Mariah Antetokounmpo Shares ‘Silent Battles’ She’s ‘Fighting’

NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s wife Mariah is opening up about the “silent battles” she’s faced since becoming a mother of four. She candidly shared the emotional struggles of her postpartum journey after welcoming their fourth child, Aria, in the hopes of helping others.

By speaking out and sharing her journey openly, she hopes to shed some light on the often-unseen challenges new mothers experience and encourage others to know they’re not alone and to remember to lean on their “village.”

In a recently shared Instagram carousel of photos, Mariah talks openly about the struggles she’s been dealing with since giving birth to her fourth child, daughter Aria Capri, early this year.

“Smiles masking constant fear. Belly laughs while holding back unexplained tears. Being surrounded by love while still feeling completely alone…this is my postpartum story,” she began.

“Being vulnerable nowadays is kind of scary, but if I can help just one person, I believe sharing my story is worth it. I’m not telling my experience for sympathy or accolades – I’m sharing because I want to use my platform in hopes of helping someone else who may be struggling with their mental health. Though my story centers on Postpartum Depression, I hope you can read it and apply it to whatever you might be going through.”

Mariah explained that “nothing can truly prepare you for becoming a mom” and she shared some of her personal postpartum journey after giving birth to Aria.

“While childbirth was the most physically painful thing my body has endured, battling my mental health has proven just as challenging,” she shared. “I survived PPD with our firstborn, but I truly wasn’t ready for what was to come this time around.”

Mariah shared that she began experiencing anxiety before giving birth the fourth time around. And “despite having no symptoms,” she said it was hard to shake the feeling of having a “terminal illness that would prevent me from seeing my kids grow up.”

“My panic attacks worsened, and my reliance on the internet as a diagnostic tool sent me into the darkest of spirals,” she continued. “I have an incredible village in my corner, but I felt too afraid and ashamed of this side of myself to reach out.”

The mom of four continued to share that having a “newborn and three big kids ” was fun, but it was also “chaotic.”

“Our fourth baby is the sweetest little angel I’ve ever laid eyes on. She fits perfectly in our crazy little bubble,” she continued. “Her constant smiles and giggles bring me pure joy. But whether it was the blissful honeymoon stage of welcoming a new baby ending, or the immense (and quick) changes happening within my family, my mental health took a turn – and the dark thoughts started creeping back in.”

Mariah shared that she began to “shut everything and everyone out.” She tried to hold things together the best she could, but she wasn’t “herself.”

“It’s a scary and lonely feeling to be physically there, but mentally somewhere else,” she said. “I love my village, but I didn’t want to burden them. I felt selfish for opening up – convinced I was just adding weight to people already carrying their own.”

That feeling led Mariah to mask her pain, hide her tears, and carry on as she was. And while she’s still “struggling,” she now has “faith that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

By sharing her postpartum struggles, Mariah is taking a step in her “healing journey” and hopes if her story resonates with others, it helps in some way.

“This is one of the first times I’ve even admitted to the silent battles I’ve been fighting – but this honestly feels freeing,” she said. “I’m not who I used to be, but I’m on my way to becoming who I’m meant to be.”

She continued by sharing what she “learned during this season.”