If you are a new mother and constantly feeling stressed and pressurised to be a perfect mom, clinical psychologists Varkha Chulani and Dr. Uday Ananth Pai have an advice for you. “There is nothing like a perfect mom; one is a real mom and it has to be celebrated.” The duo were on stage at Hotel Taj Krishna along with actress Sneha Prasanna for the launch of Baby Dove brand in Hyderabad where a survey conducted by the brand was revealed and the details were no surprise. Mothers across countries of USA, UK, India, China, Brazil and Mexico feel constantly pressurised to be perfect.
Highlighting significant points from the survey, Varkha said, “Be it feeding, education or disciplining their child, there is no right or wrong way of parenting. And, when it comes to babies, they know the best.” Dr Uday also observed how the new fathers take a lot of interest in parenting. “However, it is also true that a child in India often has parents and also two sets of grandparents for parenting. There is also a lot of advice given to the new mother about nuances of parenting,” he laughed. There are also blogs and websites which confuse the new mother with their contradictory advice. “A mother’s instinct is the best. Believe in your instinct,” suggest Varkha and Dr. Uday.
Sneha described how her life took a 360 degree turn after a baby’s birth. “Life changed completely,” she averred. “One’s priorities change and a child becomes the most important person in life,” she smiled. The actress looked back at the way life changed for her ever since she became pregnant and then dealing the anxieties of being a new mom. “When my child had a pimple, I would panic and wake up the paediatrician in the night. But now I am okay with it,” she stated.
She shared how her body weight became an issue and the criticism she faced for putting on weight during pregnancy. “I didn’t step out for six months because I didn’t want to face the comments. Being pregnant and a new mom are wonderful stages in a woman’s life. It has to be celebrated and one need not not worry about these things.”
