Kylie Kelce gets real about “severe baby blues” and the hardest parts of early motherhood
Kylie Kelce, wife of NFL star Jason Kelce and mom to three daughters (with baby #4 on the way), is speaking candidly about her struggles with early motherhood. The 32-year-old recently appeared on the Sunday Sports Club podcast, where she opened up about experiencing severe baby blues after the birth of her first daughter, Wyatt.
Reflecting on her postpartum journey, Kelce admitted that new motherhood wasn’t the blissful, picture-perfect experience she had expected. “We left the hospital and I was like, ‘So you’re telling me this is mine?’” she shared, describing the overwhelming reality of suddenly being responsible for a tiny human.
For Kelce, the early weeks were marked by sleepless nights and a constant sense of disconnection. “Most people will take their baby home, and it’s this sensationalized social media moment of ‘Look how beautiful my baby is.’ No—my baby cried from bewitching hour at 8 PM until 4 AM. If I wasn’t holding her or she wasn’t on my boob, we were not on the same page. We were not cool,” she explained, adding that the exhaustion made it hard to find joy in the moment.
It wasn’t until Wyatt’s first purposeful smile that Kelce finally felt a shift. “The biggest milestone for me with Wyatt was when she could smile—on purpose. Because it showed that there was a connection. Before that, I felt like I was just a sleep-deprived stranger trying to keep this tiny human alive,” she said.
Like many new moms, Kelce struggled with feeling ‘touched out.’ She described how the constant physical contact—breastfeeding, holding her baby, the sheer demand of always being needed—left her feeling emotionally and physically drained. “I remember pumping and telling my husband, ‘Don’t touch my shoulder. Don’t touch my foot. Don’t even sit too close. Just… don’t.’”
She also spoke candidly about the guilt so many mothers feel when they don’t immediately fall in love with motherhood. “The comment people always say—‘The moment I met my daughter, it was game over’—I get it, but it was also terrifying. It was scary. Those first few weeks? I blacked out. I don’t remember parts of it. And you don’t see that side of motherhood on social media,” she revealed.
Now, as she prepares to welcome baby #4, Kylie is on a mission to normalize the messy, complicated, emotional realities of postpartum life. “The conversations we’re not having are the things we’re all experiencing—postpartum depression, baby blues, mom guilt, feeling inadequate as a woman. We all go through it, but nobody talks about it. And we should,” she emphasized.
Related: Kylie Kelce reveals past miscarriage, slams pregnancy speculation: ‘Let’s do better’
Kelce’s honesty is a powerful reminder that motherhood isn’t just beautiful—it’s also unbelievably hard. By sharing her story, she’s helping to break the silence around postpartum struggles, creating space for moms to feel seen, supported, and less alone.
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.
