After spending 4 weeks in Perinatal Psychiatry clinic, I have a whole new respect for what new parents go through both emotionally and physically during pregnancy and postpartum. For many patients this is the single most vulnerable time for their mental health. Not only are new parents faced with external stressors like being up all night with a crying baby, breastfeeding every 2 hours, but there are huge hormonal changes ongoing internally. Shifting levels of progesterone and estrogen can precipitate conditions like postpartum depression, psychosis, mania, OCD, or anxiety in people who happen to be sensitive to these shifts, which is often genetic. It’s fascinating that we now have neurosteroid medications like brexanolone that are specifically used in postpartum depression and can cure patients with just a 14 day treatment course. SO much more to be discovered about this! The most meaningful part of the rotation was my time spent working in a specialized OBGYN clinic for pregnant a...