Jessy Mendiola reveals experiencing depression after giving birth: 'It wasn’t easy'
Months after welcoming her first child with husband Luis Manzano, Jessy Mendiola bared that the sudden change in her body hadn't been easy to accept, making her suffer from postpartum depression.
In an Instagram post, the new mom posted a picture of herself flexing in her workout outfit. Jessy, who delivered her beautiful baby daughter Isabella Rose Tawile via cesarean section, shared that she is now halfway through her C-section recovery and core rehabilitation program.
While Jessy is keeping herself busy staying fit, she highlighted that she is not doing it for herself, but rather for her daughter.
"I realized that the reason I want to stay fit and healthy is to be able to take care of my daughter, not to get back into size extra small," she wrote.
"She’s growing each day and I have to keep up. I want to be able to run and carry her without catching my breath. The abs and cuts are only perks that come with it," she added.
Despite the actress looking absolutely glowing in her latest picture with her bright smile, she opened up how post-pregnancy initially left her feeling miserable about her body.
"The truth is, accepting your postpartum body gives a huge impact on your mental health. I went through postpartum depression and it wasn’t easy. The sudden change—the fact that your life has changed in so many ways, but everything and everyone around you seems to be the same," Jessy admitted.
However, she always found strength thinking about the beauty and wonder of motherhood.
"We will always have insecurities, that’s a given. But once you acknowledge the strength of carrying a life inside of you for nine months, giving birth and caring for your baby while recovering is definitely amazing," she wrote.
She ended her post with an inspiring message: "The goal is not to 'bounce' back, the real aim is to strengthen your new body. The same body that gave you the greatest blessing you’ll ever have."
Jessy previously got real about experiencing body image issues during pregnancy, saying there are moments when she doesn’t feel like herself due to the changes in her physique.
“I don’t feel like myself anymore. As in dati, may abs ako tapos nakaswimsuit pa ako lagi. May mga bikini pictures pa ako. I really get insecure. People are saying kapag buntis ka, dapat lagi kang masaya. Pero honestly, mahirap sa akin tanggapin na talagang lalaki ako or iiba yung itsura ko," she said.
Jessy and Luis tied the knot in Batangas in February last year after five years of dating. Jessy announced back in January that they welcomed their first child by sharing a photo of herself gently holding her daughter’s hand. "I never knew I could love like this," she wrote in the caption of her Instagram post.
