Dia Mirza, an actor and activist, says motherhood has taught her to reconcile opposing values with grace. It has taught her the precious power of love for an unborn child while also instilling in her that parenting should be a purposeful decision rather than a necessity.
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It has taught Dia Mirza to genuinely appreciate the benefits of a smooth postpartum journey while also informing her of the need of seeking counselling regardless of whether she is going through a significant upheaval. It has caused her “physical sorrow” from being away from her child while also reminding her that it is appropriate to leave momentarily in order to make a life for her children.
Pregnancy is generally portrayed as a magical time, but most mothers would agree that it does nothing to prepare a woman for what follows. For Mirza, it meant being hospitalised for fifteen days while she prayed that her newborn would survive.
Dia Mirza about her PTSD
Today, Dia Mirza looks back on this trying era with scepticism. “I’m grateful I didn’t have postpartum but since the incident was so horrific, I did seek counselling for PTSD. “It wasn’t until I started going to the sessions that I realised I had, in fact, been through trauma,” she says.
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Having lived through a more harrowing experience than most, her best advice to parents remains unequivocal: “Arm yourself with the knowledge necessary to recognise the signs of postpartum depression, comprehend why it occurs, and how to deal with it whether you are the mother, father, or just a member of the family.”
Mirza has learned to embrace her new job as a mother with compassion in the eighteen months since her newborn child Avyaan Rekhi made an untimely debut into the world, necessitating two months in the NICU, while admitting that parenthood isn’t all that women have to give.
Dia Mirza finds strength in her children
“Through Samaira and Avyaan, I was able to appreciate a long-held ambition of mine and become a mother. I don’t believe you can feel the same love for anyone else in the world as you do for your child. Motherhood may appear to be the only facet of a woman at times, yet it is simply one of many roles that women may play in life,” Dia Mirza muses. It should always be a choice, not a requirement.”
Time and distance have helped her gain perspective, as has the joy of raising her baby boy, a recurring, chirpy presence on her Instagram feed, delighting viewers as he gingerly takes his first steps with the support of a bed or revels in the crunch of fresh blades of grass under his feet at the park.
Even as her life gradually returned to routine, Mirza feels that nothing could have prepared her for the crippling arrival of working mom guilt when she resumed her professional obligations. “I’m confident that my mother and husband can meet his demands, but my God, it’s difficult.
It’s challenging and agonising, and the only way to deal with it is to ride the wave of physical misery that comes with being separated from your child—and maybe sob into the phone with your spouse later that night,” she recalls.
She is certain, though, that children should grow up respecting and appreciating the fact that both of their parents would work for the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest. “We will always prioritise our children, but it’s alright if we have to go temporarily,” she says.
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While Dia Mirza has been a passionate environmentalist for many years, parenthood has awakened her eyes to the need of leaving a better world for her children. This sense of duty prompted her to become a strategic partner and advocate for Greendigo Organic Clothing.
“It is critical for women to educate themselves and make better environmental decisions. We need to think about how the consumerist cycle will affect the future generation, and we need to start taking pleasure in making sustainable decisions.”
For Dia Mirza, this has meant switching to reusable, washable diapers in order to lessen her child’s ecological impact, as well as clothing her child with clothes passed down from relatives in order to break the cycle of abject materialism.
“Encouraging our children to establish a relationship with nature is crucial and, if feasible, parents should take their kids outside as frequently as they can. “In my opinion, once that relationship is created, youngsters may become defenders of the wild straight away,” she concludes.
