'Nobody tells you how hard it is': Sonam Kapoor opens up about the struggles of pregnancy

Bollywood actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja recently announced she is pregnant with her first child. In an interview with Vogue India the actor opened up about her pregnancy journey, sharing how the first few months were difficult because no one had prepared her for them.

In the interview published on March 24, Kapoor talked about how she's worked on having a healthy body image, as well as the new chapter in her life — motherhood. For the Neerja star, pregnancy brought a unique set of challenges. She talked about how her pregnancy journey hasn't been easy, especially the first three months which proved difficult in a way she hadn't been prepared for.

"It's been tough — nobody tells you how hard it is. Everybody tells you how wonderful it is," said the actor. She also talked about how she's staying healthy during her first pregnancy. "If you want to carry another life within you, you have to respect your own,” she said, referring to her eating and exercise habits.

The 36-year-old focuses more on keeping herself healthy rather achieving a certain body weight. “I'm not trying to be on some high protein diet to get to 15 per cent body fat. Crash dieting is just not sustainable," she said, highlighting how she does a mix of yoga and weight training alongside fostering a healthy relationship with food.

The actor and her husband, Anand Ahuja, shared news of the pregnancy on Instagram on March 21. "Four hands to raise you the very best we can. Two hearts that will beat in unison with yours, every step of the way. One family who will shower you with love and support. We can’t wait to welcome you," their post read.

Many Bollywood actors wished the couple well in the comment section of their announcement posts. Actors Karishma Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Neha Dhupia, Dia Mirza, Malaika Arora, Sonakshi Sinha, Ranveer Singh and Varun Dhawan were among the celebrities that sent their love.

Kapoor Ahuja and her husband tied the knot in 2018. They've been open about their relationship, sharing how they met and how they work on their long distance marriage. The couple often shares photos with each other captioned #EverydayPhenomenal on Instagram and even changed their names post marriage — Kapoor added Ahuja and Ahuja added an S as his middle name.