Sameera Reddy has never shied away from opening about her flaws and problems that she has been facing after giving birth to two lovely children-Hans Varde and Nyra Varde. Sameera married businessman Akshai in 2014. She gave birth to Hans in 2015 and Nyra in 2019. Today, on the occasion of Mother's Day, the actress opened up about post-pregnancy weight gain, postpartum depression and much more.
Talking to Humans Of Bombay, Sameera said, "When I got pregnant with Hans, my son, I thought that I’d be one of those page 3 moms posing away for the shutterbugs with a perfect bump. My vision of motherhood came from the glam world that I was from. But 9 months later, I weighed 105 kgs. And even as I held my gorgeous son, I didn’t feel happy; I slipped into postpartum depression. Akshai, my husband did it all–from changing the diapers to feeding the baby. And all I could think was how other actresses could bounce back in just a month!"
She added, "My mom-in-law said, ‘Your baby is healthy, you have a supportive husband, why are you upset?’ I had no answer. After I was discharged, I cried; I also felt guilty for not being there for Hans. This continued for a year–I’d break down often. I was completely cut off from the film industry. I still weighed 105 kgs & was diagnosed with Alopecia areata; patches of hair fell out of my head. That’s when I realized mine was a deeper problem; I approached a homeopath. We addressed it all–being an overweight child, the pressure of growing up with 2 talented sisters & an industry which constantly scrutinises you. By the end, I felt like a new person."
Sameera further spoke about joining social media, facing trolls and doing an underwater bikini shoot. "So, after 2 years of disappearing from everywhere, I joined social media. Even then, I’d be asked–‘Are you going to be a yummy mummy or will you be ‘Sexy Sam’ again?’ But I refused to live a lie just to get followers! So I started talking about my problems–at first, I was trolled for not looking ‘perfect’ but it didn’t bother me. And in 2018, when I was pregnant with Nyra, I told myself, ‘I’m going to do this my way.’ I was 40, scared & bloated but I was determined to do everything that I’d missed out on before–I spoke about mood swings, & when I was 8 months pregnant, I did an underwater bikini shoot. That’s when women said to me, ‘You inspire me’," Sameera shared.
The actress stated, "And guess what–I started off with 90% male followers but now, 70% of them are women & that’s a big achievement for me. I even tell my kids–‘Be whatever you want, but be honest to yourself.’ So, that’s what I’m doing; I remember, there was a time when even the slightest bulge under my underarms would bother people, including me. But now, who cares? I’m 42, chubby & fabulous!"
(Source: Humans of Bombay)
