DeepSummary
The episode features Dr. Mona Amin, a pediatrician, having a conversation with Chelsea and Caitlin, founders of Mama Psychologists, about postpartum anxiety and depression. They discuss the differences between normal postpartum adjustment and postpartum mood disorders, signs and symptoms to look for, and when to seek professional help.
Chelsea and Caitlin explain that in the initial postpartum period, it's common to experience "baby blues" with mood swings and hormonal changes, but if symptoms persist, intensify, or interfere with daily life, it could be postpartum anxiety or depression. They highlight risk factors like pre-existing mental health conditions, lack of support, and pregnancy complications.
The guests share their personal experiences with postpartum anxiety and provide advice on recognizing intrusive thoughts, racing thoughts, and physical symptoms like agitation or inability to sleep. They emphasize the importance of seeking help from a doctor, therapist, or support system, and not suffering in silence due to guilt or shame.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Postpartum anxiety and depression are distinct from normal postpartum adjustment or 'baby blues', and can significantly interfere with daily life and functioning.
- Common symptoms include low mood, inability to enjoy activities, intrusive thoughts, racing thoughts, agitation, and sleep disturbances beyond what is expected with a newborn.
- Risk factors include pre-existing mental health conditions, lack of social support, pregnancy complications, and history of pregnancy loss.
- It's important to seek professional help from a doctor, therapist, or support system if symptoms persist or worsen, and not suffer in silence due to guilt or shame.
- Opening up the conversation and raising awareness about postpartum mental health challenges can help reduce stigma and encourage more mothers to get the support they need.
- Self-care and filling one's own cup is crucial for mothers to be able to effectively care for their children during this demanding period.
- While postpartum anxiety and depression are common, they are treatable with the right help and support.
- Having a strong support system and community can be a protective factor against postpartum mental health issues.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Caitlin: When you become a mom, you expect, like, okay, mom's worried. That's kind of what people say. That's your job, right? And yeah, that's true. There is some normal mom worry. But for myself, I'm speaking personally and professionally when it interferes with your eating, your sleeping, your daily activities, right?“ by Caitlin
- “Caitlin: The biggest one that really resonates with me is that you are doing an amazing job in a world that is just sometimes hard to regulate and to manage and to think about. Every day, there's. Moms are dealing with lots of stressors, new stressors that weren't always around 10, 20, 30 years ago.“ by Caitlin
- “Caitlin: And for myself, I had one of those angel care baby monitors. I think that, like, beeps whenever they, like, go off the little mat thing, which was absolutely terrible for me, I'm sure many false alarms that happened, but every time that would beep and it wouldn't be all the time, but maybe, like, a couple times a week, my anxiety would peak and be at, like, an eight out of ten.“ by Caitlin
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Episode Information
The PedsDocTalk Podcast
Dr. Mona Amin
5/22/24