The former 'Pretty Little Liars' actress opens up in a new interview on the struggles she's facing during pregnancy, revealing that she suffered from prepartum depression.
- Oct 5, 2019
AceShowbiz - Shay Mitchell suffered "severe depression" before going public with her pregnancy news.
The "Pretty Little Liars" star announced she was expecting her first child with her TV host boyfriend Matte Babel in a maternity video posted on her YouTube channel back in June.
However, the star suffered a miscarriage last year, prompting her to hold off before announcing the exciting news this time round - a decision she described as "super isolating."
"I wanted to be sure that this second pregnancy would be viable before shouting it from the rooftops, so I hid it for nearly six months and became very antisocial," she told lifestyle brand Hatch in an interview. "Usually, I'm incredibly active and outgoing, but instead, I mainly stayed home to avoid stares and questions. I was extremely lonely."
The star said she wanted to open up about her prenatal depression in a bid to reduce the stigma around the condition - which she suggested is less accepted than postnatal depression, which occurs after giving birth.
"To be depressed at the beginning came as a shock," she said. "The isolation and anxiety I experienced was crippling. I thought I was going out of my mind and questioned why nobody ever talked to me about this phase."
The "You" actress went on to assure fans she feels more positive since opening up about her experience, adding: "I've been fortunate since sharing the news of my pregnancy to have some amazing conversations with other pregnant women and moms and know that all these feelings are 'normal,' so now we just need to normalise them by discussing more openly!"
