All Episodes

January 11, 2021 62 mins
Today’s topic is important, but it is hugely stigmatized in our culture. You may not have even heard about paternal postpartum depression, but my guest today shares what he experienced with the births of his two children.    Dr. David Levine is a pediatrician in New Jersey. He was blindsided by postpartum depression because, like most of us, he thought it only happens to women. He shares the struggle of having to talk to his wife about it and how he found help. Even more surprising is that he experienced postpartum while working as a pediatrician. He completed his undergraduate degree at Rutgers College Medical School at NYU and his residency in pediatrics at Yale. Dr. Levine is not on the board of Postpartum Support International (PSI), where he works in professional outreach as a staunch advocate for fathers’ mental health. He’s written a book about his experience, which will hopefully be published soon to get the message out to fathers that they are not alone.    Show Highlights:   Why so little is known about postpartum mental health, especially concerning fathers David’s experience when his first child was born seven years ago How David felt his aggravation and agitation increase as his infant son cried and could not be calmed How David looked for support groups and resources for dads--and couldn’t find anything How he kept getting worse and started envisioning committing violence against his child: “It was like watching a horror movie in my mind.” How David finally told his wife about his depression and intrusive thoughts How David tried medication briefly and then hit rock-bottom around week 7 of his son’s life How David began his long road to recovery with therapy, a baby nurse, and more sleep How he gained confidence as a father and began to bond with his son when he was 3-4 months old How David began working with PSI and then had his second child three years ago How his experiences were very similar, yet very different with his daughter Why David feels that the traditional traps of masculinity kept him from seeking help earlier How men experience anxiety and depression much differently than women do Why postpartum depression in dads might manifest with anger, withdrawal from the family, and even physical violence The pushback from people who don’t believe that postpartum depression exists for fathers Why there should be more research, understanding, and resources for all aspects of male mental health The hard statistics about male and female depression How we can catch paternal postpartum depression better by teaching pediatricians to screen mothers AND fathers, and teaching obstetricians to inform mothers to check on dads David’s manuscript for his book and his determination to get it published Hopeful messages from David: “Paternal postpartum depression is fixable. We can prevent some of this from happening. With that, we can improve the lives of children and their parents and make stronger families.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark as Played

Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.