Dr. Becky talks to Kevin Maguire about the experience of — and the insights from — paternal postpartum depression.
When Kevin Maguire became a dad for the second time, he experienced something few new fathers are screened for or even warned about: paternal postpartum depression.
His son wouldn't stop crying, and Kevin couldn't make it stop. He took the dog out, sat on a bench, and started bawling himself — because he didn't understand what he was experiencing.
Kevin is the author of The New Fatherhood, a Substack he started after his own experience with PPD, as well as a book by the same name. He and Becky talk about why new fathers are largely unscreened for postpartum depression, what the symptoms actually look like in men, and what Kevin built after being completely broken open by fatherhood.
If you're a new dad, a dad-to-be, or you love one — this episode is worth sending to someone.
Dr. Becky & Kevin get into:
Kevin has a free, anonymous online PPD screening tool designed with UK psychologists. He also funds direct access to therapy for dads through his newsletter.
Read the list Dr. Becky put together of things that the non-birth parent can do when the baby arrives.
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Looking for more support navigating pregnancy, postpartum, and life with a new baby? Good Inside Baby gives you practical tools, scripts, and expert guidance for the moments that can feel most overwhelming in early parenthood.
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