“Isn’t it natural for a woman to put on weight during pregnancy? Then, why are we body shamed? During pregnancy there are several hormonal changes in the body, which leave different effects. Post my pregnancy due to PPD and sleep deprivation , I hallucinated. I had a crazy sleep cycle and put on about 30 kilos in a few months. None of this was in my control. I was a fitness freak, but when you’re pregnant, you can’t always exercise the way you earlier did. The society we’re a part of has celebrities like Shilpa Shetty Kundra and Kareena Kapoor Khan, who lose weight in a couple of weeks, which is amazing, except when it becomes the standard that other pregnant women are compared to. I dressed up for the first time in about 9 months, for my son’s naming ceremony. One of my husband’s cousins told me that I looked very different from my Facebook pictures. He said, “You’ve put on a lot of weight”. At a function where I was finally happy after a long time, someone had to power to crush it instantly. But it bothered me so much that I joined a gym that week. It was a struggle, but I did it! I rejoined work around the same time too and I would spend an hour everyday working out. There were women who told me their weight didn’t increase as much as mine and how lucky they were. Listening to that was demotivating and depressing, to say the least. All of this, when I was already battling postpartum depression. I would sit in the washroom and cry for hours – mostly in intervals because I couldn’t leave my son alone. I didn’t have even an hour to myself because you can’t be away from your newborn. It’s sad that women who go through the same struggle don’t empathize. My husband and I ended up fighting quite a lot because of my negativity, but he knew it wasn’t in my control. I’m motivated to start a pregnant women’s group – a safe and comfortable space for all women/new moms to come and share their thoughts and feelings.
Being a mother comes with a lot of pain and endurance which I wasn’t ready for. I had my share of it, backed by a strong support system. Now, I want to be that support to all the women out there, who need it. I want to make that change and I will.”

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