Ashley Tisdale Speaks Plainly About Her Experience With Postpartum Anxiety As A New Mom
Ashley Tisdale is most widely known for her roles in Disney Channel productions of the 2000s, such as "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" and the "High School Musical" film franchise. However, she has spoken out about her experiences with a different role entirely — new motherhood. As a guest on the November 1, 2022, episode of the podcast "Not Skinny But Not Fat," Tisdale discussed welcoming her daughter Jupiter Iris, with her husband, Christopher French, in March 2021 (via People).
Although Tisdale has been open on her Instagram about being in labor with her daughter, one of her discussions as a guest on "Not Skinny But Not Fat" included her experience with postpartum anxiety. She also touched on her difficulties with anxiety throughout her life, not only following her pregnancy.
Ashley Tisdale's anxiety lessened during pregnancy
While on "Not Skinny But Not Fat," Ashley Tisdale spoke about her personal experiences with anxiety, including postpartum anxiety. Despite these challenges after giving birth, however, she revealed that she didn't face many anxious thoughts during pregnancy. She shared, "Anxiety was perfect with pregnancy. I was fine after I had her, and then I feel like I had a little bit of postpartum stuff happen. So, it kind of got bad again over the last couple of months, but I went back to my tools ... and it's helped a lot."
Earlier in the same episode, Tisdale described how motherhood had changed her. She shared, "You can never go back to who you once were, which is amazing and different, but trying to get comfortable with that and your body again, and your hormones are regulating. It's a lot." She also addressed the difficulties of learning to parent a newborn while healing physically.
Tisdale previously addressed her mental health with the New York Post. In that interview, she explained that she wasn't initially aware she had anxiety and depression. "It's about being good to yourself and starting with self-love," she said. "It took me a long time to get there and to really appreciate myself — to have compassion for myself, to talk to myself in a loving manner — and I think that [others] can get there too. That's the most important thing in living a non-toxic life."
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.