Episode Overview

Title: Ask the Experts: Birth Control, Periods, and Gut Health — Dr. Tabatha Barber
Host: Candace Cameron Bure
Guest: Dr. Tabatha Barber (Triple Board-Certified OB/GYN, Menopause, and Functional Medicine Physician)
Date: October 14, 2025

In this episode, Candace welcomes Dr. Tabatha Barber to answer the many listener questions sparked by the podcast’s most-watched season, focusing on women’s health from a faith-based and holistic perspective. They address the realities and myths around birth control, the menstrual cycle, the underlying signals our bodies send, and the crucial connection between gut health and gynecological health. Dr. Barber shares her personal and professional journey, breaks down complicated concepts into actionable insights, and delivers candid advice for all listeners—whether just starting menstruation or navigating menopause.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Tabatha's Personal Journey & the Call to Medicine

[06:18-13:25]

• Dr. Barber recounts her beginnings as a pregnant teen, lacking support and quality, compassionate medical care.
• She highlights a traumatic delivery with a family doctor, not an OB/GYN, as the catalyst that inspired her to pursue medicine and advocate for women.

"Watching my daughter just laying there in the warmer, feeling violated while I got stitched up for like an hour... I just vowed to never let her go through that." — Dr. Tabatha ([09:13])

• Discusses her spiritual journey and eventual burnout as a clinician—realizing she “was doing it without God,” leading to a physical collapse and reevaluation of her approach to health and healing.

The Gap in Medical Education: Wellness vs. Disease

[13:10-15:56]

• Candace expresses surprise that even as a doctor, Dr. Barber only later discovered true health and wellness.
• Dr. Barber explains that traditional medical training focuses on diagnosing and managing disease, not on achieving or maintaining wellness.

"Even the absence of disease is not the same thing as being healthy." — Dr. Tabatha ([14:25])

Understanding Periods as a Vital Sign

[15:56-18:37]

• The menstrual period is a monthly “report card” on a woman’s health, analogous to blood pressure or pulse.
• If you’re on hormonal birth control, what appears to be a period is usually a “withdrawal bleed” rather than a true cycle.
• The brain and ovaries communicate in a feedback loop, which birth control pills interrupt.

Birth Control: Effects, Side Effects, and Informed Consent

[18:37-26:44]

• Many girls are prescribed hormonal birth control for acne, “regularizing” periods, or PMS.
• Side effects include anxiety, depression, mood disorders; birth control depletes B vitamins, magnesium, and disrupts gut bacteria.

"We oftentimes create symptoms when we go on the pill. So we see anxiety and depression, mood disorders." — Dr. Tabatha ([19:50])

• Dr. Barber acknowledges she “lied to patients, unknowingly,” due to training, about what birth control actually does.

Notable Moment

"I never, ever thought that birth control could have something to do with maybe something that was inherently there, but making it worse or possibly causing it." — Candace ([19:50])

IBS, Gut Health, and the Birth Control Connection

[24:09-26:16]

• Candace shares her experience with IBS and embarrassing symptoms; Dr. Barber validates that hormonal birth control can trigger such gut issues.

"Absolutely. I am right there with you. I have some horrible stories..." — Dr. Tabatha ([24:51])

Types of Birth Control & Abortifacient Debate

[26:44-33:44]

• Dr. Barber details forms of birth control: combination pills, progestin-only mini pills, IUDs, Depo shot, Nexplanon, and barrier methods.
• Hormonal IUDs and emergency contraception may allow egg fertilization but prevent implantation—raising ethical questions for some listeners about inadvertent abortion.

"That is what you're not wanting... The IUDs also have that potential... we think of it as a boredificant." — Dr. Tabatha ([29:24])

• Barrier methods and fertility awareness (cycle tracking) do not interfere hormonally.

Crash Course in Menstrual Cycle Phases

[36:53-41:37]

• Day 1: First day of bleeding; cycles ideally last 28 days but 21–35 can be normal.
• Day 5: Estrogen rises, tissue regrows, mood improves.
• ~Day 14: Ovulation–some women feel distinct pain; testosterone levels climb (“motivation hormone”).
• Luteal phase: Corpus luteum produces calming progesterone ("anti-anxiety hormone").
• If no pregnancy, hormone drop triggers the next period.

"Estrogen is very motivating. It's our natural antidepressant hormone." — Dr. Tabatha ([38:14])

Embracing Your Cycle vs. Suffering Silently

[42:53-45:06]

• Painful, irregular, or overly heavy periods are not "just the way it is."
• Instead of dreading your period, recognize it as signal for overall health; if symptoms are severe, investigate root causes, especially gut health.

Gut Health: The Link to Hormones and Overall Wellness

[45:25-54:24]

• Dr. Barber, an accomplished surgeon, learned that many gynecological issues (like endometriosis) are driven by gut-roots: inflammation, poor diet, disrupted microbiome.
• Functional stool testing can reveal bacterial imbalances, yeast overgrowth, and effects of stress and trauma.

"Our gut health determines our gyne health, not the other way around." — Dr. Tabatha ([46:13])

Whole-Person Healing: Lifestyle, Stress, and What to Eat

[47:19-53:12]

• Foods, environment, chemical exposure, stress, and even childhood trauma shape gut and gynecological health.
• Dr. Barber urges a return to whole, unprocessed foods—“what God gave us”—and awareness of environmental toxins, particularly pesticides.

"Try to find something that doesn't have an ingredient list. You know, real foods, they don't have an ingredient list. They don't have labels. They're just food." — Dr. Tabatha ([52:19])

Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Modern Medical Practice:

  "Doctors are really ingrained in their minds, that they are the healers... and the truth of it is, it's a world of diagnosis and disease. It's very biased." — Dr. Tabatha ([13:25])

• On the Pill and Mental Health:

  "Birth control pills deplete major vitamins and minerals in our body, but no one tells you that when you sign up to go on the pill." — Dr. Tabatha ([20:37])

• Candace's Realization:

  "I never ever thought that birth control could have something to do with maybe something that was inherently there, but making it worse or possibly causing it." — Candace ([19:50])

• On Embracing Periods:

  "I'm here to say, like, be happy you still have this hormone production because without it, you are going to change." — Dr. Tabatha ([44:15])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |-----------|-------| | 06:18–13:25 | Dr. Barber’s personal story and entry into women's health | | 13:10–15:56 | Disease model vs. wellness in healthcare | | 15:56–18:37 | What your period reveals about health, impact of birth control | | 18:37–21:32 | Side effects and common uses for the pill | | 24:09–26:16 | IBS, gut impact of birth control | | 26:44–33:44 | Forms of birth control and ethical discussions | | 36:53–41:37 | Menstrual cycle phases explained | | 45:25–52:19 | Gut health and its broad impact | | 54:42–56:28 | Listener Q: Staying consistent with nutrition | | 57:33–58:44 | Listener Q: Body acceptance postpartum |

Listener Questions & Advice

• Consistency in Nutrition:

  • Start with small changes (ex: eliminate soda or choose better meat)—don’t try to overhaul everything at once for lasting habit changes. ([55:41])
  • Farmer’s markets provide quality local food and boost children’s engagement.

• Postpartum Body Confidence:

  • Healing starts with loving your body as you’d love a sister or friend.
  • “You cannot heal a body you hate. You have to stop saying that to yourself.” — Dr. Tabatha ([57:37])
  • Candace adds: “What God says about ourselves... the renewal of our minds... You are fearfully, wonderfully made.” ([58:45])

Actionable Takeaways

• View your cycle as a vital sign—pay attention to changes and symptoms.
• Understand why you’re being prescribed birth control and insist on informed consent.
• Gut health profoundly affects hormones, mood, skin, and fertility. Seek professional testing if you suspect issues.
• Eat whole, minimally processed foods as much as possible. Small, consistent changes are better than overnight perfection.
• Embrace a holistic perspective: faith, nutrition, stress management, and informed healthcare choices all matter for wellness.

Next Episode Teaser

• Next week: Deep dive into perimenopause—what changes to expect, how to support your body, and why progesterone is a “lifesaver hormone.”

This summary preserves the conversational tone and faith-forward focus of Candace and Dr. Tabatha while providing a comprehensive roadmap of their discussion on hormones, periods, birth control and women’s wellness.