Cardi B Says Postpartum Depression Came 'Out of Nowhere'
Cardi B is at the top of her game. The rapper is currently nominated for five Grammy Awards, she’s consistently broken records (even toppling Beyoncé for one), and she’s doing it all while parenting her daughter, Kulture. But not everything is rosy all of the time; Cardi B struggles with postpartum depression something fierce, she revealed recently.
“I thought I was going to avoid it,” Cardi said in her cover story interview for Harper’s Bazaar. “When I gave birth, the doctor told me about postpartum, and I was like, ‘Well, I’m doing good right now, I don’t think that’s going to happen.’ But out of nowhere, the world was heavy on my shoulders.”
Postpartum depression affects about 1 in 9 women nationally in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those rates, however, can be higher depending on age, race and state. The signs can include prolonged feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt and hopelessness. Additionally, some women may experience suicidal thoughts.
In the past, Cardi explained on Instagram that she’d been feeling “emotional” and like her body was no longer the same.
“I feel like I don’t have my balance right yet,” she added to Harper’s. “When it comes to heels, I’m not as good at walking anymore. I feel like I’m holding a weight on me. I don’t know why because I’m skinnier than I’ve ever been. But there’s an energy I haven’t gotten back yet that I had before I was pregnant. It’s just the weirdest thing.”
While these feelings may be uncomfortable, they’re not always permanent. The CDC recommends talking with a doctor once the symptoms arise to find an individualized treatment plan (these can include talk therapy and medication). For Cardi, limiting her time on social media has been helping.
“Sometimes I’ll see something online, and it’ll piss me off, and then my baby will start crying or something, and it’s like, ‘You know what? I’ve got to deal with the milk. Forget this,’” she said. “I’ve noticed that every time you respond, you just make things worse, so I’m over it. I’m just over it. I really don’t need it, and sometimes it brings chaos to my brain. I can stay off social media. I’ve been trying.”
While we’d miss Cardi’s candor on Instagram and Twitter, it’s so much more important that she takes the time she needs to feel grounded and connected to her daughter. And if her honesty about PPD helps her and resonates with some of her fans, more power to her.
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