8 Incredible Women Who Debunked The Misconceptions Surrounding Motherhood And Pregnancy
niharika nayakBA (Media & Communication) Experience: 4 yearsNiharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... more
It’s no secret that society puts pressure on women to become mothers and provide as nurturers from a young age. Women are expected to be born with a maternal instinct and if they don’t have one, they’re often considered as a liability in society. We’re told that pregnancy and motherhood should be our first priorities in life and should come above our career and lifestyle. Well, we’re here to tell you that this isn’t the norm. So, let’s meet some inspiring women who shut down society’s “picture perfect” perception of pregnancy and motherhood:
1. Gul Panag
Gul Panag spoke about how she wanted to become a mom when she was ready and not when society told her to be ready. She spoke about how having a baby was a major stepping stone in life just like marriage is and that people should think carefully before they decide to commit to childcare. Gul became a mother at the age of 39 and spoke about how women should only have children when they believe they can handle the responsibility.
2. Anita Hassanandani
Anita spoke about how she did feel the pressures of society as she was considered an “aging mother”. However, she spoke about how she conceived naturally and realized that age is just a number. She spoke about how people need to be mentally and physically ready and prepared in order to have a child. She spoke about how she believes in destiny and faith and said that if it’s meant to happen, it will happen. Anita only recently announced her pregnancy to her social media followers.
3. Sameera Reddy
Sameera Reddy decided to shed light on the not-often discussed topic of postpartum depression. Sameera spoke about her bout with postpartum depression and how her hormones went for a toss. She added that nobody had really warned her about how postpartum depression can take a major toll on her body and how physically and mentally exhausting pregnancy can be.
4. Kim Kardashian West
Kim is the mother of four kids with her husband Kanye West. Her last two children were delivered by a surrogate mother through IVF. When Kim was pregnant with her first two children, she suffered from a painful condition called placenta accreta and suffered severe complications during her pregnancy. While both her babies were born healthy, she did have to undergo multiple surgeries to fix the damage that was caused to her body during her painful deliveries. Kim has been open about her struggles with her pregnancy as well as her journey with a surrogate. The former reality star spoke about how she was elated to have her babies in her arms and that she was even more elated that she didn’t have to go through the pregnancy herself the last two times.
5. Jacinda Ardern
Many people make the assumption that a working mother cannot manage a household and raise a child at the same time. The Prime Minister of New Zealand returned to work only six weeks after she gave birth. She even made headlines for breastfeeding her baby while making announcements from her home. Jacinda even brought her three-month-old baby to the parliament and set the clear example that women and men can both do the same jobs and balance their family lives as well. Even when she was asked unnecessary questions by journalists she gave them a befitting reply and added that having children should be a woman’s decision and that it should not predetermine her abilities to have a job.
6. Larissa Waters
Australian senator Larissa Waters gave an incredible speech while she was breastfeeding her child. In 2003, an Australian parliament member named Kirstie Marshall had been asked to leave from the state parliament after she breastfed her baby girl. Larissa even shared an image of her and her baby at the parliament and spoke about how her baby Alia made history as the first baby to be breastfed in the federal parliament. She stated that they needed more women and parents in parliament.
7. Neha Dhupia
When Neha Dhupia and her husband Angad Bedi welcomed their baby, many trolls on the internet decided to shame Neha for the amount of weight she gained while pregnant. Fat shaming is a disgusting practice but what is more disgusting is when people decide to fat shame a woman who literally just had a baby. Neha shared a post from a fashion magazine that mocked her for the weight she had gained during pregnancy. She shared a message calling the magazine “vile” for making such comments. Mocking a woman for not losing weight “fast enough” after having a child is a disgusting practice and should really not be encouraged in any way.
8. Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen stunned the world when she shared the news of her losing her baby boy Jack in September. The mother of two revealed that her third pregnancy had taken a turn for the worse and that she had unfortunately lost her child. She shared emotional pictures of her night at the hospital on her Instagram page and later revealed exactly why she did it. She spoke about how she wanted other women who had faced miscarriages or had given birth to stillborn babies to know that they were not alone.
Women truly are powerhouses and can achieve anything that a man can when given the right opportunities. We commend these women for everything that they do. Tell us how your mother or any maternal figure in your life inspires you to be a better person in the comment section below.
