There are significant ways that pregnancy and birth can shake our mental health. What can cause postpartum depression, anxiety, OCD, and psychosis? Who can you turn to for help and support to pull you out of what can be an isolating experience? And what happens when the doctor's office itself causes even more anxiety?

Host Frantzces Lys first speaks with a doula and a reproductive psychiatrist on navigating mental health during pregnancy and how we can recognize the symptoms of postpartum disorders. Then Frantzces hears from a mom and patient advocate who navigated postpartum herself.

Dr. Shari Lusskin joins Dr. Nathan Fox to discuss anxiety before and during pregnancy. Dr. Lusskin explains that a possible pregnancy (planned or unplanned) is something she always considers when first treating women for anxiety since certain medications are not safe for pregnant women. Fortunately, most anxiety and depression medications are safe to take during pregnancy. Even still, having a detailed pregnancy and birth plan with your mental health provider and OB-GYN can be incredibly helpful for many women, especially those with diagnosed anxiety whose symptoms might worsen during pregnancy.

On this podcast episode, Dr. Shari Lusskin joins Dr. Nathan Fox to discuss common concerns about anxiety and when its considered "normal." Situational anxiety because of an upcoming test or stressful event is normal and not always a cause for concern but if the anxiety becomes chronic and affects how you function, it's a problem that should be addressed with your doctor. In can be difficult for people to figure out on their own because of the non-specific labels used for emotional disorders. Drs. Fox and Lusskin also discuss diagnosis for different disorders and treatment options like systematic desensitization to decrease feelings of anxiety when exposed to phobias or triggers.

Dr. Shari Lusskin joins Dr. Nathan Fox to discuss Reproductive Psychiatry, or psychiatric treatment for women during pregnancy. In this episode, they review topics including treatment options, when medication can be used, and research into psychiatric treatment for pregnant women.

What is Reproductive Psychiatry, and when should women consider getting a consultation? Host Dr. Miriam Greene and Dr. Shari Lusskin (right) spoke about Postpartum Depression, PMS and other emotionally trying life experiences which affect your reproductive system.

On today's Please Explain, we'll look into the causes and symptoms of postpartum depression, and the field of perinatal psychiatry, the evaluation and treatment of psychiatric disorders associated with female reproductive function.

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On November 11, 2019 at the Moscow Auditorium Conference Center, Shari I. Lusskin, MD, Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Attending in Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City, presented a lecture entitled "Improving the Treatment of Perinatal Depression: Pharmacotherapy in Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women."