Postpartum has been a reality for mothers, albeit in varying degrees. However, it hasn’t been until recently that women have started opening up about it, not just postpartum depression but any mental health condition for that matter.
Fortunately, Bollywood moms too have started talking openly about this reality without the fear of judgement. Here are the quotes from 6 of your favourite Bollywood moms about the postpartum depression they experienced.
1. Alia Bhatt
“I go to therapy every week where I voice these fears. And it helps me understand that this is not something that I will be able to figure out on day one or five or even ten; it’s an ever-evolving, ever-growing process.”
“There is still a healthy amount of mom guilt. It does make me anxious to think whether I am doing right by my baby and work. There’s so much pressure on women to ace both…almost like this old-school dogma that once you have a baby, you have to martyr your career or you’re not a model mum.”
“It’s very important for new mothers to get that time off work to gather their bearings, and it’s equally crucial for corporations and industries to grant them that time instead of writing them off.”
2. Mandira Bedi
“As a new mum I faced one issue and I would like to talk about it–Postpartum depression is for real. I had it for 6 weeks. I did not fall in love with my baby the moment I saw him. I didn’t. It took me a while to adjust to this new change and it suddenly dawned upon me that my independence is gone, also because I had a baby after 12 years of marriage. I would think that I didn’t sign up for this. Your hormones make you have these weird conversations with yourself and I was depressed, and it lasted for about 6 weeks. I have no qualms in saying that I went through postnatal depression. You need the support of your family around you who know that such a thing exists.”
3. Sameera Reddy
”For me Postpartum stress was hard and I did not act fast enough because I was unaware it existed. The pics I shared in this post was me at my lowest. I couldn’t feel happy however hard I tried after the birth of my first child,” she continued, ”I still reflect on these moments and it only drives me harder to reach out to anyone not feeling good about themselves. You are not alone. And being there for each other in tough times is so important,”
4. Esha Deol
“After my second delivery, I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t experience it so I didn’t know. And right after delivery, I didn’t know what was going on as I was in a room filled with people, and suddenly, I felt like crying. I sat quietly and very dull, low. And I have given birth to a beautiful baby girl again and it’s a very happy moment in my life and I didn’t know what’s going on.”
5. Shilpa Shetty Kundra
“The first time around, you are breastfeeding and tired all the time. You feel like a cow. I also went through postpartum depression, though I bounced out of it in about two weeks.”
6. Soha Ali Khan
“A new mother goes through ups and downs, you get blues, you get depressed, you feel bad as everyone is going out to party and you’ve got to be at home. You can’t do certain things. I tried to remain balanced about it. But I’ve had breakdowns in the early weeks.”
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