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Join Dr. Ida Eden, a reproductive psychiatrist and faculty member at Weill Cornell Medicine, to explore how you can optimize your emotional and psychological well-being during pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond.
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Join Rena and Dara as they delve into a discussion with Dr. Eden about reproductive depression, how preexisting conditions can influence its likelihood, and why we should be optimizing our mental health as best we can before, during, and after pregnancy. She unpacks the psychological strains common in the peripartum period and we discuss the difference between Baby Blues and Post Partum Depression (PPD), how a diagnosis of PPD is treated, and dive into the hot-button topic of medication use in this period.
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In this episode, Dr. Abby Eblen from Nashville Fertility Center, Dr. Carrie Bedient from the Fertility Center of Las Vegas, and Dr. Susan Hudson from Texas Fertility Center are joined by special guest Dr. Ida Eden, a reproductive psychiatrist in private practice and an adjunct faculty member at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Eden shares valuable insights on coping with infertility. She explains how anxiety is common for many and can be managed positively. Sometimes it can manifest in unexpected ways such as anger or intellectualization (doing lots of Google searches) and how different defense mechanisms—good and bad—play a role. She discusses the importance of recognizing whether anxiety serves a purpose and emphasizes optimizing mental health through simple but effective strategies, such as exercise, social connections, and proper sleep. We explore the use of medications for mental health during pregnancy and how doctors assess whether to continue or adjust treatment. Finally, the conversation delves into the cost of mental health care, resources for those without insurance coverage, and the availability of telemedicine options. Tune in for an insightful discussion on mental well-being and practical ways to manage anxiety.
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