Elle King opens up about her ‘deep depression’ during pregnancy and two-year postpartum journey

Elle King has spoken out about suffering with a “deep depression” during and after her pregnancy.

The singer, 34, took to Instagram on Wednesday (23 August) to speak candidly about her mental health, two years after welcoming her son, Lucky, who she shares with tattoo artist Daniel Tooker. Her post included different videos of herself, in which she was working out, cleaning her skin, or singing on a stage.

In the caption, she went on to reflect on her weight loss journey throughout the last two years, and acknowledged that she still plans to continue her workout routine. “I am making this post to share my journey from 284 lbs at 5‘3 from pregnancy 2021 - now 2023,” she wrote. “It doesn’t happen overnight. It didn’t even happen in a year for me. In fact, it’s an ongoing still working towards ever changing goals kinda thing.”

King continued her post by opening up about her mental health struggles - both during and after her pregnancy - which included postpartum depression.

“I fell into a very deep depression during my pregnancy. I also didn’t even realise how intense postpartum depression is and was until I very slowly began to crawl out,” she wrote. “I felt trapped in my body.”

While symptoms of postpartum depression can vary, some of them can include difficulty bonding with your baby, withdrawing from loved ones, and a loss of appetite, according to the Mayo Clinic.

In her Instagram caption, King went on to explain that amid her symptoms of postpartum depression, she started working out more. She then acknowledged that she’s now seen her body get “stronger” over time.

“Metabolic workouts. Light cardio to warm up my body, my lungs, my voice, and my spirit. I am a creature of habit, so I changed my f***ing habits,” she wrote. “Every few weeks I feel my body getting stronger. I add more workouts.”

The “Ex’s & Oh’s” singer expressed that while she wanted to lose weight after welcoming her baby, there was “so much more” insentive since her brain “functions better on the days” that she moves her body. She also described how she’s now  embraced the way that her body looks.

“Some days I count stretch marks. Some days I hug myself and say thank you to my body. Today is a kind day. I’ve been tiny, I’ve been huge, BUT RIGHT NOW I’M HEALTHY,” she continued. “I can’t believe that I even have to say this, but no, I am not on any weight loss medication.”

She added that she’s had a few health conditions over the years, including being pre-diabetic and suffering with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is a condition that consists of “problems with hormones that happens during the reproductive years,” as noted by the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms can range from irregular periods to polycystic ovaries, which are “follicles containing immature eggs may develop around the edge of the ovary”.

King continued her message by sharing that her “diabetic grandfather died” when she was 10-years-old, after she “watched him prick his finger and give himself shots”.

She concluded by showing her support for her followers, and by sharing the goal of her workout routine, writing: “I do not judge anyone who is trying to live a healthier life. I can only share MY OWN JOURNEY! I just hope to live a long, wonderful, healthy life where I can drink a lot, eat fish, laugh as much as I can, and die happy.”

This isn’t the first time that King has been open about some of the health challenges she has faced. When announcing her pregnancy in 2021, during an interview with People,  she revealed that she’s had struggles with infertility, explaining that she previously suffered two pregnancy losses due to her PCOS.

“It’s such a major thing that so many people go through, but it’s so secretive - like you have to go through it alone,” she said about the pregnancy loss. “Nobody talks about it. It’s like you’re supposed to feel shame; like you’re not supposed to tell people before 12 weeks, because if you lose it, it’s going to be embarrassing for you and you don’t want other people to get their hopes up. Like, holy s***.”