Drew Barrymore Says She 'Felt Alone' After the Birth of Her First Child (Exclusive)

Drew Barrymore is getting candid about parenting ahead of Mother's Day.

During the latest edition of Dear Drew, which runs every Thursday on Entertainment Tonight, fans sent in questions to the 46-year-old actress about all things motherhood. "Dear Drew, what's one thing you didn't expect when you became a mom?" one viewer asked Barrymore, who shares two children, daughters Olive, 8, and Frankie, 7, with her ex-husband, Will Kopelman.

"I didn't expect to feel like I was in such a fight or flight mode for a very long period of time. I thought it would be a little more romantic and cozy, and instead I was just terrified," The Drew Barrymore Show host told ET's Nischelle Turner. "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."

"I felt alone on that, so if there's 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."

Another viewer, who admitted to feeling a lot of "mom guilt" this past year, asked Barrymore how to find time for herself without feeling badly about it.

"I find I'm good to squeeze in alone time, me time, when they're busy. That helps absolve the guilt," the actress replied. "Like while they're in school or at a play date, and somehow that feels a little less guilty."

As for tips on how to be more present when it comes to spending time with your kids, Barrymore joked that if you "just wanna scream when people tell you to be more present, you are not alone."

"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," she added. "That's when they should be present!"

On last week's Dear Drew, Barrymore responded to fan questions about aging and defying beauty standards in a social media-driven world. "How have you dealt with aging and staying confident?" one viewer asked, with Barrymore responding, "Somehow, as a kid, I knew that vanity was a losing battle."

"We should look inside ourselves rather than looking out to these impossible standards that have made many a woman crazy," she added. "I just think the more confident you are, the more beautiful you are, at any age."

Another question came from a fan of Barrymore's 1999 film Never Been Kissed: "Dear Drew, have you ever lied about your age in real life?"

"I don't think I could've gotten away with that," she joked. "I never got to go on a blind date and I never lied about my age ... that is not something I ever got to do."

For more Dear Drew, watch the video below, and be sure to tune into Entertainment Tonight every Thursday. Check your local listings here.

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Drew Barrymore on How She’s Remained Confident While Dealing With Aging | Dear Drew

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