After a difficult struggle with postpartum depression, Hayden Panettiere says she’s found a “beautiful routine” in her life with motherhood, her relationship and lifelong friendships. The Nashville star tells Parade magazine that being a mom to her two-year-old daughter Kaya has revealed a lot, not only about herself, but the people around her, as well.

"I went through a pregnancy and I found out who my true friends were — the ones that were going to stick around and support me,” Panettiere says. “I’ll just say the outcome was slim pickins!”

Thankfully, that experience allowed her to find a rhythm in which she’s now thriving. “Now [that] I’m the mother of a 2-year-old, I’ve found my pack of solid, loyal, lifelong friends here and am settled into a beautiful routine,” she adds.

Panettiere also opened up about the possibility of getting back into making music, but for right now, she says acting and being a mom are enough to manage.

“Juggling my workload and being a mom right now is plenty,” the 27-year-old shares. “I’ve figured out my own limits over the years, and music is a bridge that I might want to cross when I can truly dedicate myself to it.”

As any mom of a toddler knows, Panettiere definitely has enough to keep her busy.

“I can’t say that anything is typical or ‘the norm’ about any day of the week now that I’m the mom of a 2-year-old,” she explains. “She gets her hands in just about everything, and my biggest job at the moment is keeping her alive!”

Nashville is about to kick of its fifth season — the first season on its new home, CMT. The show was canceled by ABC but revived by the country music channel earlier this year. Showrunners say the new season will be a little more focused on relationships and music within the show and a little less incident-heavy, but all the major components — including the stars — will be present.

The show just announced an early premiere date for the first part of the two-hour episode, set to air Dec. 15. The full episode airs on its original premiere date, Jan. 5.

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