Jeannie Mai Talks Dealing With Postpartum Anxiety And Embracing Motherhood

Jeannie Mai is opening up about her rollercoaster experience with motherhood!

The TV personality, who welcomed her first child, a daughter named Monaco Mai-Jenkins, with her husband Jeezy in January, recently addressed the transformative journey.

During a candid discussion with ET's Kevin Frazier, the 43-year-old talked about the difficulties she faced before embracing her new life as a mother.

Everyone has different ways of accepting motherhood, but for the "How Do I Look?" star, facing this new phase of her life did not come without its trials.

Mai revealed that she suffered from various worries during her pregnancy because a part of her believed she did not deserve to experience the joys of motherhood, which the entertainer described as a "beautiful privilege."

Recalling the emotional period, the San Jose native explained that her concerns about having a baby came from her past stance on the matter. In the TV personality's words:

"I honestly got a lot of anxiety because I thought, for somebody who said their whole life that they didn't wanna be a mom and here this gift was being given to me."

The mother-of-one continued that being blessed with a child made her nervous while navigating her day-to-day activities because she felt the slightest mistake would harm her child. Mai said:

"I felt like, 'Don't put yourself in risky situations, like don't get on a plane or -- you are the one to have this taken away from you because you didn't appreciate it when you had the choice.' "

After battling these pre-birth concerns, the "Steampunk'd" star's war against anxiety did not end there, as she faced postpartum depression after welcoming her daughter.

Although the hospital extensively prepared the 43-year-old for the possibility of postpartum anxiety, the media personality wished the "treacherous" experience had never happened.

According to the fashion correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight," she felt conflicted after giving birth to Monaco because she had mixed feelings of happiness and worries.

The "Style Pop" host noted that on the day her daughter was born, she "freaked out and shut everything down," not even allowing cameras near the newborn because she was afraid of the "internet and people."

At the time, "The Daily Mixx" producer did not feel like the "polite Jeannie Mai Jenkins" the world knew and loved but someone who would snap if anyone said something hurtful about her child.

Mai recalled that she would stay up late at night worrying about the strangest things, and being around people made her paranoid that they were talking about her.

Fortunately, the entertainer managed to overcome this challenging phase with the help of a psychologist and the advice of other parents. 

Now, the "Miss America Reality Check" host feels "beyond grateful" to be a parent because Monaco has changed her life for the better. The doting mother said:

"I love being a mom. I am so touched with the gift of getting her to open her arms... teaching her to lift her arms and teaching her to register communication with me; it's everything."

As for the "Muppets Haunted Mansion" star's relationship with her husband, the San Jose native explained that, unlike her previous romances, the couple worked through their flaws and problems, making them an "imperfectly perfect" team. 

Earlier this year, The Blast reported that Mia had welcomed a healthy baby girl with the "Soul Survivor" rapper, a year after the pair tied the knot in 2021.

Taking to her "Hello Hunnay" YouTube channel, the proud mother confirmed her daughter's name was Monaco while showing off the newborn's adorable nursery.

The Daytime Emmy Award winner revealed that the couple did not choose their daughter's name by chance as the moniker had a special meaning to them.

According to Mia, the pair's lives were changed on a bridge in Monaco, France. During the lovebirds' trip to the city, the pair decided to raise a family after discussing the next phase of their relationship.

To commemorate the beautiful memory, the dynamic duo chose to name their first child after the city, which played a big part in their blissful love story.