Content warning: article mentions murder and self-harm.
Actress Kylie Padilla shared her thoughts about mothers getting enough support after giving birth. As a mother herself, she stressed how important it is to let women recover properly in order to take care of their children.
Kylie opened up about the complications she experienced with her second childbirth after seeing a Facebook post about a mother from Sta. Maria, Bulacan, who set her house on fire due to alleged postpartum depression. The mother in question has since passed away along with her three children.
READ: Kylie Padilla on being a single mom: ‘You’re mom and dad’
The celebrity mom shared how the post was “very personal to her” as she revealed that she still suffers from the complications of childbirth.
“After giving birth to my 2nd son I also suffered and still suffer from complications of childbirth or 'binat' as they call it. There were also complications in my spinal cord injection,” she shared.
She added how she wasn’t able to walk for three months without the lower part of her body shaking. This added to the stress she felt which took a toll on her. Kylie admitted that she thought she wouldn’t recover from it.
“There were also complications in my spinal cord injection. I could not walk for about 3 months without my lower body shaking and headaches, nerve pain and over fatigue. I also struggled with breastfeeding my 2nd because he could not suck as well as my first. So all the stress anxiety and body pain ABSOLUTELY TOOK A TOLL ON MY BODY. I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD EVER RECOVER,” she added.
Kylie maintained that she was in a “dark place” and had an insufficient support system back then. She expressed how fortunate she was that she had savings to support herself but asserted that not all moms have this luxury.
WATCH: TV PATROL: Ina, 3 anak patay sa sunog sa Sta. Maria, Bulacan
She then turned her post to raise awareness for mothers who are going through postpartum depression–– stressing how real and heavy it is. For Kylie, she wanted to see a future where everyone is supported.
“I am urging please push #PaidMaternityLeave AND #postpartumdepressionawareness. Mothers deserve time to rest their bodies and minds after childbirth. They deserve to be able to take care of themselves as well as their children,” she said.
“We need a world where everyone feels supported!!!! So our moms can better take care of our children,” she ended.
If you or a loved one is in need of help, contact the National Center for Mental Health crisis hotline at 1553 Luzon-wide landline toll-free. For Globe/TM subscribers, call 0966 351 4518 or 0917 899 8727 (USAP). For Smart/Sun/ TNT subscribers, call 0908 639 2672. You may contact their Facebook page at ncmhcrisishotline and on X (formerly Twitter) @ncmhhotline.