196: Reproductive Psychiatry, Latinx Psychiatrist, Pandemic Pregnancy and More

01/25/21 • 50 min

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Today’s episode is packed with helpful information about taking medication during pregnancy and the postpartum period. We’ll also take a closer look at COVID-related issues and the vaccine as they relate to perinatal mental health. Join us to learn more.

Dr. Sarah Oreck is a Columbia University-trained psychiatrist who focuses on women’s mental wellness. In addition to her expertise in general and addiction psychiatry, Dr. Oreck is one of very few doctors with specialized training in reproductive psychiatry. She runs a private practice in which she combines the most up-to-date medical treatments with talk therapy, meditation, and a whole-body complementary approach. Dr. Oreck is passionate about teaching, and she regularly lectures at Cedars Sinai Hospital, UCLA, and The Providence Hospital System, in addition to her media work. She is actively involved in advocacy work and is a member of the Board of Directors of Maternal Mental Health Now.

Show Highlights:

An overview of the field of reproductive psychiatry--and how it helps people
The “risk vs. risk” perspective regarding medication and perinatal mental health
How Sarah talks to people about the risk of anxiety and depression
Why mental health medications can be safer than untreated mental illness
The dangers when physicians don’t keep up with new mental health research and literature
How Sarah works to train and inform physicians about pregnancy and postpartum
How Sarah’s individual clients benefit from her bilingual abilities due to her Colombian heritage
The myths of motherhood in the Latin community that only magnify the need for a mental health focus
Sarah’s observations about the impact of COVID on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
What it was like for Sarah to have her first baby during the COVID pandemic
What we should know about the COVID vaccine regarding pregnancy and breastfeeding mothers
How the stigmas around anxiety medication discourage people from taking medications that are necessary and life-saving
What Sarah has seen in people getting the help, support, and connection that they need

Resources:

Sarah Oreck MD

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Facebook

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Show Highlights:

An overview of the field of reproductive psychiatry--and how it helps people
The “risk vs. risk” perspective regarding medication and perinatal mental health
How Sarah talks to people about the risk of anxiety and depression
Why mental health medications can be safer than untreated mental illness
The dangers when physicians don’t keep up with new mental health research and literature
How Sarah works to train and inform physicians about pregnancy and postpartum
How Sarah’s individual clients benefit from her bilingual abilities due to her Colombian heritage
The myths of motherhood in the Latin community that only magnify the need for a mental health focus
Sarah’s observations about the impact of COVID on perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
What it was like for Sarah to have her first baby during the COVID pandemic
What we should know about the COVID vaccine regarding pregnancy and breastfeeding mothers
How the stigmas around anxiety medication discourage people from taking medications that are necessary and life-saving
What Sarah has seen in people getting the help, support, and connection that they need

Resources:

Sarah Oreck MD

Instagram

Facebook

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Previous Episode

195: Paternal Postpartum Depression: David Levine

Today’s topic is important, but it is hugely stigmatized in our culture. You may not have even heard about paternal postpartum depression, but my guest today shares what he experienced with the births of his two children.

Dr. David Levine is a pediatrician in New Jersey. He was blindsided by postpartum depression because, like most of us, he thought it only happens to women. He shares the struggle of having to talk to his wife about it and how he found help. Even more surprising is that he experienced postpartum while working as a pediatrician. He completed his undergraduate degree at Rutgers College Medical School at NYU and his residency in pediatrics at Yale. Dr. Levine is not on the board of Postpartum Support International (PSI), where he works in professional outreach as a staunch advocate for fathers’ mental health. He’s written a book about his experience, which will hopefully be published soon to get the message out to fathers that they are not alone.

Show Highlights:

Why so little is known about postpartum mental health, especially concerning fathers
David’s experience when his first child was born seven years ago
How David felt his aggravation and agitation increase as his infant son cried and could not be calmed
How David looked for support groups and resources for dads--and couldn’t find anything
How he kept getting worse and started envisioning committing violence against his child: “It was like watching a horror movie in my mind.”
How David finally told his wife about his depression and intrusive thoughts
How David tried medication briefly and then hit rock-bottom around week 7 of his son’s life
How David began his long road to recovery with therapy, a baby nurse, and more sleep
How he gained confidence as a father and began to bond with his son when he was 3-4 months old
How David began working with PSI and then had his second child three years ago
How his experiences were very similar, yet very different with his daughter
Why David feels that the traditional traps of masculinity kept him from seeking help earlier
How men experience anxiety and depression much differently than women do
Why postpartum depression in dads might manifest with anger, withdrawal from the family, and even physical violence
The pushback from people who don’t believe that postpartum depression exists for fathers
Why there should be more research, understanding, and resources for all aspects of male mental health
The hard statistics about male and female depression
How we can catch paternal postpartum depression better by teaching pediatricians to screen mothers AND fathers, and teaching obstetricians to inform mothers to check on dads
David’s manuscript for his book and his determination to get it published
Hopeful messages from David: “Paternal postpartum depression is fixable. We can prevent some of this from happening. With that, we can improve the lives of children and their parents and make stronger families.”

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Next Episode

197: Burnout and Managing Overwhelm with Dr. Kat

How are you? Sometimes it’s hard to check in with ourselves in the busy-ness of daily life, especially in these pandemic days when our self-care options are limited. High stress, depression, and anxiety tend to feel like personal failure. In today’s show, I want to offer you perspective and encouragement.

Show Highlights:

How to interpret your feelings during moments of stress
How to approach the new considerations brought on by the pandemic: masks, social distancing, virtual connections, etc.
Why life is hard in many ways right now for most people
Tips on how you can feel better:
Remember that you are resilient
Getting help is NOT failure
Honor your exhaustion by taking a break and setting boundaries
Check in with your sleep, eating/hydration, hormones, and stress
Turn “What’s wrong with me?” into “What’s going on for me?”
Take time to reflect and allow space just to BE

Resources:

Check out the Mom & Mind Online shop at Mom And Mind.

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