Drew Barrymore Opens Up About Postpartum Depression

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Drew Barrymore opened up about her battle with Postpartum Depression after having her second child, daughter Frankie, 18 months. The 40-year-old actress spoke to People magazine about how struggling with Postpartum Depression put things into perspective. Source: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images
Barrymore is also mom to daughter Olive, 3 with husband Will Kopelman, 38. She explained with baby number two, things just felt different. “I didn’t have postpartum the first time so I didn’t understand it because I was like, ‘I feel great!’ The second time, I was like, ‘Oh, whoa, I see what people talk about now. I understand,’” adding, “I really got under the cloud.”
She explained the balancing act is harder that it appears. Although she has her book Wildflower available in stores on Oct. 27 and her new flick, Miss You Already, set to release next month, she realized she the job of motherhood and parenting is where she wants to focus her time. She told People, “I just got right on the idea of, where do I need to be the most? Fifty-fifty would be ideal but life doesn’t work like that. Life is messy. It was just really challenging and I felt overwhelmed. I made a lot of decisions and I definitely changed my work life to suit my parenthood.” Source: Jason LaVeris/Getty Images
She told the mag, she feels it’s important to show that work is a good thing and not to focus on the negative. “I want them to see that work can be a good, positive, fun, happy thing. I’ve worked since I was 11½ months old so I have to be able to work, too. But I have to put them first. I don’t know if it’s good enough for anyone but I’m doing my best.”
After dealing with PPD, she told the mag, it has forced her to stay present and in the moment and be grateful for what she has.
“It’s perfect and totally imperfect,” she told People.