Katherine Schwarzenegger slams America's 'medical system' for 'not paying enough attention to mothers' after childbirth - as she opens up about the struggles she faced after welcoming her kids with Chris Pratt

Katherine Schwarzenegger has slammed the US ‘medical system’ for ‘not paying enough attention to mothers’ following childbirth – as she opened up about some of the struggles she faced after welcoming her two children with Chris Pratt.

Katherine, 34, was fiercely honest about how difficult the first few weeks were following her first daughter’s birth while discussing postpartum depression and anxiety during a recent appearance on Lo Bosworth’s Gut Feelings podcast.

The author, who welcomed daughter Lyla, three, in August 2020, followed by Eloise, one, in May 2022, admitted that she had a hard time after becoming a mother.

‘When you’ve just given birth to a child, especially for the first time, you’re experiencing a totally different role and version of your life that for sure can be very overwhelming,’ she said.

Katherine Schwarzenegger has slammed the US ‘medical system’ for ‘not paying enough attention to mothers’ following childbirth

She also opened up about some of the struggles she faced after welcoming her two kids with Chris Pratt while discussing postpartum depression on Lo Bosworth’s Gut Feelings podcast

The author, who welcomed daughter Lyla, three, in 2020, followed by Eloise, one, in 2022, said she had a hard time ‘experiencing a totally different role’ after becoming a mother

‘It’s very different, and then you’re like, “Wait – I’m so happy and I’m so emotional [at the same time], what’s going on?”

‘For me, when I became a mom for the first time I was also factoring in Covid which was very unknown. There were a lot of different things going on that I was trying to keep track of.’

Katherine also spoke out about how her body changed after giving birth.

‘You’re getting up in the middle of the night, your body is going through so many different changes with hormones and breastfeeding and you’re healing,’ she continued.

‘Your hormones take a huge nose dive after you have a baby. All the hormones that you’ve been building in your body for the past nine months drop.

‘Six or seven days [after giving birth], all of a sudden I was freezing cold and sweating [at the same time]. My boobs were leaking and really hard.’

Katherine explained that while ‘breastfeeding is a beautiful thing,’ she said it felt like a ‘full-time job’ that was a lot harder than she expected it to be.

‘The maintenance and the care of your body that you need to be mindful of when you’re breastfeeding… I have a whole different level of respect for people who breastfeed,’ she added.

Katherine also spoke out about how her body changed in unexpected ways after giving birth

While she praised the fact that there’s a ‘much more open form of dialogue about postpartum life,’ the star was quick to bash the lack of care for mothers after they give birth.

‘Our medical system is very challenging with not paying enough attention to mothers after they have children or taking care of them and giving them what they need,’ Katherine explained.

‘We live in a culture that’s kind of, you give birth and then you get right back into life, and there are people that that might work for but there are other people who might need to take a moment to readjust to what their life looks like after having a baby.

‘A lot of people they can just bounce back but for other people it can be much more challenging.’

As for her advice to moms who may be struggling, she stated the importance of ‘having somebody that can you can be open and honest with about how you’re feeling.’

‘Don’t be embarrassed or don’t be ashamed to ask for help when you need it,’ she urged.

‘If you need someone to come over and sit with your baby while you take a shower – do it. If you need someone to help you do the dishes, do it.

‘If you need more support from your husband or from your partner, ask for it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for help in this time of your life, this is a very fragile and important time of your life. People want to help you, call on those people ask for help.’

‘Our medical system is very challenging with not paying enough attention to mothers after they have children or taking care of them and giving them what they need,’ she explained

As for her advice to moms who may be struggling, she stated the importance of ‘having somebody that can you can be open and honest with about how you’re feeling’

Katherine opened up about how she tackles ‘mom burnout,’ explaining that she always tries to find time to ‘do things that make her happy.’

She dished: ‘Being the stressed out, crazy, exhausted version of yourself is not going to be a great version of yourself to give your children.

‘That could mean going on a walk, just going outside and taking a breath. It could be going to get a coffee – whatever those small things are [that make you happy]. Just find a moment to center yourself and then go forward in your day.’

Katherine also encouraged parents to ‘be gentle with themselves’ and remember that it’s a ‘balancing act,’ and not every day is going to go as planned.

‘It not always is going to be running perfectly and smoothly. You’re going to be late, you’re going to have things not go your way, your kids are going to get sick,’ she reminded listeners.

‘That’s something that’s been hard for me to accept because I’m very structured and scheduled and have been my whole life.’

‘But if you try every single day to have everything balanced, that level of pressure is just never ending and exhausting and it’s just not realistic.’

The writer, who married Chris in 2019, runs her own Instagram Live series entitled Before, During & After Baby, during which she ‘interviews experts, notable specialists, real people, and friends about topics surrounding all things baby.’

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