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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Lifestyle
Amber Raiken

Olivia Munn reveals how martial arts lesson helped with ‘postpartum anxiety’: ‘Feel more like myself’

Getty Images for Vanity Fair

Olivia Munn has revealed how a martial arts lesson helped her “feel more like” herself as she continues to struggle with “postpartum anxiety”.

The actor, 41, discussed her mental and physical health postpartum in a recent story on her Instagram. Munn welcomed her first child, Malcolm, at the end of last year with her boyfriend John Mulaney, 39.

In the photo, Munn could be seen giving a thumbs up, with the actor, who acknowledged that she is suffering from “horrible” postpartum anxiety, describing the improvement she felt after she “got [herself] up and took my first capoeira lesson”.

“My hips still feel wonky from pushing out a human being,” she wrote. “My postpartum anxiety is still here (and horrible), but I got myself up and took my first capoeira lesson today.”

“Getting back to martial arts made me feel a little bit more like myself,” she continued. “Hope I can keep it up.”

Munn previously discussed some of the challenges she has faced as a new mother, including struggles with breastfeeding, in a video posted to Instagram last month. In the clip, the X-Men Apocalypse star opened up about trying to feed her son “with a low-supply” of milk.

In order to increase milk supply, Munn said she has turned to many different resources, such as “two lactation consultants,” “three breastfeeding pillows,” “lactation soups,” and “heating pads to increase circulation”.

Olivia Munn discussed postpartum anxiety (oliviamunn / Instagram )

She also wore a “device filled with formula around [her] neck with tubes taped to [her] nipples so [she] could stimulate milk production while giving [her] baby the nutrients he needs”. After finding her attempts unsuccessful, Munn said that she “felt like [her] body was failing” and was “worried that [she] wouldn’t bond with [her] baby”.

However, she ultimately told told herself “f**k it,” as she shared videos of herself breastfeeding and using formula.“Breastfeeding is good,” the text over the clip reads. “And so is formula. To the mamas out there - do whatever you need to feed your baby and don’t let anyone make you feel bad about it.”

Mulaney and Munn both publicly introduced their son on social media last December. When posting about Malcolm on Instagram for the first time, Munn wrote. “My Golden Ox baby. Malcolm Hiệp Mulaney. Happy Holidays.”

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