Extend maternity leave

Hi everyone. I’m a hospital nurse in Florida and I gave birth at the end of November. I had my 6-week postpartum appointment and at the time I was feeling okay emotionally.

However, since around February I’ve been experiencing really intense anxiety. I’ve been crying at night, feeling discouraged, and honestly just not like myself. I can’t always pinpoint a specific reason, but the feelings have been overwhelming.

I scheduled another appointment with my OB to talk about what’s been going on and to see if it’s possible to extend my maternity leave. I also elected short-term disability (STD) through my employer.

Has anyone had their OB extend their maternity leave for postpartum anxiety or similar mental health reasons? I’m wondering how common it is and what that process looked like for you.

Thank you in advance for any insight.