Mother’s Day: Moms-to-be Ishita Dutta and Pankhuri Awasthy talk about embracing motherhood

Married to Vatsal Sheth for almost six years, Ishita Dutta announced her pregnancy sometime back. The actor shared that it recently hit her that she would be celebrating Mother’s Day next year with her baby. “I think a complete realisation will only come once the baby arrives. And we are really excited about this,” she shared.

Recalling the moment when she found out she was pregnant, the Drishyam actor shared that she was going through a lot of emotions. She was alone at home and couldn’t contain her excitement. And while she wanted to plan a big surprise for Vatsal, as soon as he came home, she gave him the big news. “We were just thrilled. Soon after we told our parents. I think it’s one day that I am never going to forget.”

The actor further shared that she is thoroughly enjoying her pregnancy, be it the kicks or wondering if it’s a boy or girl. As for preparing for the journey, she shared how she read books and also spoke to a lot of new moms. She added, “There’s so much advice out there. However, I hear everything but believe in having my own journey. I also have a constant discussion with Vatsal about how we plan to raise our kid, and it’s just a beautiful phase.”

Talking about her mother, Ishita Dutta said that she was taught to be independent. She recalled how being an introverted child, she would come back home crying after being bullied, and her mother would give her strength. For her, imbibing these qualities in her child is important, plus, Ishita wants to be a friend to them from an early age. She shared, “Our generation, we weren’t as close to our parents while growing up. I think I really opened up to them when I was a teenager. But now, I see my niece, who is just nine, be a friend to my sister-in-law. They share an amazing bond and she comes up and tells her everything that happened in school. I want my child to also have that trust in me and they shouldn’t be scared to tell me anything. As a parent, of course you tend to be strict sometimes but I want to have that connection, where they know why I have said no to something. Today kids are really smart and I would always want to have an honest conversation with them.”

Most women are often asked the question about ‘balancing work’ and ‘getting back to shape’ and Ishita faced nothing different. Laughing at those, the actor said there are a gazillion examples now to prove that women have gone back to work successfully while taking care of their children. She said that it should always be a personal choice for mums. “While I want to dedicate the first few months to my child completely, I do want to get back to work. I would like to bounce back soon but I don’t want to think about it much and pressurise myself. We will take each day as it comes.”

On a final note, Ishita Dutta laughed to share that her family has more faith in Vatsal Sheth than her when it comes to parenting. “He is very sensible and sorted when it comes to kids. I think he will be a better parent than me. We both are excited and really looking forward to our new journey,” she concluded.

Pankhuri Awasthy

Pankhuri Awasthy, who is also celebrating her baby shower, shared that life has completely changed for her now. “People feel it’s just that your tummy is growing, but there are so many things that change, and that too not just physically. Also, the first few months are tough, and you can’t even operate at your 100 percent. There is a lot of anxiety also, that you are eating well, that you are doing things right. But I think once you see the scans, there is a sense of contentment, and now we can’t wait to finally hold our baby in our hands,” she shared.

As rightly mentioned, many moms wonder whether they are eating well. And then as actors, there is also a fear of putting on too much weight, as they also have to return to work. Pankhuri agreed that these contrasting emotions can really play in the mind, but one needs to understand their body to plan accordingly. “It’s said that one should eat for two people when pregnant, which is not a fact. Ideally, you should just eat healthy and enjoy the phase. Not just as actors, I think everyone should lose their pregnancy weight, to avoid any complications, but it’s a gradual process. I don’t think one should just jump into it instantly. I am obviously putting on weight but I am not worrying much as I am confident I will shed it in time. I do want to get into work but I don’t want that to become a pressure for me from now on,” she added.

The Razia Sultan actor gushed as she spoke about husband, actor Gautam Rode and how he was ‘meant to be a father’. Sharing that he was elated with the news, Pankhuri said, “He has been ready to be a father for a long time, and has always wanted kids. Gautam has also changed a lot, he is more caring, helpful, and protective and he is just.. just right there. He is my first backup for everything, and that too without any saying. And not just physical, but he understands the mental changes and deals with emotional swings so well. Secretly, I think I am enjoying that a lot. I also make sure he’s part of the baby’s development and experiences the kicks. He is definitely more excited than me.”

While she shared that they still don’t know who would be the bad cop between them, Pankhuri laughed that given they are both fire signs, she hopes it’s not a fiery situation. The actor also discussed how as parents, they are rather on the same page, when it comes to the way they want to bring up their child. “There are a few qualities we share, like being righteous. Doing correct by others, and yourself. I think both Gautam and I, we are both pretty similar. We don’t like negative vibes and our right and wrong are pretty defined. Apart from that of course being humble and all other good things, I think that’s most important for us,” Pankhuri concluded.