Celeb Mom Sarwat Gilani Shares How Postpartum Depression Made Her Want To Hurt Her Baby

Pakistani Actress Sarwat Gilani is in the news and for all the good reasons. Sarwat, who last starred in the internationally acclaimed film Joyland, just gave a voice to so many  mothers who silently struggle with postpartum blues. She bravely opened up about her personal struggles in a recent interview with Ary Digital, where she reflected on her experience about how she had to fight the overpowering urge to hurt her baby. Read to know her story. 

Sarwat Gilani’s pregnancy

Sarwat announced her pregnancy in October last year, by sharing a picture of her baby bump with her co-stars and a beautifully penned down note that read “Couldn’t think of a better picture to announce our new arrival! Celebrating together the biggest joy of now and the future". The words clearly reflected how happy she was to welcome her third baby. 

Sarwat Gilani’s announces daughter’s birth

Sarwat took to her Instagram account to share the arrival of her baby girl in December last year. "Rohaan and Araiz are delighted to announce the arrival of their newborn baby sister. Please keep us in your prayers” she wrote. However, in her latest interview, she spoke about how she faced challenges in bonding with her daughter. She had never experienced something like this in her past 2 pregnancies and the whole experience was quite overwhelming. 

Sarwat Gilani’s battle against postpartum depression

Sarwat, who had undergone a major surgery, met her baby in the hospital after 4 days. The baby struggled to breastfeed and that is when she started having thoughts about dropping her. She explains, “I've never had postpartum depression with my 2 sons, however, this time, I realized what postpartum depression actually is. I met my daughter in the hospital after 4 days, as I had myself undergone a serious surgery. When I met her, she was struggling to breastfeed and I was struggling myself. At that point, I had the thought that I should just drop her. If I do it all these problems will come to an end. When I entered the room I was crying. I told Fahad that I wanted to hurt the newborn. He told me that these are postpartum blues.”

Winning the battle against postpartum depression

Postpartum depression is more common than you think and it can be debilitating for some. For Sarwat, it was her husband, Fahad who helped her win her battle. She further added "It’s crucial to understand that these feelings are not permanent. They’re part of a temporary mental state caused by postpartum depression. Awareness is key—understanding that these strange feelings are not a reflection of who you are but rather the result of your current mental condition. It’s important to educate oneself about postpartum depression to better cope with it. During that stage, anything can happen"

She later shared a post on Instagram, emphasizing the importance of raising awareness about postpartum depression. “Postpartum Depression is real, do not ignore it, read about it, be empathetic towards women, daughters, sisters and wives going through it. For further information on this topic please contact your physician. Turn your struggle into strength” she wrote. 

Postpartum depression is real and many mothers going through it may feel helpless because it is difficult to explain why you want to hurt the baby that you have long waited for. At Parentune we understand what you are going through and we are here to help you find answers to all the questions that may be crowding your mind. Let’s raise awareness and make a greater impact.