Looking Back On How New Mom Anushka Sharma Traced Her Pregnancy On Social Media

The moment fans and fanatic paparazzi were waiting for with bated breaths came today when Virat Kohli announced that he and wife Anushka Sharma had been blessed with a baby girl. In a social media note, the Indian skipper wrote that both mother and daughter were doing healthy and that the celebrity couple was looking forward to "start this new chapter." Read our full report here.

Something everyone - from obsessive followers to onlookers - can agree upon is that Sharma traced her pregnancy rather gracefully on social media. From the time she let the world in on the happy news on August 23 last year, the PK actor routinely gave us glimpses into her journey towards motherhood. In the process, she even shattered some well-established social norms that are unfairly expected of pregnant women. From maternity shoots to fitness exercises - she flaunted it all, breaking taboos, and clearing the path for other women wishing to go down similar routes.

Here's a look at Anushka Sharma's pregnancy journey on social media: 

1. On August 23, 2020, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma announced they were expecting their first child in January 2021. Announcing the good news on Twitter, the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil actor had written: “And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021.” The viral picture was heaped with congratulations and excited comments wishing the couple good luck on their new phase of life.

And then, we were three! Arriving Jan 2021 ❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/iWANZ4cPdD

— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) August 27, 2020

2. In September, the actor shared a picture of herself cradling her belly with a profound caption that drew attention to the surreality of procreation and the responsibilities of parenthood. It also gave out a strong message of letting life take its course and not trying to micromanage all that happens. "Nothing is more real & humbling than experiencing creation of life in you . When this is not in your control then really what is ?" she said.

3. She followed that up with a happy picture of herself sporting a strapless swimsuit - an outfit many women either shy away from or are pressured to stay away from in the duration of their pregnancy. In India, though we like to see our celebrities in modern fashion, we ironically have a hard time letting women wear clothes of their choice - pregnant or not. With her pregnant pool picture, she shed society's baseless standards of sanskaar. 

4. In October, the Pari actor made a strong, critical statement on society's obsession with male children. In a story on her Instagram account, she said that having a son was not a privilege and that having a boy actually meant responsibilities on the parents to teach him the rights and wrongs of respecting women. "The only ‘privilege’ is that one has the opportunity to raise a boy in a way that he respects a girl. That’s your DUTY as a parent to society. So, don’t think of it as a PRIVILEGE," she said. 

Picture Credit: Anushka Sharma Instagram

5. Sharma posted a picture with Kohli in November, marking the end of the celebrations for his birthday. Her pregnancy did not stop her from being in the stands and cheering for her husband, who, along with the Indian Cricket Team, was participating in the Indian Premier League being held in UAE. The two were adeptly balancing their pregnancy and tournament at the same time. In a video that had gone viral, they were even seen exchanging an adorable moment with Kohli asking Sharma whether she had eaten.

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have been blessed with a baby girl on January 11. Sharma gave birth to her daughter at Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital on Monday afternoon. #virushka https://t.co/dLHym1ZLvl

— SheThePeople (@SheThePeople) January 11, 2021

6. Sharma's pregnancy made her glow during the period of festivities around Diwali in November. The actor uploaded pictures of herself, all decked up in traditional wear, "to sit at home and eat." However, we reported that a YouTube channel named “Universal In Sights" had added sindoor to her forehead on her Diwali pictures. Thereby once again reiterating how a married-pregnant woman is supposed to look and dress.

7. In December, the yoga enthusiast shared how she had kept at her fitness routine through her pregnancy. But not without the help of her husband Kohli. In the picture she posted, she could be seen performing Shirshasana with Kohli holding up her legs as she took support upside-down against a wall. Sharma said, “For the Shirshasana, which I have been doing for many years, I ensured that I used the wall for support and also my very able husband supporting me balance.” Where pregnant women are expected to do light exercises in the privacy of their bedrooms and such, Sharma showed that there was no harm in showing a pregnant belly.

8. In a photoshoot with Vogue, Sharma donned a stylish look with a plain white shirt and shorts. Expectedly, the image received a lot of backlash since Sharma - a pregnant, Indian woman - had dared to bare her belly for all to see. It's a wonder how people in the country take offence to skin and pregnancy with alarming urgency but readily accept that the woman whose "modesty" they are apparently trying to protect should be abused. For all our obsession with a woman's motherhood, we sure have double standards when a woman tries to own it. It's a shame really and needs to be dispelled. Pregnancy is a beautiful journey for many women, so why the stigma?

PC: Twitter + Anushka Instagram

9. Last week, the actor shared a picture lying on the floor next to her dog. The picture, as many agreed, had a calming effect, with Sharma gazing at her furry friend while it slept in peace. "Serial chillers in the house," she wrote. Sharing however much she wants to share with the audience should have been respected by everyone. But during the week, the then mom-to-be had to resort to calling out a publication for invading her privacy as she sat in the balcony of her home with Kohli. Read more here.

10. And finally, on January 11, proud father Kohli gave the final update as his wife's first pregnancy journey came to a close: a baby girl has been born! Congratulations to the new parents.

♥️ pic.twitter.com/js3SkZJTsH

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 11, 2021

Views expressed are the author's own.