43-year-old reality TV star Kristen Doute fought with co-workers and ex-boyfriends, fell off tables, and even betrayed her best friend—all in front of the entire country on the show. «"Vanderpump Rules"» . But the open discussion of her heavy bleeding in an adult diaper during her first period after pregnancy in the spin-off «Valleys» ? It feels like a new level of vulnerability—for her and for all mothers in the postpartum period.
«In all my years of working in television, I’ve learned to be only one thing: to be myself,» says Doot in an interview. Women's Health magazine a few days before her daughter Kaia's first birthday. "I knew filming this season would be no exception.".
In the first episode of the current season, Doot meets her co-star Nia Sanchez, 36, at a cafe with their then three-month-old daughters. Doot arrives late, out of breath, and panicking out loud that it's past time for Kaia to eat and sleep. "We're three blocks from home, and we might as well be in a foreign country, because it's a very stressful situation," she later recalls in an interview.
Introducing the experts: Emily Guarnotta, PsyD, a clinical psychologist, board-certified perinatal mental health specialist, and founder of Phoenix Health, and Tara Harding, MD, a board-certified family physician practitioner, women's health specialist, women's advocate, and founder of Simply You Clinic in Bismarck, North Dakota.
It was the first of many such moments this season: both women are shown emerging from their fourth trimesters of pregnancy, uncertain, tearful, depressed, and anxious. They discuss the terrifying experience of breastfeeding, the difficulties of sex, and the panic of being separated even for an hour.
In the final season of "The Valley," both Doute and Sanchez recently gave birth. (NBC Universal)
For those familiar with perinatal mental health, this season's depiction of the postpartum reality feels particularly poignant. "You think:"« Am I failing? I can't handle this. "," says Emily Guarnotta, PsyD, a clinical psychologist, board-certified perinatal mental health specialist, and founder of Phoenix Health, a telehealth clinic specializing in parenting support. Guarnotta was struck by the cafe scene as she watched it. "I just saw in her face that there was so much going on in her head that she couldn't quite put into words.".
Kristen Doute brought her 3-month-old daughter to a cafe to meet her co-star, Nia Sanchez. NBC Universal
Dut remembers that day too. "Putting Kaia in a car seat for two blocks was almost unbearable," she says now. "Everyone talks about physical recovery, but I started to panic: what if I feel like this for the rest of my life? This feeling will never go away.".
Why the postpartum period is unlike anything else
While postpartum depression (PPD) and postpartum anxiety (PPA) have finally come out of the shadows in recent years, and are eagerly discussed by celebrities and regular moms alike, the true experience is rarely revealed, especially in real time. "It's the most intense hormonal drop you'll ever experience," says Guarnotta. It's even more severe than menopause, especially because it occurs within hours of giving birth rather than gradually over several years. "On top of that, you're sleep-deprived, your body is recovering from childbirth, your lifestyle has changed, and you have the added pressure of planning, feeding, changing diapers. If you're breastfeeding, it's happening 24/7.".
Nia Sanchez, 36, is a mother of four. She says she first experienced postpartum anxiety after giving birth to twins in 2023. (NBC Universal)
Not to mention, the very feeling of pressure can evoke shame. "That was probably my first experience with motherhood guilt. How dare I feel anything other than happiness?" says Doot. "It took a long time, but I came to understand that it's okay to miss some aspects of myself before Kaia was born.".
A similar strain on the system was evident for Sanchez throughout the season, as the former beauty queen gritted her teeth and coped with raising four children under four, constantly asking her husband for help.
Why Your Body and Brain Have a Hard Time Just Going with the Flow
For Sanchez, simply surrendering to the chaos seems impossible. «I’m a perfectionist, and I push forward. But stopping [the madness] is impossible when it feels out of control,» she says, noting that the morning she spoke with Women's Health magazine , she had been up since 3 a.m., looking after baby Adelaide and one of her little twins.
Each of Sanchez's postpartum experiences—in 2021 with her son Asher, in 2023 with her twin daughters Isabelle and Zaria, and in 2025 with Adelaide—was accompanied by its own unique set of challenges. With Asher, she struggled with breastfeeding, and Adelaide refused a bottle, so Sanchez stayed by her side constantly. But it was with the twins in 2023 that she faced postpartum depression and postpartum anxiety. "Twins are a completely different story," she says. "But this one was especially challenging because I developed severe postpartum anxiety, which I didn't expect and which I hadn't experienced before.".
Doot also expresses concern about not playing Kaia in several scenes. «It really shook me up. I felt incredibly antisocial. Growing up, my report cards would say, „Kristen is a social butterfly.“ And suddenly I didn’t want to leave the house at all,» Doot says. «I didn’t want to be outside the house at all, and that was really hard. It scared me because I wanted to know that one day I’d see „Kristen“ again.».
According to Guarnotta, postpartum depression is statistically more common among new mothers than postpartum depression. The Cleveland Clinic estimates that postpartum depression affects one in four women, while postpartum depression affects one in seven. "When you have a small child, your body and brain become more vigilant. This is an adaptive process because you're completely focused on making sure the baby is healthy and doing well," says Guarnotta. "The problem is that sometimes the system can get a little out of whack, and we can go from being adequately vigilant to being overly vigilant.".
Of all the heartbreaking moments of the season, the hardest hits come when women try to explain to their male partners why they feel so awful. They crave connection but can't articulate what exactly they're experiencing in their brains and bodies. It turns out, this is normal. "You feel like a stranger in your own skin. Your relationship feels different, and your whole life feels different. You can't put your finger on what exactly is wrong," says Tara Harding, MD, a board-certified family physician and founder of Simply You Clinic in Bismarck, North Dakota.
How both women overcame difficulties over time.
Now, watching this season, Doot says she wants to hug herself through the TV screen. The new mother has been feeling much better lately. "Of course, you have to take things one day at a time, but I'm really happy to say I have some good days now," she says. "I'm still working toward my goal, but I definitely feel like I'm in the rhythm of motherhood. I'm tired, but I can handle it.".
Meanwhile, Sanchez is increasingly coping with the chaos. "I feel very confident at this stage of my life. And I have much more support," she says, noting that her family recently hired a nanny to help with childcare.
Both women are thrilled by the audience's support. "It's the best part," says Doot. "There's such a strong sense of camaraderie between moms, even if they don't know each other. They just get you.".
Guarnotta and Harding, who watch the series themselves, are grateful for its realistic portrayal of the postpartum period. Previously, much of the public discussion of postpartum depression and anxiety occurred after the fact, with a well-groomed and calm mother discussing the storm that had already subsided.
«"Every generation gets a little better at being open and honest about these experiences. This means people feel less shame," says Guarnotta. "Many people go through this and genuinely think they're the only ones. But when we see it on TV, we realize it's not just us.".
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