/2026

24 hour OBS call.
The coffee is not optional.
The theatre is not optional.
The adrenaline is not optional.
And somewhere in those 24 hours — a baby came into the world.

This is obstetrics. Gynae calls- I find them A LOT more predictable.

Follow — because behind every birth is a team that never stopped moving.

22/04/2026

Cortisol doesn’t know you’re trying to conceive.
But it acts like it does.

Here is the mechanism — in plain language. When you are chronically stressed, your body activates the HPA axis. This triggers cortisol.

Elevated cortisol suppresses GnRH — the hormone that signals your pituitary to release LH and FSH. No GnRH signal → no LH surge → no ovulation.

Your reproductive system and your stress response system share the same hormonal address. When one is under pressure, the other feels it.

A study of women undergoing IVF found that follicular fluid from unfertilised follicles had significantly higher cortisol concentrations than fluid from fertilised follicles.

This is not about mindset. This is biology. And here is what I want you to know: this is reversible. It is also not your fault. Chronic stress is not a choice — it is a physiological state. And it deserves clinical attention, not dismissal.

If you have been told to “just relax” and you’ll fall pregnant — that advice is incomplete. Come back next week for what the evidence says actually helps.

Follow — Stress Awareness Month. Evidence first.

21/04/2026

Week 8. Your embryo just became a foetus.

This is not just a name change.
At 8 weeks, the critical period of organ formation is largely complete.

The major structures are in place. What comes next is growth. Your foetus is 1.6cm — the size of a raspberry. Fingers forming. Face developing. Heart beating 150–170 times per minute.

And you still feel terrible. Because hCG doesn’t know about milestones.

Swipe for:
-What your foetus looks like this week
-What the 8-week scan actually measures
-The one number that changes your miscarriage risk significantly
-When to call your doctor
this. Share it with someone in their first trimester.

Follow — next week: Week 9.

obgyn

17/04/2026

Did you know that Black women in South Africa are significantly more likely to die in childbirth than women with access to private care?

17/04/2026

Before your next appointment, don’t forget these 5 things 😊

15/04/2026

Your period disappeared. Your doctor said it was probably stress.

That was not wrong. But it was also not enough.

Here is what they should have told you.

Cortisol — your primary stress hormone — directly suppresses your reproductive system. It disrupts the hormonal cascade that triggers ovulation. No ovulation. No period. This is called functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea. And it is your body making a precise, calculated decision — not a malfunction.

Under chronic stress your body prioritises survival over reproduction. Not because it is broken. Because it is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

If your periods are disappearing during high-stress periods and returning when life settles — this is likely why.

What the evidence says actually helps:
— Sleep. Non-negotiable. Cortisol is regulated by sleep.
— Adequate nutrition. Restriction amplifies cortisol.
— Movement that reduces cortisol — not adds to it. This is not the time to push harder.
— Reducing cognitive load. The mental labour of holding everything counts too.

Your period is not broken. It is a signal. It is asking you a question — what is your body trying to protect you from?

Now you have the language to answer it.

Source: ACOG | Endocrine Society Guidelines on Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhoea

💾 Save this. Share it with someone whose period has been « just stress » for too long.

Follow — evidence first, always.