Rubina isn’t pretending that the time after having twins Jeeva and Edhaa was wonderful. She says Abhinav’s being there for her consistently kept her from falling apart, and she lost a sense of who she was and felt totally out of control for months. She says things would have been ‘very different’ if he hadn’t been so supportive.
Why Rubina’s candid confession stands out
Most famous mothers present a perfect picture. Rubina has chosen to be honest. She’s said recently that the postpartum period is truly difficult, ongoing, and definitely isn’t something to be said lightly. She makes the very clear point that people who don’t think a woman’s struggles after birth are serious, likely have never experienced it themselves.
She also specifically separates the normal sadness people feel from what happened to her after the birth. She explains that hormones completely changed how she felt about herself and about everything around her. And that honest way of speaking is exactly why so many people are connecting with what she says.
Postpartum hit hardest across four months
She remembers exactly when she felt at her worst: November, December, January and February were the hardest months. She was very depressed and felt as though she didn’t know who she was anymore until February. She says even clinical depression would have been easier to deal with than the postpartum experience.
Here is how she described those days in plain terms:
– Not liking herself at all
– Avoiding stepping out or socialising
– Hormones at their worst and lowest
– Not wanting to wake up in the morning
She adds that it’s hard to even know you are in the middle of postpartum depression while you’re actually going through it. You only realize how heavy it all was when you finally come out of that extremely difficult time.
Support at home changed everything
Abhinav was the turning point, she emphasizes. “If he hadn’t been there for me, things would have been very different,” she said. For Rubina, a partner having sympathy for what she was going through during this period of complete change is absolutely essential. Without it, women become much more frustrated, and are unfairly called ‘crazy’ or ‘overreacting’.
Rubina advises partners to be aware of what’s going on when a new mother finds herself worrying over the smallest details. She says realizing she’s likely going through something difficult can stop her from being emotionally exhausted and feeling completely alone.
If you are wondering what she wants partners to remember, here are her cues:
– Believe postpartum is real and intense
– Do not label; listen first
– Offer patience before advice
A marriage tested, then reset
Rubina and Abhinav Shukla were married in Shimla on June 21st, 2018. They had problems in 2020 and nearly separated, but they got back together. Then, after announcing their pregnancy in September 2023, they welcomed Jeeva and Edhaa on November 27th, 2023.
She calls being a mother a complete life change and warns against dismissing it with a simple “get over it and move on.” Without the proper support, good food, a safe place, and understanding, she says, a woman can become completely drained mentally, emotionally, and physically.
What comes next for Rubina
She’s now prepared to go back to doing dangerous stunts. Rubina will be on Khatron Ke Khiladi ifteen, with Rohit Shetty as the host. The show will probably be on Colors TV and JioHotstar around the end of June or the beginning of July.
Going back to work on television is also Rubina making a point. Postpartum isn’t something to be added as a minor detail, and there isn’t a set amount of time for getting better. For many new mothers, the difference between falling apart and getting stable is as simple and as important as a partner being there for them.
