Postpartum Depression, Anxiety & Psychosis: The Hormone Connection

Pregnancy and postpartum can change far more than a woman’s body. Hormonal shifts can also intersect with anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, OCD and, in rare cases, postpartum psychosis.But how do we know when what a woman is experiencing has moved beyond the expected exhaustion and adjustment of having a baby?In Part Two of our four-part Women’s Health Series, Dr. Lori talks with Dr. Lulu Zhao, an OB/GYN specializing in women’s behavioral health and reproductive psychiatry, about pregnancy and postpartum mental health—and why this is a conversation for women and the people who love them.They talk about why women can look completely functional while struggling underneath, what partners and families should know, PMDD, postpartum anxiety and depression, intrusive thoughts, postpartum OCD and psychosis, and the complicated questions surrounding psychiatric medications during pregnancy.And perhaps most importantly, they look at a question many women find themselves asking: Is this hormonal, is it my mental health—or could it be both?Show Notes: https://drloristevic.com/postpartum-depression-anxiety-psychosis-hormones/