Adele has opened up about struggling with post-natal depression after giving birth to her son Angelo in 2012.
In a new interview with Vanity Fair, the singer revealed that she felt ‘very inadequate’ after becoming a mother for the first time, and that her experience has made her feel ‘too scared’ to have another child.
‘I had really bad postpartum depression after I had my son, and it frightened me,’ she told the magazine, adding that while she didn’t take antidepressants, she felt ‘very reluctant’ to talk to others about how she was feeling.
‘My boyfriend said I should talk to other women who were pregnant, and I said, “F**k that, I ain’t hanging around with a bunch of mothers.” Then, without realising it, I was gravitating towards pregnant women and other women with children, because I found they’re a bit more patient.’
Speaking to a friend in a similar situation, however, helped to ‘lift’ these feelings, the singer explained.
‘One day, I said to a friend, “I f**kin’ hate this, and she burst into tears and said, “I hate this, too,”’ she recalled. ‘And it was done. It lifted.’
‘My knowledge of postpartum – or postnatal, as we call it in England – is that you don’t want to be with your child, you’re worried you might hurt your child, you’re worried you weren’t doing a good job,’ she added. ‘But I was obsessed with my child. I felt very inadequate; I felt like I’d made the worst decision of my life. It can come in many different forms.’
Adele went on to reveal that giving herself one afternoon off from parenting each week has helped her to feel better, adding that ‘Four of my friends felt the same way I did, and everyone was too embarrassed to talk about it; they thought everyone would think they were a bad mum, and it’s not the case. It makes you a better mum if you give yourself a better time.’
You can read Adele’s cover story in full at www.vanityfair.com.
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