Parineeti Chopra Says Leaving Baby for Work Felt Like ‘Physical Pain’: ‘I Was Only Sobbing for Three Hours’

Parineeti Chopra has opened up about the emotional experience of returning to work after becoming a mother, recalling the first time she had to leave her baby at home for a work trip.

In a recent interview with India Today, the actor described the separation as an overwhelming experience and said she spent the entire three-hour journey crying.

Parineeti, who welcomed her first child with husband Raghav Chadha in 2025, said the experience came after she had spent several months at home with her son following childbirth.

For her, the feeling went beyond what she would normally describe as “mom guilt.”

Parineeti Chopra Recalls Her First Work Trip After Motherhood

Speaking about the first time she travelled for work after spending months with her baby, Parineeti said she barely remembers the journey.

She recalled:

“The very first time that I had to leave my baby, and this was after many, many months of postpartum, being at home 24/7, day and night.”

The actor said the emotional impact was so intense that she could not recall details of her flight or journey.

“When I left him for the first time, I don’t remember that flight to Bombay. I don’t remember it. I don’t know when I walked through the airport, boarded the flight, landed, reached home. I have no memory. I was only sobbing for three hours.”

Parineeti said that, at the time, she wondered whether she would ever be able to return to her professional life.

“I thought I would never be able to work again. I would never be able to do anything again.”

Describing the sensation, she said it felt less like ordinary guilt and more like physical pain.

“It’s not guilt. It’s crippling physical pain that you feel leaving your baby.”

‘The Baby’s Fine, Everybody’s Having a Blast’

Parineeti acknowledged that her son was safe at home and surrounded by family while she was away.

She said the situation was reassuring on paper, but that knowledge did not necessarily make the separation emotionally easier.

“The baby’s fine. They’re nothing to do with your absence. The family’s fine. Everybody’s having a blast.”

She added that her family would sometimes encourage her to remain away for a little longer, yet the emotional reaction to leaving her child persisted.

For Parineeti, that conflict between knowing her child is safe and still feeling distressed about being away is what made the experience particularly difficult.

She described the feeling as “mom guilt” and suggested that it is influenced by both biology and social expectations.

“I think it’s, of course, biological, but it’s also societal.”

Parineeti Questions Pressure on Working Mothers

The actor also discussed the scrutiny that mothers can face when they return to professional life.

Parineeti said women are sometimes asked where their children are when they leave home for work.

“There are a lot of women who will come up to me and say, ‘So, where’s your baby?’ And I’m like, ‘He’s at home.’ And that’s just not allowed.”

She questioned why becoming a mother should automatically be seen as a reason for a woman to step away from her career.

Her comments highlighted the tension many working mothers can experience between professional responsibilities and expectations surrounding childcare.

Parineeti also spoke about the assumption that a mother should always be physically present with her child.

“It’s so sad that we cannot apparently live a normal life again once we have a baby.”

Parineeti and Raghav Want to Challenge the Narrative

Parineeti said she and Raghav are consciously trying to approach parenthood in a way that allows both of them to continue with their respective professional lives.

She said the couple hopes their experience can provide an example for others who are navigating similar circumstances.

“I think Raghav and I are making a very conscious effort to change that narrative, and we want to be an example to anybody who would like to take from our journey.”

Her comments reflect her personal experience of balancing motherhood with work rather than suggesting that every mother experiences separation in the same way.

‘Mom Guilt Will Never Go’

Parineeti also spoke about how her relationship with motherhood may continue to evolve throughout her life.

Rather than expecting the feeling to disappear completely, she believes a mother’s concern for her child can remain part of the relationship indefinitely.

“I don’t think that mom guilt is emotional. It will never go. Even when I’m 90 years old, my mom will ask me, ‘Have you eaten today?’ That will never end, and I will never let it end.”

The comment also reflected her broader point that caring for a child does not necessarily end when a mother returns to work.

For Parineeti, the challenge lies in learning to manage that attachment while continuing to pursue a professional identity.

Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha’s Family

Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha married on September 24, 2023, in Rajasthan.

The couple welcomed their first child, a baby boy, on October 19, 2025.

Since becoming a mother, Parineeti has spoken about the changes that parenthood has brought to her personal and professional life. Her latest comments offer a candid account of the emotions she experienced when she first had to travel away from her son for work.