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Singer Elle King welcomed her son Lucky on September 1, 2021 with her former partner, tattoo artist Dan Tooker. If you need a refresher, Elle had that big hit “Ex’s & Oh’s” back in 2015. Anyway, back in January, she released her third studio album called, “Come Get Your Wife.” Elle recently made a video post on Instagram, detailing her wellness routine and sharing her weight loss and mental health journey over the past two years since Lucky was born. In the post, she shared her struggle with postpartum depression and how she’s worked to overcome it.
Elle King is getting candid about her wellness journey since becoming a mother. The 34-year-old singer shares that she suffered a state of “deep depression” amid her pregnancy and postpartum journey, and offers a glimpse into her weight loss routine as she strives to be the healthiest version of herself.
King took to Instagram on Wednesday to post a video documenting her daily skincare and exercise regimen, issuing a lengthy caption about her experience in the two years since welcoming her son, Lucky, on Sept. 1, 2021.
“Almost 2 years postpartum ! I am making this post to share my journey from 284 lbs at 5’3 from pregnancy 2021 – now 2023,” she wrote. “It doesn’t happen over night. It didn’t even happen in a year for me. In fact, it’s an on going still working towards ever changing goals kinda thing.”
King went on to explain that her motive for sharing wasn’t vanity, but a desire to shine a light on the impact of physical activity on mental health.
“So why am I sharing this? I fell into a very deep depression during my pregnancy. I also didn’t even realize how intense postpartum depression is and was until I very slowly began to crawl out. I felt trapped in my body. I couldn’t even sing,” she explained. “So I started slow. Metabolic workouts. Light cardio to warm up my body, my lungs, my voice, and my spirit. I am a creature of habit, so I changed my f**king habits. Every few weeks I feel my body getting stronger. I add more workouts, I exercise with @pauldominic_ who is basically a body builder. But if you don’t have one of those then YOU have to be your own champion. Find music you like! Ride a bike! Go for a swim! I thought I wanted to lose weight, but it’s so much more. My BRAIN functions better on the days I move my body.”
I’m glad that Elle is speaking out about what she went through. According to the National Institute of Health, 1 in 7 women will experience postpartum depression. I was fortunate enough to not experience PPD, but have seen women close to me go through it and have struggled with anxiety and depression before. I’m so sorry to anyone out there that has or is experiencing any form of depression right now. You are strong and you are not alone, even if it you don’t feel it right now. I can relate to what Elle says about working out and changing her habits. Exercise and getting into a new routine have always been key factors in helping lift me up. They aren’t the cure, but they can help get you to a place where it doesn’t feel so dark.
I know this gets brought up every time a celebrity shares about a personal struggle, but talking about these things matter. We’re such a prudish society in that so many topics that should be mainstream are often considered taboo, and we’re left feeling ashamed or like we’re suffering alone. Think of how the dam broke after #MeToo or how many people came forward to talk about pregnancy loss after Chrissy Teigen and John Legend lost Jack. After Dobbs, my social media timeline was full of friends and acquaintances sharing their experiences with abortion, which brought mainstream attention to and opened a national conversation about the fact that abortion is healthcare. I am all for breaking stigmas.
Where I live the numbers recently for maternal (pre and post natal) mental health issues including PPD/PPA/PA is 2 in 3 pregnancies. It use to be 1 in 5.
I suffered with severe depression and anxiety with my second babe. I fortunately was able to get supports in place but it was a very very difficult time until I got the support (long wait to get it) and lonely as many close family didn’t understand what I was dealing with- though they tried
More attention for sure needs to be brought to this issue so that
1. So that people can recognize the signs and differentiate between baby blues and PPA/PPD. So many women don’t realize some things (intrusive thoughts, self care) are signs and instead just an adjustment for pregnancy/PP which means they don’t seek help
2. More funding- with more attention hopefully more funding- where I live it’s a very very long wait. I was an emergency situation and was seen 6 months PP which was 5 months after I raised concerns. I was fortunate to pay for private support but many cannot.
3. Support systems will be aware of it as it becomes more common knowledge
4. De-stigmatizing it so that people feel safe to get help and share
When my son was born last year, i was blissed out for three months. It was like I was on happy drugs! And then it all crashed, and my brain was telling me I should die. It was TERRIFYING. Luckily I have a great support system and got help within 3 days. And I had the education to know that this isn’t normal, something is wrong. Time has helped, support has helped, antidepressants have helped.
I literally got into an argument in Instagram comments with a woman who said the classic “PPD doesn’t exist, be grateful you have a baby” (as if mental illness and love for your child are mutually exclusive). She started it, btw, but I couldn’t let it go. There are still people out there who don’t believe it exists! It’s so important to talk about like Elle is.
I gave birth this year and whilst I had a great labor and delivery, I am still traumatized by my postpartum experience.
I had severe difficulty to breastfeed, countless healthy problems and I experienced the worst depression several months. I cried every day and I felt totally worthless and overwhelmed. It took me a long time to “click” with my son.
Birthing classes should talk about what happens next because we are so unprepared to this wave of change.
I do feel better now thanks to the support of friends, family and a good therapist but man this was rough as hell.
She’s an example of an actually talented nepo baby she has a Lot of great songs
ITA, different mediums but she’s imo the most talented person in the family
Hormones! If it isn’t premenstrual misery syndrome, pregnancy, post pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause, post menopause, freakin’ cancers associated with hormones… there needs to be more studies about women’s bodies and hormones. Doctors need to take XX people seriously when we say things just aren’t working right. Glad to see that Elle found a way out of the morass. It’s not one size fits all, but exercise helps.
I want to ask a question that I hope isn’t insensitive but I am trying to educate myself here – I have never had a child so I have never had post partum depression. I have, however, struggled with general depression off and on since adolescence. Does the depression feel different, or is it more overwhelming for the understandably more stress one is experiencing? Or is it a similar feeling but more pronounced? If anyone could help explain it so that I may be a better support for others, I would really appreciate it!
I have to imagine it’s different for every person, but for me post-partum has been a complete shift in my identity and it’s something I’m working with my therapist on reconciling. I can only do what I used to enjoy at 50-60% because a little human is now dependent on me. For example, I used to work all hours of the day and respond to every work email in addition to working out 6 days a week, eating healthy, seeing friends, etc. That’s no longer my life and those things are no longer my priorities. That’s a huge identity shift. It doesn’t mean I don’t love my baby, but it still requires a lot of mental work to accept.