Hayden Panettiere Opens Up About Postpartum Depression After Daughter Kaya’s Birth

Hayden Panettiere recently admitted that she suffered postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter, Kaya, with husband Wladimir Klitschko.

Hayden Panettiere On Postpartum Depression

Panettiere, discussing her Nashville character Juliette Barnes’ struggle with postpartum depression, revealed that she could relate.

“I can very much relate. It’s something a lot of women experience. When [you are told] about postpartum depression you think it’s ‘I feel negative feelings towards my child; I want to injure or hurt my child.’ I’ve never, ever had those feelings. Some women do,” Panettiere said on Live! with Kelly and Michael. “But you don’t realize how broad of a spectrum you can really experience that on. It’s something that needs to be talked about. Women need to know that they’re not alone, and that it does heal.”

Panettiere went on to discuss the stigma that still surrounds postpartum depression and those who have to battle against it after giving birth.

“There’s a lot of misunderstanding. There’s a lot of people out there that think that it’s not real, that it’s not true, that it’s something that’s made up in their minds, that ‘Oh, it’s hormones,’ ” said the actress. “They brush it off. It’s something that’s completely uncontrollable. It’s really painful and it’s really scary and women need a lot of support.”

Panettiere, who gave birth to Kaya in December 2014, hopes to add three more to her brood with heavyweight champion Klitschko. After noting how amazing women are for being able to make another human being inside of their bodies, Panettiere admitted that Klitschko would be happy to do the honors of bringing one of their children into the world if it were possible.

“I would love it if Wlad figured out a way to get pregnant and he could have the baby. We would be going right now, no problem,” said Panettiere. When asked if he actually would, she assured, “Absolutely. Absolutely.”

“When I was pregnant [with Kaya], he did this thing where he would suck in his stomach and then I would put my stomach to his so that he could feel when she was moving—almost like she was in his stomach,” Panettiere said. “He wanted to feel what it was like to have a baby as close to him as it was to me.”