Podcasts
Can DNA predict postpartum depression? UNC researchers need your help
Researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill hope a nationwide study combining life experiences and at-home blood samples will one day help identify which women are most at risk for postpartum depression.
Interview with Dr. Mae Lynn Reyes-Rodriguez
In this episode, we’re learning more about perinatal and postpartum depression with special guest Dr. Mae Lynn Reyes-Rodriguez, joining us from North Carolina. Dr. Reyes-Rodriguez shares her insight and breaks down the importance of MomGenes research: what it is, why it matters, and how it supports mothers through pregnancy and postpartum.
Dr. Mae Lynn Reyes-Rodriguez: Making Mental Health Care Fit Women’s Real Lives by Closing Cultural, Linguistic, and Access Gaps
Dr. Mae Lynn is committed to practical, evidence-based tools for all mothers while offering a deep, bilingual understanding of Latina and immigrant families. She hopes to expand bilingual screening and education, reduce stigma around postpartum depression, and train clinicians to deliver culturally relevant care across communities.
Dr. Karen Sheffield-Abdullah, Certified Nurse-Midwife, Mindfulness Instructor, and Mother of Four
In this episode of the Just A Mom podcast, Dr. Karen Sheffield-Abdullah discusses the critical topic of postpartum depression and maternal mental health, as about one in seven women experiences postpartum depression. She explains the differences between postpartum depression and anxiety, the importance of prenatal screening, and the role of medication management during pregnancy. Dr. Karen emphasizes the impact of social media on new moms, the significance of trauma in maternal mental health, and the necessity of sleep for recovery. She also highlights mindfulness as a beneficial practice for mental well-being and discusses the importance of support for partners of new moms. Finally, she introduces the MomGenes Study (), which aims to explore the genetic components of postpartum depression.
Breaking the Silence on Maternal Health
Caring for the Whole Mother – Postpartum Depression, Maternal Health, and Equity
In this episode, we explore how postpartum depression and maternal mental health directly influence maternal health outcomes from pregnancy through the first year after birth. Untreated postpartum depression doesn’t just affect mood — it impacts physical recovery, chronic stress, bonding, breastfeeding, and long-term maternal health. When maternal mental health is ignored, overall maternal health suffers.
The Truth About Postpartum Depression, Perinatal Mental Health + Maternal Health Equity
In this episode, Helene Kusman sits down with the certified nurse-midwife and nationally recognized researcher Dr. Karen Sheffield-Abdullah to explore the truth about postpartum depression, perinatal mental health and maternal health equity. Dr. Karen shares how stress, anxiety and structural inequities impact pregnancy and postpartum outcomes and offers evidence-based recommendations for meaningful change.
Por qué a mi? Depresión Post-Parto y Perinatal con la Dra. Reyes Roderiguez
En este episodio hablamos con la Dra. Mae-Lynn Reyes Rodríguez sobre la depresión postparto y perinatal: qué la causa, cómo se manifiesta en la comunidad latina y qué podemos hacer para apoyar a una madre que la está viviendo. Un episodio lleno de empatía, ciencia y recursos para sanar en comunidad.
Postpartum Depression Signs Most New Moms Miss – And Why You’re Not a Bad Mother
In this essential follow-up, host Terry McGuire continues the conversation with Dr. Karen Sheffield-Abdullah. Dr. Sheffield-Abdullah is a PhD, researcher, and nurse-midwife with over 20 years of experience specializing in perinatal mental health. While Part 1 focused on pregnancy, this episode dives deep into the "fourth trimester," exploring why the massive dip in progesterone after the placenta is delivered can trigger everything from the "baby blues" to severe clinical depression.
Pregnancy Depression: Signs, Symptoms, and When to Get Help
In this episode, host Terry McGuire sits down with Dr. Karen Sheffield-Abdullah. Dr. Sheffield-Abdullah is a professor, a nurse-midwife of 20 years, and a researcher specializing in Black maternal stress and anxiety. We dive deep into the often-misunderstood world of perinatal mental health, breaking down the crucial differences between antenatal depression, pregnancy anxiety, and the standard "baby blues". Dr. Sheffield-Abdullah explains how the hormonal shifts of pregnancy, like the dip in progesterone, can easily mask clinical depression.
Postpartum Depression Today: What We Know, What We Miss, What’s Changing with Dr. Karen Sheffield-Abdullah
How has our understanding of postpartum evolved, and what challenges have remained all along? The answers may surprise you.