Debina Bonnerjee on premature delivery of her second child: She is very tiny, we have to very careful right now

Last month, Debina Bonnerjee welcomed her second child sooner than due, and the actor admits that instead of enjoying the moment, a sense of worry took over her mind and heart when she held her baby girl for the first time. She reveals that her daughter is “really tiny”, and needs to be monitored regularly.

On November 11, Debina and Gurmeet became parents to their second daughter, almost eight months after their first daughter Lianna was born in April this year. At the moment, the actor is taking a moment to revel in the “miracle of her life”, and her recovery instead of focusing on the people trolling her in the virtual world. We catch up with a new mom about having two babies in the house, her postpartum recovery and more. Here are excerpts from the conversation:

* After Lianna, you have just welcomed a new baby in your family. How have things changed at home?

Ans: We are dealing with the situation as both of them are too young, and too small. They both need equal attention. But thanks for the help that I have at home with Guru (Gurmeet Choudhary — husband), who is hands on father, and my mom. Everybody is in it together.

* You had to go for immediate delivery much before the due date. With things not going as planned, how did you deal with the change in situation, and now coping up with it?

Ans: Well, one part of my mind was telling me that I should wait for some more time, so that the baby gets more time to spend inside the womb. But my health wasn’t in the best condition. Everyone, including the doctor, advised me that it is best to go ahead with the delivery, rather than wait and make it more complicated. There was some nervousness, in the last moment when I was going to the operation theatre, but during the whole process I was confident. I somehow felt that everything happens for a reason. That is the reason I documented everything as there was no fear in the mind.

* How do you look back at the whole second pregnancy, was it tough and challenging for you?

Ans: The second pregnancy, initially was a cakewalk. I had no discomfort. It was just so normal, no aversion to food or smell, or constipation. I was shooting, dancing and working out. But in the last month, things went a little haywire. But that is fine. Instead of going through an entirely difficult pregnancy, being bedridden, a little bit of discomfort is fine. At the last minute (before the delivery), we all sat and discussed, that ‘I’m not in my 20s or early 30s, that everything will be fine’. And went ahead with that thought in our mind.

* What was the feeling when you held your daughter in your hand after the premature delivery?

Ans: The first time when I held her I was worried more than anything. Because so much was happening in the operation theatre. She was stuck below my rib cage in a transverse position. It took a long time to bring her out. When she came out, she was grunting, there ‘ahh, ahh’. I was very worried.

The thought that ‘Oh, wow, I have created this’ did not come to my mind. I was just worried if she was fine or not. I was not able to get up and hold her. Things were just happening around me like a robot around me. It was only after I came back home, and I got some time alone with the baby, that I looked at her, and felt that she was inside of me, and did not give me any problem. It was something that I wanted. I wanted to feel good about it. I wanted to feel good about my body. But it happened in not those terrible times. Instead of thinking about society, I went ahead thinking only about myself, this time.

After my previous pregnancy, I did not lactate, but miraculously, this time I did. It is nothing short of a miracle for me. My body is just at one with whatever is happening with the universe. Even now after coming back home when she cries incessantly after every hour, I don’t feel ‘uff, I have to feed her again’. Because it is a beautiful feeling. I wanted to feel this for so long.

* You recently shared a glimpse of your postpartum belly and swollen feet. Tell us how has been the road to recovery till now?

Ans: My stitches are cut. There is no dressing anymore. My body is also healing super fast. I’m lactating so well. I am in love with my body. Jo problems ho rahe the phele, who ab nahi hain. Like my skin was turning black, there were pigmentations in places which were covered like my under arm. Now, it is getting back to normal. And it is pretty fast. It has been just 10 days.

During the pregnancy, it was very difficult for me to move around in the last few days as there was too much water in my stomach. Now, I have started getting massages done, following the right diet. My body is getting back. It feels good to see how the body changed and how it will change again. I have this maksad to get back in shape, which is giving me a lot of enthusiasm. I can feel that my stomach has also gone back considerably in just a week.

* How is the baby doing now?

The baby is doing fine. She sleeps a lot, and is mother’s milk, which is like a miracle. So, she drinks milk, and sleeps. Every other day, she has to go to the hospital and get a checkup done for monitoring.

* Have you thought of a name?

We haven’t given it to the BMC yet. There were so many things happening at the hospital that it didn’t come to my mind. We thought of a name after coming from the hospital, and picking from 50 options. At the time of Lianna, we thought and registered her name at the hospital only. Abhi tak toh birth certificate bhi aa gaya tha.

* With the name set in your mind, when do you plan to announce it?

We will announce it very soon. We are waiting for her to take shape a bit. Abhi she is very tiny. Right now, I don’t even let the massage person touch her. She is very very tiny. My mother is doing her malish right now. We have to be extremely careful around her. She is very small. Kabhi kabhi mereko kissi aur ko dete hue bhi ghabrat hoti hai.. Because she is so tiny and delicate. I worry ke kuch ho na jaaye.

* Lastly, how is Gurmeet dealing with the babies in the house?

He is extremely happy. He’s like, ‘I can’t believe that I have been blessed with two beautiful daughters’. In fact, he sometimes tells Lianna that they will have a hard time finding a boyfriend because they have to compete with their dad. These conversations make me grin ear to ear. It is beautiful that one of our daughter has got my face, and Gurmeet’s body, and the other one has got Guru’s face and my body. It is amazing and beautiful. We are just waiting for this little one to actually be okay now, toh properly khushi milegi.