Healing the Tigress Ep. 1 - When Eastern and Western Medicine Intersect During PPD with Dr. Jasmine, PharmD, PMH-C
You may have heard of Dr. Jasmine’s story of severe PPD and PPA on her blog or her Instagram— Pearls of Jasmine. She is one of the co-hosts of this podcast, a clinical pharmacist, perinatal mental health certified, mom of one, and a second-generation Taiwanese American. This episode dives deeper into the cultural layers and intersection of her identities that may have played a role in contributing to that PPD and PPA.
Jasmine shares about her pregnancy and childbirth experience with her Ayurvedic doula and her modified Chinese “confinement period” where mothers are expected to stay home and rest for a month while nourishing with a special diet after delivering a baby. We also talk about breastfeeding pressures, the difficulty of finding language to even talk about depression, and the effects of combining Eastern and Western medicine from her pharmacist standpoint.
We hope that anyone listening to this episode will feel seen when it comes to the balance of finding your identity in motherhood while also straddling Eastern and Western medicine and traditions. There is a type of guilt that second-generation AAPI might feel in trying to honor their heritage but also just trying to stay afloat while navigating new motherhood (and possibly a perinatal mood disorder) in a Western world.
You can find more of Jasmine at the following places:Instagram: instagram.com/pearlsofjasmine Newsletter: pearlsofjasmine.substack.comBlog: pearlsofjasmine.com (Read her full story under “My PPD Story”)
Jasmine also highly recommends the non-profit Postpartum Support International (PSI) and their myriad of free resources. She was a PSI Peer Mentor Volunteer in 2020 and continues to attend trainings and panels they provide. She was even a panelist this year on "Coloring the Conversation," a monthly web series hosted by the Perinatal Mental Health Alliance for People of Color, a program within PSI.
If you enjoy our podcast and our mission to shine light on conversations and stories of AAPI mothers, please take a moment to leave us a review! Reviews help us become more visible and we really want this podcast to reach more AAPI mothers who may need it. You may also follow us @healingthetigress on Instagram and TikTok. Thank you for tuning in!
Note: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the speakers' own. This podcast is not a replacement for therapy or professional/medical advice. If you are in need of more support or advice, please reach out to your own medical professional who can answer your questions with your individual medical history and background in context.