Dr. Nicole Martin Announces Exit from ‘RHOM’ Due to Postpartum Anxiety

Dr. Nicole Martin Announces Exit from ‘RHOM’ Due to Postpartum Anxiety

Dr. Nicole Martin is navigating a challenging chapter in her life, and she’s opening up about the impact of her postpartum anxiety and her decision to step back from a full-time role on The Real Housewives of Miami.

In a heartfelt conversation with PEOPLE, Nicole, a board-certified anesthesiologist and mother of two, shared the struggles she’s faced since the birth of her daughter Genevieve five months ago. The anxiety, she says, has been intense and overwhelming. “This is way more than just the normal new mom worries,” Nicole reveals. “It’s an intense, overwhelming sense of worry and fear that comes out of nowhere and just consumes me.”

Nicole, who is also a mother to 5-year-old Grayson with fiancé Anthony Lopez, admits that her postpartum journey has been unexpectedly tough.

“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,” she explains. “But I’d be lying if I said dealing with this [anxiety] has been easy.”

The reality star has been taking proactive steps to manage her condition, including therapy and focusing on her mental wellness. “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,” Nicole says. “So I couldn’t do it without them.”

Despite making progress, Nicole has found that the challenges have made her postpartum experience significantly more difficult than anticipated. “It’s been a much harder postpartum course than I expected,” she admits. “I’m shifting my priorities and putting myself and my family first right now.”

This shift has led Martin to decide against a full-time role in the upcoming season of RHOM. “I just don’t think that I am in the headspace to film a full season of reality TV,” she reveals. “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.”

Nicole was offered a full-time contract for Season 7, but chose to take a step back from the spotlight. “That’s not what’s best for me at this time,” she explains. “I need to put myself and my family first right now.”

Though Martin won’t be a regular cast member this season, she will still make occasional appearances. “It’s not goodbye forever, I’ll pop up here and there, just not in a full-time capacity,” she says. “I just need to shift my focus on other things right now.”

Nicole is hopeful that her decision to step back will be understood by her fans, who she acknowledges have been incredibly supportive.

“They are so incredibly supportive and invested in my story, and a part of me feels very guilty for stepping back and not being able to share that fully with them,” she says. “I realize, even, that my story about postpartum anxiety could help a lot of women, because it’s often something that’s not talked about or brushed off. So I feel bad!”

Despite the difficult choice, Nicole remains confident in her decision. “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 reflects. “So I had no other choice, really. I have to focus on my health.”

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

 

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