This week on The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast we are talking about perinatal mental health – a topic that is near and dear to my heart. My guest, Dr. Nichelle Haynes is a Clinical Psychiatrist who specializes in perinatal mental health.
There’s not a lot of psychiatrists who specialize in the pregnant and postpartum population. So Dr. Haynes and I talk about a day in her life, what sort of patients she sees, and what’s the first step if you’re struggling.
We also talk about the difference between a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and a therapist because there’s a big difference. We also discuss medication, when to intervene with medication, and what signs and symptoms you should be looking for.
And finally, you’ll hear us debunk the unfortunate societal stigma surrounding psychiatric medications.
Here’s a peek into what we talk about:
- Can you share a bit about a day in your life? What sorts of patients do you meet with and treat?
- If someone is struggling with their mental health during pregnancy or postpartum, how should they go about finding help?
- At what point would someone see someone like you, a psychiatrist, rather than a psychologist – does one usually come before the other?
- When I have shared my own experience of taking medication for my mental health I always get a huge response from people who feel ashamed to medicate. Can you talk about the signs that it may be time to consider medication?
- And then more generally, can you help to debunk the myth that there is something wrong with taking medication? What can we do to help normalize its use?
- Any other advice you would give to expecting or new mothers on the topic of mental health?
About Nichelle Haynes
Dr. Nichelle Haynes is a Perinatal Psychiatrist with a special interest in infertility, pregnancy, postpartum, and early parenting. She works as a psychiatrist at Reproductive Psychiatry and Counseling where she also serves as CEO and partner.
She is a wife and mother of 2 energetic young boys who keep her busy. In her free time, Nichelle is active on Instagram where she provides support and education for people along their parenting journey.
