Priyanka Chopra Jonas remembers Malti’s premature birth
Priyanka said the first few weeks were ‘difficult’ and very disturbing. She and her husband, Nick Jonas, stopped working and went to the NICU every day, trading their normal lives for hospital hallways and never-ending concern.
Malti was born at about 27 weeks and needed immediate help from newborn doctors. Priyanka remembers how small Malti seemed, how the nurses’ fingers looked too big for the baby, and how each little step forward was a cause for celebration.
Being forced to make a public statement and keeping control of their story
Priyanka revealed that the news of Malti’s birth was given to the news media before they were ready. They got a message saying the story would be out in three hours if they didn’t announce it themselves, so they made the birth public to be able to tell it their way.
The couple didn’t feel prepared to tell what was happening while their daughter was trying to survive. Priyanka made clear that they wanted to keep what they could to themselves – like when and how they would tell their family and friends.
NICU life and the everyday things they did to calm their daughter
Priyanka and Nick got used to how the NICU worked, where only one parent could be with Malti at a time. She recalled Malti’s first, weak cry – a very small noise that felt like a fresh start – and the little things parents could do at the bedside.
They filled Malti’s space with prayers and sounds she knew. Nick would play his guitar and sing to her, and Priyanka would play peaceful songs on an iPod in the baby bed. These things became a reliable part of their long days in the hospital.
Feeling numb and then beginning to feel thankful
Priyanka said she ‘completely lost it’ when she was told the baby would be born so soon. She sat by a fire for hours, feeling nothing and unable to do anything, even though she is normally someone who finds answers and makes quick decisions.
Things changed when family came to their house and gathered around a mandir. Priyanka started to cry – not from being scared, but from being grateful – when Malti started to get better. She called it a holy moment, a way to let go of her worry and understand that their child had picked them.
Being a mother, privacy, and Priyanka’s work as an actor
Priyanka has been very careful with the family’s privacy since Malti was born, only showing a few bits and pieces and mostly stopping her regular posts to the public. She has said that IVF and the road to becoming parents was very hard on her emotions, and she puts her daughter’s health first.
Priyanka still acts, and also is a mother. Her newest movie has her in a strong, difficult part, and she will be in the second part of a well-known series and in the Telugu film Varanasi, where she plays Mandakini. Even with a lot of work, she stresses that her family is the most important thing.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ story shows how being a celebrity comes together with the usual fears parents have. Her story is about early birth, what NICU care is like, and how families can find comfort in tradition and strength while protecting what is most important.
