The pressures of being a perfect mother

Being a mother, I completely understand the anxieties that accompany the joys of motherhood. Mothers always seek reassurance that they are on the right track,” said celebrity mom Sneha Prasanna who was speaking during the launch of ‘Baby Dove’ product range at Taj Krishna in Banjara Hills on Thursday.

“I am glad that ‘Baby Dove’ is using their brand philosophy of ‘Real Moms’ to encourage mothers across the country to believe in their abilities. My message to Indian mothers is to have confidence in their abilities and not be pressurised to be perfect,” said Prasanna.

The launch of the brand also entailed an interesting panel discussion that highlighted the pressures and anxieties faced by an Indian mother, as revealed by the ‘Real Mothers Heard’ survey conducted by Baby Dove.

The survey respondents comprised mothers from six different geographies including USA, UK, India, China, Brazil and Mexico. Prasanna along with clinical psychologists, Varkha Chulani and Dr Uday Ananth Pai (Ex-President of Indian Academy of Pediatrics (IAP)) shared their points of view on the topic.

Curse of perfection
Drawing points from their personal experiences, the panel reassured mothers to ‘trust their way’ as there is no right way of parenting.

A few surprising insights unearthed by the study showcase that 90 per cent of Indian moms feel pressured to be a perfect parent. India ranks highest globally with 54 per cent, where moms would like to go to work rather than stay at home. Upto 67 per cent new mothers feel guilty when they return to work, rather than staying at home with their child.

“From choosing a preferred way of feeding, educating and disciplining their child, or deciding if and when to go back to work, the study revealed split views among women, ultimately showing there is not one ‘right way’ to parent.

Even more interestingly, we note that all over the world, mothers are feeling the same way. We want mothers to know that when it comes to themselves and their babies, they do know best,” explained Chulani.

“We know that having a baby is a turning point in a woman’s life, but this joyous new chapter also comes with new concerns, one of the key ones being baby skincare. Mothers today are facing an enormous amount of pressure; whether it’s balancing views of family, peers and society not to mention the mounting advice available on the topic of the correct way to parent,” added Dr Pai.

Expressing her happiness on bringing the product range to India, Prabha Narasimhan, Vice-President Skincare - Hindustan Unilever, said, “At Baby Dove, we believe that mildness alone is just the first step to protecting a baby’s delicate skin.

Our aim is to go beyond mildness and ensure that the lost moisture is replenished, thereby providing superior care. We strongly feel that the Baby Dove campaign resonates with moms globally, and we have set out to reassure moms that they know what’s best for their child.”