Priyanka Chopra Jonas is embracing the joys of motherhood and cherishing every moment with her daughter Malti Marie, who is now 15 months old.
In a recent interview with TODAY’s spring cover, Chopra Jonas opened up about how being a mom has helped her understand the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
The 40-year-old Citadel actress shared that once her workday is over, her priority is spending quality time with her baby girl. She believes that no matter what, it’s crucial to take some time out for your family, especially for your little ones.
Chopra Jonas shared that after her workday, she enjoys giving her daughter a bath, reading her bedtime stories, and spending some quality time with her.
She told the outlet that after her daughter goes to bed, it’s her time to spend with her husband Nick. “After that, I’m not available. We do bath time, storytime, and bedtime. And then it’s our time (for me and Nick), whether we … have friends over or just sit together and watch a movie.”
After their daughter Malti was born and spent over 100 days in the NICU, actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas and her husband Nick Jonas, 30, leaned on each other for support. Chopra Jonas recalls a moment when she was feeling overwhelmed and didn’t know what to do, and Nick comforted her by holding her shoulders and telling her to get into the car with him.
“I remember [Nick] just held me by my shoulders, and I said, ‘Just tell me what to do, because I don’t know what to do,’” Chopra recalls. “And he’s like, ‘Just get into the car with me.’ And we drove to the hospital.”
Chopra Jonas shared that since Malti’s birth, she has never been without one of them by her side.
Although Priyanka Chopra Jonas and her husband ensured they had someone with their daughter Malti at all times during her extended hospital stay, the actress reflects on the experience and believes that it was not a test for them, but rather a test for their daughter.
Chopra Jonas realized early on that she needed to be strong for her daughter and provide her with the support she needed during this challenging time. She was determined to be there for her daughter every step of the way.
Even after their daughter was discharged from the hospital, Chopra Jonas admits to struggling with adjusting to caring for her baby outside of the hospital environment.
To ensure her daughter’s safety, she would often put her ear on her chest to listen to her heartbeat and woke up every couple of minutes to check on her. This routine went on for weeks.
“[In the NICU], you know your child is alive because you can see their heartbeat (on the monitor). I couldn’t sleep for days because now suddenly she was home without a monitor,” she reflects. “I used to put my ear on her chest. I would wake up every couple of minutes just to see if she was OK. For weeks, this went on.”