Sarah Michelle Gellar has opened up about her struggle with postpartum depression for the very first time. In a heartfelt post, shared on Instagram, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer star told her followers she suffered with the illness following the birth of her daughter, Charlotte, in 2009. "Having kids is wonderful, and life changing, and rarely what you're prepared for," she wrote. "I love my children more than anything in the world. But like a lot of women, I too struggled with postpartum depression after my first baby was born."
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The 40-year-old, who also has four-year-old son Rocky with husband Freddie Prinze Jr., wants to encourage fellow mothers with postnatal depression to speak out and seek help. She added: "I got help, and made it through, and every day since has been the best gift I could ever have asked for. To those of you going through this, know that you're not alone and that it really does get better. And if you believe that postpartum depression should be covered by healthcare, please take a moment and go to callmecongress.com today, find your rep's numbers and let them know. #NotAPreExistingCondition."
Sarah Michelle Gellar struggled with postpartum depression after birth of daughter
Sarah Michelle's candid admission comes months after Chrissy Teigen revealed she also struggled with postnatal depression following the birth of her daughter, Luna. Chrissy, who is married to singer John Legend, penned a moving essay in Glamour magazine in which she detailed her anxiety. "What basically everyone around me - but me - knew up until December was this: I have postpartum depression," she wrote.
STORY: Chrissy Teigen reveals struggle with postpartum depression
Hoping to inspire others to seek help, Chrissy admitted that she's starting to feel like her old self again since she shared the news of her postpartum depression - also known as postnatal depression - with family and friends. "The mental pain of knowing I let so many people down at once was worse than the physical pain," she noted. "To have people that you respect, who are the best in the business, witness you at your worst is tough."