What happens when a physician who understands the medical side of pregnancy and birth suddenly finds herself navigating the unexpected challenges of motherhood as a patient? In this episode of Yoga | Birth | Babies, family physician Dr. Barbara Acuna Rosenstein shares her personal journey through birth, breastfeeding difficulties, and postpartum anxiety. Despite her medical background, Barbara found herself unprepared for the emotional and psychological challenges of early motherhood, particularly when breastfeeding struggles triggered persistent worries and intrusive thoughts about whether her baby was getting enough to eat.
Together, we explore the connection between breastfeeding challenges and perinatal mental health, how to recognize the difference between common new-parent worries and postpartum anxiety that may require additional support, and why postpartum care often leaves parents feeling unprepared and underserved. Barbara also reflects on the gaps in medical education and postpartum support that she experienced firsthand, and how becoming a patient has influenced her evolving professional interests in lactation medicine and perinatal mental health. This conversation highlights the importance of seeing maternal mental health and infant feeding as interconnected parts of postpartum care, rather than treating them as separate concerns.
In this episode we discuss:
- Barbara’s birth story and the unexpected realities of early postpartum life.
- The challenges of breastfeeding and how feeding difficulties can affect maternal mental health.
- Postpartum anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and the difference between normal new-parent worries and symptoms that deserve additional support.
- What happens when a physician becomes the patient and experiences the gaps in postpartum medical care firsthand.
- The need for better integration of breastfeeding support and perinatal mental health care.
- What comprehensive, compassionate postpartum care could look like during the first six weeks and beyond.
About Barbara:
Dr. Barbara Acuna Rosenstein is a family physician based in Madrid, Spain. Born to a French mother and Mexican father, she grew up between Mexico and the United States before studying medicine in Mexico and completing her specialty training in Family and Community Medicine in Spain. After experiencing two pregnancy losses, Barbara and her husband welcomed their daughter, Nora, through IVF. Her personal experiences with pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and early motherhood have inspired a new professional chapter focused on lactation and breastfeeding medicine, perinatal mental health, and more integrated care for mothers and babies. She is currently expanding her training in these areas.
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Check out similar Yoga| Birth| Babies episodes:
- Postpartum Depression, Anxiety and Stress with Karen Kleiman
- Breastfeeding, Explained: What Parents Really Need to Know with Dr Leigh Campbell
- [Revisit]: PPA/PPD Medication and Breastfeeding with Heather ONeal and Maureen Farrell
- Don’t forget to grab your FREE guide, 5 Simple Solutions to the Most Common Pregnancy Pains HERE
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