Episode 74: Perinatal Mental Health and "Impossible Parenting" with Dr. Niki Nephin, NDEpisode 74: Perinatal Mental Health and "Impossible Parenting" with Dr. Niki Nephin, ND
The Good Mood Podcast
Dr. Talia Marcheggiani and Dr. Niki Nephin talk frankly about perinatal mental health, sharing personal experiences and clinical insights on why parenting often feels impossible. They unpack shame, support gaps and the limits of a serotonin‑only view, offering more nuanced ways to think about getting help.
1:56:39•18 Mar 2022
Perinatal Mental Health, Shame and the Myth of the Perfect Parent
Episode Overview
- Postpartum mental health is influenced by hormones, trauma, sleep, nutrition, support and systemic factors, not just serotonin levels.
- Rates of postpartum depression and anxiety have risen significantly, especially during covid and among people of colour and Indigenous parents.
- Shame around birth outcomes, feeding choices and intrusive thoughts can silence parents and block them from seeking effective care.
- Naturopathic care can widen options beyond medication, addressing thyroid function, inflammation, nutrient depletion and practical support.
- Parents should not be left to "build their own village" while struggling; community and trauma‑informed professional support are essential.
“You are not responsible for figuring out how to get better on your own. This is not like a DIY project.”
Ever wondered what it really feels like to become a parent in a world without a village? This conversation between naturopathic doctors Dr. Talia Marcheggiani and Dr. Niki Nephin digs into perinatal mental health with a mix of honesty, humour and clinical experience that’s hard to ignore. The episode centres on postpartum anxiety and depression, but quickly widens out to show how hormones, trauma, social isolation and impossible expectations all collide.
Niki shares her own story of planning a calm, holistic home birth only to end up feeling like she’d been "ripped out of" her identity, then falling through the cracks of a system focused almost entirely on the baby. She argues that postpartum isn’t just the first year; it changes someone "forever" on mental, emotional and physical levels.
You’ll hear stark statistics: pre‑pandemic, around one in seven birthing parents were affected, rising to about one in four during covid, with higher rates for people of colour and Indigenous parents. The discussion tackles shame around feeding choices, birth outcomes and intrusive thoughts, plus the quiet rage and resentment that many parents feel but rarely admit. A big theme is that it’s "not just serotonin".
The pair break down how sleep, nutrition, thyroid function, inflammation, trauma history and lack of support all feed into mental health, and how naturopathic care can open more options than just medication or generic advice like "let the baby cry". Niki is blunt about the pressure of the nuclear family, saying it’s "killing" parents and relationships, and calls community "medicine" in its own right.
If you or someone you love is wrestling with early parenthood, shame, or feeling like you’re drowning while everyone else seems to cope, this episode offers validation, language and practical starting points. What would change for you if you treated your own wellbeing as essential, not optional?
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