She had her first child, a son, during her medical residency, at a time when her life was defined by long hours, constant responsibility and physical exhaustion. She was still working full-time, rotating in the ICU, when she became pregnant. During her second trimester, she developed acute cholecystitis and required surgery, an experience that felt overwhelming and terrifying while already pregnant in the middle of training.
When her waters broke, she went to the emergency room alone. Her husband was several hours away and was still traveling to reach her. She labored and gave birth to her son while balancing fear, determination and the reality of becoming a mother in an unfamiliar and intense environment.
After giving birth, breastfeeding became the most difficult part of her postpartum experience. No one had prepared her for how difficult it could be. Despite being a medical professional, she struggled to find support and felt lost navigating a system she thought she understood. The gap between clinical knowledge and lived experience became painfully clear. Returning to work while caring for a newborn at home added another layer of complexity, forcing her to confront how fragmented and unsupported maternal care can be in the United States.
With her second child, a daughter, she believed she was better prepared. She had knowledge, experience and expectations shaped by her first postpartum trip. But her daughter was born with special needs and everything changed again. The constant worry, lack of rest, and complexity of coordinating care took a toll. In time, she developed postpartum depression.
What made it even more difficult was the absence of consistent follow-up or meaningful check-ins. She found herself in the paradox of dealing professionally with postpartum depression while quietly living it herself. Navigating complex medical systems as an immigrant physician while managing her own diagnosis and caring for a child with special needs was isolating and profoundly challenging.
Through these experiences, she realized how complex, fragmented, and broken the maternal health system can be in the United States. This realization became a turning point. She turned her pain into purpose and forged her commitment to support maternal wellbeing, ensuring that no mother feels as unsupported, invisible or alone as she once did.
Dr Manisha Ghimire Bio
Manisha is an internal medicine and obesity physician, maternal health advocate, and the founder of Momkinz . Originally from Nepal and now based in the United States, she combines her clinical experience with her experience as a mother, immigrant, and physician to address gaps in postpartum care and maternal well-being.
Motif Medical
This episode was sponsored by Motif Medical. Motif designs products that qualify for insurance for busy moms. With a focus on innovation and empowerment, Motif’s line of maternity bras and compression garments are sophisticated yet understated and built to support mothers as they navigate new motherhood. Find out why mums report more milk in less time with the Luna breast pump and see how you can cover it through insurance at motifmedical.com/birthhour.
Giving birth during residency can involve long hours of work, physical exhaustion and limited flexibility. In Manisha’s case, she was still doing shifts in the ICU and even went to the hospital alone when she went into labor.
Yes, in some cases such as acute cholecystitis, surgery is necessary during pregnancy. Manisha underwent surgery in the second trimester of her pregnancy, which is generally considered the safest window if surgery is required.
Breastfeeding challenges can include latching problems, low supply, pain and lack of support. Even with medical knowledge, Manisha found the experience overwhelming due to limited hands-on guidance.
Health professionals can still experience postpartum depression despite their knowledge. Manisha described the difficulty of recognizing and treating the condition in others, while quietly struggling herself without adequate support.
ABOUT THE TIME OF BIRTH
The Birth Hour is a birth story podcast hosted by Bryn Huntpalmer. With over 1,000 episodes and 27 million downloads, it’s one of the longest-running pregnancy and birth podcasts in the world. New episodes are posted every week — no medication, epidural, home birth, hospital birth, c-section, VBAC and everything in between.
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