Postpartum Depression Today: What We Know, What We’re Missing, What’s Changing with Dr. Karen Sheffield-Abdullah – Prenatal Yoga Center

How has our understanding of postpartum evolved, and what challenges have remained throughout? The answers may surprise you.

Listen in, I’m joined by Dr. Karen Sheffield-Abdullah Yoga| Birth | Babies. Dr. Karen is an assistant professor, certified nurse-midwife, mindfulness coach, and perinatal mental health researcher. The expertise of Dr. Karen has been featured in The New York Times, Politico, TEDx Talks and NPR.

In this episode you will learn about:

• About Dr. Karen and what led to her passion to study and advocate for perinatal mental health

• What we understand now about postpartum depression (PPD) that we didn’t know 10 or 20 years ago

• What role hormones, sleep disturbance and the nervous system play in PPD

• How stress and previous trauma affect mental health after childbirth, especially in the first weeks after birth

• PMADs are often thought of as depression, but many parents experience anxiety, OCD, anger or trauma. How else do these appear, and why are they so often missed?

• Why so many new parents fall through the cracks in the first weeks and months after giving birth

• How racial bias/racism and healthcare discharge affect who is diagnosed and who receives care

• What daily, evidence-based practices support regulation and healing

• The MomGenes Study – What It Is and Why It’s Such an Important Shift to Personalized Care for PPD

• What partners, doulas, yoga teachers and doctors can do differently to support mental health after childbirth

• The words of Dr. Karen for someone currently struggling with postpartum depression

• One last tip or piece of advice she would like to give to new and expectant parents

• Where you can find her work

**Get the most out of every episode by checking out the show notes with links, resources and other related podcasts at: prenatalyogacenter.com

About Dr. Karen:

Dr. Karen Sheffield-Abdullah is an assistant professor, certified nurse-midwife, mindfulness coach, and researcher whose work focuses on perinatal mental health and health equity. She studies how stress, anxiety, trauma, and structural factors influence pregnancy and postpartum outcomes, and she develops culturally relevant interventions that improve care for all mothers. Her expertise has been highlighted by media such as The New York Times, Politico, TEDx Talks and NPR. Karen is a co-investigator for MomGenes, a study advancing precision approaches to postpartum depression (PPD).

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