Television actress Smriti Khanna, who has a two-year-old daughter Anayka, feels that women should not lose their identity in the process of being a mother. She shares that one’s life completely changes after embracing motherhood. She told IndiaTV, "There's another person who's more important than you, who has come into your life. You have to take care of them. You have to take care of all their needs. You have to give them quality time. I do believe in giving quality time and not just quantity. Every working mother will agree that at the end of the day, we are working. We need to take out some time from our work, for ourselves. And even this is for people who are not working like housewives. They should also take good care of themselves and not stop living their lives."
Smriti further shared how performing mommy duties takes a toll on a woman's mental health and how they start feeling 'underconfident'. She said, "It is a real thing, when you are pregnant all the attention is on you and when the baby comes, you get zero attention because all the attention goes to the baby. This time becomes so overwhelming altogether." She suggested that new mothers should try involving themselves into things that they love doing and feel good about everything. She told us how she likes to watch the television sitcom F.R.I.E.N.D.S which makes her feel good.
The 31-years-old actress also talked about her post-pregnancy experience. After delivery, she had been trolled for her weight gain. On this, the actress said, "A lot of people said, 'oh you did not want to gain weight', and 'you did not care about your baby'. I do care about my baby but what is wrong if I care about myself too?"
She added, "My pregnancy weight increased absolutely how it should have been. I used to eat a very healthy and protein-rich diet. It is a very big myth that one should start eating fat from the beginning so that baby will be healthy. It is not at all true. The kid's growth will only happen with protein intake. So your diet should be rich in protein and not in fat."
She suggested to new moms that after a few weeks of delivery, they can start yoga and meditation. Plus, whenever they get some time for themselves, they should do things that they like doing such as painting and meeting with their friends. And most importantly their partners and family should be there for their support.
Smriti lastly mentioned how the relationship between couples should be after the baby arrives. "It's important for the partners to be there for the new mothers. It is not just about giving attention to the baby. The woman's body has gone through so much and I think what they used to do before the baby came should still remain the same. It should not just be about the baby.’ the actress concluded.
