The Follow-Up: Dads and Postpartum

The PedsDocTalk Podcast: Child Health, Development & Parenting—From a Pediatrician Mom

Dr. Mona Amin

Medicine, Kids & Family, Health & Fitness, Parenting

4.9 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 27 April 2026

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We talk a lot about maternal mental health postpartum. But we do not talk enough about dads. In this episode, my husband joins me for an honest conversation about paternal mental health, birth trauma, pressure, and what it felt like to become a father while navigating medical complications and the early days of the pandemic. We discuss the silent expectations placed on fathers to be “the strong one,” to go back to work quickly, to provide, and to hold everything together — often without anyone asking how they are actually doing. This episode is about normalizing the fact that postpartum mental health affects both parents. We talk about: • Why paternal mental health is often overlooked • The impact of traumatic birth experiences on dads • The pressure to return to work quickly, especially in medicine • Sleep deprivation, financial stress, and identity shifts • How the pandemic intensified anxiety for healthcare workers • Why therapy is not just for crisis, but for maintenance • Reparenting yourself while parenting your children • How prioritizing mental health makes you a more present partner and parent Want more? Listen to the full, ⁠⁠⁠original episode⁠⁠⁠. Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and⁠ ⁠⁠⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! And don’t forget to follow⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the⁠ ⁠⁠⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠⁠⁠⁠ page of the website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, hey, welcome back to the fall of.
0:03.5	It's Dr. Mona, your online pediatrician mom friend, and we revisit a favorite episode in less time than it takes your child to scratch the same eczema patch right after you moisturized it.
0:14.2	With the weather shifting, eczema tends to flare.
0:16.9	Temperature changes, dry air, seasonal allergies, all of it can trigger those red, itchy patches that leave families frustrated and exhausted.
0:25.2	That's why I'm re-airing this conversation today.
0:28.4	On this episode, I sat down with Dr. Shreya Patel, allergist and immunologist, and we broke down eczema.
0:34.0	We talked about what eczema looks like, which children may be more predisposed, whether there
0:38.7	are preventable measures, when it's time to see an allergist, what a workup might entail,
0:44.2	and the basic skincare strategies that truly make a difference.
0:47.6	I'll be honest, eczema is probably one of the hardest skin conditions I manage as a pediatrician.
0:52.2	It requires consistent skin care, close monitoring
0:55.7	of triggers which are so individualized, medication adjustments, and it carries a huge
1:01.1	mental load for families, the itching, the sleep disruption, the constant cycle of flare, treat,
1:07.2	calm, repeat. It is a lot. If this episode helps you or if any of my eczema resources on
1:14.0	YouTube have supported your family, please share it on social media and tag Peds Dog Talk and
1:19.3	the Peds Dog Talk podcast so more families can discover it. Make sure you download the full
1:24.6	episode of this conversation and subscribe to the show so you don't
1:28.1	miss a future follow-up episode. Let's get into it.
1:35.8	How would you describe how the eczema rash would look like? Yeah, so eczema is usually
1:41.4	characterized by like this itchy, red and scaly patches on the skin.
1:46.8	If you were to touch it, it would feel really rough to the touch because it's dry.
1:51.8	You'd usually see a lot of overlying scratch marks, or as we call them, excoriations.
	...

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