Hayden Panettiere Enters Treatment for Postpartum Depression

MStars News has learned that actress Hayden Panettiere is seeking treatment for postpartum depression after giving birth to her first child, daughter Kaya Evodokia, last December.

Panettiere's rep said that the Nashville star currently getting psychological help for her postpartum depression at a treatment center. Panettiere and her family have asked for privacy during her difficult time.

MStars News previously reported that Panettiere and her fiance, professional boxer Wladimir Klitschko, welcomed their first child, a baby girl, on December 9, 2014.

Panettiere and Klitschko have been on-again and off-again since 2009, after they met during a mutual friend's book launch party. Both the Nashville actress and the boxing champ appeared in Diana Jenkins' Room 23 book, and started dating soon after.

In a previous interview, Panettiere talked about her pregnancy battles and learning how to get used to a baby. At that time she said: "I'm limping around. I'm still trying to figure out what [pregnancy] has done to my body, how it's changed it. What's temporary and what's permanent," the actress added, "I feel like an 80-year-old woman trying to go down the stairs, you know, 'Please tell me this is temporary.' But I know some things will never be the same again."

As for her weight, Panettiere said that she gained around 40 lbs while she was pregnant with her daughter. "I'm still quite muscular, so if you're running around carrying 40 pounds of extra weight, you're going to build extra muscle."

Just last month, Panettiere discussed her battle with PPD on Live! with Kelly and Michael. "It's something a lot of women experience. When [you're told] about postpartum depression you think it's 'I feel negative feelings towards my child, I want to injure or hurt my child' - I've never, ever had those feelings. Some women do. But you don't realize how broad of a spectrum you can really experience that on. It's something that needs to be talked about. Women need to know that they're not alone, and that it does heal."

Right before she sought treatment, Panettiere tweeted a photo of herself looking very slim, showing followers the baby weight is gone. Her tweet read: "Feeling like I'm #finally coming back in to my own body!"

When it comes to depression, Panettiere isn't the only celebrity that has battled the postpartum slump. In the past, celebrity moms including Brooke Shields, Courtney Cox, Kendra Wilkinson and Gwyneth Paltrow have all battled the illness--and the list goes on.

Here's hoping for a speedy recovery.

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