Grateful for her little guys. Three months after Jamie Chung welcomed her sons via surrogate, the actress is reflecting on their NICU stay.
“It was terrifying,” the Real World alum, 38, exclusively told Us Weekly on Tuesday, January 18, while promoting Babylist‘s shoppable showroom. “I was like, ‘Oh, God, are these mine?’ It’s such a weird thing. They were premature, so that was really scary having to go to the NICU.”
Having two infants at home now is “so hard,” the California native went on to tell Us, noting that she and husband Bryan Greenberg are “both very hands on” with their boys.
“We are finding moments of finding our groove,” the Dexter: New Blood star said. “I wish I was told how difficult having multiples is. It is extremely challenging. We were told to treat them as individuals when it comes to feedings and personalities … but what I wish I was told beforehand was as soon as you figure out a groove, they grow and change. It’s like a whole new set of challenges.”
While Chung and the One Tree Hill alum, 43, had a “seamless” journey with their gestational carrier, the new mom has been struggling since the newborns’ arrivals with postpartum depression.
“It’s real and it’s there,” the former reality star told Us. “It rocks your world having kids. This transition sometimes leads to anxiety, depression, angst, resentment, the whole spectrum of feelings. … You work on that by making sure that you give yourself time, you are kind to yourself and gentle to your partner as well.”
The University of California, Riverside grad clarified that her emotions are “temporary,” saying, “Hopefully [it] will pass if [I] do the work.”
Chung previously spoke to Ashley Graham about her “crazy” mental health struggles. “I was so resentful, and I had anxiety and I was angry. I was going through it,” she said in a December 2021 Facebook Live. “So I think because I was pretty open to my family and friends [through] this transition period and I was so upset, they were walking on eggshells. They didn’t give me any unsolicited advice.”
On Tuesday, the Lovecraft Country alum advised other moms to speak to counselors and fellow parents. “It’s such a common phase, and it’s a common thing to feel,” the What the Chung? blogger explained to Us. “Having a support group is really important, calling in favors from your friends to give you your space.”
When the Once Upon a Time alum didn’t feel up to the “overwhelming” task of decorating her baby boys’ nursery, Greenberg helped out — along with baby commerce and registry company Babylist.
“Once I got over the hump, the fear and the anxiety, the realization of, ‘Oh, these babies are coming and we have to absolutely plan,’ I started adding things to the list,” Chung said, adding that she enjoyed her time at the Babylist Cribs shoppable showroom in Venice, California. “I wish I had this experience prior to having our kids because I felt I found it so helpful.”
Expectant parents can make appointments to visit the showroom until Sunday, January 30.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi