Serena Williams on Postpartum Depression
Serena Williams Realized She Had Postpartum Depression After This 1 Simple Task Ended in Tears
Just because you're undefeated on the tennis court or at work, does not mean you're exempt from feeling defeated at home, and Serena Williams is the first one to admit that. In the July issue of Harper's Bazaar UK, the 36-year-old mother and 23-time Grand Slam champion graces the cover to get real about motherhood and the struggles she faced after giving birth to Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. last year. Although she suffered complications at the end of her pregnancy, Serena's battles continued with postpartum depression.
"Honestly, sometimes I still think I have to deal with it," she shared in the interview. "I think people need to talk about it more because it's almost like the fourth trimester, it's part of the pregnancy. I remember one day, I couldn't find Olympia's bottle and I got so upset I started crying. . . because I wanted to be perfect for her."
Like anyone who has dealt with postpartum anxiety or depression before understands, it can strike during the most unexpected, inexplicable moments — for Serena, it was while looking for her daughter's bottle. But no matter what she's feeling, she's still doing everything she can for her daughter. "I'm going to strive to be the best mom I can be," she said, and that's all we can do as parents.
