One mother's dream is another's nightmare and while motherhood is a beautiful thing, it doesn't come easy to many. Under the glamorous lights, some Bollywood stars are real moms with real problems. One such mama is Ileana D'Cruz who welcomed her baby early last year with her longtime partner Michael Dolan. It was Michael who revealed, in a recent interview, that the star is still going through postpartum depression. Even though one hardly ever expects to experience depression after the birth of a child, postpartum depression is actually pretty common, especially among new moms. Most women experience "baby blues" after childbirth, which commonly include mood swings, crying spells, anxiety and difficulty sleeping. However, some new moms experience a more severe, long-lasting form of depression known as postpartum depression. Ileana from her experience said in the interview, "Topics like mom guilt are so real. I remember I was in my room, and I started crying. My partner asked me what was wrong and I told him, 'I know it sounds really stupid but my son is sleeping in the other room, and I am missing him.'"
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Symptoms of "baby blues" and depression are similar and are often mistaken to be the other. Severe mood swings, feeling overwhelmed and eventually guilty, anxiety, fear of not being a good mother, and difficulty bonding with the baby among others are some of the common indications of postpartum depression that can begin anytime during pregnancy or after childbirth and last anywhere between a few months to a year. Motherhood is a lifelong process with many challenges on the way that can easily be conquered with patience.
Postpartum depression is not a character flaw or a weakness. Prompt treatment and surrounding yourself with positive thoughts and support from close friends and family are some of the easiest ways to break free from this feeling of depression. Even though Ileana has kept her romantic life away from the public eye, she has candidly spoken about the support she receives from her partner Michael. "So, there are these intense emotions you go through after having a baby. I still am going through it. I am thankful that Mike (Michael Dolan) is such an amazing partner. I don't need to explain things to him. He makes me take a break and looks after the baby before I join in again." In a post from June 2023, Ileana's caption revealed she was already experiencing guilt and anxiety during pregnancy but with the help of her partner, she was able to soldier on.
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Many Bollywood stars have in the past opened up about their experiences with postpartum depression as well. Shilpa Shetty, Sameera Reddy and Soha Ali Khan were some of the actresses who have shared what it was like living with postpartum depression and how they were able to eventually come out of it.
Any new mom can experience postpartum depression and it can develop after the birth of any child, not just the first. But with a little help, any mama can overcome anything that comes between them and their baby.
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