Meghan Trainor is no stranger to being in the spotlight. As a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and now a mom of two, she’s built a career on being unapologetically herself. But in a new personal essay for TODAY.com, Trainor opens up about one of the hardest nights of her life—the night she hit her breaking point after having her second baby.
“I felt like my body was giving up on me.”
A month after welcoming her second son, Barry, Trainor found herself alone with a crying newborn, her husband, actor Daryl Sabara, putting their toddler, Riley, to bed. Exhausted, overwhelmed, and in the grips of a panic attack, Trainor describes the moment, saying, ‘I was having a panic attack and I was just over-exhausted, but I felt like I was dying.’
“I felt if I stood up, I would pass out. I didn’t feel safe holding the baby and at the same time, I felt like my body was giving up on me,” Trainor writes.
That was the moment she knew she needed help.
Related: Meghan Trainor reveals she would ‘love to make another baby’ in 2025
Asking for help: A lesson in survival
Trainor did what so many parents struggle to do—she said the words out loud. I need help.
She called her support system—her husband, her mom, her doctor. That night, she started medication to help her regulate what she now recognizes was an urgent mental health crisis. But what haunts her is the thought of other moms who don’t have the same safety net.
“I know a lot of other moms don’t have that support, or don’t feel like they do, so I can’t imagine how that night turns out for them,” she says. “It’s frightening and sad.”
The silent crisis of postpartum mental health
Trainor’s experience is one that many mothers face, yet few openly discuss. The U.S. Surgeon General recently issued an advisory warning that today’s parents are facing a mental health crisis, and Trainor’s response was simple: Of course we are.
“Having a kid is the hardest thing. When I talk to other moms about it, I’m like, ‘Isn’t this traumatic and crazy?’ And we’re expected to walk around like we’re fine.”
For Trainor, being transparent about her postpartum experience isn’t just about her own healing—it’s about making sure other moms feel seen.
“Therapy, my antidepressants, and my entire team”
For those who look at her seemingly perfect life—thriving career, happy family, and an endless well of energy—and wonder how she does it all, Trainor has a three-part answer:
“Therapy, my antidepressants, and my entire team.”
She acknowledges the privilege of having a nanny, a supportive husband, and a family that rallies around her. But she also knows that many parents are navigating this alone. That’s why she’s partnering with Bobbie, a mom-founded formula company, to launch the “Ask for Help” campaign—an initiative aimed at providing tangible support to struggling moms.
Redefining postpartum recovery
One of the hardest parts of postpartum life, Trainor admits, was the pressure to breastfeed. Pumping was impossible. ‘I took all the supplements and drank all the teas and ate the cookies, and I tried everything to get milk. I struggled making milk the first time, too, but I’d heard from other moms that you might get more milk the second time around. So I decided to try again even though it was my nightmare,’ Trainor recalls. But despite all her efforts, it still wasn’t working. that was alleviated when her pediatrician gave her permission to stop.
“I was trying to breastfeed Barry and my pediatrician looked at me and said, ‘Hey, you can stop now. You look exhausted. It’s totally OK to have formula.’”
That moment was a turning point for her. And it’s a message she hopes more moms hear loud and clear: There is no one right way to be a mother.
After my first pregnancy, my therapist is the one who diagnosed me with post-traumatic stress disorder. It was months after the birth and I was having nightmares that I was still on the surgical table and I could feel the doctor’s hands inside of me. She said, “Right, so this is a form of PTSD and we’re going to have to talk through this, and get through this.”
The power of sharing our hardest moments
Trainor has been open about her history with mental health, including her experience with postpartum PTSD after her first C-section. As part of her collaboration with Bobbie, she also shared a video discussing her journey and the importance of seeking support. You can watch it here. But sharing her struggles, she says, is about more than just catharsis—it’s about making sure other moms know they aren’t alone.
“I hope that when I share these really personal, private stories, that someone clicks with it and someone goes, ‘Oh thank God, me too!’”
Because at the end of the day, motherhood isn’t about perfection. It’s about survival, community, and learning to say the hardest, most important words: I need help.
If you’re struggling with postpartum depression or baby blues, know that help is available. Reach out to your healthcare provider or contact resources like the Postpartum Support International (PSI) helpline at 1-800-944-4773 for free, confidential support. You don’t have to face this journey alone.
Related: Meghan Trainor feels the way we all feel about our second child: ‘He’s testing me’
