Your sister's postpartum mental health could affect yours—here's what new research reveals
When I had my second baby, I invited my sister, who at the time was living nearby—to attend the birth. My first labor and delivery had been such a shock, that I felt it was important to share the birth experience with her, so she'd be less in the dark if she one day had kids. She remains grateful for that precious experience we shared.
Turns out, sisters share a lot.
If you're pregnant or thinking about having a baby, you've probably heard of postpartum depression (PPD). But there's another, rarer postpartum mental health condition that deserves more attention: postpartum psychosis. And according to a new study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, your sibling's experience with it could be more relevant to your own mental health than you might expect.
Researchers at Mount Sinai examined over 1.6 million women using Swedish national health records and uncovered a startling statistic: If your sister had postpartum psychosis, your own risk increases tenfold. That number rises to 14 times higher if she also has a diagnosis of bipolar disorder. You can read the study here: American Journal of Psychiatry and coverage from Neuroscience News.
Let's pause here. That relative risk sounds terrifying—but what does it really mean?
While a tenfold increase sounds massive, it's important to understand that the absolute risk of postpartum psychosis remains low: about 1.6%. That nuance matters. This is not about panic. it's about being prepared.
'Every woman of childbearing age and their physicians need to know about the existence of, severity, symptoms, and familial risk for postpartum psychosis so it can be promptly diagnosed and, hopefully, prevented,' said Dr. Veerle Bergink, Director of the Women's Mental Health Center at Mount Sinai and co-senior author of the study.
Here's why this research matters for moms—and for sisters.
Related: I recovered from postpartum psychosis: Here are 5 things I learned
This isn't the baby blues, and it's not the same as PPD. Postpartum psychosis is a severe psychiatric emergency. It often appears within days to weeks after childbirth and can include:
Hallucinations
Delusions
Paranoia
Insomnia
Rapid mood swings
Disorganized thinking
Suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming the baby
These symptoms can be terrifying—and potentially life-threatening—if left untreated.
If your sister experienced postpartum psychosis, talk to your provider as early as possible in your pregnancy, or even before you conceive. You might benefit from closer monitoring, earlier mental health screenings, and a tailored postpartum support plan.
Preventive steps could include:
Building a mental health care team before delivery
Arranging postpartum support (think night doulas, therapist check-ins, or medication plans if appropriate)
Involving partners, family, or close friends in awareness of early symptoms
Avoiding sleep deprivation, a common trigger, through shared caregiving
Knowledge is power—but only if we act on it.
Too often, maternal mental health risks fly under the radar, especially rare ones like postpartum psychosis. And when risks aren't well known, moms suffer in silence. This study offers an opportunity to change that by building systems of support and awareness before a crisis hits.
As Dr. Bergink put it:
'Too many women at higher risk don't know it—and are left on their own with a new baby and no support.'
And that's a systemic failure—not a personal one. It's the result of a healthcare culture that still doesn't treat maternal mental health as central to maternal health. We deserve better.
So if you're pregnant or postpartum, or supporting someone who is, and you know there's a family history, bring it up. Advocate for a plan. Make space for mental health in your birth and parenting journey.
Because when moms are supported, everyone wins.
Related: 75% of women go untreated for postpartum mental health conditions
If you or someone you love is experiencing distress during or after pregnancy, you are not alone. Maternal mental health challenges are real, but treatable—and compassionate help is available.
Postpartum Support International (PSI) provides free, confidential support. Call or text the HelpLine at 1-800-944-4773 (4PPD). You can also text in English (send 'HELP' to 800-944-4773) or Spanish (send 'AYUDA' to 971-203-7773). Find local providers, peer support groups, and more at postpartum.net.
National Maternal Mental Health Hotline (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services) is available 24/7. Call or text 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746) to speak with counselors trained in maternal mental health. This service is free, confidential, and available in English and Spanish. Learn more at mchb.hrsa.gov.
Moms Mental Health Initiative, a mom-founded nonprofit, offers peer-driven support, resource navigation, and advocacy for those struggling with perinatal mental health conditions. Visit momsmentalhealthmke.org to find tools, stories, and support tailored for mothers.
In an emergency or immediate crisis—such as suicidal thoughts or feeling unsafe—call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or visit 988lifeline.org. You'll be connected with trained counselors who are there to listen and help you stay safe.
Let's keep breaking the silence around maternal mental health—because when we speak up, we help others find their way to healing too.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
WIRED
7 hours ago
- WIRED
Why More Young People Are Becoming 'Relationship Anarchists'
Jun 5, 2025 3:51 AM A growing segment of millennials and Gen Z are forming 'anti-hierarchal' relationships with multiple partners and friends, according to a new study by the dating app Feeld. Photo-Illustration:'People are sick of the rules of society,' Lavvynder says over the phone from their home in Salt Lake City on a recent Monday afternoon. 'Monogamy has become the default. Straight cis gender patriarchy is the default. A lot of us want to do things our own way—not have a government or religion tell us what to do.' I had asked Lavvynder, 30, who is trans nonbinary and practices polyamory, why they think 'relationship anarchy'—an egalitarian philosophy and approach to dating—is getting more popular among young people. According to a new study conducted by the dating app Feeld and sex educator Ruby Rare, author of The Non-Monogamy Playbook , relationship anarchy is on the rise among millennials and Gen Z as a remedy to the loneliness epidemic. Relationship anarchy (RA) is a relationship philosophy built around clear values: it is anti-hierarchal, anti-capitalist, prioritizes mutual care, and is all about cultivating relationships based on consent. The term, according to Feeld, was coined in 2006 by Swedish writer and activist Andie Nordgren, who said in her manifesto, relationship anarchy 'questions the idea that love is a limited resource that can only be real if restricted to a couple.' Though the lifestyle has quietly emerged as a prevailing relationship framework among communes in San Francisco and across Europe in the last decade, it is again finding a wider audience in our current era of romantic upheaval, where young people are staying single for longer, and polyamory has become far more common. According to the Feeld study, one in five people practice it unknowingly, and 36 percent of 25 to 36 year olds have adopted the lifestyle, compared to 15 percent of Boomers. Lavvynder was in a vulnerable but curious space, separated from their partner of two years, when they stumbled on a friend's Instagram story about relationship anarchy in 2023. The software project manager had no previous experience with it but felt drawn to its possibilities. 'I also familiarized myself with the Relationship Anarchy Smorgasbord,' a worksheet that helps people set terms for how to define an anarchist relationship unique to their circumstance,' Lavvynder says. 'It's about asking, 'What are the things that we want to be involved in this relationship and what are we gonna agree is part of this relationship? Are we interested in being creative partners? Are we interested in being sexual partners?'' Since then they have fully embraced the lifestyle. We can all agree: dating sucks and has only gotten harder. Forty-seven percent of US adults say dating is more difficult today than it was a decade ago. That has led to a growing interest in alternative lifestyles. According to the Journal of Sex and Martial Therapy , one in five people surveyed in the US and Canada have had experience with non-monogamy. Nontraditional relationships are especially popular among millennials and Gen Z; over 70 percent say they are open to less conventional approaches to partnership, including polyamory and open relationships, according to a study by R29 Intelligence. For relationship anarchists, there is no pecking order among their connections—partners, friends, neighbors, colleagues—are all regarded the same. They treat all their relationships equally, be they romantic or platonic, and believe each relationship possesses 'similar or identical potential for emotional, physical, or mental intimacy, love, and satisfaction,' Rare noted in the study. No one person is given preference over the other. It may seem like relationship anarchy mirrors polyamory but there are fundamental distinctions. Some poly people apply hierarchies to their relationships—'veto power,' as Lavvynder calls it. Relationship anarchists, who can be poly, do not put romantic partners above anyone. 'We're not making rules about other people's relationships. We're just focusing on the connection that we have with that other person.' One misconception about relationship anarchists is that they have perfected relationship dynamics, but that couldn't be further from the truth, Lavvynder adds. 'A lot of people will tell me, 'oh, I wish I could be polyamorous or a relationship anarchist, but I just get too jealous.' And it's like, well, I get jealous too. I'm not void of that emotion. I also experience jealousy. If my partner is talking to somebody new, I feel threatened by that. But the way to deal with that is not to make some rule about how your partner is engaging with other people. It's to figure out what you need to do for yourself,' they say. 'It's really fucking hard, actually.' It's all about shared values, not sexual exclusivity, says Sam, a 33-year-old music licensing administrator in Los Angeles who identifies as gender fluid. Relationship anarchy pushed her to rethink how she defined connection. 'Everyone is taught the rules at a young age: one person in your life is meant to be your everything,' she says, likening it to 'a Disney fairytale romance.' And 'any deviation from that is an offense beyond repair.' People, she says, would feel more fulfilled in their relationships 'if they were able to prioritize others based on what they actually wanted versus what they believe is expected of them.' Sam came to the realization following a breakup. She was 'freshly out as a queer person,' new to nonmonogamy, and in a relationship that encouraged the exploration of her sexual identity. She and her ex were 'swingers ' but Sam says she was 'deeply uncomfortable and unfulfilled' by all the 'casual and often unsatisfying' sexual experiences. When the relationship ended, she dove into the polyamory scene in Los Angeles, where she later learned about relationship anarchy. José Esteban Muñoz, in Cruising Utopia: The Then and There of Queer Futurity , has suggested that 'queerness is a structuring and educated mode of desiring that allows us to see and feel beyond the quagmire of the present.' It comes as no surprise, then, that young people who identify as LGBTQIA+ and also practice ethical nonmonogamy are finding that relationship anarchy is for them. 'We've pushed so many societal norms already and we're in this place where it's like, well, how else can we push this even more?' Lavvynder says. 'It's a function of more and more people coming out as queer and being in queer relationships. They are realizing that there are alternatives to the norm of what love can be,' Jack says. Jack is a 30-year-old physician who identifies as nonbinary. They discovered relationship anarchy during the pandemic. Freed from 'a cycle of serial monogamy,' they say they were introduced to the lifestyle by their current partner, who they live with in Brooklyn, New York. 'We all had so much time to sit and think, and really self-examine. I had time to expose myself to these new ideas. For a lot of people you just don't know what else you can do—until you do. That was certainly the case for me.' Jack and his partner have been together five years. Jack also has three other romantic partners currently—one in San Francisco, another in Asheville, North Carolina and a person they just started seeing in Rhode Island because 'apparently I hate dating people that actually live in the same city as myself.' Above all, Jack says, respect is prioritized in each relationship. Lavvynder, Sam, and Jack requested their last names not be used due to privacy concerns. Still, navigating relationships doesn't come easy. 'It requires a deep level of self reflection, honesty, and communication that we are not taught and is not modeled to us in any traditional societal structures,' Sam says. 'Your boundaries will differ from relationship to relationship.' 'It is difficult and something you have to be conscious of, at least I do,' Jack adds 'I'm not that good at it yet.'
Tom's Guide
13 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
I tried this '5-2-4 fartlek' walking workout for a week — and it's a game-changer
Walking workouts are all the rage at the moment — from silent walking for your mental health, to the military-inspired rucking technique to build muscle. But one form of walking workout making headlines is the Japanese Interval Walking Training (IWT), which promises to burn more fat and lower your blood pressure by alternating your pace. Unlike walking 10,000 steps, this science-based method raises your heart rate and boosts your cardiovascular fitness in less time. This isn't an entirely new phenomenon, however. "Fartlek" walking has been around for a while, and translates to 'speed play' from the native Swedish. It's all about varying the pace and difficulty throughout your walk, mixing intervals of faster-paced walks with slower rambles, allowing you to catch your breath. A study found that alternating periods of brisk and slow walking speeds can improve cardiovascular fitness, boost your overall fitness, and help control blood sugar spikes. Keen to give a new workout a try, I built my own fartlek walking session, and repeated it every morning for seven days. Read on to find out more. Ready to get walking? Here's the workout: Even with the warm-up, this workout took me around 30 minutes every morning. I programmed the workout onto my Apple Watch 10 to avoid having to look at my wrist every few minutes — my watch would buzz when it was time to switch pace. While this workout is suitable for all levels, as you're walking speed will be based on your exertion levels, if you're new to fitness, or you're returning to exercise following an injury or pregnancy, it's always a good idea to speak to your doctor before taking on a new routine. Here's my verdict after a week of walking: Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. For those who haven't tried it, the Japanese Interval Walking Training method involves three minutes at a low intensity, then three minutes walking at a high intensity for 30 minutes. This was a slight step up, as the high-intensity part of the workout was longer, and the recovery blocks were shorter. I found that I didn't have long to catch my breath before I was picking up the pace again. I personally loved the extra challenge of walking at a brisk pace for five minutes. I thought about my walking technique — engaging my core so my abs were working, keeping my chest open and shoulders down, and swinging my arms as I moved. If you're new to fartlek walking, or you're getting back into fitness, it might be a good idea to try the three-minute intervals first and build up to five minutes. Like all working parents will appreciate, I have a lot to juggle, and despite writing about fitness for a living, sometimes it's my workouts that suffer. Despite only being 30 minutes long, I felt like I'd worked hard with this interval walk. I'd raised my heart rate higher than I would typically do on a dog walk, and I've found interval walking is a great option for those who want to reap the benefits of walking, without the time to take a longer stroll. Walking can help improve your overall fitness, build muscle, strengthen your bones and joints, and help boost your mood and lower stress. You'll also burn more calories doing a fartlek walk than you typically would walking at the same pace for the same time. If you are walking for weight loss, remember the key is to be in a calorie deficit, burning more calories than you consume. One of the easiest ways to keep an eye on your pace, heart rate, and calorie burn is to strap one of the best fitness trackers to your wrist. I was instantly hooked after a week of the Japanese walking method, and I equally enjoyed this fartlek workout. As a runner, I use my walks as a form of active recovery, but this was a great way to work on my cardiovascular endurance, without the impact of running. It also helped me de-stress and boost my mood, plus, it gave me the excuse to take a break from my laptop and spend 30 minutes outdoors in nature — something we should all do more of. If fitting long workouts into your routine feels overwhelming, this can be done with no equipment, on your lunch break, in your local park or even on the treadmill at the gym. Plus, the joy of fartlek is the freedom to play with your pace — if structured intervals feel too much, just walk faster for two blocks, then slower for a block, or use street lights as your markers. However fast or slow you walk, you're getting fitter and healthier with every step.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Alvotech Completes Acquisition of Xbrane R&D Organization and biosimilar candidate to Cimzia®
Alvotech (NASDAQ: ALVO, ALVO-SDB), a global biotech company specializing in the development and manufacture of biosimilar medicines for patients worldwide, has completed its transaction with Xbrane Biopharma AB ('Xbrane'), with the acqusition of the R&D organization of Xbrane in Sweden and biosimilar candidate to Cimzia® (certolizumab pegol). All regulatory conditions have been fulfilled. The transaction, which was announced on March 20, 2025, and approved by Xbrane's Extraordinary General Meeting on April 14, 2025, entails a total purchase price of approximately SEK 275 million (US$28,9 million), consisting of: • A cash payment of approximately SEK 102.2 million• Assumption of convertible debt of approximately SEK 152.75 million• Assumption of accounts payable related to the biosimilar candidate of approximately SEK 20 million The acquisition will further expand Alvotech's development capacity and establish a strong presence in the Swedish life science sector. Use of trademarksCimzia® is a registered trademark of UCB Pharma S.A. About AlvotechAlvotech is a biotech company, founded by Robert Wessman, focused solely on the development and manufacture of biosimilar medicines for patients worldwide. Alvotech seeks to be a global leader in the biosimilar space by delivering high quality, cost-effective products, and services, enabled by a fully integrated approach and broad in-house capabilities. Two biosimilars, to Humira® (adalimumab) and Stelara® (ustekinumab) are already approved and marketed in multiple global markets. The current development pipeline includes nine disclosed biosimilar candidates aimed at treating autoimmune disorders, eye disorders, osteoporosis, respiratory disease, and cancer. Alvotech has formed a network of strategic commercial partnerships to provide global reach and leverage local expertise in markets that include the United States, Europe, Japan, China, and other Asian countries and large parts of South America, Africa and the Middle East. Alvotech's commercial partners include Teva Pharmaceuticals, a US affiliate of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (US), STADA Arzneimittel AG (EU), Fuji Pharma Co., Ltd (Japan), Advanz Pharma (EEA, UK, Switzerland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand), Dr. Reddy's (EEA, UK and US), Biogaran (FR), Cipla/Cipla Gulf/Cipla Med Pro (Australia, New Zealand, South Africa/Africa), JAMP Pharma Corporation (Canada), Yangtze River Pharmaceutical (Group) Co., Ltd. (China), DKSH (Taiwan, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan), YAS Holding LLC (Middle East and North Africa), Abdi Ibrahim (Turkey), Kamada Ltd. (Israel), Mega Labs, Stein, Libbs, Tuteur and Saval (Latin America) and Lotus Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. (Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, and South Korea). Each commercial partnership covers a unique set of product(s) and territories. Except as specifically set forth therein, Alvotech disclaims responsibility for the content of periodic filings, disclosures and other reports made available by its partners. For more information, please visit None of the information on the Alvotech website shall be deemed part of this press release. For more information, please visit our investor portal, and our website or follow us on social media on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. Alvotech Forward Looking StatementsCertain statements in this communication may be considered 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or the future financial operating performance of Alvotech and may include, for example, Alvotech's expectations regarding competitive advantages, business prospects and opportunities including pipeline product development, future plans and intentions, results, level of activities, performance, goals or achievements or other future events, regulatory submissions, review and interactions, the potential approval and commercial launch of its product candidates, the timing of regulatory approval, and market launches. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as 'may', 'should', 'expect', 'intend', 'will', 'estimate', 'anticipate', 'believe', 'predict', 'potential', 'aim' or 'continue', or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Alvotech and its management, are inherently uncertain and are inherently subject to risks, variability, and contingencies, many of which are beyond Alvotech's control. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: (1) the ability to complete development of biosimilar candidates, including the biosimilar candidate to Cimzia; (2) the ability to maintain stock exchange listing standards; (3) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (4) the possibility that Alvotech may be adversely affected by other economic, business, and/or competitive factors; (5) Alvotech's estimates of expenses and profitability; (6) Alvotech's ability to develop, manufacture and commercialize the products and product candidates in its pipeline; (7) actions of regulatory authorities, which may affect the initiation, timing and progress of clinical studies or future regulatory approvals or marketing authorizations; (8) the ability of Alvotech or its partners to respond to inspection findings and resolve deficiencies to the satisfaction of the regulators; (9) the ability of Alvotech or its partners to enroll and retain patients in clinical studies; (10) the ability of Alvotech or its partners to gain approval from regulators for planned clinical studies, study plans or sites; (11) the ability of Alvotech's partners to conduct, supervise and monitor existing and potential future clinical studies, which may impact development timelines and plans; (12) Alvotech's ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approval or authorizations of its products, including the timing or likelihood of expansion into additional markets or geographies; (13) the success of Alvotech's current and future collaborations, joint ventures, partnerships or licensing arrangements; (14) Alvotech's ability, and that of its commercial partners, to execute their commercialization strategy for approved products; (15) Alvotech's ability to manufacture sufficient commercial supply of its approved products; (16) the outcome of ongoing and future litigation regarding Alvotech's products and product candidates; (17) the impact of worsening macroeconomic conditions, including rising inflation and interest rates and general market conditions, conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East and other global geopolitical tension, on the Company's business, financial position, strategy and anticipated milestones; and (18) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled 'Risk Factors' and 'Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements' in documents that Alvotech may from time to time file or furnish with the SEC. There may be additional risks that Alvotech does not presently know or that Alvotech currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Nothing in this communication should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Alvotech does not undertake any duty to update these forward-looking statements or to inform the recipient of any matters of which any of them becomes aware of which may affect any matter referred to in this communication. Alvotech disclaims any and all liability for any loss or damage (whether foreseeable or not) suffered or incurred by any person or entity as a result of anything contained or omitted from this communication and such liability is expressly disclaimed. The recipient agrees that it shall not seek to sue or otherwise hold Alvotech or any of its directors, officers, employees, affiliates, agents, advisors, or representatives liable in any respect for the provision of this communication, the information contained in this communication, or the omission of any information from this communication. ALVOTECH INVESTOR RELATIONS AND GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONSBenedikt Stefansson,
