In this episode, we talk with Dr. Catherine Birndorf, reproductive psychiatrist and Founder & Medical Director of The Motherhood Center of New York, to talk about postpartum psychosis, the challenges in perinatal mental health care, and what it takes to build meaningful support for women and families.

Dr. Birndorf shares:

• The clinical realities of postpartum psychosis — how it presents, how it’s distinguished from mood and anxiety disorders, and why rapid treatment matters
• The relationship between postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder
• The default treatment approaches, including hospitalization and medication
• Why developing a partial hospitalization program in the U.S. is so difficult — from insurance barriers to legal limitations
• Her mission-driven commitment to women’s mental health, including advocating for informed choices, supporting women in a still-paternalistic medical system, and honoring the feminist values that shaped her
• How The Motherhood Center offers a level of support that many outpatient women’s programs don’t — especially for those who need structured, intensive care

We touch briefly on my own experience with postpartum psychosis; I’ll share more of that conversation in an upcoming personal reflections episode.

Trigger warning: we mention as an aside the importance of treatment for postpartum psychosis considering realities of potential infanticide or suicide.

Resources:

• The Motherhood Center of New York - Dr. Catherine Birndorf
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Psychotherapy Interventions in the Perinatal Period
• The Center for Women's Mental Health at Mass General - Dr. Lee Cohen
• Telepsychiatry offerings (California) - Dr. Vivien Burt
• Women’s Mental Health Program at University of Wisconsin - Madison - Dr. Zachary Stowe
• Psychiatry offerings at Columbia University - Dr. Meg Spinelli

Citations:

1. Fekih-Romdhane, F., Hadathy, D. E., Malaeb, D., Barakat, H., & Hallit, S. (2024, August 29). Relationship between childhood trauma and postpartum psychotic experiences: The role of postnatal anxiety and depression as mediators - BMC psychiatry. BioMed Central.
2. Gemmill, A., Franks, A. M., Anjur-Dietrich, S., Ozinsky, A., Arbour, D., Stuart, E. A., Ben-Michael, E., Feller, A., & Bell, S. O. (2025, April 15). US abortion bans and infant mortality. JAMA.