Real Housewives of Miami star Dr. Nicole Martin has announced she is taking a step back from the reality television show.
The 39-year-old anesthesiologist opened up about her postpartum struggles via a vulnerable social media post on Friday.
Dr. Martin, who just welcomed five-month-old daughter Genevieve with fiancé Anthony Lopez, revealed that she's been experiencing severe postpartum anxiety.
Sharing a serene photo holding her newborn, she wrote in a lengthy caption: 'Postpartum anxiety is more common than we hear about.'
She described to People, 'It's an intense, overwhelming sense of worry and fear that comes out of nowhere and just consumes me,' and noted, 'I just don’t think that I am in the headspace to film a full season of reality TV.'
Real Housewives of Miami star Dr. Nicole Martin has announced she is taking a step back from the reality television show
The 39-year-old anesthesiologist opened up about her postpartum struggles via a vulnerable social media post on Friday
Martin told the publication, 'I love being a mom. Of all the hats that I wear — and I wear many — being a mom is by far my favorite and most important role.
'But I'd be lying if I said dealing with this [anxiety] has been easy.'
In the caption of her post, she wrote, 'Taking a moment to shine a light on something I’ve been quietly navigating in my personal life…
'On March 26th, we proudly welcomed our daughter, baby Genevieve, arriving 5 weeks ahead of schedule and spending almost 2 weeks in the NICU.'
In addition to Genevieve, Nicole and Anthony also share five-year-old son Greyson.
The note to her 375,000 followers continued, 'After this pregnancy, I started to suffer from significant postpartum anxiety — something new that I did not experience with my previous pregnancy.
The new mother explained, 'It all started about a week after giving birth when I found myself having an overwhelming sense of worry and fear out of nowhere. It felt like my mind was constantly on high alert, panicked and worrying endlessly about the health of my baby, myself, and my family.'
In her chat with People, she stated, 'I love a lot of the girls that I film with, but we’ve got some strong characters and there can be a lot of tense drama, not to mention the long hours. It’s a lot to juggle and I'm shifting my priorities.
'That's not what’s best for me at this time. I need to put myself and my family first right now.'
Dr. Martin, who just welcomed five-month-old daughter Genevieve with fiancé Anthony Lopez, revealed that she's been experiencing severe postpartum anxiety
Sharing a serene photo holding her newborn, she wrote in a lengthy caption: 'Postpartum anxiety is more common than we hear about'
Nicole thanked her fans for supporting her decision
Nicole joined the Real Housewives of Miami cast, which includes Larsa Pippen, in season four.
She was offered a full-time contract for season seven, which is currently in production.
And the doctor still plans to make appearances on the show in the wake of her decision to step down.
'It’s not goodbye forever. I’ll pop-up here and there, just not in a full-time capacity,' she noted. 'I just need to shift my focus on other things right now.'
Elsewhere in her Instagram caption, the reality television star shared: '1 in 5 mothers experience mental health disorders during or after pregnancy, with most issues going unreported and untreated. By sharing our experiences, we can offer each other comfort and strength, and remind one another that we’re not alone.'
Opening up even more, she wrote, 'This is a part of my life that I am learning to navigate, and it’s been an emotional rollercoaster. Given where I am right now, I have decided not to return to RHOM.
'Prioritizing my health and my family is something I need to do at this moment. It’s a step towards healing and finding balance, and I hope you can understand and support this choice.'
Expressing gratitude toward her supporters, she added, 'Thank you for being a part of this journey with me and for creating a space where I feel comfortable sharing these parts of my life. I hope that my openness can help others who might be struggling and encourage us all to support one another through our most challenging times. With Love, Nicole.'
