India, May 10 -- Actor Pankhuri Awasthy Rode, who welcomed twins with her actor-husband Gautam Rode, believes that "motherhood is an experience that fundamentally reshapes a person, especially an artist." "Your world completely changes once you become a mother," she says. "I think as an actor, there is a lot of depth and a lot of new emotions that you are not feeling until you become a mother-immense love, fear, protection, and all the maternal feelings." On balancing work and kids: "There is a feeling of guilt that comes with motherhood, 'are you doing enough?' If you take some time for yourself, you wonder, 'is that right?' or 'Is it okay getting back to work?' All these questions suddenly seem like really big, especially with the responsibility of bringing up children and bringing them up the right way. I think it works both ways for me; it adds a layer of emotion while also giving me a new, vivid sense of being and passion towards my work."While many try to prepare expecting mothers for the journey ahead, Pankhuri admits that nothing quite prepares you for the reality, especially when dealing with twins. "You learn on the job. remember being so scared; the responsibilities can easily overwhelm you. I think that is what surprised me-showing up for my kids as a mother. Honestly, you don't know you have it in you to be this kind of mother to your kids." The pressure on women in the entertainment industry to "bounce back" quickly is imm-ense, a challenge Pankhuri navigated with intention and self-care. "It's not easy to bounce back immediately, and like I said, you become a new person. You miss the older self sometimes," she explains. She chose not to stress over quick weight loss, especially while feeding her children, prioritising her body's needs. The rigorous schedule of daily television was a major deterrent for her return to acting. "I knew that even now I am not 100% confident about how I will manage... television is pretty rigorous, so I knew that right now I cannot do that with the kids and I am also extremely for their upbringing... because all of these initial phases of growth are so crucial to a child's development."...