Drew Barrymore reveals she had postpartum depression

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Drew: I didn't have parents

Drew Barrymore dishes on rough childhood

Drew Barrymore will tell you her life’s greatest work is motherhood.

The 40-year-old actress, entrepreneur and mom of two recently opened up to People magazine about her bout of postpartum depression following the birth of her second child, 1½-year-old daughter Frankie with husband Will Kopelman.

“I didn’t have postpartum the first time so I didn’t understand it because I was like, ‘I feel great!’” she said of giving birth to 3-year-old daughter Olive. “It’s a different type of overwhelming with the second. I really got under the cloud.”

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Although the busy actress’ depression was “short-lived, probably six months,” Barrymore continues facing the struggle of many mothers to balance career and parenthood.

“It was just really challenging and I felt overwhelmed,” she confessed. “I made a lot of decisions and I definitely changed my work life to suit my parenthood.”

However, with a new book, “Wildflower,” on shelves Oct. 27 and her latest film, “Miss You Already,” in theaters next month, Barrymore has no plans to slow down professionally.

“Putting a negative stigma on work is a go-to,” she said. “It makes us feel like it proves to our children that we don’t want to work, we’d rather be with you. I want them to see that work can be a good, positive, fun, happy thing.”

But the former child star acknowledged her priorities are with her family, adding, “I’ve worked since I was 11½ months old so I have to be able to work, too. But I have to put [my kids] first. I don’t know if it’s good enough for anyone but I’m doing my best.”

This article originally appeared in the New York Post's Page Six.