Ileana D'Cruz shares her 'postpartum struggles' after second pregnancy: 'I think mentally it's just been very difficult'

Ileana D’Cruz, the prominent actress, opened up about her mental struggles after gracefully welcoming her second child, Keanu Rafe Dolan, with her husband, Michael Dolan, earlier this year. The 38-year-old faced issues that came quite unexpectedly, as she had experienced the whole process during the previous time.

Ileana D'Cruz expressed about postpartum mental stress

D’Cruz missed being in Mumbai after she realised that it takes a village to raise a baby. While physically she was prepared, her mental health was challenged during the second time around. In a conversation with NDTV, the ‘Rustom’ actress expressed that during the pregnancy, she knew what she wanted and specifically what she didn’t. The actress chose to defy the norms and “wanted to be a little crazy.”


Elaborating on the ‘crazy,’ Ileana said, “I said I'm going to go unmedicated this time. I'm not going to do the epidural. I told my nurse that we need to come up with a plan because this is what I want to do.” Turns out, the process was beneficial for her. As the doctor presumed, the delivery process was quick as a snap for her, and she went home the next day. However, things started to change mentally at the postpartum stage, which she described as a lot harder than the first time.

Welcoming Koa Phoenix Dolan in 2023 was a different experience for the actress, as she was trying to come to terms with being with a newborn and that she wasn’t a single woman. Moreover, one makes sure that the baby is healthy, thriving, and surviving. During the second time, she had to look after her newborn, her toddler, and certainly herself. While trying to achieve physical strength, her mental health suffered.

Ileana D'Cruz missed her pals

“So it's incredibly hard. And even though I was aware of what was going to happen, I think mentally it's just been very difficult,” she said, adding that she missed her girlfriends in Mumbai. Mentioning that it’s nice to talk to someone who understands, she continued that her bubble of privacy felt nice as well.

As for her career, Ileana D’Cruz starred alongside Vidya Balan and Pratik Gandhi in the 2024 rom-com film ‘Do Aur Do Pyaar.’