The Hidden Burnout of ADHD & Autism After Motherhood | MasterChef Vanessa D'Souza

Motherhood can expose ADHD and autism in ways many women never expect. In this episode, Dr. Jolene Brighten and Vanessa D’Souza discuss how postpartum hormones, burnout, masking, sensory overload, and relationship dynamics can leave neurodivergent women feeling like they’ve lost themselves—not because they’re failing, but because no one prepared them for what happens after birth. For the complete show notes, research, and resources, visit Dr. Brighten:

Vanessa D’Souza joins Dr. Brighten for an honest conversation about why pregnancy may feel easier than postpartum for women with ADHD and autism, how estrogen and progesterone influence executive function, why postpartum burnout is often mistaken for depression, and what partners, families, and healthcare providers need to understand to better support neurodivergent mothers.

✨ In This Episode

🧠 Why ADHD and autism often become much more noticeable after childbirth

🌸 The dramatic hormone shifts from pregnancy to postpartum

🎭 Why masking suddenly becomes impossible

💥 How postpartum burnout differs from postpartum depression

🍼 Breastfeeding, sensory overload, and nervous system regulation

💛 The invisible emotional labor carried by neurodivergent mothers

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Why relationships often become strained after a baby

🏥 How birth environments can affect autistic women

🧬 The role estrogen, progesterone, dopamine, testosterone, and cortisol play in executive function