On July 25, global Influencer and fashion entrepreneur Masoom Minawala took to social media to announce that she is six weeks pregnant. The video also featured her husband, Antwerp-based diamond merchant Shailin Mehta, as the duo twinned in white, and gave a sneak peek into how their near and dear ones reacted on hearing about her pregnancy.
In an exclusive chat with News18, Minawala, for the first time, opens up on being pregnant and recalls the moment when she came to know that she is going to be a mother. “My first reaction was absolute joy. I couldn’t wait to share the news with my husband and family,” she says excitedly.
A while back, actor Neha Dhupia sparked off conversations about the need to normalise women working during their pregnancy when she revealed that she was eight months pregnant while shooting for A Thursday. And in June this year, actor Alia Bhatt slammed an article which stated that she planned her pregnancy in a way that it doesn’t affect her professional commitments.
Sharing her views on how pregnant women working often draw comments, some not in very good taste, Minawala, who continues to work and travel, opines, “There is definitely a long way to go but I wouldn’t take away from the progress we’ve made. There are so many working moms challenging the stigmas around it, across different industries. The only way to normalise this as a society is to encourage, understand and respect the decision of women who want to work during pregnancy or after giving birth.”
Quiz her if she thinks public figures can help in setting a precedent by defying the stereotype, and Minawala says, “Of course! By challenging these stigmas around working women, we’re actually setting an excellent example for society and the people who look up to us.” She adds, “I’ve been trying to balance and prioritised my time between my personal and professional life for over a decade now and I’m continuing to do that as I step into this exciting new phase of life.”
Talking about how grateful she feels about having her mother around her to help her embrace her impending motherhood, Minawala shares, “Ideally, I’d like to be a blend of both, a hands-on and a cool mum, but only time will tell! Plus, I’ve my mother, who has always been my go-to person for any advice.”
