WELCOMING a newborn baby into the world is a beautiful and remarkable experience. For many young women and girls, it is an aspiration they hope to achieve at some point in their lives.
In fact, many consider it to be among the most fulfilling things they can do in life. And society often praises women for reaching this life milestone. However, there is a lack of attention to what comes after the baby is born. New mothers indeed experience an array of changes after giving birth – physically, emotionally and mentally.
Various studies have shown that new mothers, for instance, fall into depression once their baby is born. This phenomenon is something professionals call postpartum depression (PPD) – a clinical diagnosis of depression.
Despite its frequent occurence, many young mothers resist the urge to seek treatment due to the stigma attached to it. Fortunately, a bunch of female celebrities have spoken up to destigmatise the disorder, and encourage those with PDD to seek help. Here are five of them:
1. Adele
English singer Adele is not one to shy away from sharing intimate events from her personal life. Whether in her music or interviews, the songstress has always made it a point to be her authentic self.
So, when she was faced with postpartum depression after the birth of her first son, she was sure to inspire her followers with her experience. “I had really bad postpartum depression after I had my son, and it frightened me,” said the artist in her interview with Vanity Fair in 2016.
She continued: “I didn’t talk to anyone about it. I was very reluctant.” Luckily, with the help of her then-husband, she found the courage to seek out a support system. “I was gravitating towards pregnant women and other women with children because I found they’re a bit more patient.”
2. Cardi B
Even the Queen of Rap was no exception to the rule. Although she was fine for the first few weeks after her pregnancy, postpartum depression eventually came knocking on her door.
“I thought I was going to avoid it,” said Cardi in 2019.
“When I gave birth, the doctor told me about postpartum, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m doing good right now, I don’t think that’s going to happen.’ But out of nowhere, the world was heavy on my shoulders.” Things only became better a few months after her daughter was born.
3. Britney Spears
In 2007, Britney Spears underwent a public meltdowns following a series of personal issues. Unbeknownst to the public, her breakdown was a result of her struggles with bipolar disorder and depression.
The mother of two not only had depression after she gave birth but also during the time she was pregnant with her son.
“It’s hard because when I was pregnant, I had perinatal depression ... I have to say it is absolutely horrible.”
Spears continued in an Instagram post: “Women didn’t talk about it back then ... some people considered it dangerous if a woman complained like that with a baby inside her ... but now women talk about it every day.”
4. Yeo Yann Yann
Malaysian actress Yeo Yann Yann also faced a similar issue after the birth of her first child. During a broadcast segment on Singapore’s Mediacorp, the Johor Bahru native explained that her episode was triggered when she was in Hong Kong.
The actress had moved there to be with her husband, director Ma Yuk Sing. But sadly for her, she had no one to help her with her baby Vera, who was just a newborn. This absence set off her postpartum depression, which got so bad that it made her return to Singapore without her husband.
“I realised that I needed help when I thought of ending my life after an argument with him,” she said, adding that their argument was over a trivial matter. “After I calmed down, I asked myself why I wanted to kill myself.
“I should have been very happy because I had a child and my career was going well.”
Thankfully, the actress is now in a better place. When asked who was her motivation for her recovery, Yeo revealed that it was her daughter Vera who pushed her.
“She didn’t dare express her thoughts, and I told myself that I had to heal myself if I wanted her to live a good life.”
5. Yasmin Hani Richardson
The next local celebrity to have been vocal about her experience with postpartum depression is actress Yasmin Hani Richardson. During her attendance at the launch of Cerita-cerita Didi & Friends in 2017, the actress spoke of her experience dealing with the disorder.
“I experienced postpartum depression after giving birth to my second child, Eissa Elzander Wong. I went through an emergency Caesarean section and noticed that my body changed right after. My emotions went haywire.”
She further revealed that her father had also passed away then. “I would break down in tears when my husband went out for a meeting. I didn’t know why I was in such a state, but I had no control over it.
“I would ask myself, why am I like this? Because when it hits, I had no control,” Yasmin said.
