Ivanka Trump Joins The Ranks Of Women Boldly Opening Up About Postpartum Depression

The Dr. Oz Show / Fox Stations

Ivanka Trump

The Dr. Oz Show / Fox Stations

Alex Wilson
Alex Wilson
Postpartum depression is a serious concern for mothers from all walks of like. In an interview with Dr. Oz, another mother shared her personal experiences with depression — Ivanka Trump.
In the prerecorded interview, Trump opens up about her struggle. "It was very – it was a very challenging, emotional time for me,” she said in the interview. “I felt like I was not living up to my potential as a parent or as an entrepreneur and an executive.”
That pressure is felt by women across the globe. When women return to work after having children, they face a number of obstacles due to discrimination and unconscious biases.
“This is something that affects parents all over the country,” Trump said.
Trump also detailed her experience with postpartum depression in her book, “Women Who Work.” In the book, she detailed how her depression affected her in the office as well as strategies she used to overcome it.
"It took me a while to have the confidence to know that my authenticity as a mother with young children doesn't undermine my professional capabilities," Trump wrote in her book. “One of the ways I'm setting an example for a different kind of corporate culture in my company is by involving my kids… By occasionally bringing my kids to the office, I'm sharing what I love to do with them.”
Being able to balance family and work is important. It’s one of the reasons why many working mothers seek flexible jobs or part-time work after having children; having more control over their work schedule means more control over time spent with family, with friends, and with oneself.
Fortunately, recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that postpartum depressive symptoms are declining across the country. According to the study, there has been a five percent decline in postpartum depression between 2004 and 2010. It’s a great step forward, but there’s much more work to be done.
“As professional women, we’ve traditionally been careful about sharing our personal lives,” Trump wrote. “Together we will debunk the caricature of what it looks like to be a ‘working woman.’”