Hayden Panettiere said it out loud when almost no one dared to.
She became a mother. She loved her daughter deeply. And yet, postpartum depression struck her from within while she smiled for the cameras. Both things were true at the same time, and that is why her testimony mattered so much.
In Australia, 1 in 5 pregnant women or new mothers experience symptoms of perinatal anxiety or depression. Often, it is not visible: the mother gets up, feeds the baby, posts happy photos… and inside, she slowly fades away. Everyone asks about the baby. Almost no one asks, and waits for the real answer, how she is doing.
Her legacy was summed up in a simple request: mother the mother too. Take care of the mother too. Bring her food, hold the baby while she bathes, stay without trying to fix everything. You matter too, even if you smile 🤍