American Actress Drew Barrymore Opens Up On Postnatal Depression After Birth Of Her Second Child

Drew Barrymore has opened up about what it felt like to suffer from postnatal depression after the birth of her second child.

The 40-year-old actress, who is mum to Olive, three, and Frankie, 18 months, said she wasn't prepared for how overwhelming it would be after giving birth to Frankie.

"I didn’t have postpartum the first time so I didn’t understand it because I was like, 'I feel great!'," she told PEOPLE magazine.

"The second time, I was like 'Oh, whoa, I see what people talk about now. I understand'. It’s a different type of overwhelming with the second. I really got under the cloud."

Barrymore, who is married to Will Kopelman, admitted her postpartum was short-lived - "probably only sixth months" - but said it acts as a reminder for her to stay in the present moment.

She added: "[That's] really important. I was in the kids' class the other morning and I started fretting about some piece of work news that was just stressful and I just thought, 'Save it until after class - one thing at a time'."

Barrymore isn't the first celebrity mum to open up about her postnatal depression (PND) experience recently.

Hayden Panettiere, who has previously opened up about her struggle, checked herself into a postnatal depression treatment facility in October 2015.

The actress gave birth to her first child Kaya with fiancé Wladamir Klitschko in December 2014. She said she found PND "really painful and really scary" and argued that more women need support.

Joanne Morton, managing director of PND Support said any mother who believes they may be suffering from PND, which can occur anytime in the first year after giving birth, should talk to someone immediately.

In response to the news about Panettiere, she told HuffPost UK Parents: "I think a stigma exists around PND as there is a huge misconception about what PND actually is.

"People wrongly believe that PND is when a mother is unable or doesn’t want to care for her child, which is not true.

"The earlier it is treated the quicker a mother will recover."

Morton said the signs to look for to know if you are suffering following the birth of a baby include: "Tearfulness, crying, changes in appetite (eating more or no appetite), feeling down, depressed, or hopeless.

"Those who experience heightened anxiety, panic attacks and increased worries over their health and the health of their child are showing further signs."

Changes in sleep patterns, nightmares, feeling restless and mood swings may also be signs of PND.

Maria Viner, director of Mothers for Mothers, a postnatal depression support group said the stigma attached to PND is the same stigma attached to all mental illnesses.

She told HuffPost UK Parents: "Women often feel under great pressure to be enjoying every moment of motherhood and can also place great pressure upon themselves to be the perfect mother.

"The sense of failure can be overwhelming if they suffer from PND and they may be frightened to be honest about how they feel with friends and family due to this stigma.

"Meeting others who are experiencing the same or similar symptoms and emotions can help and peer support enables women and their children to build long-lasting friendships."