Mom Breaks: Science and Stories of Postpartum Psychosis

What exactly is postpartum psychosis? How is it classified in the ICD and DSM, and what do we know about why it happens? In this episode, Julia and I – with our shared love of neuroscience and empirical research – talk through the “basics” of postpartum psychosis after digging into the literature together. We discuss genetics, sleep, hormones, brain imaging, and other factors researchers are inves...

Kara is a special education teacher, runner, and survivor of postpartum psychosis. She lives in Pennsylvania with her partner and daughters in a blended family — she and her partner each had a child from previous relationships, then together they welcomed twins. She shares how she went from never expecting to be a mom to a mom of four, as well as her experience with C-sections, twin pregnancy, the...

Shelby joins us to share her experience with postpartum psychosis. A mental health counselor in Kentucky and mom of two, Shelby reflects on what first drew her to become a therapist, her experience with a miscarriage and depression, and navigating medication during a subsequent pregnancy and postpartum period. Despite trying different meds after giving birth, Shelby became manic and then psychotic...

Dr. Bobbie Decker is a neurologist, mom of two, and survivor of postpartum psychosis. Her work focuses on the ways reproductive hormonal changes intersect with neurological health, and her own experience with postpartum mental health has given her a personal perspective on the gaps in how we care for women. After the birth of her second child, Bobbie experienced postpartum OCD, depression, and psy...

In this episode, Julia shares her experience with postpartum psychosis after the birth of her son in 2021. She takes us through her journey navigating care in the Netherlands—from early attempts to support her at home, to a general psychiatric unit, and ultimately to a Mother and Baby Unit. We discuss what it feels like to not grasp your own illness, navigate treatment and recovery, and make sense...

Dr. Diana Barnes is a psychotherapist, educator, and forensic expert who has spent more than 30 years advancing the field of maternal mental health. After her own experience with postpartum anxiety, she dedicated her career to supporting women and families through the reproductive years as they navigate a wide range of perinatal mental health conditions, including postpartum psychosis. In this epi...

In this episode, Laura reflects on her experience as both a survivor of postpartum psychosis and perinatal mental health provider. Following a painful birth, breastfeeding challenges, and a cycle of sleeplessness, her reality began to blur. She became convinced she was uncovering hidden abusers, predicting the future, and protecting her hospital from an active shooter—delusions that felt entirely...

Bridget is a health coach, mother of two, and maternal mental health advocate. In this conversation, she shares her experience with undiagnosed postpartum psychosis following the birth of her second child in 2013, which unfolded during the early postpartum period while she was on maternity leave. Although she sought support and received treatment for postpartum anxiety and depression, the more sev...

After six conversations with spouses and family members affected by postpartum psychosis, I wanted to pause and reflect on the patterns that emerged across these stories—from sleeplessness and behavioral changes to the uncertainty families face in recognizing when something is wrong and figuring out how to get help. In this solo episode, I reflect on what happens after the crisis: the challenges o...

Clint shares his family’s experience with postpartum psychosis after the birth of their first child. Following a long and difficult labor that ended in a hospital transfer and NICU stay for their newborn, Clint found himself trying to make sense of rapidly escalating symptoms in his wife, Courtney — a chiropractor with a solid understanding of the human body and no psychiatric history. In this con...

In this episode, we speak with Polly and Frank, advocates who have turned profound loss into a commitment to raising awareness about postpartum mental illness. In 2018, their daughter Mary Jo, along with her husband and newborn daughter, died in a tragedy they have since come to understand as the result of postpartum psychosis. Since then, Polly and Frank have spoken openly about the complexity an...

You heard Rowena’s story – now hear what it was like on the other side. In this episode, Derek shares his experience supporting his wife through postpartum psychosis, from the sudden onset of symptoms through a few hospital visits to get proper care. It’s a powerful, honest conversation about recognizing change, navigating the unknown, and showing up for the people we love. We touch on the realiti...

Steven D’Achille shares the story of losing his wife, Alexis, to postpartum psychosis just five weeks after the birth of their daughter. Despite multiple hospital visits and attempts to manage escalating symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression that progressed into psychosis, Alexis ultimately took her own life. Steven reflects on the unimaginable reality of navigating a rapidly unfolding mental...

Colin shares his experience as a partner navigating postpartum psychosis after the birth of his second child. He recounts getting punched twice in the face and wrestling on the kitchen floor, and later juggling communication with both of their workplaces and making it to each visitation opportunity. Through it all, Colin managed the acute crisis with remarkable foresight. He shares a raw, honest v...

In this episode, I’m joined by my spouse to share our experience with postpartum psychosis from his perspective. You’ll hear a soundbite from a recording on his phone—captured during a swirling conversation in the midst of the psychosis. He reflects on the sleeplessness of that week—how exhaustion became the backdrop for everything—and how, at first, nothing registered as “wrong.” What unfolded di...

In this episode I pause to reflect on what has emerged across this project — from interviews with clinicians and survivors, to my own ongoing recovery from postpartum psychosis. Rather than introducing new research or new stories, this episode weaves together three perspectives: a look back at themes across conversations a look inward at how this work has shaped my understanding of my own experien...

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Brooke Laufer, a clinical psychologist specializing in perinatal and reproductive mental health, including postpartum psychosis, perinatal trauma, infant loss, and maternal filicide. She provides therapy, consultation, and expert guidance to clinicians, attorneys, and medical professionals. Dr. Laufer is the author of the qualitative research paper It Shows You...

In our first partner perspective episode, we sit down with Meghan and Colin to hear their joint experience with postpartum psychosis, which emerged eight months after the birth of their second child. Living and working in New York City, far from family support, they were blindsided by Meghan’s sudden psychotic behavior. Colin reflects on protecting their kids while navigating Meghan’s urges to get...

Dr. Veerle Bergink, MD, PhD, a leading expert in perinatal psychiatry, shares how she began studying postpartum psychosis. She shares insights from her landmark cohort study and other work, discussing sleep disruption, immune and hormonal changes, and thyroid dysfunction as factors in postpartum psychosis. She also shares unanswered questions about psychosis and bipolar, including risk factors, bi...

Writer and advocate Aaisha Alvi, a postpartum psychosis survivor based in Canada, shares her two experiences with PPP — first completely missed after the birth of her daughter, and later only diagnosed after seeing six different providers following a miscarriage. Her memoir, A Mom Like That: A Memoir of Postpartum Psychosis , offers a raw look into her delusions and the barriers that often delay d...

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Catherine Birndorf, reproductive psychiatrist and Founder & Medical Director of The Motherhood Center of New York, to talk about postpartum psychosis, the challenges in perinatal mental health care, and what it takes to build meaningful support for women and families. Dr. Birndorf shares: The clinical realities of postpartum psychosis — how it presents, how it...

Jigyna shares her powerful personal journey through perinatal mental health challenges. She is a South Asian mom of three, maternal mental health advocate, and support group facilitator with PSI, Group Peer Support, and The Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. From fertility struggles and PCOS to a traumatic first birth, and from postpartum depression and anxiety to undiagnosed postpartum psy...

In this episode, Sarah - a nurse, mom, and mental health advocate - takes us inside her whirlwind journey through postpartum psychosis. From a premature birth and NICU stay to walking into her own workplace in the grips of psychosis and professing her love to her once boss, Sarah shares the moments that shocked her and those around her. She uses a tornado as a metaphor for the chaos of postpartum...

In this episode, we meet Katrina — a twin mum, former teacher, and maternal mental health advocate from Sydney, Australia. Her twins were born prematurely at 33 weeks and spent time in the NICU. After delivery, Katrina experienced postpartum psychosis, leading to a month-long hospital stay. We talk about her experience navigating hospital and legal systems, and how factors like twin pregnancies, A...

Megan, a mom of two from northeast England, experienced postpartum psychosis after the birth of her first baby. She navigated pregnancy during the pandemic, had a long labor followed by an emergency procedure, and experienced a gradual curve of psychosis over eight weeks. Despite raising concerns with her care team, her symptoms weren’t treated properly until she was quite unwell. Megan describes...