Dr. Nicole Martin Opens Up About Postpartum Anxiety as She Reveals She's ‘Stepping Back’ fromRHOM(Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Dr. Nicole Martin at BravoCon 2023.Photo:Rich Polk/Bravo/Getty

Rich Polk/Bravo/Getty

It’s been a tough few months forReal Housewives of MiamistarDr. Nicole Martin, but leave it to a doctor to prescribe the best medicine for healing.

In a candid conversation with PEOPLE, the board-certified anesthesiologist and mother of two reveals that she’s been experiencing severe postpartum anxiety in the wake of the birth of her5-month-old daughter Genevieve— so much so that she’s often found herself in a constant sense of dread that she’s struggled to escape from.

“This is way more than just the normal new mom worries,” says Martin, who shares Genevieve and 5-year-old son Grayson withfiancé, Anthony Lopez. “It’s an intense, overwhelming sense of worry and fear that comes out of nowhere and just consumes me.”

Though she’s been making improvements over the last several weeks, the condition has put Martin on “a much harder postpartum course” than she expected.

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It’s gotten so bad that the reality star, after careful consideration, has ultimately chosen to “step back” from a full-time role onThe Real Housewives of Miami’s upcoming seventh season.

“That’s not what’s best for me at this time. I need 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

Gizelle Hernandez/Bravo

PEOPLE can confirm that Martin, who joined theRHOMseries when it was revived back in season 4, was offered a full-time contract for season 7.

Cameras on the show picked up this week, withAlexia Nepola,Larsa Pippen,Lisa Hochstein,Julia Lemigova,Guerdy Abraira,Marysol Patton,Adriana de MouraandKiki Barthall filming.

Martin missed the action, but won’t be disappearing entirely fromRHOM. She’ll still make occasional appearances, she says, and has maintained friendships with many of her costars.

Dr. Nicole Martin at BravoCon 2022.Cindy Ord/Bravo/Getty

Cindy Ord/Bravo/Getty

Postpartum anxiety is not uncommon in women after they’ve given birth, affecting upwards of 20% of moms. According to theCleveland Clinic, symptoms of postpartum anxiety present themselves in physical, emotional and behavioral ways.

Commonly, signs include an increased heart rate, lack of appetite, nausea, stomach aches, shortness of breath, difficulty focusing, forgetfulness. racing thoughts, irrational fears, irritability, an inability to relax, self-isolation and being overly cautious about situations that aren’t dangerous.

When speaking with PEOPLE, Martin did not speculate about what triggered the condition, but shared that her pregnancy with Genevieve greatly differed from her pregnancy with Grayson.

“Genevieve blessed us with her presence on March 23, five weeks earlier than they expected,” Martin says. “I had to have an emergency cesarean section, and she was in the NICU [neonatal intensive care unit] for almost two weeks. So this pregnancy was not like my first pregnancy, where everything went smooth sailing.”

To help her during her time of need, Martin has leaned on the people in her life closest to her. “I am very blessed to have an incredible support system. Anthony’s great, I’ve got amazing friends and my mom is my rock — she helps me a ton with the kids,” Martin says. “So I couldn’t do it without them.”

She’s also been taking the steps to treat her anxiety, maintaining regular therapy treatments, spending time with her kids and focusing on her overall mental health wellness.

Among the other changes Martin has made has been a decision to stop breastfeeding.

“I breastfed for almost a year with Grayson, but I really felt like that was contributing to a lot of my stress and lot of my anxiety so I stopped a couple of weeks ago, a little earlier than I expected,” Martin notes. “I wanted to get back to my normal hormone baseline.”

“So far, I have already felt the difference,” she adds. “It’s helped me be more present with Anthony and the kids. I feel more and more like myself.”

Dr. Nicole Martin and Anthony Lopez in December 2021.Jason Koerner/Getty

Jason Koerner/Getty

While Martin is ultimately confident in her choice to take a pause fromRHOM, she tells PEOPLE she worries about letting down the audience, who she insists have been “wonderful” over the years.

The Miami native pauses. “But look, as difficult of 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 the introspective moment. “So I had no other choice, really. I have to focus on my health.”

“I hope they’ll understand,” she adds.

Previous seasons ofThe Real Housewives of Miamican be streamed on Peacock.

source: people.com