Halle Bailey is opening up about her intense and unexpected struggle with postpartum depression.
Bailey spoke to host Jennifer Hudson on The Jennifer Hudson Show about what she went through following the birth of her son, Halo.
“I felt like, wow, I have to speak up about this — not only for, you know, the older women, but the younger generation of women,” Bailey said. “There’s a lot of girls my age, like around 24 [and] 25, having children, and we kind of are like, ‘Oh my goodness.’”
“When we give birth, we’re like, wow, the emotions, the hormones, everything. You realize that you need a strong support system with you. You need help,” Bailey continued. “You need people to love on you and make sure that you’re okay.”
Bailey hopes that her personal experience can help a lot of people feel less isolated.
“I just think it’s amazing to just be open about it. Because it can help so many people and make you not feel alone,” Bailey said. “That’s necessary because then they know what’s ahead and are not surprised by it and know they’re not alone.”
Because she spoke out, she was honored by the City of Los Angeles. Bailey says it’s “so important” to break the stigma and remind new moms that they are not alone.
Bailey also shared what her favorite part of motherhood is.
“I think my favorite thing is I feel like I’m learning so much from my child,” Bailey said. “I think that I’m learning so much, and also he’s bringing out the inner child in me every single day.”
“And I feel like I’m feeding the little girl in me, like painting or doing a fun activity,” she added. “It’s like, oh, I’m having fun. I’m a child again, too.”
Bailey is also working on a solo album that features H.E.R., GloRilla, and more.