Claire Holt is "so anxious" about potential postpartum struggles ahead of the birth of her second child.
The ‘Originals’ star is expecting her second child with her husband Andrew Joblon and is ready to give birth any day now, but has said she’s nervous about the "recovery" process, as she isn’t sure how she’ll "cope mentally" with two young children in the house.
Posting a picture of her baby bump on Instagram, Claire wrote: "35 WEEKS. I’m excited to meet this little girl but I’m SO anxious about losing it again. The recovery, sleep deprivation, feedings, 2 kids 17 months apart, a pandemic… It’s a lot.
"I know how lucky I am and I know each stage is temporary, but I’m still feeling stressed about how I’ll cope mentally. I think it’s important to share that I have always had help. I never want to pretend that I do it on my own (I am completely in awe of women who do). That being said, I still felt overwhelmed, embarrassed/guilty that I was struggling, and not at all like myself after I gave birth. (sic)"
Claire, 32, then asked her followers for tips on how to cope with postpartum stress, writing: "Did anyone have a totally different postpartum experience the second time? Tips? (sic)"
The post comes after the ‘Vampire Diaries’ alum revealed last month she had suffered with postpartum anxiety after the birth of her first child, James, now 16 months.
She wrote at the time: "After I had James, I really struggled with postpartum anxiety.
"Breastfeeding was incredibly difficult, he suffered from a cow’s milk protein allergy (which he has thankfully grown out of), his sleep was pretty much non existent, and I felt so overwhelmed.
"I had friends with babies and I was so grateful for their advice, but I certainly didn’t want to call or text at 2am with my endless list of issues."
Claire managed to overcome her anxiety with the help of the Peanut app, which connects mothers to help them discuss their struggles and share their tips.