Listen to your body and your instinct: Zara Noor Abbas has a message for new mothers

Standup Girl starlet Zara Noor Abbas recently welcomed a new addition to her family, a baby girl named Noor-e-Jahan, with her husband Asad Siddiqui. While the joy of welcoming a newborn is often celebrated, Abbas took to Instagram to shed light on the less discussed but equally important phase of motherhood - the postpartum period.

In a heartfelt Instagram post, Abbas shared her journey through the ups and downs of postpartum life, alongside a series of touching images capturing precious moments with her daughter. The actor posted a carousel of white booties, a baby pink embellished cake, plush toys and a wall poster which reads “Welcome home, baby Noor-e-Jahan and Mommy.”

Expressing her gratitude for the support from her fans, friends, and family, the 33-year-old delved into the essence of her postpartum experience, describing it as a transformative journey from “nothingness to everything”.

“First and foremost- Thank you to all my friends and family and my amazing fans for all the pyaar and duayein (love and prayers). I read all your comments and messages,” Abbas penned in the caption. “It’s just Insane. The journey from nothingness to everything. This rush of joy and power. The feeling that I can conquer anything now. The nourishment of empowerment and love.”

She furthered on, “The tears, the all-nighters, the difficulties in understanding what the baby wants. Which cry will signal me of a particular task/action. How to position the head - how to lengthen the body, how to massage the fragile bones that you can hear sounds of.” 

She candidly discussed the challenges of deciphering her newborn's needs, mastering the art of baby care and the overwhelming feelings of confusion that often accompany the postpartum period. Abbas emphasised the need for new mothers to accept help, prioritize self-care and embrace their achievements without succumbing to the pressure of perfection.

She reflected, “The questions that will only be answered by spending alone time with the baby. The pressure to know it all in these 40 days. It’s superior! It’s a lot! And I feel like we don’t talk much about the journey after the birth. Postpartum. It’s real. It’s as real as pregnancy.”

Highlighting the strength inherent in motherhood, Abbas encouraged other new mothers to acknowledge their resilience and reach out for support when needed. She called for normalising conversations around postpartum challenges, aiming to reassure other mothers that they are not alone in their journey.

The Jhoom actor addressed new mothers with a firm reminder to carve their own postpartum journey. “So to all the new mums, take a step back from being a super soldier. You became one by just giving birth by the grace of God. Now step back. Accept help. Rest. Eat. Sleep. Nap. You can tell people to let you be. Don’t take the advice that you don’t like. Swaddle like you like it. Nurse or feed- it’s all up to you. Do as you please,” she advised.

Abbas concluded with the most important consideration: “Listen to your body and your instinct as a mother.” Stressing the need to be patient, she said, “This will be a long road to recovery, but you will be just fine. I promise you. You know why? Because you are a mother. And mothers, oh mothers! Don’t we know their strength enough?"

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