Tina O'Brien: 'I had baby blues'

Tina O'Brien has admitted that she suffered from a case of the 'baby blues' after giving birth to her first child.

The former Coronation Street actress and partner Ryan Thomas welcomed the arrival of daughter Scarlett in October last year.

Asked if she found her early weeks as a mother difficult, O'Brien replied: "Definitely. I felt down at the start, but I think that's normal. Your whole life is turned upside down. It was hard because Scarlett didn't sleep well and was a grizzly baby so I was exhausted, which made things seem harder."

Speaking to Take 5 magazine, she continued: "It wasn't depression, but when you're submerged in nappy changing and crying and she's been sick, you do think, 'Oh my God!' Then, all of a sudden she's 1 and I wish she could stay a baby forever."

The star, who played Weatherfield's Sarah Platt, also revealed that she tries to balance socialising with her commitments as a mother.

"I think it's important to still have a social life and make time for going out," she explained. "It's harder to socialise when you have a child and at first I didn't want to go out because I wanted to be with Scarlett all the time. It's easier now because she sleeps through the night."

Coronation Street producers last month denied rumours that O'Brien was ready to return to the soap.