Join health and science journalist Danielle Elliot as she investigates the rise of women recently diagnosed with ADHD. Listen to Climbing the Walls now.

This week on In It, we’re sharing an episode from another Understood podcast. It’s called Hyperfocus with Rae Jacobson, and we’re big fans.

When she first became a parent, Rae experienced a bout of severe postpartum depression. But at the time, there wasn’t much information about ADHD and women, let alone ADHD and postpartum mental health.

Rae had heard that there was a link between ADHD and postpartum depression. But with a tiny baby to care for and a life to navigate, she had more pressing things to deal with. 

But the question kept bugging her: Does ADHD make you more likely to have postpartum depression?

This week on Hyperfocus, Rae finally gets some answers to questions she has had for years. Her guest is Dr. Catherine Birndorf, an expert on postpartum mood disorders and co-founder, CEO, and medical director of The Motherhood Center of New York.

Related resources

• Catherine’s book: What No One Tells You
• 3 things I’m learning as a new mom with ADHD
• 72 hours in the life of a working mom with ADHD
• Parenting tips when you and your child have ADHD

Timestamps

(02:55) ADHD as a postpartum concern

(09:47) PMADs: Not just the ‘baby blues’

(14:21) What can struggling parents do?

(21:07) Medication and pregnancy

To get a transcript of this show and check out more episodes, visit the Hyperfocus podcast page at Understood.org

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Understood.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people with learning and thinking differences, like ADHD and dyslexia. If you want to help us continue this work, donate at understood.org/give