Dr Crystal Clark and Dr Nancy Byatt on the hidden costs of breastfeeding

Spread the light with Dr Devika B

Welcome to Season 2 of Spread the light with Dr Devika B. Here, we know that stigma festers in the dark and it scatters in the light. And this season will take that even further. We’ll dive into the ways that stigma shows up in culture, in norms, in policies, and in institutions — and how we can disrupt and rewrite that.

To kick us off: In this powerful interview with perinatal psychiatrists Dr Nancy Byatt and Dr Crystal Clark, hear about what breastfeeding guidelines miss about the potential mental health risks for new mothers and families. Read more on this pivotal topic in a piece I wrote for Slate.

Nancy Byatt, DO, MS, MBA, is a perinatal psychiatrist with the Women's Mental Health Center at UMass Memorial Medical Center, Executive Director of the Lifeline for Families Center and Lifeline for Moms, an iSPARC research program, Medical Director of Research for the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Program (MCPAP), and a tenured professor of psychiatry, ob/gyn, and population & quantitative health sciences at UMass Chan Medical School.
Crystal Clark, MD, MSc, is a perinatal psychiatrist, associate professor at the University of Toronto, and scientist at Women’s College Research Institute. Dr. Clark is internationally recognized for her expertise in the treatment of women’s mental health across the reproductive life span (i.e., menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum, infertility, trauma related to reproduction). Dr. Clark’s research expertise is in optimizing treatment for parental mental health among Black, Indigenous, People of Color and peripartum dosing guidelines for bipolar disorder.

Trigger warning: In this interview, we talk about mental health impacts of breastfeeding, trauma, and gender inequities related to parenting labor.

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SPREAD THE LIGHT WITH DR DEVIKA B:
Because stigma festers in the dark and scatters in the light.
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If you or a loved one needs help for a mental health crisis in the US, don’t hesitate to call or text 988 — or reach them online here. Find other resources here, search for a treatment facility here, and find a therapist here. Here are resources specifically for LGBTQ people. If you’re a US-based clinician or health student dealing with “any issue, not just a crisis,” reach out to the Physicians Support ...