"I did not marry, because of my pregnancy": Dia Mirza on embracing parenthood

Actress Dia Mirza, who tied the knot with businessman Vaibhav Rekhi in February this year, announced that she is expecting her first child last week in an Instagram post. Responding to the news of Dia’s pregnancy, an Instagram user asked why she did not share the news before she got married. “That's so good, congrats. But the problem is, she tried to break the stereotypes with woman priest, why couldn't she announce her pregnancy before the marriage? Isn't becoming pregnant after marriage a stereotype we follow? Why can't women get pregnant before marriage?” the user wrote. Dia said that her and Vaibhav’s decision to get married was not a result of her pregnancy. She added ‘there must never be any shame attached to this beautiful journey’ and maintained that she did not reveal anything earlier only due to medical reasons.“ Interesting question. 

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Firstly, we didn’t marry because we were having a baby together. We were already marrying as we wanted to spend our lives together. We discovered we were going to have a baby while we were planning our wedding. So this marriage is not the result of pregnancy. We didn’t announce the pregnancy until we knew its safe (medical reasons). This is the happiest news of my life. I’ve waited for many many years for this to happen. No way I would hide it for any reason other than medical,” she wrote. “Only answering this because: 1) Having a child is a beautiful gift of life 2) There must never be any shame attached to this beautiful journey 3) As women we must always exercise our choice 4) Whether we choose to be single and parent a child or be in a marriage it is after all our choice 5) As a society we must un stereotype our idea of what is right or wrong, instead of training ourselves to ask what is fair or unfair,” she added. Dia announced that she and Vaibhav are expecting their first child via an Instagram post on Friday. She shared a picture of herself from her honeymoon in the Maldives, in which she was seen cradling her baby bump. “Blessed to be… One with Mother Earth… One with the Life Force that is the beginning of everything… Of all stories. Lullabies. Songs. Of new saplings. And the blossoming of hope. Blessed to cradle this purest of all dreams in my womb,” she wrote.