Drew Barrymore Recalls Being in ‘Fight or Flight Mode’ After Giving Birth: ‘I Was Just Terrified’

Drew Barrymore has crushed her role as the mom of her two kids, Olive and Frankie, but the actress learned the job isn’t always easy. Looking back on the day she gave birth for the first time, Drew recalled being in “fight or flight mode” because she was so worried about messing up.

“I was just terrified,” the Drew Barrymore Show host, 46, candidly shared with Entertainment Tonight on Thursday, May 6. “I was so under slept, I couldn’t eat, I was nervous all the time, and no one really talked about how intimidating and overwhelming it can be … so I wasn’t really prepared for that.”

Referring to the time she welcomed her 8-year-old daughter, Olive, in 2012, Drew said she thought being a first-time mom “would be a little more romantic and cozy.” However, that certainly wasn’t the case for the Charlie’s Angels alum. “I didn’t expect to feel like I was in such a fight or flight mode for a very long period of time,” she shared.

Drew, who welcomed her baby girl with ex-husband Will Kopelman, said despite having a partner and their new child, she “felt alone” while trying to adjust to her role as a mom. “So if there [are] other moms out there that felt like that in the beginning, you are not alone, I felt like that too,” she continued. “For any mom who felt casual and capable, you are a superhero! I wish I could have been like you.”

As the years have passed, Drew — who gave birth to 7-year-old Frankie in 2014 — has gotten the hang of raising her kiddos. Though the 50 First Dates star struggles with “mom guilt” every now and then, she’s found a way to balance her career, parenting and time for herself.

“I find I’m good to squeeze in alone time, me time, when they’re busy. That helps absolve the guilt,” Drew explained to ET. “Like while they’re in school or at a play date, and somehow that feels a little less guilty.”

The E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial alum — who was married to Will, 42, from 2012 to 2016 — also offered advice on how to be more present. “You know as a parent when you’re not leaning in enough,” she said. “So listen to that meter. I think for most parents like you probably are doing a phenomenal job.”

“The only advice I have for a mom to be present is when she is by herself,” the brunette beauty added. “That’s when they should be present!”