Pregnancy and motherhood are often portrayed as some of the happiest moments in a woman’s life. Kylie Kelce, however, has never been afraid to talk about the parts that do not fit that picture. The wife of former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce recently opened up about the mental health struggles she faced after giving birth to their four daughters.

During an appearance on The Squeeze with host Tay Lautner, Kylie explained how each postpartum experience was different for her. Her account of the weeks after welcoming her first daughter, Wyatt, was particularly revealing.

“I know, looking back now, that I was baby blues. I really felt like I was in the trenches for the first six to eight weeks, just sort of figuring out who I was as a mom,” Kylie said. “Feeling that and recognizing that it wasn’t butterflies and rainbows and this magical moment that everybody has.”

Kylie now looks back on those first few weeks and recognizes the signs of the baby blues. Wyatt, who was born in October 2019, would cry for hours in the evening. And breastfeeding or sleeping on her mother’s chest often calmed her down.

The lack of sleep made those first weeks even harder. Kylie said things began to change when Wyatt started smiling consistently at around eight weeks, giving her a sense that the two were finally connecting.

Her experience after her second daughter, Elliotte, was much easier. Better sleep helped Kylie feel more comfortable in her role as a mother, and she felt she had a better idea of what she was doing.

But the birth of her third daughter, Bennett, brought another difficult period, even though the baby was sleeping well.

“For probably four to six months afterwards, I was in the trenches and I couldn’t figure out why,” Kylie explained. “It was sad, just overall feeling sad. Not sad like I’m upset about this or I’m upset about that, just this dark cloud.”

Looking back, Kylie believes she was experiencing postpartum depression. She said she kept going while caring for her children, although she acknowledged that pushing through without fully addressing the problem might not have been the best approach.

She also described having anxious thoughts about everyday situations, including the possibility of falling while carrying her baby down the stairs. Kylie understood that these fears were not necessarily rational, but that didn’t stop them from entering her mind.

Her fourth postpartum experience, following the birth of Finnley in March 2025, was different again. Having gone through motherhood several times, she felt more confident in her ability to manage the challenges.

Kylie’s decision to speak openly about these experiences reflects her frustration with the way pregnancy and motherhood are often presented online. She said she often sees women describe pregnancy as a time when they feel glowing and happy. She loves seeing that positivity, but said she rarely felt the same way herself.

Kylie also pointed out that being grateful to have children does not mean someone has to enjoy pregnancy or find motherhood easy at every stage.