What Drew Barrymore learned from her postpartum depression

Drew Barrymore is hot right now! She has a new book, Wildflower, which hits bookstores October 27.  And she's in a new movie, Miss You Already, which hits theatres in November.

You'll also see her in newsstands, on the cover of the latest issue of People Magazine. In an exclusive interview with the mag, she reveals she had postpartum depression after her second daughter was born.

“I didn’t have postpartum the first time so I didn’t understand it because I was like, ‘I feel great!’" she tells the mag. "The second time, I was like, ‘Oh, whoa, I see what people talk about now. I understand,’ It’s a different type of overwhelming with the second. I really got under the cloud.”

Drew, 40, goes on to say a large part of the struggle was trying to find the perfect formula for balancing a massive career and being present for her two daughters—Olive, 3, and Frankie, 18 months.

“I just got right on the idea of, where do I need to be the most? Fifty-fifty would be ideal but life doesn’t work like that," she says. "Life is messy. It was just really challenging and I felt overwhelmed. I made a lot of decisions and I definitely changed my work life to suit my parenthood.”

Read more: Hayden Panettiere enters treatment centre for postpartum depression>

Drew says her postpartum depression was “short-lived, probably six months." And she's thankful for the experience because it taught her how to manage day-to-day stresses.

“It’s really important," she says. "I was in the kids’ class with Frankie and Olive this morning and I started fretting about some piece of work news that was just stressful. You know, in like the Broadway Babies class and it’s the one-hit wonders day, and they’re singing I don’t even know what song, and we’re all doing our lollipop drums and I just thought, ‘Save it until after class.’ One thing at a time.”

Pick up the latest issue of People Magazine (on stands Friday) to read more of what Drew has to say about being a working mom, her rocky childhood and the happiness she's found in her adult life as a wife and mom. Should be good!

Love! xo Haley-O Celebrity Candy: Follow along as Haley Overland delivers the latest scoop on celebrity families—plus sweet celeb interviews! You can’t have too much of this candy, so check back often.

Read more:
Kim Kardashian: Pregnancy is the worst experience of my life> John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are having a baby> 12 celebrities who have struggled with postpartum depression>