The Valley star Nia Sanchez knows what it means to suffer from postpartum depression, and she offered her advice to any new moms who might also be struggling.
Sanchez spoke exclusively with Us Weekly as she threw a princess-themed 1st birthday party for her twin daughters, Isabelle and Zariah Rose. She said that she made it through her “baby blues” with the support of her husband Daniel Booko.
“It was a really kind of hard season, I would say, for like, the first four to five months of their life. I had a lot of ups and downs emotionally, but I definitely feel like I’ve started to come out of it and am in such a better place,” Sanchez said. “I still hit a few big emotional waves every once in a while … but it’s not consistent like the baby blues was. So I’m definitely in a much better place.”
Sanchez encouraged new mothers to not be ashamed of their feelings. She said moms need to express how they feel so that their community can help.
“The biggest piece of advice that I can share is, don’t keep things inside. Talk to someone, share it with your partner, share it with your support system, and then seek professional help, a therapist,” Sanchez said.
Sanchez also encouraged mothers to seek out small, happy moments wherever possible. She called these little, joyous moments “glimmers” and told Us that they were critical for navigating her depression.
“Do small, incremental things to help feel better in a little way, like getting outside, getting some fresh air, if you can doing whatever brings you joy.” she said. “Even though you might be having a hard day and feeling sad throughout the day … don’t sit in that sadness. Take that moment to hold on to that glimmer.”
She added, “Those little glimmers will be more and more and eventually you will come out the other side.”
Sanchez finds joyous moments in raising her twin daughters, even though she thinks they’re “daddy’s girls.”
“They’re both so happy, like some people will say, like, ‘Oh, who’s the fussy baby?’ Or ‘Who’s the baby that cries?’” Sanchez said, noting both twins are upbeat. “We’re so grateful … that they’re both happy.”
Bravo fans have watched Sanchez and Booko parent the twins as well as Asher, 2, throughout the first season of The Valley, which aired earlier this year. Viewers will get to see more of their adventures in parenting as the network has already renewed the reality TV show for a second season.
Reporting by Amanda Williams