“Post Partum Depression affects 22% women in India. Seeing women in such situations really inspired me to work along the lines of free flowing and open conversations on womens health and mental wellness.” Today’s woman dreamer, Dr. Archi Mamgain is a passionate advocate for women's health, sustainability, and open conversations. In this Women Who Win interview, Archi gets candid on what women should know about the important topic of Post Partum Depression, and her mission to create more conversation and content on women’s health issues. We are excited to share her story!

1. Tell us your story. You are a final year resident ObGyn (Ay.), with interests in the field of women's health and in educating young adults about their health. Tell us what inspired your interest in the women's health space, and about your journey thus far? 

I have always found women to be afraid of speaking up about their problems, for fear of judgement. And its not entirely their fault. We as a society have shamed them, gaslighted and put down their opinion for long enough, to make them uncomfortable about even sharing their medical history with doctors. This perspective on female health is gradually changing but it still needs a lot of work and uplifting. Seeing women in such situations really inspired me to work along the lines of free flowing and open conversations on womens health and mental wellness.

The journey this far has been challenging and fun at the same time. Being able to associate with people and brands, that are wholeheartedly working towards this cause has been really encouraging.

2. You write frequent posts about key women's health issues, and are particularly passionate about medical content creation. How did you get interested in that? And what was the gap you saw in existing media content on women's health that you hope to address? 

To answer simply, I love my niche and I love my job. For me becoming an ObGyn was not just about medicine and surgeries, and I was clear about that from the start. There is a lot of fun and experimentation to do in this field and one of the creative outlets for me was medical content creation.

If you see existing media content on womens health, it mainly focuses on sexual/reproductive health, which is important but mostly targets adults. However, with more and more lifestyle disorders creeping in, it is now important to target a younger audience and their guardians as well.I have also felt a gap in addressal of mental health isssues in women,many of which can be of gynaecologcal origin. I aim to fill in these gaps and provide people with wholesome content.

3. One of the topics you wrote about recently was post-partum depression, a depression which affects 22% women in India. What were some of your key insights or findings when you were exploring this topic? What causes PPD and what are some of the symptoms women should know about?

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mix of physical, emotional, and behavioral changes that happen in some women after giving birth.It is a form of major depression that begins within 4 weeks post-delivery.

Postpartum depression is caused due to chemical, social, and psychological changes that happen when having a baby. The chemical changes involve a rapid drop in hormones after delivery- The levels of estrogen and progesterone, the female reproductive hormones, increase tenfold during pregnancy. Then, they drop sharply after delivery. By 3 days after giving birth, the levels of these hormones drop back to pre-pregnancy levels. Though it is one if the causes, the actual link between this drop and PPD is still not clear.

Symptoms of PPD like trouble sleeping,  appetite changes , severe fatigue, lower libido and frequent mood changes, can also accompany with certain obsessions, usually related to concerns about the baby's health or irrational fears of harming the baby. Panic disorder may also happen. 

Untreated postpartum depression can be dangerous for new moms and their children.However, there is generalisation of bad mental health after delivery and shaming of mothers for not feeling connected to their newborn. This leads to new mothers not addressing the issue or seeking help from family or doctors. A history of pre-menstrual depression or mood-changes associated with pregnancy or a family history of post-partum depression puts them at a greater risk. Councelling to-be-mother's/ father's in pre-natal period is the best way to let them know when to start seeking help. Postpartum depression is treated differently, depending on the type of symptoms and how severe they are. Key treatment options include medications, therapy and councelling.

4. What are some other women's health topics you hope to explore in your work?

I want to empower teenagers and young adults to understand their body. Bring body confidence ,awareness and make them aware of the physical and emotional changes that it brings along. I want to encourage them to follow a sustainable lifestyle, which is easy to follow in the long term, to prevent lifestyle disorders.

Menopause is also a topic which is not often talked about and I would explore that in the future as well.

5. You are certainly a busy woman. How do you like to relax and unwind? What are some of your hobbies? 

Since I am still a student, I do tend to get caught up a lot between my thesis research, academics, hospital postings and creating content online. Travelling and exploring new places helps me unwind and trying traditional delicacies is also something that I enjoy. My hobbies are doing outdoor activities. I like staying active and going on long morning runs, treks and smaller hikes during my weekends.

Thank you Archi for sharing your story with us! We are excited to have you in our global women’s network!

Bio: Dr. Archi Mamgain, Your non-judgmental ObGyn: a passionate advocate for women's health, sustainability, and open conversations. Driven by a desire to break taboos and empower women and girls, she normalizes discussions about women's health, while fostering a safe space free of judgment. With a focus on arming women with knowledge about their bodies, she combines her knowledge in obstetrics and gynecology with an understanding of sustainability, recognizing it as a link for healthy body . In addition, Dr. Archi's has a passion for fitness as she draws from her experience as a state-level athlete, incorporating her interest in sports into her approach to health