THE WEIGHT NO ONE TALKS ABOUT SARU MUKHERJEE On Motherhood & Mental Health

Motherhood transforms a woman in ways that are rarely spoken about—beyond the visible changes to the body.

- 

Hormones shift, priorities change, energy fades, and somewhere along the way, many women quietly place themselves last. For Saru Mukherjee, the journey after childbirth was not about chasing a “pre-baby body,” but about reclaiming strength, stamina, and mental well-being. This is her honest story of burnout, resilience, and choosing health as a form of survival.

When I conceived, I weighed 49 kg. Doctors were worried—about my body, about childbirth, and about whether my baby would be healthy. After nearly two years of trying to conceive, fear took over. I didn't want to leave anything to chance, so I followed every instruction and ate for two. By the end of my pregnancy, I had gained 24 kg—almost double of what I was advised.

After giving birth, I barely recognized my body. For the first time in my life, I didn't fit into an XS. Breastfeeding and mindful eating helped me lose weight, but something else was happening quietly — I was losing muscle, strength, and energy. I remember reading that breastfeeding mothers can lose bone density rapidly, and suddenly my constant weakness made sense. Still, I did nothing because the scale showed an “ideal” number.

But My Body Knew Better.