Jamie Chung, the 38-year-old reality show actress, got honest about the struggles of being a first-time mom and how she is battling with postpartum depression.
Jamie Chung and her husband Bryan Greenberg welcomed twin boys last October 24 via surrogacy. The couple kept the news under wraps until Greenberg announced it publicly.
Recently, however, Chung opened up about her postpartum depression and the overwhelming feelings and emotions that come with the challenges of being a first-time parent.
During an FB Live last December, she shared feeling resentful, guilty, and anxious. Nonetheless, she understands that such emotions are normal and temporary because a mother may feel too overwhelmed. Postpartum Depression, according to "The Real World" alum, is very much "real and there."
Fertility Journey
Last November, the actress opened up on People about her journey to motherhood and some details about going to a fertility doctor weeks after welcoming their twins. Chung also shared in a 2019 Instagram post about freezing her eggs after years of thinking about it. In her post, she said that she has the best partner, and she wanted to buy time to make sure that the time to have children is right.
"Premature babies"
In one of her interviews, Chung shared that the twins were premature, and it was scary having them go to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Although her children were born via surrogacy, experts now understand that several risk factors might be associated with postpartum depression.
Women who have had anxiety or depression in the past or history of infertility or miscarriage have high risks of suffering from postpartum depression, according to Dr. Jessica Vernon of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU Langone Health.
Dr. Vernon also spoke of other risk factors, such as a newborn admitted to the NICU.
Preventive Care
Dr. Vernon, a clinical assistant professor, said that Chung is high risk. At present, they have started screening women even during the early prenatal stages to assess for risk factors. She also mentioned in an interview that preventative care is crucial to deal with postpartum depression and anxiety.
Jaime Chung started going to therapy before becoming a mom, and according to her, it has prepared her mentally for the transition into motherhood. Through treatment, she understood that what she was experiencing was normal, and she was more equipped for the lifestyle change.
A Handful
The actress spoke about how having kids rock your world and sometimes lead to an entire spectrum of emotions such as anxiety, depression, and resentment. In a US Magazine interview, she said both she and her husband are hands-on parents, and having two infants is quite a challenge since she was not aware of how difficult it is to have twins. Figuring out the groove in taking care of the kids takes time, but the kids change once they get used to it.
