Actor Ileana D’Cruz has opened up about her second pregnancy, sharing how she chose to go through the delivery without an epidural. Speaking with NDTV, the new mother revealed that while the experience
was empowering, her postpartum phase turned out to be far more difficult this time.
Ileana D’Cruz on going unmedicated during her second pregnancy
The actor said she wanted to approach her second childbirth differently, deciding to push herself. “I said I’m going to go unmedicated this time. I’m not going to do the epidural. I told my nurse that we need to come up with a plan because this is what I want to do. And it was great because she worked with me, and we actually did it. It was amazing,” Ileana shared.
Struggles after delivery
While her decision gave her a sense of achievement, Ileana admitted that the postpartum journey was much tougher. “…the second time, it’s not just the baby, it’s the baby, it’s your toddler, it’s you. It’s all those factors. It’s trying to figure out yourself physically and get your strength back, and the new mental space is completely messed up. So it’s incredibly hard,” she said.
Family and new beginnings
Ileana’s personal life took a happy turn in 2023 when she tied the knot with Michael Dolan in an intimate ceremony. That same year, she welcomed her first child, Koa Phoenix Dolan, in August. More recently, on June 19, 2025, the couple became parents once again with the birth of their second son, Keanu Rafe Dolan.
On Paparazzi and Her Children
In the same interview, Ileana spoke candidly about being photographed in India with her children and why she finds it unsettling. “It would definitely have been hard for me to be photographed with my babies. It would just be incredibly confusing for them. And it’s not fair to them because they wouldn’t understand what is going on. I would not be okay with it,” she said.
Her concern stems from the fact that her children, still very young, might not fully grasp the idea of being constantly followed and photographed. However, Ileana also pointed out her positive experiences with the Mumbai paparazzi during her career. “I’ve had a good relationship with the paps in Bombay, and every time I have told them, ‘Listen, I’m not comfortable, please don’t take a picture,’ they’ve actually respected my wishes. So if it were to come to that, I think they would understand not to take pictures of the babies,” she explained.
On the work front
The actor was last seen in Do Aur Do Pyaar (2024), a romantic comedy co-starring Vidya Balan, Pratik Gandhi, and Sendhil Ramamurthy.
