Claire Holt on Coping with Postpartum Depression

Last year, Australian actress Claire Holt, star of The Vampire Diaries and The Ancients, became a mother for the second time, giving birth to a daughter from her husband, Andrew Joblon. Now the star is actively sharing her maternal experience and tells what helped her fight such a common phenomenon as postpartum depression.

Read also: Chrissy Teigen did not believe in the existence of postpartum depression

Space for communication

Last year was a real test for many, including actress Claire Holt, who was expecting the birth of her second child in self-isolation, deprived of live communication with the outside world. Then the real salvation for her was communication with other mothers in a special online application, which allows her to calmly discuss any questions and problems in a safe Internet space. According to the actress, such an application could greatly facilitate her life during her first pregnancy, if she knew about it earlier.

“After giving birth, I really craved companionship – motherhood can sometimes be so isolated and intimidating. The maternity and maternity group really helped me with my second pregnancy. It’s so important to have a safe space to share your ups and downs in parenting, ” – Claire shared on her Instagram page.

Jump rope, husband and group chat

Another serious problem for the actress was postpartum depression: the star admits that lack of sleep, hormones, having two small children and constant anxiety seriously affect her psychological state and make her feel guilty because she does not live up to her own expectations and demands. In addition, the negative experience of the past gives her additional experiences – once the star has already suffered a miscarriage and is now constantly afraid for her newborn daughter.

“Lately, I have been experiencing constant anxiety and sadness. I’m sure this is a combination of postpartum hormones and a pandemic. I feel very lonely and insecure. And I wonder if I’m doing my job well enough as a wife and mother. I miss family and cuddling with friends. I miss the way it was before COVID. “

Outdoor exercise can help Claire Holt fight depression and self-doubt. According to the observations of the star herself, only 30 minutes of jumping rope and fitness training is enough to improve the mood noticeably. At the same time, the actress turns on loud music and tries to tune herself to the positive.

Communication with other mothers and her husband’s concern also help her cope with postpartum depression: in a recent post, she thanked her husband for his patience and called him “one in a million”.

Postpartum depression is a fairly common condition in women, associated with hormonal changes in the body, as well as with the mother’s fears and doubts about her motherhood and, of course, children. Self-doubt arises when a woman does not understand whether she is doing everything right, maybe she is “missing out” something for a newborn child or devotes little time to an older child. And at this moment it is very important to accept yourself as you are: you are a wonderful mother anyway, if you take care of your children. It is also important to accept yourself as a full-fledged woman and your changed appearance. Whatever it was, but these moments are fixable.

And finally, sports, communication with other mothers, communication with loved ones, affection and tactile contact with those close ones who are nearby are also very important, they increase the emotional background of a woman).

But as a doctor, I cannot do only with such recommendations and I advise you to contact a specialist, perhaps a psychotherapist and be examined, for example, to check the level of thyroid hormones.