Mena Suvari Reveals Struggle With Postpartum Depression: 'It's All Very Real'

Mena Suvari is still struggling with postpartum depression after giving birth to her son over a year ago.

"I struggle with postpartum depression every day," the 43-year-old actress said on Rachel Bilson's "Broad Ideas" podcast Monday. "I'm just getting my hormones tested next month, so yeah, it's all very real. I deal with this every day."

The "American Pie" actress and her husband Michael Hope welcomed their son, Christopher Alexander, in April 2021. Suvari says she has been dealing with postpartum depression "every day" since then.

The "American Beauty" star recalled the moment she realized something was wrong.

"I remember sitting on our balcony saying, 'I have to get out of the house. I have to get out of the house.' My husband, he said, 'You can go. You can go for a walk,' and I was like, 'But I don't think I can,'" Suvari said. "I was going crazy. I was like, 'I have to do something for myself but I can't go.' I had to learn to let go."

The "Great Peace: A Memoir" author also revealed that her mental stress resulted from a change in her birthing plan. Suvari had originally wanted to have a natural water birth at home. But after being in labor for 48 hours, she had no choice but to have a caesarian birth. After the emergency C-section, her son was given immediate skin-to-skin contact with her husband.

Suvari has some encouraging words for mothers who may be going through a mental health journey after having a baby.

"We as mothers are entitled to those emotions and just because I have a beautiful baby who's perfectly healthy, my husband's wonderful and we made it out of the hospital, I still feel like I'm allowed to hold some space for being sad over not having that birth," the actress explained.

"I just want to make that area a little bit bigger for people," she added. "Because it's not fair to just be like, 'But you're fine, right? But you didn't die? But your baby's OK?,'" she added.

Despite her "baby blues," Suvari still considers her pregnancy a beautiful experience.

"I had a great pregnancy, everything was wonderful. I feel very lucky for all of that," she said.