Freida Pinto Says Expecting Moms Are 'Ill-Prepared' for Postpartum Journey

Freida Pinto opened up about educating herself on birth and postpartum ahead of welcoming her son Rumi-Ray back in November

Photo: Baby by HATCH

Freida Pinto made sure she adequately prepared for her postpartum journey after giving birth to son Rumi-Ray in November.

In a recent interview with Babe by HATCH, t​​he Slumdog Millionaire star, 37, reflected on the "beautiful" birth experience and admitted that she had to educate herself a lot about the fourth trimester as women are often unprepared for it.

"I was well aware after a very traumatic experience in my life that postpartum is a journey and something we're ill-prepared for," she explained. "I learned that early on when I got pregnant with Rumi. I put all the pregnancy books aside and jumped into the 4th trimester and I decided I was going to gear myself up for the year after birth more than stressing about the pregnancy itself."

"It's great to know about the body and be in the loop but most of that gets taken care of at the doctor. But then during postpartum, those appointments fall away," Pinto continued. "You get one appointment at the six-week mark. Even then, it's too late and there's no information then. So I decided to buck the trend of learning about the trimesters in this linear way and did a deep dive into birth and postpartum."

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Baby by HATCH

The actress told the outlet that she "completely immersed" herself in two books — Kimberly Johnson's The Fourth Trimester and Ina May Gaskin's Ina May's Guide to Childbirth — and also "leaned into my Indian traditions of how a mother is taken care of post-birth and I really prepped my postpartum sanctuary by how I wanted to be nurtured."

Additionally, Pinto said she was also extremely healthy by the time her son arrived.

"I took care of my body nutritionally," she said. "By the time Rumi came, I had a body and mind that supported me through it as well. Nothing is more beautiful than the preparation of the mind."

Pinto's emphasis on preparation is why she partnered with Anya, an online platform that offers postpartum support. She shared, "So many women in America and across the world are deprived of the joy of enjoying the postpartum journey. It feels more like suffering or a hill to climb, and one you must climb fast because you have to get back to work."

"Easing that journey is my calling. I'm a first-time mom at 37 years old who wants to see a better world for mothers across the world."

L: Caption . PHOTO: Freida Pinto/Instagram

R: Caption . PHOTO: Freida Pinto/Instagram

Pinto made the announcement in November that she and husband Cory Tran welcomed their first baby, sharing photos of the newborn on their respective Instagram accounts in honor of Tran's birthday.

The first picture shows Tran sleeping with newborn Rumi-Ray on his chest, while the second shot captures the new mom and baby snuggling cheek to cheek.

The actress captioned the loving snapshots: "Happy Birthday Dada Cory! I celebrate you my husband, friend and partner in life."

She continued, "To see you become not just a Dad but Super-Dad makes me so emotional and fills me with joy. It also gives this sleep deprived Mama a break and you have no idea how much I appreciate that! I am so grateful and in love with how we do life together. Love you madly."

"Rumi-Ray you are one lucky boy!" Pinto added.