Jordin Sparks Talks Postpartum Depression: ‘You Feel Like You’re a Failure’
Jordin Sparks is known for her soulful singing, delicious culinary concoctions, and feel-good Instagram posts featuring her adorable one-year-old son Dana Isaiah Jr. But the American Idol alum didn’t always feel as upbeat about parenting as life as she does now. Sparks revealed she suffered from postpartum depression in an interview with Us Weekly, saying she felt “so lonely.”
“Everybody knows about what postpartum depression is — maybe not exactly what it all entails because it’s different for each woman — but there’s this thing called the fourth trimester, which happens after you have your baby,” Sparks said. “It’s dealing with everything that happens with your body. Your body goes and changes; your hormones are absolutely insane. Then, you’re dealing with this baby, and something doesn’t go right, and you feel like you’re a failure.”
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A post shared by Jordin Sparks Thomas (@jordinsparks) on Apr 12, 2019 at 4:53pm PDT
Sparks added that while people often focus on the fun things related to most stages of pregnancy — like pregnancy cravings, picking out hip baby clothes, and stylish maternity clothes (thanks for the inspiration, Meghan Markle) — we often gloss over the fact that up to one in seven women experience postpartum depression.
“We’ve got tons of people to hold the baby, but who holds us? Who holds us together? Who helps us get through all of that stuff?” Sparks asked. “Obviously, people in your family who knows what you’ve been through had kids before, but sometimes it’s hard to reach out because you’re like, ‘How do I feel so lonely when this amazing thing just happened?'”
A post shared by Jordin Sparks Thomas (@jordinsparks) on Mar 30, 2019 at 11:52am PDT
While she sometimes felt lonely, Sparks said she had a great support system to help her through the transition into motherhood, including her husband, Dana Isaiah, which is why she feels it’s vital new parents open up about their emotional well-being.
Recently, more celebrities have talked about their PPD experiences, including Chrissy Teigen, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Vanessa Lachey. Their admissions have sparked meaningful conversations about postnatal care and the changes the physical changes that happen after delivery. It’s important new parents know they’re not alone and that there are resources to help, such as hotlines, support groups, and counselors. Kudos to Sparks for continuing the conversation!
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