It has been a difficult few months The Real Housewives of Miami star Dr. Nicole Martin, but leave it to the doctor to prescribe the best healing medicine.
In a candid chat with PEOPLE, the board-certified anesthesiologist and mother of two reveals that after the birth of her 5-month-old daughter, Genevieve, she experienced severe postpartum anxiety — so much so that she often found herself in a constant state of dread that she struggled to escape.
“This is so much more than a normal new mom’s worries,” says Martin, who shares Genevieve and 5-year-old son Grayson with fiance Anthony Lopez. “It’s an intense, overwhelming feeling of worry and fear that comes out of nowhere and just eats away at me.”
Although she has been improving for the past few weeks, the condition has put Martina on a “much more difficult postpartum journey” than she expected.
“I love being a mom. Of all the hats I wear, and I wear many, being a mom is by far my favorite and most important role,” says Martin. “But I’d be lying if I said I was into this [anxiety] it was easy.”
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It got so bad that the reality star, after careful consideration, eventually decided to “step down” from her full-time role on The Real Housewives of Miamithe upcoming seventh season.
“I just don’t think I’m ready to do a whole season of reality TV,” explains the 40-year-old. “I love a lot of the girls I shoot with, but we have strong characters and there can be a lot of tense drama, not to mention long hours. It’s a lot of juggling and I change my priorities.
“It’s not what’s best for me right now. I have to put myself and my family first right now.”
From left: ‘RHOM’ stars Dr. Nicole Martin, Guerdy Abraira, Lisa Hochstein, Julia Lemigova, Alexia Nepola and Larsa Pippen.
Gizelle Hernandez/Bravo
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PEOPLE can confirm that Martin, who joined RHOM when the series was revived for Season 4, he was offered a full-time contract for Season 7.
The cameras on the show started rolling this week, with Alexia Nepola, Larsa Pippen, Lisa Hochstein, Julia Lemigova, Guerdy Abraira, Marysol Patton, Adriana de Moura and Kiki Barth filming.
Martin missed the action, but he won’t be gone entirely RHOM. She will still make occasional appearances, she says, and has maintained friendships with many of her colleagues.
“It’s not goodbye forever, I’ll pop in here and there, just not in a full-time capacity,” she says. “Right now I just need to shift my focus to other things.”
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dr. Nicole Martin at BravoCon 2022.
Cindy Ord/Bravo/Getty
RHOMdr. Nicole Martin welcomes child no. 2 with fiance Anthony Lopez ‘sooner than expected’: ‘Doing Good’
Postpartum anxiety is not uncommon in women after giving birth, affecting more than 20% of mothers. According to the Cleveland Clinic, symptoms of postpartum anxiety occur in physical, emotional, and behavioral ways.
Common signs include fast heart rate, lack of appetite, nausea, stomach pain, shortness of breath, difficulty focusing, forgetfulness. racing thoughts, irrational fears, irritability, inability to relax, self-isolation and excessive caution in non-threatening situations.
The condition can be caused by a number of factors such as hormonal changes, lack of sleep and the stresses associated with motherhood, such as a difficult birth or breastfeeding problems.
Speaking to PEOPLE, Martin didn’t speculate on what caused the condition, but did share that her pregnancy with Genevieve was very different from her pregnancy with Grayson.
“Genevieve blessed us with her presence on March 23rd, five weeks earlier than expected,” says Martin. “I had to have an emergency caesarean section, and she was in intensive care [neonatal intensive care unit] almost two weeks. So this pregnancy was not like my first pregnancy, where everything went smoothly.”
To help her in her time of need, Martin relied on the people in his life who were closest to her. “I’m very blessed to have an amazing support system. Anthony is great, I have great friends, and my mom is my rock — she helps me a lot with the kids,” says Martin. “So I couldn’t do without them.”
She also took steps to treat her anxiety, maintaining regular therapy sessions, spending time with her children, and focusing on her overall mental health.
Among the other changes Martin made was the decision to stop breastfeeding.
“I breastfed Grayson for almost a year, but I really felt like it was contributing to my stress and anxiety so I stopped a few weeks ago, a little earlier than I expected,” notes Martin. “I wanted to get back to my normal baseline hormone levels.”
“I have already felt the difference so far,” she adds. “It’s helped me be more present with Anthony and the kids. I feel more and more like myself.”
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dr. Nicole Martin and Anthony Lopez in December 2021.
Jason Koerner/Getty
While Martin is ultimately convinced of her choice to take a break RHOMtells PEOPLE he worries about letting down the audience, which he insists has been “wonderful” over the years.
“They’re incredibly supportive and invested in my story, and part of me feels really guilty for pulling back and not being able to fully share it with them,” says Martin. “Last season we bought this house that we remodeled and I know the viewers wanted to see that. I know they wanted to see the new baby… And I realize, even, that my story about postpartum anxiety could help a lot of women, because it’s often something that isn’t talked about or dismissed and makes me feel bad!”
The Miami native pauses. “But look, as hard a decision as it was, I just felt like I wasn’t going to be the best version of myself for them, or for my kids or for my family,” she says of the audience, after an introspective moment. “I really had no other choice. I have to focus on my health.”
“I hope they will understand,” she adds.
Previous seasons The Real Housewives of Miami can be streamed on Peacock.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education