Halle Bailey has experienced “severe” postpartum depression since giving birth to her son Halo

Halle Bailey never thought postpartum depression was a serious thing; then she gave birth to her first child.

In a now-expired video posted to Snapchat and Instagram on April 16, the “Little Mermaid” star opened up about how she experienced “severe” postpartum depression after giving birth to her son Halo with rapper DDG last yr.

“I have a very difficult postpartum period (depression) and I don’t know if any new mothers will agree with this, but it’s really bad and it’s hard for me to be away from my baby for longer than 30 minutes before I start to panic,” the actress explained. per People.

Bailey noticed that before she had her baby, each time she heard anything about postpartum depression, “it went in one ear and out the other.”

“I didn’t realize how serious it was,” she said. “Now, going through this, it seems like you are swimming in an ocean that seems like the largest waves you’ve got ever felt, and also you’re trying not to drown. And you are trying to get some air.

Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that may occur after giving birth and affects roughly one in eight moms, according to data. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Depending on hormonal fluctuations in addition to potential external aspects, symptoms and severity of the condition can range from mild depression, apathy and difficulty concentrating to feelings of worthlessness and suicidal thoughts, notes National Library of Medicine. As Bailey mentioned in her video, there is usually a stigma attached to the condition, which might make it difficult to move to get help. especially for black moms.

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In addition to feeling stigmatized after months of online speculation about her pregnancy, Bailey also noticed how the birth of her son affected her body and self-image.

“Hello, it’s a miracle. Is perfect. He is beautiful. When I look at him, I cry because he is so special. The only thing that was difficult for me was feeling normal in my own body,” she said. “I feel like a completely different person. When I look in the mirror, I feel like I’m in a completely new body. Like I don’t know who I am.”

Fortunately, Bailey stated, she has a robust support system from her family and DDG, whom she said is “the greatest daddy in the world.”

However, the brand new mom didn’t hide the reality, admitting she felt “triggered” while viewing the web hate directed at her and her family members within the post.

“I believe today it just touched me – especially (because) social media is just not a great option once you’re postpartum – but today it really touched me, especially after I saw a few of the things that were said about me and my family and that whom I like, and people whom I like,” she said.

Bailey closed her video by noting that being in the general public eye doesn’t make her any more immune to harsh criticism from others.

She said: “You never know what someone else is going through, especially someone who literally just had a baby.”