Mena Suvari revealed she struggles with postpartum depression “every day” despite welcoming her son more than a year ago.
During a recent episode of Rachel Bilson’s “Broad Ideas” podcast, the 43-year-old actress said she is tired of “sugarcoating” the impact that motherhood has had on her mental health.
“I struggle with postpartum [depression] every day,” she said. “I’m just getting my hormones tested next month, so yeah, it’s all very real. I deal with this every day.”
Suvari — who welcomed son Christopher in April 2021 with husband Michael Hope — went on to say that “it’s okay to have those emotions no matter what your circumstances are.”
Since giving birth, one of the biggest challenges for the “American Pie” actress has been accepting that it’s OK to “get out of the house” and have some alone time.
“I remember sitting on our balcony saying, ‘I have to get out of the house. I have to get out of the house.’ My husband, he said, ‘You can go. You can go for a walk.’ But I didn’t think I could,” she recalled, adding that she was “going crazy” after giving birth.
Suvari continued, “I still struggle with that. That I don’t need to be in [my son’s] face 24/7 to raise a good human being because of my fear. It’s a lot of work.”
Despite “wishing” that she didn’t have these feelings, the actress said a lot of her anxiety and stress came from a change in her birthing plan.
The “Great Peace: A Memoir” author had wanted to have a natural birth but after being in labor for over 48 hours “with an epidural they had to redo again,” she was forced to have a C-section.
“We as mothers are entitled to those emotions and just because I have a beautiful baby who’s perfectly healthy, my husband’s wonderful and we made it out of the hospital, I still feel like I’m allowed to hold some space for being sad over not having that birth,” the “American Beauty” actress continued.
Back in October 2020, the actress — who has been open about her past sexual abuse and drug use — revealed she and Hope were expecting their first child.
“It’s still this process for me of believing it and accepting that something this beautiful could happen for me,” she told People at the time. “It’s been a very emotional experience.”
Suvari secretly wed Hope in 2018 after two years of dating. She was previously married to Simone Sestito from 2010 to 2012 and Robert Brinkmann from 2000 to 2005.