Chrissy Teigen opens up on postpartum depression

Supermodel urges people to talk about the natural phenomenon

If you scroll down through Chrissy Teigen’s social media, back to the days when baby Luna was just a squinty little newborn, you’ll never guess that the Sports Illustrated supermodel had been suffering from a debilitating case of postpartum depression then.

Really…Chrissy was back to her hilarious, wisecracking Twitter self (of course, with her shocking flat abs) just a few weeks after giving birth. And yet, that’s exactly she wrote about in an essay this month, in what is less of a betrayal of the picture of maternal bliss she projected than an indication of the expectations that are placed on new mothers, reported Vogue.

“Before this, I had never, ever — in my whole, entire life — had one person say to me that ‘I have postpartum depression’, ” writes Chrissy, who adds that she struggles with the term itself, “because the word depression scares a lot of people. I often just call it ‘postpartum.’ Maybe I should say it, though. Maybe it will lessen the stigma a bit.”



Now Chrissy is an iconic female celebrity who likes sharing cooking tips and pictures on Instagram. She once rightfully brushed off criticism for going on a baby-free date night with her husband John Legend just weeks after giving birth. This is a woman who happily flaunts her “stretchies” and freely admits to over-sharing on social media after a few glasses of wine.

Such a personality still felt unable to communicate her strife — from not being able to leave the house to skipping food for days at a time — and points to one of the last taboos: that young motherhood, which is expected to be a moment of pure, unadulterated joy, can be marred by the very real hormonal shifts that happen after giving birth.

Postpartum depression is an issue other female celebrities like Brooke Shields have refused to sweep under the rug too. And still, it largely remains a private burden that is suffered in silence. “I’m speaking up now because I want people to know it can happen to anybody and I don’t want people who have it to feel embarrassed or to feel alone,” says Chrissy. “But one thing I do know is that — for me — just merely being open about it helps.”

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