Being A Mother Doesn’t Mean Pressing Pause On Who You Are: Masoom Minawala

When I became a mother, everything changed — my routines, my sleep, my priorities. But one thing I held onto with everything I had was me. It’s easy to feel like motherhood demands a full reset, that once the baby arrives, your dreams, passions, and identity have to be packed up and stored away for “someday”. But here’s the truth no one tells you loudly enough: you’re still you. You’re just evolving — not erasing.

In those early weeks, when I was knee-deep in feedings and sleepless nights, I had moments where I felt like I was disappearing into the background of my own life. But I reminded myself — the woman who built a career, who walked global fashion weeks, who stood tall against every “She’ll never make it” — she didn’t vanish. She became a mother and continued to be everything else she always was.

I’ve heard people question my capabilities because I’m a woman. I’ve been told I needed a male co-founder to be taken seriously. After my baby was born, some even advised me to stop working — to “focus only on the baby” as though I couldn’t possibly do both. But every time someone said I couldn’t, it only deepened my belief that I must. Not just for myself, but for every woman whose potential is measured unfairly.

I still show up to shoot. I still get excited about putting on a blazer or planning content. I still want to create, grow, and express. And yes, some days it’s chaotic, some days it’s messy — but it’s mine. And that’s what matters.

There’s so much pressure on women to become only “Mom” once they have children. But I truly believe our children benefit when they see us being whole — when they see us living with purpose, joy, and authenticity. I want my child to grow up knowing that their mother chased her dreams and chose herself too, alongside choosing them every single day.

Balance isn’t a perfect equation. Some days my children need more of me, and I give them the time and attention. Other days, I need to pour into myself and my work, and I don’t feel guilty about that. Because I’ve learnt that being a good mother doesn’t come from sacrificing your entire identity — it comes from staying rooted in it.

So to every new mother feeling like she’s losing herself — you’re not. You’re still here. Still powerful. Still worthy of your own dreams. You don’t have to press pause. You just have to let the new version of you unfold, one beautiful day at a time.

Views expressed by the author are their own.