Heather Wheat
Three Words to Describe Heather: Wordsmith, teacher, learner
Expertise: Writing, teaching, editing, research
Education: BA in English and Secondary Education from Metropolitan State University Denver, MA in English from Arizona State University
Heather is a blog writer at Materna, a freelance copywriter and editor, and a high school Instructional Coach in Colorado.
Heather earned her bachelor’s degree at Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she majored in English and minored in Secondary Education, graduating with highest honors. She continued her formal education at Arizona State University, earning a master’s degree in English. She began her teaching career in 2007 and recently transitioned out of the classroom into a teacher leadership role. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and traveling.
Articles by Heather Wheat
Pelvic Floor Exercises to Help with Vaginismus
Key Takeaways Pelvic floor exercises offer an effective treatment for vaginismus, which causes discomfort and pain during vaginal penetration. These exercises target the muscles supporting organs like the bladder, bowel, and uterus, and help enhance blood flow to the vaginal region. Regular practice, encompassing contractions, quick sprints, and relaxation, can help individuals regain control over these muscles, reducing involuntary contractions that cause discomfort. Consistency in these exercises and seeking professional guidance can be instrumental in...
Vaginal Dilator Sizes: Static vs. Dynamic
When you live with vaginismus, a vaginal dilator is one of the options available to you as you begin treatment. Choosing the right one for you is almost as important as finding a healthcare provider that understands your own personal journey. One choice you must make is between a static and dynamic dilator. There are pros and cons to each, so we figured we’d give you a breakdown to help you decide. ...
My Female Partner is Worried About Painful Sex: What do I do?!
It is more common than you might think for women to experience painful sex. Approximately 75 percent of women experience pain during or after sex at some point in their lives1. Because of the stigma around this issue, your partner might be hesitant to approach you about this. Painful sex may be related to a condition called vaginismus, which is the involuntary tightening of vaginal muscles. While the tightening of the muscles itself might not be painful,...
Perimenopause and Me
If you’re like me and in one of the mid to later years of Gen X (1965-1979), you’ve probably had more than one instance where you were freezing cold, and then as soon as you put a sweatshirt or jacket on, you’re immediately far too hot. Of course, whenever this happens to me, I always think, “Is this it? Is it time? Am I in perimenopause?” But, because I’m Gen X and was “raised in a generation where menopause...
Relationships and Pelvic Health
Okay, ladies, it’s time for some real talk. Relationships are hard. Period. I follow some friends from high school on social media, and their Instagrams are what I refer to as highlight reels: photos, stories, or reels of all of the family fun moments they want people to see. But I know that in the background of those grammable moments are the day-in, day-out efforts of making a marriage or partnership work. And you know what? It takes...
Dismissed Symptoms: When Your Doctor Isn’t Listening
If you think it’s all in your head that your doctor isn’t listening to you when you ask for help with symptoms and health issues, it’s not. Three years ago, TODAY did a study about how women felt doctors didn’t truly hear them or listen to them in office visits and emergency rooms. The survey’s findings included many personal stories from women who had had their serious conditions dismissed by doctors, but also some shocking statistics. Twenty...
Misunderstanding Women’s Pain
It seems ironic that while we have access to more information than ever before, some doctors seem to listen to us less and dismiss us more. Even though it was many years ago, I have strong memories of doctors dismissing my pain. My first ovarian cyst ruptured when I was just 14 years old. The unbearable pain landed me and my parents in an emergency room where a doctor gave me a rather uncomfortable exam, then misdiagnosed me with...
