Gwyneth Paltrow Details "Debilitating" Post-Partum Depression
Credit: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Stella McCartney; Brian Killian/WireImage.com
Gwyneth Paltrow opens up about her crippling battle with post-partum depression following Moses' birth in her newest GOOP newsletter.
"When my son, Moses, came into the world in 2006, I expected to have another period of euphoria following his birth, much the way I had when my daughter was born two years earlier," Patrow, 37, says of her son's April 2006 birth. "Instead I was confronted with one of the darkest and most painfully debilitating chapters of my life."
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Paltrow says she later found out: "For about five months I had what I can see in hindsight as postnatal depression."
New Moon star Bryce Dallas Howard also candidly reveals her struggle after delivering Theo in February 2007.
"In those moments after giving birth, I felt nothing," she says, explaining that she hardly recalls giving birth. She says she called her son (with husband Seth Gabel) "it" instead of by his name, and couldn't bring herself to breastfeed at times because of the pain.
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"I definitely felt I was a rotten mother -- not a bad one, a rotten one," Howard, 29, goes on. "Because the truth was, every time I looked at my son, I wanted to disappear."
Her husband sent Howard to a "therapist who diagnosed me with severe post-partum depression," she says. (She also read Brooke Shields' book on the topic, Down Came the Rain, and called it a "revelation.")
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Howard fought depression for a year-and-a-half.
"Post-partum depression is hard to describe -- the way the body and mind and spirit fracture and crumble in the wake of what most believe should be a celebratory time," she explains. "Do I wish I had never endured post-partum depression? Absolutely. But to deny the experience is to deny who I am. I still mourn the loss of what could have been, but I also feel deep gratitude for those who stood by me, for the lesson that we must never be afraid to ask for help."
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43Bryce and Gwyeneth are far from the first celebs to go through it and once ain't as bad as three times like Judy Garland did in the 40's and 50's plus she'd had two forced abortions earlier in the 1940's so she was dealing with the guilt from those plus postpartom depression when she had her daughter Liza Minnelli March 12th 1946 the when she had her last child son Joey Luft March 29th 1955 the PPD was compounded by losing the best actress oscar to Grace Kelly the day after. and the lingering of it was brought back when she lost the best supporting actress oscar To Rita Moreano for West Side Story. then she died of a drug overdose June 22nd 1969
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Good for the celebs speaking out on this issue. Depression alone can be crippling, but adding in out of ctrl hormone & a newborn can be difficult! Ladies get help if u need it & don't be ashamed.
I had it SOOOOOOOOOOOO bad with both of my children. it sucks so bad!!!! I could not afford to keep going to the DR either for help. It got really tough for awhile. It is the most horrible way to live if you experience it.
I also went through PPD and it scared me half to death I will never have another child again. I still stuggle with lingering depression and its sad because I always wanted two kids. The guilt I think is the worst it never goes away.
PPD is real. My cousin had it and she was like a completely opposite person after childbirth. She endured a lengthy hospital stay and nothing worked until they did Shock Therapy. It was very sad and because of this she will never have another baby. She is normal now so it was definitely the horomones.
It's awesome that they share their stories. I experienced very really PPD and felt exactly like Bryce did. It took almost a year to fully recover, and it will always devastate me that I can't get that time back during my sons infancy.
Bryce Dallas Howard is a hero for coming out with this. I had it with my first child and for a celeb to admit to this is great. I'm happy she's okay and I too know it was a long road to recovery. Thanks Bryce
If only they made medication for this type of thing.
There is help for this, antidepressants will bring a new mom back to feeling like herself. No big deal to take them, there are even safe ones, like Zoloft, to take while breastfeeding. As for those who feel it doesn't exist, well there is no need to even comment on that, PPD is proven to be real in the medical community. You just sound like an idiot if you say it's not real.
I hope this NEVER happens to me!
What the hell would a man know about PDD, they dont get pregnant and give birth. If a man could have children there wouldnt be any because they couldnt handle it. They act like babies when they are sick, couldnt imagine them pregnant no less going into labor.
Bryce Dallas Howard is Director Ron Howards daughter. I think she got her start from M. Night Shyamalan in The Village. But bsck on topic, it's nice to see that even celebs aren't immune to postpartum depression. It's hard enough to deal with it as it is, but to do it in the public eye and pretend that everything is great and hunky dory or get lynched is something else. Thank you ladies, for sharing your stories. It's a reminder that you're just as real as the rest of us.
I think "Tom" is trying to be funny and acting like Tom Cruise who doesn't believe in PPD because of his scientology beliefs. Get a life "Tom"
Who is Howard? I'm so confused. Someone please tell me.
If it's all about attention why is it something that can be overcome? If I was out for attention and if it was all 'not wanting to bond with my child'...why the hell did I get better after meds and counseling? And why the hell do I love my children unconditionally today?? Complete dumb asses talking about a topic they are clueless about.
i had postpartum depression after my 1st child..... i still regret(THOUGH i don't consider it my fault)the time lost, when i could have held my baby...and loved him during his newborn days...
a man certainly should not comment on a subject that he will never be able to experience. if it is just made up then why did i not experience it with my first child? no panic attacks, no crying, no insomnia, no wanting to send my child away. everything happened the way it was supposed to the first time. the second time was life altering. sadly, i never had another child again because i was petrified of having ppd again. men who think like tom or even women who have never experienced it should thank the Lord above that they haven't.
I had severe post-partum depression after the birth of my second child. Despite what Tom Cruise thinks, it is very real and very debilitating. My entire world crashed in on me for about 6 months. I couldn't eat or sleep and I just cried all of the time and could hardly make it through each day. I feel for any woman that goes through this.
What is up with this font..its horrible and hard to read...lose it