If you have been following along with us for a while, you know that we are passionate about postpartum care and making that period of time better for moms, and one of the ways we do that is by providing you with resources and sharing about the bright lights that are out there making a difference. So, we are so excited to share Dr. Christi Pramudji with you today as our Meet a Mom! Dr. Pramudji is an expert in comprehensive Female Urology and Urogynecology. She is one of the first urologists in the country to receive board subspecialty certification in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, and she is the only Urologist in the state of Texas with a practice dedicated exclusively to female patients. AND she practices right here in the Katy area at Methodist West campus! With nearly 20 years of private practice experience, Dr. Christi is uniquely qualified to treat female pelvic conditions, ranging from common urinary tract infections to incontinence to reconstructive surgery.
We seriously couldn’t wait to share this local mom and amazing physician resource with you all. She has dedicated much of her career and is passionate about helping moms heal and become stronger after child birth. We got to chat with Dr. Christi about mom life, her passion and inspiration behind helping women and moms, how she balances being a mom and being a renown physician/surgeon, and how she has overcome the feelings of mom guilt!
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in the Katy/Houston area?
I am proud to be a native Texan! I am originally from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. When I was 12, we moved to Atlanta and I completed my education there. After undergrad at Georgia Tech in the Chemical Engineering program and medical school in Birmingham, I was finally able to move back to Texas in 1996 when I moved to Houston for my urology residency at Baylor. I’ve been here ever since! I’ve lived specifically in West Houston since 2002. My husband and I have strong roots here now: our church, our friends, and both my husband’s law practice and my medical practice. We are not going anywhere!
How many kiddos do you have and how old are they?
We have two kids: Zane is 16 years and he’s a junior in high school; Arianna is 14 years old and she is a freshman. I’m biased, of course, but they truly are amazing children and I count them as the greatest blessings of my life!
Least favorite mom job? (i.e. packing lunches, dishes, bath time, etc.)
My least favorite mom job was when they were little and first eating baby food. I did not enjoy the tedium of feeding them and then having them spit half of it out! I was so glad when they were able to feed themselves!
Best mom hack that makes life easier?
When they were in the baby/toddler phase, one of the hardest things was getting everyone ready and out the door for church on Sunday. I finally figured out to make a checklist and put it in their diaper bags. That way my husband or myself just had to follow the checklist to make sure we had everything we needed.
As they have grown, I have taught them more and more things so that they can be independent humans. The goal is to help them be competent adults, so they now do their own laundry and make their own lunches. My son likes to go grocery shopping now. I have taught my way out of a job! Sometimes I would love to make their lunches to bless them, but they prefer to do it themselves!
What are your favorite local things to do? (with kiddos or just for mom!)
We love to go to movies. It’s great now that the seats are reserved! We also love all the various restaurants in Houston and like to try a variety of different types of cuisine. We love Ethiopian food and pho is a staple almost every week.
We’re big on self-care for moms, as hard as it is to find the time, what’s something you do just or yourself?
I have a few things that I do daily to take care of myself. It is so very important. As nurturers, we must be filled up in order to give to others. Here is what I do: I wake up before everyone else and have quiet time in the house with 5 minutes of yoga, coffee and then the Bible. Before bed every night, I enjoy a warm mineral bath and a book right before I go to sleep. I light a nice candle. I exercise a few times per week. Once every few weeks, I make an appointment at the spa for a facial and a massage. Thanks for reminding me because I am overdue for the spa!
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I’m a huge Survivor fan! I even applied to be a contestant on the show.
I also have a special talent: I can touch my nose with my tongue.
When did you decide you wanted to work with women in the urology and urogynecology field?
When I was in medical school, I realized that I wanted to work in women’s health and saw a great need in the urology and urogynecology field. In urology at that time especially there were very few women urologists and not much focus on the urological care of women. As I progressed through training, I arrived at just that right era when there were many wonderful advances in the fields. I have enjoyed it thoroughly.
What inspired that specialty choice?
The urological and urogynecology fields are such sensitive areas and many women feel embarrassed to talk about it. A lot of women don’t know what is normal and what is not normal, so a lot of urinary and pelvic floor issues go untreated until they become a much bigger problem and more invasive options are needed. I wanted to help bridge the gap to help women take better care of themselves.
Has your medical career always been focused on women?
Yes, I have always been primarily focused on women. I did study male urology and practiced it for a few years, but my practice was always a majority women. For a few years about 5-10% of my practice was male, but about 8 years ago, I switched to 100% women (and girls).
What conditions do you treat? And, are a lot of those conditions a direct result from childbirth?
I treat mostly Pelvic Floor Disorders (PFDs). These disorders are often caused by childbirth, but not always, and include many various conditions, including urinary and fecal incontinence (leaking), prolapse (dropped bladder), pelvic pain, and sexual dysfunction. I also treat urological conditions such as urinary tract infection and kidney stones.
How does being a mom yourself impact your practice and how you care for your patients?
Being a mom and a middle-age woman helps me understand what the patients are going through. I have had my own prolapse and menopause symptoms that I have worked on. I understand how busy we are and limited with time to address these conditions, so I am always looking for new and easier treatment options. We have many amazing treatments in my office.
On our platform, we have talked a lot about “the things mothers don’t talk about” and a topic that has come up several times is vaginal healing after pregnancy and childbirth, and specifically pelvic floor health – what are the symptoms moms should look out for and when to know to seek professional help?
This is an area that I am very passionate about! I would love for all women to be able to bounce back and get stronger and healed after childbirth. They will feel so much better and avoid more problems later in life. Carrying a baby in the uterus and then childbirth does several things to the pelvic floor. The ligaments and connective tissues get stretched out or even torn or cut. The muscles are weakened and stretched. The nerves are stretched and can become dysfunctional. Fortunately, most women do heal naturally on their own, eventually. The process can be sped up by strengthening the muscles and building up the connective tissue. My office can help with that through several noninvasive or minimally invasive treatment options. These can begin 6 weeks after childbirth and I highly recommend it if you can’t feel your Kegel’s muscles or don’t know how to exercise them. The EMSella chair and the leva, which we offer, are great for this. You can prevent a lot of problems. We can also help bring back the enjoyment of sex with your husband through nonsurgical vaginal tightening treatments like Thermiva and orgasm enhancement with Cliovana.
How do you balance being a renowned physician and surgeon with also being a mom?
TEAMWORK! I could not do this without my awesome team at work and at home. At home, I had a nanny for many years when the children were young, so I had peace of mind when I was in the office or in the operating room, knowing that they were being loved on. They still love her to this day. My husband is amazing and is very involved in the kids’ lives and activities. And at the office, I have two INCREDIBLE physician assistants and the BEST staff around. Having my own practice also allows me to be there for my kids many days after school. Flexibility in the work schedule is very helpful in balancing the various responsibilities that I have.
Best advice for moms who experience the inevitable and dreaded MOM GUILT?
Mom guilt is very real, but it is not healthy and not necessary. I struggled with mom guilt over the years when I saw so many of my friends staying at home with their children. Was I doing the right thing pursuing my career? Here is the thing: God gives each one of us talents, desires and opportunities. For me, I knew I wanted to be a physician from a young age. That desire is from God. He also gave me the gifts and opportunities to accomplish that dream. I don’t think He would then want me to throw that away. When I start to feel guilty, I remind myself of that truth. My husband reminds me of that. Don’t misunderstand me, my family is my priority. I check in with my husband and kids periodically to see if they are okay or do they need more of me? They almost always say, “We’re good!” If they need more, I adjust. They are proud of having a mom-surgeon (although my son does make fun of me for being a vagina doctor!)
My advice is to remember that the goal in life is not being the best mom or to have a career and make money, even though those are both good things. The goal of life ultimately is to glorify God in whatever you do. You will do that best using the talents He has given you and loving and serving others.
To learn more about Dr. Pramudji and ChristiMD Medical Group, check out her website and follow her on social media:
Website: https://christimd.com/
Facebook: @HoustonFemaleUrology
Instagram: @christimdmedicalgroup
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYuKGfVmmVu6Tq4NMN-rJyg
