Many new mothers experience postpartum struggles—even celebrities. All-star tennis player Serena Williams recently spoke out on some of the things she’s dealt with since she gave birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. on September 1, 2017.

Her struggles started right after the birth. Right after Alexis was laid on her chest, Serena felt short of breath. With a history of blood clots, and because Sernea hadn’t been taking her medication (because she got a C-section), she thought it could be a pulmonary embolism, a life-threatening condition where a blood clot travels to the lungs.

The doctors took a CT scan, and sure enough, Serena’s instincts were right. And it doesn’t end there: the pulmonary embolism led her to develop a persistent cough, which caused her C-section incision to open. And then, when the doctors tried to seal it up, they discovered a hematoma, which is when clotted blood swells, in her abdomen. She had to get a filter inserted into a major vein.

This is all after just giving birth, let’s remember! Plus, as an incredibly active person, this meant Serena would have to be sedentary for six whole weeks. While she couldn’t have been happier to be finally be a mother, the beginning of motherhood certainly didn’t start in an ideal manner.

Now that she’s back at work and her baby is almost a year old, Serena opened up on her Instagram to discuss her self-doubt struggles of motherhood, and how tough balancing motherhood with her career can be.

“Last week was not easy for me. Not only was I accepting some tough personal stuff, but I just was in a funk. Mostly, I felt like I was not a good mom,” she began on her Instagram post.

However, she said that talking things out with the people she’s closest with really helped her sort out some of her emotions she was feeling. “I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to three years if not dealt with. I like communication best. Talking things through with my mom, my sisters, my friends let me know that my feelings are totally normal,” she wrote.

In her post, she also talked about how she knows other moms can relate to this notion—no matter if you’re a gold-medal-wining Olympic athlete or an office worker, all moms want the best for their child, and sometimes that means providing for them. But that can take away quality time with their baby, and that can lead to many different emotions.

“Most of you moms deal with the same thing. Whether stay-at-home or working, finding that balance with kids is a true art. You are the true heroes. I’m here to say: if you are having a rough day or week–it’s ok–I am, too!!! There’s always tomm!” she wrote.

To hear another excerpt from her relatable post on her postpartum struggles, check out the video below.

Can you relate to Serena William’s battles with this common problem? How do you balance work and life, especially if you have a child?