Danielle Brooks on Postpartum Depression: 'Felt Like My Whole World Had Flipped Upside Down'

Mar. 16, 2025

Photo: Amanda Pratt for PARENTS

Danielle Brooks for Parents Magazine

“I gained a lot of weight during my pregnancy, and I think I did go through postpartum depression,” says Brooks. “I was trying to stay positive when it felt like my whole world had flipped upside down. Creating a human takes a toll on women’s bodies. Sometimes we don’t give ourselves enough love or patience about that.”

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Amanda Pratt for PARENTS

Danielle Brooks for Parents Magazine

Brooks says she is “working on eating well,” noting that she’s doing so “not just to keep losing weight but to stay healthy.”

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As for the potential of having more children, Brooks, who stars in the newLifetime biopicRobin Roberts Presents: Mahalia, says she’s “in and out” on that subject at the moment.

“Right now, I’m getting to the part where I’m okay with shedding that old skin and discovering somebody new,” she says. “Once I feel a bit more whole and not like a machine that is being put back together, then I might consider it.”

If you or someone you know need mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

source: people.com