Mother’s Day: Rubina Dilaik was told only one of her twin daughters would survive | Exclusive

Rubina Dilaik (Pic/Instagram)

Childbirth is not easy, and Rubina Dilaik vouches for it. She has been quite open about her pregnancy journey and raising her twins, Eedha and Jeeva, with Abhinav Shukla. On Mother's Day, Rubina Dilaik got into an exclusive chat with Mid-Day and opened up about the emotional and physical realities of motherhood. From her twin pregnancy scare to painful breastfeeding experiences, the actor reflected on the unseen struggles behind the "glow" of motherhood.

Rubina Dilaik on hosting The Ward

The Ward brings together 10 pregnant women under one roof for 10 days, capturing their journeys as they stand on the cusp of motherhood. When asked if she relived her pregnancy journey through the show, she said, "Absolutely, in every single way. Although everyone's pregnancy is very different, there are many moments where you can relate. So, despite being unique, we all had one single emotion of becoming a mother."

Rubina on pregnancy challenges

Rubina further rued how motherhood challenges are not normalised. "We often hear that motherhood is a beautiful experience, filled with glow and joy when you hold your child. Yes, that is true. But 80 percent of it is the darkness, the struggle, the ups and downs, and hormonal changes that no one talks about. Why not normalise even the difficult phases? Motherhood is a lonely journey, and we need to acknowledge that."

When Rubina was told only one child would survive

Recalling those days, the actress shared how she was advised to keep her pregnancy news under wraps. "I was clearly told during my first scan that I had a twin pregnancy and there were chances that only one would survive. It was hard-hitting every single day. Living under that stress continuously for three months was difficult."

Rubina on painful lumps while breastfeeding

The actress also opened up about the painful realities of breastfeeding. "So, when you start feeding your child, it's nature's way of releasing milk as direct nutrition. In my case, with twins, I had to feed them one after the other in short gaps. Sometimes the milk wouldn't be produced again quickly, which led to lumps and coagulation. I could feel lumps everywhere, and massaging them was extremely painful - I have cried while getting them massaged because I couldn't even touch them myself."

Rubina added, "Then came a time when I had to step out for film promotions. I was away from my daughters for three days, and during that time my chest had swollen so much because I couldn't express the milk. At night, I would wake up just to cry. No one told me about this."

Rubina on dealing with judgments

The actress also stressed the importance of being financially independent even after having kids. She also opened up about dealing with judgments and remarked, "I don't take anybody's advice on how I have to raise my children. It is between me and my husband. If we are aligned, it doesn't matter what people say."

Rubina on change in industry perception

She also reflected on how motherhood changes industry perception of women. "I will be very honest, people see things differently. Once you become a mother, age shows on your face, wrinkles appear, and age accelerates after having children. But I have given birth to two kids."