Naomi Osaka gets brutally honest about becoming a mother
Naomi Osaka says that people don’t talk enough about how tough it is to be pregnant and become a mother.
Osaka revealed that her expected ‘beautiful journey’ turned into quite the slog.
She feels that coming through the experience has changed her world entirely.
“I don’t think people know how hard pregnancy is; no one really talks about it as much,” Osaka told People.
“Going into it, you kind of think, ‘Oh, it’s this beautiful journey,’ but it’s kind of rough.
“There was a huge adjustment period. It was life-changing in a day. From the moment that you come back home from the hospital, everything’s different.”
Osaka’s pain was amplified by a difficult labour with baby Shai having the umbilical chord wrapped around her neck.
The tennis star is smitten with her bundle of joy and she has gained a new outlook on the world as a result.
“She is so pure,” Osaka said of her baby Shai.
“Like every time she sees me, no matter what, she’ll smile. And she’s going in the phase now that she’ll kind of reach out her arms a little bit.”
Osaka’s long break from the sport has cemented her resolve to return and give her best to get back to the top of the sport.
“I’ve stepped away from tennis before, but this time, it was the longest duration of my life. And I think it kind of gave me a perspective like, ‘Hey, you’re not going to play tennis forever. And you kind of have to cherish the years that you can play,” Osaka noted.
“I do want to be a good role model for Shai, and I want her to see that this was an important chapter in my life.”
Osaka earns huge amount from her sponsors, but she says they have not put any pressure on her to hurry her return to tennis.
“I’m fortunate to have the support to go back to work on my own terms, in my own time,” Osaka said.
“So many American parents don’t have that choice, but we all deserve it. It has definitely motivated me to speak up about the lack of paid leave and to advocate for new moms in this country.”
Osaka says that her experience of co-parenting with her partner Cordae has been a healthy one.
“I don’t know if it’s because he’s just an easygoing guy, but I think we just respect each other’s opinions. And if we disagree on something, we talk it out,” she said.
“At the end of the day, we both want what’s best for Shai.”
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