Before Ileana D'Cruz, These 5 Bollywood Celebs Opened Up On Struggle With Postpartum Depression

Postpartum depression is real. As per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in every 10 women go through this experience.

What is postpartum depression?

It's a medical condition in which a mother feels low and anxious due to changes in hormones for the first few weeks after giving birth. Sometimes, she even feels difficult to bond with their newborn, and realising this fact sometimes causes more depression.

Recently, Bollywood actress Ileana D'Cruz talked about her struggle and praised her partner Michael Dolan for being supportive.

Instagram/ileana_official

In a conversation with the Times Of India, the Barfi actress said, "Postpartum depression is very real, and nothing can prepare you for it. I am glad that I had a good support system at home and a team of doctors who took good care of me. Topics like mom guilt are so real. I remember I was in my room, and I started crying. My partner asked me what was wrong and I told him, 'I know it sounds really stupid, but my son is sleeping in the other room, and I am missing him'. So, there are these intense emotions you go through after having a baby. I still am going through it. I am thankful that Mike (Michael Dolan) is such an amazing partner. I don¡¯t need to explain things to him. He makes me take a break and looks after the baby before I join in again."

Over the years many celebrities have talked about their struggle with PPD.

1. Mandira Bedi

Instagram/mandirabedi

Bedi, who married Raj Kaushal in 1999, gave birth to baby boy Vir in 2011 and struggled with postpartum depression for about six weeks. "As a new mum I faced one issue and I would like to talk about it--Postpartum depression is for real. I had it for 6 weeks. I did not fall in love with my baby the moment I saw him. I didn¡¯t. It took me a while to adjust to this new change and it suddenly dawned upon me that my independence is gone, also because I had a baby after 12 years of marriage. I would think that I didn¡¯t sign up for this. Your hormones make you have these weird conversations with yourself and I was depressed, and it lasted for about 6 weeks. I have no qualms in saying that I went through postnatal depression. You need the support of your family around you who know that such a thing exists," she said in an earlier interview.

2. Sameera Reddy

Instagram/reddysameera

Sameera Reddy said she felt "completed disconnected" with her own baby. "I touched 102 Kgs in May 2015, the month Hans was born and I¡¯m not scared to admit it. I felt completely disconnected. I didn't know who he was. I gave him to my husband and told him, 'I just don't feel good about this, please take him'. It literally took me one week to understand what was going on. It took me to the deepest darkest places in my head. My confidence shattered. And I couldn¡¯t lose the weight for a year after because I was too scared to even step out. I disappeared because I didn¡¯t have the strength to be judged by the world after all the years of being glam and fit onscreen," she said.

3. Shilpa Shetty Kundra

Instagram/theshilpashetty

When Shilpa Shetty had her first baby Viaan, she didn't feel good about herself initially. "The first time around, you are breastfeeding and tired all the time. You feel like a cow. I also went through postpartum depression, though I bounced out of it in about two weeks," she was quoted as saying by Mumbai Mirror.

4. Soha Ali Khan

Instagram/sakpataudi

Soha Ali Khan who gave birth to her daughter Inaaya Naumi Kemmu in 2017 earlier said, "A new mother goes through ups and downs, you get blues, you get depressed, you feel bad as everyone is going out to party and you¡¯ve got to be at home. You can¡¯t do certain things. I tried to remain balanced about it. But I¡¯ve had breakdowns in the early weeks."

5. Esha Deol

Instagram/imeshadeol

Esha Deol went through a weird feeling after she delivered her second child Miraya. She didn't know for the longest time that it was postpartum depression. "When I had Radhya, there was no postpartum depression, nothing. People used to look at me and ask ¡®Tu theek hai na?¡¯ And I used to wonder why are they asking like this, I mean yeah main theek hoon. But after my second delivery, I didn¡¯t know what it was. I didn¡¯t experience so I didn¡¯t know. And right after delivery, I didn¡¯t know what was going on as I was in a room filled with people and suddenly, I felt like crying. I sat quietly and very dull, low. And I have given birth to a beautiful baby girl again and it¡¯s a very happy moment in my life and I didn¡¯t know what¡¯s going on." she was quoted as saying.

For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.