Episode Description

One in three women will experience postpartum depression — and most of them never see it coming.

Dr. Sarah Oreck is a reproductive psychiatrist and perinatal mental health specialist, but she didn't arrive at this work from the outside looking in. She navigated IVF, fertility struggles, late-term pregnancy loss, and her own postpartum depression — and realized that if getting care was this hard for someone inside the medical system, most women didn't stand a chance. What she built from that reckoning is one of the clearest, most honest conversations Dr. G has had about what motherhood actually does to the mind, body, and identity of a woman.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why postpartum depression affects far more women than we're told — and why rage, numbness, and panic are just as common as sadness

• How IVF, birth trauma, miscarriage history, and partner support all quietly shape your postpartum mental health before the baby even arrives

• Why the newborn phase feels so disconnected for so many mothers — and why that doesn't mean something is wrong with you

If you're trying to get pregnant, already pregnant, or supporting someone who is — this is the conversation no one is having loudly enough.

Find Dr. Sarah:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahoreckmd/

MVita Health: https://www.sarahoreckmd.com/

Timestamps:

0:00 - Is Postpartum Depression Actually 1 in 3 Women? The Truth No One Tells You

1:01 - Meet Dr. Sarah Oreck: Reproductive Psychiatrist & Perinatal Mental Health Specialist

2:25 - Hot Seat: The Biggest Lies Women Are Told About Postpartum Mental Health

5:08 - Dr. Sarah's Story: From Watching Her Mom Get Gaslit to Building MVita Health

8:11 - What Is PMDD and Why Do So Many Women Go Undiagnosed?

11:32 - Alcohol, Caffeine & Sugar: How They Make Your Hormonal Cycles Worse

16:28 - Pregnancy and the Identity Shift Nobody Warns You About

21:05 - Who Is Most at Risk for Postpartum Depression?

25:05 - When Postpartum Goes to the Extreme: Rage, Psychosis & Suicidal Thoughts

30:06 - How Birth Trauma and Miscarriage Increase Your Postpartum Risk

35:33 - Why You Might Not Feel Bonded to Your Baby (And Why That's Okay)

40:15 - Men Get Postpartum Depression Too — Here's What to Watch For

43:21 - Why We Were Never Meant to Do This Alone: The Case for Community

49:05 - First Steps to Protect Your Mental Health Before, During & After Baby

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