Kajal Aggarwal and her husband Gautam Kitchlu are all set to welcome their first child. On Wednesday, the actress took to her Instagram handle to share happy pictures of herself flaunting her baby bump. Along with the picture, she wrote a long note slamming body shamers and a beautiful, encouraging note to women who are going through pregnancy and motherhood. She also spoke about the natural changes in a female body during childbirth.
“I’ve been dealing with the most amazing new developments in my life, my body, my home and most importantly my work place. Additionally, certain comments/ body shaming messages/ memes don’t really help 🙂 let’s learn to be kind and if that’s too hard, maybe, just live and let live,” she wrote.
Sharing her thoughts about the pregnancy phase, she further wrote, “During pregnancy, our bodies go through several changes, including weight gain!! Hormonal changes cause our stomach and breasts to get larger as the baby grows and our body prepares for nursing. Some might develop stretch marks where our body gets larger. Sometimes our skin will break out with acne. We may also be much more tired than usual and have mood swings more often. A negative mood may make us more likely to have unhealthy or negative thoughts about our bodies.”
“Also, after giving birth, we may take a while to get back to the way we were before, or may never completely return to the way we looked before pregnancy. And THATS OK. These changes are NATURAL and while we are struggling to cope with all the new additions to our lives, (especially the anticipation of the arrival of our tiny little humans????) we don’t need to feel abnormal, we don’t need to fit in a box or a stereotype and we don’t need to be made uncomfortable or pressurised during the most beautiful, miraculous and precious phase of our lives! We must remember that the whole process of birthing a little infant, is a celebration that we are privileged to experience,” she added.
Kajal also shared tips that she herself follows to cope with her “undefined feelings”. “Focus on the positive work your body is doing. Your body is changing to help your baby grow and develop. This is normal. Express your feelings. Talk with your partner, family, or friends about how you are feeling. Keeping your feelings bottled up will only make you feel worse. Get regular physical activity. A light swim or walk can help you clear your mind and get the focus off your body image. Try prenatal yoga (if your doctor, gynaecologist is OK with it). Yoga helps you focus less on how your body looks and more on the link between your body and your mind. Try a massage (if your doctor, gynaecologist is OK with it). Massage can relieve stress and anxiety and help you feel more comfortable in your own skin. Learn as much as you can about pregnancy. By educating yourself, you will know what to expect and feel more in control. Seek mental health support if you need it.There is no shame in reaching out for help. Do it for yourself and your baby. Talk to your doctor or nurse about where to find support,” she shared.
Reacting to the post, Samantha Ruth Prabhu commented, “You are and will always be beautiful!!”. Meanwhile, Raashii Khanna dropped heart emojis in the comment section.