What is perinatal depression? Britney Spears announces she's pregnant, opens up on past struggles  

American pop star Britney Spears opened up about her struggles with perinatal depression while announcing that she was pregnant.

Taking to her Instagram handle on April 11, the 40-year-old star shared a picture of pink carnations sitting beside a cup of tea as she announced she was having a baby with partner Sam Asghari.

In a lengthy post, the Gimme More singer said that she would avoid going out in public to stay away from paparazzi.

Britney Spears, who is already a mother of two teenagers, further revealed that she had battled perinatal depression, and dubbed it a horrible experience.

"Women didn’t talk about it back then, some people considered it dangerous if a woman complained like that with a baby inside her. But now women talk about it everyday, thank Jesus we don’t have to keep that pain a reserved proper secret."

She also said that she would be doing yoga every day.

As per National Institute of Mental Health, perinatal depression is a mental condition that can affect women both during and after pregnancy. The term "perinatal" refers to the period leading up to and following the birth of a child.

Perinatal depression involves both depression that develops during pregnancy (known as prenatal depression) and depression that develops after the baby is delivered (called postpartum depression).

Perinatal depression causes major sadness, worry, and tiredness in mothers, making it difficult for them to carry out everyday responsibilities such as even caring for themselves or others.

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Britney Spears has previously expressed desire to have a family with Sam Asghari

The news about Britney Spears' pregnancy comes months after her 13-year-old conservatorship ended that gave her father control over several aspects of her life.

In June 2021, the Baby One More Time singer told a judge that her imposed conservatorship prevented her from marrying or removing her birth control.

She has also previously revealed that she wanted a family with her 28-year-old partner, Asghari, who is a personal trainer.

However, the conservatorship, a sort of formal guardianship established by her father in 2008 after she underwent a public mental health crisis, meant she couldn't make her own medical decisions.

Last year, Spears testified in court against the conservatorship, claiming that the legal arrangement encompassed power over her reproductive health. She revealed that she had an IUD inside her which prevented her from getting pregnant, something that the team won't let her take out of her.

Spears's conservatorship ended in November 2021 after 13 years of her father's control over her estate and financial matters.