Ishita Dutta on talking about sleep deprivation to Gauahar Khan sharing about her weight loss: TV moms' post pregnancy diaries

While parenthood is the most lovely moment in a woman's life, it is also the most challenging. However, new mothers sometimes suffer from postnatal depression, and some television actors have spoken about the difficulties of parenthood and post-pregnancy sadness. From Ishita Dutta revealing about her sleepless nights to Gauahar Khan talking about her after-pregnancy weight loss, a look at TV moms who were open about their after-pregnancy journey:

Ishita, who recently became a mother, mentioned how lonely she has been, and how the restless nights have made it hard for her to get past the day. She revealed about it in one of her Instagram videos, “Sleepless nights and days, half-eaten meals and no time to rest. Body pain and mental exhaustion. Breastfeeding issues plus the never-ending mom’s guilt, feeling lost and alone it’s a whole new life. It’s not just the birth of a baby but also the birth of a mom. The first few weeks were tough I would cry and feel lonely almost all the time. But with so many people around me, my family, my friends who love me so much. I would still feel alone. Vatty really stepped up as not only a great father but as a husband and a great friend. He would force me to step out for quick drives and quick coffee and I cannot tell you how much that helped me cope up. My parents would be there to take care of my baby so I could take a small break. And I have the best mom friends who really really helped me through this journey.”

In the exclusive interview with ETimes TV, Gauahar spoke about being in depression after her pregnancy. She stated that it’s not easy but you have to take care of yourself. She also shared about her postpartum weight loss and hair loss. She revealed, “It's not easy. I am trying very hard. My initial weight was drained because I took care of my baby completely. This helped in reducing weight. You have to workout after it's permissible. When you feel better after 2 to 3 months, you can start a light workout. You can start with yoga. I have started it now. I have another 6 to 7 kgs to go. Inshallah, I will be back in my original shape. I am in no hurry. I don't want to be hard on myself. I think I have done well for myself. I am happy that in the next few months I can achieve what I want. So just go slow, enjoy the process of being a mother. Actually I am not going through it yet. I hope and pray I never go through it. I think a lot of women stop their vitamins right after delivery. Don't do that. Continue that for 3 months postpartum.”

Debina had spoken openly about her pregnancy and after pregnancy effects and problems that she faced during that period of time. The actress shared everything about it on her YouTube channel. After conceiving her second daughter she added, “A lot of people speak about postnatal depression where after having a baby the new moms get into a depressed mood. The overwhelming feeling is like when you see that the baby wakes up in the middle of the night, you get tired and feel it is so difficult. Yes, it is difficult, the child suddenly wakes up fresh in the middle of the night so what would you do? Will you sleep and ignore the kid? I remember Pinu was completely awake in the middle of the night and she started talking. I spoke to her for some time and put her to sleep again. The next morning I am even tired but this is a phase.”

Charu Asopa was overjoyed when her baby girl Ziana was born, but it was the post-partum difficulties that worried her the most, as she told ETimes TV that Ziana wasn't able to breastfeed for 6 to 7 days. She said, “I couldn’t breastfeed her immediately as I was not getting the milk. I started stressing over it because I was not getting breast milk. People around me were telling me it was fine, it will come in three-four days but in my case it took longer. There was no breast milk for 6-7 days. I was very stressed about it and on the other hand doctors would ask me not to stress. So during my initial phase after delivery, especially the first month, I was under a lot of anxiety. There are so many hormonal changes in your body, especially during the first few weeks after delivery. Those moments are very isolating, aap ke andar itni saari cheezein Badal rahi hoti hai… it does get difficult to handle things.”

Deepika Singh was one of the celebrities who reduced a significant amount of weight shortly after having a child. Following her pregnancy, the actress began her fitness journey and returned to her slim figure. She had told ETimes TV, “As soon as I decided to lose weight, I immediately took to doing Yoga, following a certain diet and also joined the gym. Dance is like spiritualism for me and I started to miss it because I could not dance during pregnancy and had a long gap of not performing. Also, I did not take any supplements, apart from my vitamin capsules, for weight loss. Nowadays, new mothers are impatient and want instant weight loss. It's not like that. You need to have patience and work out in the right way. You need to give yourself time. I too started to get back into shape after my baby was seven months old. If I would have wanted to fit into my regular dresses just three months post-pregnancy, it wouldn't have been possible and that would lead to irritation.”

Mandira Bedi was one of the few actors who spoke publicly about postpartum depression. Mandira had told BT about her depression after the birth of her son. She revealed, “I went through postpartum depression known as the baby blues! One day I just burst into tears and told my husband that I couldn't cope with all this. Oh, that was a tough phase indeed! But then, I had been reading a lot about it, and I knew that it was perfectly normal and a lot of women faced it before me. So, I kept telling myself that it will pass, and now thankfully, it is all behind me.”

Chahatt, who has two daughters, told her Instagram followers about her postnatal depression and how exercising helped her get through it. She shared, “After all the body ace, weakness, weak bones, unable to sit, walk or stand, I finally got myself to the gym after 6 months of postpartum, it’s so difficult how your body changes after childbirth and especially in less gap, it’s difficult to come out of physical, mental, and emotional loop, but a small hope of life can help you when everything seems dull. Postpartum depression isn’t easy, but nothing comes easy in life. Stay fit, stay calm and try to smile a lot. Happiness will eventually follow. To all the moms, you are the creators, be one! Get back to life #mom #momlife #postpartum #postpartumdepression.”

The actress, better known as Pallavi in Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, opened out about her postpartum challenges and how she opted to pursue a dual certificate program in rational emotive behaviour therapy. She stated, “Having experienced acute postpartum depression, I no longer view life as casually as I did before. Most tend to use the term ‘depression’ loosely. It is real. It’s a chemical change in our body and not just a low feeling or something that stems from boredom. If left untreated, it has long-term consequences. I suffered for five years. While I had my husband actor Manav Gohil and my family’s support during this time, it was difficult for them to understand what I was going through. I wanted to lend a hand and an ear to others with the right tools, hence studying became the next organic step to understanding the disease.”

Chhavi Mittal believes in body positivity. Chhavi has displayed all of the physical and mental transitions that a mother goes through, from exhibiting her stretch marks to revealing her struggle with postpartum weight loss. Chhavi added, “Fitness is my passion. Postpartum weight loss was just a side effect. My body has its good days and bad days, but I love my body the way it is! And why not, it gave me two amazing babies who define my whole world! FYI, today is a good day. #postpartumweightloss”

Addite Malik had shared in her series called 'Motherhood Diaries' after giving birth. In an effort to assist other mothers, she discussed her struggles with formula milk feeding, parenthood, weight growth, a variety of emotions, and much more. In the diary she mentioned, “Whenever I feel low or unable to control negative thoughts, I start meditating, praying, listen to some good music or simply look at Ekbir’s face and I feel calm. Every new mom needs to give her body and mind enough time to process all the changes. This was also a reason why I decided to put it all out on my social media handle. Yes, recently when my in-laws were leaving for New Delhi they wanted all of us to step out for lunch. Although I could have dropped Ekbir with my parents, suddenly I felt guilty about leaving him alone and stayed back with him. I think every new mom goes through this.”

Kishwer Merchant, who gave birth to a son on August 27, 2022, had opened up about the 'issues' she experienced during her pregnancy and childbirth. Kishwer talked about her after- pregnancy anxiety and explained that having a C-section can also be stressful after pregnancy. Kishwer said, “My Bugs Bunny, I know there have been a lot of problems... I haven't been the best, with the C-section, pain killers, tiredness, anxiety and breastfeeding... but like we promised each other today, we both will help each other in this journey and make things better for us, love you my son #sukishkababy.”

Jankee Parekh, Nakuul Mehta's wife, who enjoys spending time with her boy Sufi, had also spoken about her difficulties as a new mother. Jankee admitted to experiencing issues while nursing him. She talked about how difficult it was for her in the beginning stages of motherhood to learn to breastfeed. She also stated that she had even doubted herself. Jankee shared, “My initial 40 days postpartum were such a challenge. There were a lot of self-doubts. Is my body producing enough milk? Why is he still crying? Is it because he is still hungry? His acid reflux didn’t help either.”