Explaining She's Isolated, Depressed, and Caring for a Newborn

Rae gave birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. She developed postpartum depression while caring for her baby under lockdown, and tried to explain to her Chinese-Jamaican family what she was going through. And, psychiatrist Leena Mittal, who specializes in maternal mental health, speaks with Juleyka about normalizing this experience, which is the most common complication of pregnancy.

Featured Expert: 

Leena Mittal is the Chief of the Division of Women’s Mental Health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and serves as the Program Director for the Women’s Mental Health Fellowship at the Brigham. Dr Mittal is the Associate Medical Director for the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program for Moms (MCPAP for Moms), an innovative statewide consultation service for providers seeing pregnant and postpartum women with mental health and substance use conditions. Dr. Mittal has numerous publications and speaks nationally on the treatment of mental health and substance use conditions throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period. She is board certified in psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine and addiction medicine. Learn more about Leena's work here.

If you loved this episode, be sure to listen to Telling Mamí She Needs Mental Help and When Mamí Makes You Doubt Becoming A Mom.

We’d love to hear your stories of triumph and frustration so send us a detailed voice memo to hello@talktomamipapi.com. You might be on a future episode! Let’s connect on Twitter and Instagram at @TalkToMamiPapi and email us at hello@talktomamipapi.com. And follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.