069: Kylie Kelce on postpartum depression, a blood test for endo, FDA bans red dye & TikTok on the way out

Plus, how society’s perception of motherhood has changed, increasing breast cancer rates in young women, falling birthrates & more

Kelsey & Cassie with four of our five kids

Welcome to Two Truths, a bestselling newsletter & media brand exploring the many truths of motherhood from journalists & maternal health advocates Cassie Shortsleeve of Dear Sunday Motherhood & Kelsey Haywood Lucas of Motherspeak. Two Truths is rooted in the healing & affirming principle that two (or more) things can be true. It’s a “best parenting Substack” per Motherly; also seen in The Skimm, Vox, The Bump, Popsugar & more.

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This week, when I saw Kylie Kelce—creator and host of the podcast Not Gonna Lie—open up about postpartum depression, the baby blues, and the hardships of early motherhood, saying that the “conversations we’re not having are the things we’re all experiencing,” I started thinking about just how important our stories are.

In the early 2000s, when actresses Brooke Shields and Alanis Morissette spoke about their respective experiences with postpartum depression, they were seen as radical. Brave, bold, and honest in a world that didn’t allow much space for women’s voices and experiences (in general, but also in the healthcare space), they also, I imagine, were shamed and the recipients of much pushback.

I think about them about how much their words matter when I think about what so many moms say about their experiences with postpartum depression: I thought I was the only one going through what I was going through. I’ve been researching and writing about women’s health for 15 years, and I still hear those words, whether people are speaking about motherhood, endometriosis, or emotions.

It’s why Shields’ and Morissette’s and Kelce’s (and your) stories are so important: They help us move forward.

In research. (As we learned last week, we suffer when there’s a lack of research on women’s health.)

In data. (One expert I interviewed recently told me that it’s the stories of female athletes who push the envelope in exercise on what’s possible for pregnant bodies that push for more research.)

In our everyday conversations. (If we don’t know what each of us is truly going through, how do we truly speak to each other?)

This week’s edition of Two Truths—an exclusive for our paid subscribers—rounds up some of the week’s news, including…

• Kylie Kelce on PPD and the hardships of early motherhood

• Why more and more young women are being diagnosed with cancer

• A blood test for endometriosis

• A very cool job posting for moms who want to advance issues that matter

• Some news on TikTok

• How the ways in which we view motherhood have evolved throughout the years

• The red dye 3 ban

• (Just some of the) many noble, women-led initiatives on the West Coast right now

If you’re currently a free subscriber, keep reading by upgrading here for just $5 a month (or try the free trial). Your upgraded subscription will include timely, exclusive issues (like this one), special giveaways and discount codes, and more — and our paid supporters make this newsletter possible.

Let’s dive in.

—Cassie

Weekend reads: Headlines you may have missed this week in motherhood, maternal health, media & beyond