Days after giving birth to her and husband Christopher French’s second daughter, Ashley Tisdale reflected on her postpartum journey with baby Emerson — and how it differed from her experience with their first daughter.
“My postpartum mental health has been really steady, and wow — what a difference!” Tisdale, 39, wrote on Friday, September 20, via her website, Frenshe. “When I first looked into Emerson’s eyes, I immediately had the connection I’d dreamed of. This postpartum period has been so much easier because I feel like my normal self, and I feel 100 percent connected with my daughters.”
She continued, “I’m not sure if it’s because my hormone levels are different this time (which my doctor said could be a factor) but I’m really cherishing these first few weeks as a family of four.”
Tisdale gave birth to Emerson earlier this month, sharing the happy news via social media alongside a black-and-white snap of the family holding Emerson’s hand.
“Emerson Clover French, all three of us are obsessed with you,” Tisdale captioned the upload at the time. “She landed 9.6.24 🍀.”
Ahead of Emerson’s arrival, the High School Musical alum admitted that she was “excited but nervous” and wondered whether she would experience postpartum depression again.
“Before Emerson’s due date, I kept reminding myself that worrying wouldn’t change anything,” Tisdale wrote on Friday. “I told myself that I knew (and Chris knew) the signs to watch out for.”
Tisdale noted that having “knowledge” about what to expect during labor “helped a ton” with her second child. “I also was proactive about what would happen after Emerson arrived,” she noted. “I really enjoyed putting a postpartum plan care together with my doula, and so much of it has helped me recover and adjust. A midwife has been checking in on me, too and I’m so grateful for her advice.”
While reflecting on her experience with her eldest daughter, whom she and French welcomed in March 2021, Tisdale noted that she “loved Jupiter from her first breath” but admitted that “something just wasn’t clicking” as a new mom.
“I had expected to feel certain things as a new mother, but I didn’t,” she confessed on Friday. “Instead, I spent a lot of time feeling sad and anxious — and guilty about feeling that way.”
She continued, “It took me a while to realize that I was going through postpartum depression. Fortunately, I came out of it in time, but I remember feeling robbed of the joy I’d been hoping to experience. Even though I’ve experienced SO much maternal joy and love since then, it’s still hard for me to look back at that time. I wish it could have been different, but I’m working on making peace with it.”
