Chrissy Teigen Trolled for 'Buying' Horse after Baby Loss. Are We Addressing Postpartum Depression Enough?

American model and TV personality Chrissy Teigen is no stranger to controversy on social media. Be it her choices with her body or her miscarriage, Teigen has been subjected to all manner of bullying from internet trolls.

This time, the model and wife of singer John Legend is being trolled for a picture of a horse.

Taking to Twitter, Teigen posted the photo of a chestnut horse in a stable, with the caption, "My therapist says I need something that I do for just me, as I have absolutely nothing currently lol. Today begins my journey into the horse world. I hope this dude likes me".

The post seemed to instantly catch the eye of many on the microblogging site who felt that Teigen's post was problematic and just went on to prove her privilege, especially at a time when millions across the world had lost their jobs and loves ones to the coronavirus pandemic.

Not to say, much of the comments were unfair and made by trolls with anonymous handles. Never one to back down, Teigen insisted that she had not actually "bought a horse" as some were insinuating and that people misinterpreted her when she said she "had nothing".

Teigen, who first shared news of her miscarriage in September went on to be trolled and questioned for choosing to publicly grieve for her miscarriage on social media. Teigen defended her right to express her feelings and experiences of undergoing a miscarriage, sparking much-needed conversation around the need to normalise baby loss and reduce the stigma that surrounds women who go through it.

Teigen later also defended actor and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle who spoke out about her miscarriage in November.

Critics of Teigen's trolls observed that no one should be allowed to tell others how to heal. And in truth, the model never did mention anywhere that the horse had been bought. And like she said, even if she did buy a horse, so what? As someone experiencing baby loss, the ensuing months can be extremely hard.

While postpartum depression is common among women after successful pregnancies, many women who undergo miscarriage exhibit similar symptoms.

One in six women who lose a baby early on in their pregnancy experience post-traumatic stress symptoms that can last for years. A joint study conducted by the United Kingdom's Imperial College and Belgium's KU Leuven found that out of the 650 women surveyed, 29 percent experienced post-traumatic stress within one month of miscarriage, and the number reduced to 18 percent after nine months, BBC reported in last year.

In fact, studies have shown that depression and anxiety caused by the loss of a baby can last for three years or longer and can even remain after the birth of another healthy baby.

This is not just a problem in the UK or the US. The condition of women in India who go through baby loss remains deplorable since Indian families mostly deal with miscarriages by brushing them under the carpet. Women rarely visit counselors after such incidents are rarely given any assurance or help regarding their mental health.