“Empowering Motherhood: Rakhi Kapoor on Why Counselling During Pregnancy and Postpartum Is More Than Just Therapy”

Pregnancy and the postpartum period are transformative phases in a woman’s life—brimming with joy, anticipation, and often, emotional turbulence. Counselling during these pivotal times offers more than guidance—it provides mental resilience, emotional balance, and healthier maternal and infant outcomes. As studies show, even brief, focused interventions can substantially reduce anxiety, depression, and improve bonding with the baby NIH News in HealthUNC School of MedicinePhoenix Children’s Hospital.

Enter Rakhi Kapoor: a physiotherapist-turned-prenatal counsellor with over two decades of experience, founder of Dwi Maternity Studio in Chennai, and celebrated author of 26 books including Deliver With Delight and Expecting Daddy Delivers Rakhi Kapoor – Rakhikapoor.comyuukke.comgisr.foundation. A two-time Golden Book Award winner and an inspiring voice in maternal mental health, Rakhi brings deep empathy and a rich toolkit to support expecting and new mothers Instagramgisr.foundation.

Below is a thoughtfully crafted questionnaire for Celebrity Times’s exclusive edition—designed to let Rakhi Kapoor’s expertise shine through.

1. What inspired you to shift from physiotherapy to specializing in prenatal counselling, and how did your personal experiences influence this path?
   The concept of attending a course on healthy living and wellness during pregnancy was a westernized one and unheard of in India two decades ago. I almost lost my life to childbirth. It was a second chance at life for me after surviving the grim circumstances that panned out while delivering my baby. When I got back on my feet, I realized the need  for expecting women and new moms in the country to have structured professional guidance with regards to how they could take care of themselves during their pregnancy and postnatal phase (immediately after childbirth).

Hence the course of my career took me through events which transpired me to become a pioneering Physiotherapist and a prenatal counsellor. I formulated an Indian version of it and have been guiding thousands of couples over two decades through my centre Dwi Maternity Studio in Chennai two decades ago. My professional background as a physiotherapist led me to become one of the pioneers of Prenatal Counselling in India.

I strapped my five month old baby and went door to door meeting obstetricians , hospitals , maternity clinics to generate awareness about this concept. 

Along with prenatal counselling I have also written books to spread awareness about the needs of expecting women and new mothers.I have authored innovative books for expecting women like Deliver with Delight; a book on pregnancy for Indian Fathers called Expecting Daddy Delivers which has been translated into Hindi Behtar Pati Behtareen Pita; A book on mental health for young expecting women and moms called Mums Mental health and Milestones for which I received the International Author Excellence Award in Dubai in June 2025.

1. How does antenatal counselling benefit expectant mothers and their babies—emotionally, mentally, and physically?
   Finding a balance between the changes and challenges around pregnancy and childbirth; meeting the demands of antenatal and post-partum phase while balancing their professional and personal commitments towards their families is quiet a task for an expecting mother. Its not possible for an expecting woman or new mom to anticipate how she needs to navigate these phases in her life entirely on her own during the limited time without guidance to make informed choices. Besides the raging hormones , physiological changes, emotional needs during these phases can pose great challenges to deal with such a massive responsibility like health of the mother, the fetus, safe childbirth and a pleasant post-natal experience.Prenatal Counselling ensures that expecting women are able to take care of their nutrition and balance weight gain for the healthy development of the fetus; avoid lifestyle related conditions like gestational diabetes, be prepared for a smooth childbirth process and manage their energy and time well for the extremely demanding task of nursing and taking care of a new born baby.Hence a an expecting woman and a new mom needs help during this phase which will definitely make the whole experience a pleasurable one.

1. At Dwi Maternity Studio, what are the core components of your antenatal counselling approach? How are sessions structured?
   At Dwi Maternity Studio pregnancy and the post-natal needs of a new mom approached with a birds eye view  where the big picture starting from conception to parenting is encompassed. Ideally the couples register after the nausea and vomiting subsides safely to say in their second trimester. Sessions are dedicated to fitness, maintaining a healthy diet during the pregnancy, bonding between the couples and the baby, preparing for childbirth and immediate post-natal recovery, lactation and breast feeding along with parenting skills that would last a lifetime. The mental health of the expecting mother and new mom is of priority through the whole course.At Dwi Maternity Studio we have tailored sessions for managing high risk pregnancies, pre pregnancy counselling, perimenopause and infertility as well.

1. How does counselling help in preventing or mitigating prenatal or postpartum depression and anxiety—and why is early intervention so vital?
   Young mothers need to plan and organize their lives in terms of getting their support structure in place during the pregnancy before having her baby and in the post-natal phase.. They need to communicate with their spouse and get them involved in the pregnancy and in the post-natal phase.

Pregnancy is a time when emotions run high both in the expecting mother and the whole family. Counselling helps everyone step back to take a pause to deal with this overwhelming phase calmly so that everyone can work together for better maternal and fetal outcomes. Everyone wants a healthy baby. Only if the mother is healthy during the pregnancy will the fetus be healthy. When I mean mother’s health I insist that emotional wellbeing and mental health of the mother along with physical wellbeing is important. Understanding what needs to be done and how it should be done through better communication for effective results can be facilitated with the help of a professional but at the end of the day the whole family needs to gets hands on with supporting the expecting mother and the new mom. A counsellor can help bridge the gaps , enhance the lines of communication and cooperation along with providing guidance to the mother and the expecting dad.

1. How do you integrate emotional support with practical techniques—like preparation for parenthood, managing expectations, or strengthening relationships?
   If the family members and spouse can be sensitised and made to understand the struggles of a woman, that would make every woman’s pregnancy and immediate post-natal phase joyous and relaxing .Women are programmed to deal with emotional upheavals and designed to over think so they can anticipate threats and avoid danger which harm her fetus or baby. When we take the caring loving child bearing women and put her in an urban jungle sharing responsibilities  like earning, procuring having a full-fledged career, it can get too much on her. So from being calm to chaos in no time is actually a woman’s strength. As much as she enjoys snuggling with her baby makes her calm, she can suddenly get infuriated when she senses threat towards her child and herself. That’s why women have mood swings , easily feel blue or lash out when they feel neglected. This is a life skill which reflects upon a woman’s interactions in every situation beyond her maternal responsibilities.

Expectations and emotions are high. Let’s not ignore the fact that labour pains and child birth is definitely a matter of fear and discomfort which keeps a woman sleepless during the pregnancy. Only a woman can embrace a pregnancy and have a baby even after going through labour pains which by the way are known to be one of the highest in intensity.An already exhausted, nearly traumatised, sleep starved  individual with iron deficiencies, back pain, a surgical suture ( episiotomy or LSCS) depending on the mode of delivery has to relentlessly take care of her new born day in and out for months .

Can you for one minute imagine what would happen to an individual if they didn’t get support, comfort and understanding from their partners and other loved ones?Can you also feel how helpful it would be for a woman and how grateful she would feel if she got the support of her spouse and loved ones during this phase.The truth is no one can walk in the shoes of a pregnant woman, go through hours of gruesome labour pains or sleepless night nursing her baby but definitely the partner, extended family and grandparents could just show empathy, kindness and support her.She feels more calmer and confident through this phase which will definitely enhance her emotional wellbeing and mental health.  Feeling drained, confused and neglected will make the mental state of a young woman or a new mom take a plunge towards the worst.

Emotional and mental stress during these phases in a woman are known to have long term negative effects like depression, anxiety, remorse in a woman long after pregnancy and postpartum phase. Unresolved trauma. Neglect, feeling abandoned can take a toll on a woman’s mental health for worse and change their personality permanently. I personally insist that fathers to be and extended family members who will be actively participating in the mothers daily routine with pregnancy and infant care attend specific sessions.

1. A family is the most fundamental unit of a society. The woman of the house, the mother, anchors the family . She is the first embodiment of love and trust for the child. If that gets messed up in children the future of mankind will be questionable.

2. For expecting mothers and new parents—what advice would you give for maintaining mental wellness beyond professional counselling?
   Planning would be the most crucial part . Young couples need to plan ahead about starting a family by aligning their professional and financial goals. Working on the relationship and strengthening their bond for emotional support , roles and responsibilities sharing will go a long way. Pregnancy lasts for a ten month, post-partum phase will pass eventually but parenting is a life long responsibility. Moreover today the game has changed. Women are no longer confined to their homes and rearing children alone, they are bread winners and career women which is a massive added responsibility in today’s times. Planning, delegating, managing time and energy, balancing all the responsibilities and overcoming obstacles will put the expecting mother and the new mom’s mind to rest. Everyone knows what to do in order to live a peaceful and well balanced life. The challenge lies in executing it. The right amount of exercise, reduced stress, keeping things simple, getting adequate sleep and eating healthy are the main precursors for a healthy mother in turn having a healthy baby.