Shark Tank's Ghazal Alagh on suffering from postpartum depression: 'While I loved my baby, breastfeeding was so tough'

Shark Tank judge Ghazal Alagh candidly shares her tough pregnancy journey and struggles with postpartum depression in a recent interview.

Ghazal Alagh, former Shark Tank India judge and founder of Mama Earth, recently opened up in an interview with Official People of India about her pregnancy journey. She candidly shared her struggles with postpartum challenges, weight gain during pregnancy, and the emotional and physical hurdles she faced, offering an honest and relatable perspective for many women. Let's dive into her story and take some valuable insights.

Ghazal Alagh opens up about pregnancy challenges and postpartum depression

Ghazal Alagh, a mother of two, opened up about her experiences with pregnancy, saying ‘every pregnancy is different’, and for her, both her pregnancies ‘were tough, especially the second one’. Both of her children were premature, with deliveries happening before the ninth month.

Ghazal mentioned that her second pregnancy came with various physical and emotional challenges. "It was tough because there are a lot of supplements that you need to take, and most of those supplements did not suit me." She shared how her dietician put her on a red meat diet to cope with iron levels and ensure proper blood flow to the baby.

She also revealed how she experienced significant weight gain during her first pregnancy. In the last three months, she gained almost 20 kilos. By the time she delivered in August, she weighed 90 kg. After delivery, she thought it was just baby weight, but she soon realized it wasn’t a 30 kg baby. When she stepped back on the scale, she was still 87 kg. Everyone told her it would take time to get back to normal, but the toughest part was getting used to this new body and the self she was seeing.

‘I didn’t want to look at myself in the mirror’

She described her postpartum journey as equally challenging both physically and emotionally. She shared that even before postpartum, she was tired and realized she was so used to seeing herself in a certain body that when anything changed, she became very uncomfortable with her own self. She didn’t want to look at herself in the mirror, and felt a little less confident, unhealthy.

The stress also impacted her ability to breastfeed. Ghazal explained that because so much was going on in her mind about her own self, she wasn't getting proper milk supply. Breastfeeding became a struggle, and at that time, she didn’t even realize she was going through postpartum depression. It was a lot mentally and physically, and she admitted she didn’t even know about it back then.

Emotional struggle of postpartum journey

She also opened up about the deep emotional struggle she faced during her postpartum journey, describing days when she couldn't bring herself to step out of her room. Even if she had guests happily coming home to congratulate her, it irritated her. She felt trapped, emotionally drained, and said it kind of boxed her in, making her feel down and on the verge of tears. If somebody came home, the second they left, she just felt like crying again.

She also shared a heartbreaking emotional conflict. "While I loved my baby with all my heart, breastfeeding was so tough that a lot of the time I would think: 'Please don't bring him near me. I don't want to feed him.'" Ghazal revealed how this led her to feel like a bad mother, saying, “People are so happy when they have kids, and here I was, sc***ing up my family and not loving the baby the way I thought I should.”

Ghazal credited her family's unwavering support during these tough times, saying that both her mothers could tell something was off, as could Varun. His encouragement, like complimenting her and suggesting outings, helped her feel emotionally supported.

She also discussed the complications in her second pregnancy, including reduced blood circulation to the baby, thick blood, and daily injections. Despite these challenges, Ghazal continued with her professional commitments, even shooting for Shark Tank during her seventh and eighth months. Before the shoot, she used to take an injection, and after the shoot ended, she would go home and take another.

Ghazal Alagh's journey through pregnancy and postpartum depression sheds light on the often-overlooked struggles many mothers face. Her story is a reminder of the importance of family support, self-awareness, and seeking help when needed.