Having dealt with challenges all her life, Mukuchyan is no stranger to pressure; however, in her own words, "Each phase of life has its challenges but its beauty," so she's embracing it. A TEDx speaker and winner of multiple awards for her work in the makeup and beauty space, Mukuchyan feels her journey has just begun, and it all started with the physical and mental change happening inside her body.

Motherhood Is Transformative

Mukuchyan's prolific repository of work usually takes centre stage on her Instagram page; however, now and then, one can spot glimpses of her private life and her beautiful family consisting of her husband, DJ Irenee Sutter and her son, Phoenix. And the abundant love that pours out in each one of these personal moments is evident. "I always wanted to be a mom," quips Mukuchyan, adding, "I always knew it; there's no question about wanting to have a family. I think this may be because I'm Armenian, you know, like we are very family-oriented; similar to Indians."

With her Armenian background firmly in place, Mukuchyan says the question about becoming a parent started early for her, much like it does in traditional Indian families. "My family were already starting (to ask questions) in my '20s. They were like, 'Have you considered?' and I was always just like, 'Yeah, just let me live, let me live my life; it will come on its own. ' Then I was in my '30s and loving my life and the adventures and everything. It's very important that you live your life to the fullest by yourself first because once you enter that chapter (motherhood), that phase of becoming a mom, there's always going to be you and that other person," she says.

While her roots conditioned her to want a family early, Mukuchyan has her head firmly on her shoulders when it comes to parenthood, and she insists one should only opt for it when they're ready, even though it can be positively transformative. "I can understand that women are going through a tough time when they get pregnant, or they don't want to. When I speak with other women, I always say just get into that (motherhood and pregnancy) when you really want it. You really have to want this child and want to become a mom because then I think you can handle these things better."

The Thought Of Egg Freezing

Even though Mukuchyan believes her Armenian roots steered her towards motherhood and she was always going in that direction, she did have moments of doubt where she wasn't sure about conceiving and wanted to freeze her eggs for when she'd have more clarity in life. "In India, things are just so fast-paced with my work and my lifestyle and the years were

passing till I was in my mid '30s. I was just not really meeting the right partner, due to which a fear crawled inside of me and I was like, okay maybe I should just freeze my eggs," she says. Mukuchyan went through one round of egg freezing but eventually didn't use the eggs and is pretty sure she might never use them.

This fear is something she feels resides within a lot of women these days, especially women with careers. "I think that fear is creeping in women who are ambitious and following their dreams. The fear of gaining weight and hormones (going haywire). Maybe they haven't found the right partner yet; they feel like getting pregnant but want to get that pressure out of them. So they do egg freezing. I was 39, and I was almost 40 and still nothing was happening in my life in that way - I didn't even have a partner," she remembers.

"Everyone's case and everyone's fertility level is different," says Mukuchyan as she remembers her own time freezing her eggs. "It was fine for me, but for example, my sister is struggling with it. She did many rounds (of egg freezing) because her body was different and her level of eggs that she could preserve was different, and it was putting a lot of pressure on her. I was feeling very sorry for her because she really struggled for like a whole year and

that insane weight gain and she's also a person in the spotlight. She's a very famous singer

in Armenia," she says.

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Her Son, Phoenix, Changed Everything…

Mukuchyan met her partner shortly after her egg-freezing episode, and she admits she got pregnant shortly after. She compares this short time frame from a two-person relationship to parenthood to arranged marriages in India and insists that if it weren't for her son, she probably wouldn't have been with her partner in the first place. "I met my partner, and very shortly after I got pregnant. We just decided to stay together. And that was the thing, you know, because we didn't know each other, we really jumped into this phase and this responsibility from the beginning. Other people actually have the time to strengthen and build a base, and then with that strong base, they get into parenthood. We were thrown into it (parenthood) and getting to know each other at the same time. This is India; these kinds of relationships exist (arranged marriages), and my experience was very similar. However, I do believe in destiny, and everything really comes together," she says.

Even though Mukuchyan says she and her partner, Irenee, are on the same page when it comes to opinions and parenting, it was the arrival of Phoenix that acted as a glue between the two. "We are really so compatible and really handle things very well. I'm very grateful for having a baby, though, because it just worked for our relationship; it did improve

it. I was speaking with my mom, and I don't even know if I would be with him (Irenee) if it was not for our child who brought us together. There's this thing that they say that babies choose their parents. I really think that our baby chose us to bring us together," she says, beaming.

Is Another Baby On The Way?

As we begin talking about her son, Marianna lights up. With a glint in her eye, she reveals that he is a "very active and beautiful baby" and, almost embarrassed, admits that she is "obsessed" with him. "It's so crazy this obsession you have with this little human. I'm constantly looking at my phone to go through old pictures and to see how much he has changed," she says. And thanks to Phoenix, Mukuchyan says she is open to the thought of having another child. "We're thinking maybe in November because I would like for him to have a sibling. For me, it was also always clear that I want to have at least two children. My sister and I are also two. When I listen to other parents, they're always saying it's such a different ball game to have two kids. But it means the first phase just becomes way more difficult. I see them struggling. I just met two of my friends that just delivered a second

one and actually one of them even has twins. It is very difficult because then the first child wants your attention, wants your presence, but then also you have this newborn. I'm not looking forward to that. But let's cross the bridge when we get there," she sighs.

Nutrition & Breastfeeding

Mukuchyan admits Phoenix is an active toddler, and for someone so little with so much energy, nutrition plays an important role, and the makeup artist ensures he gets the best. "He will try anything; he's not fussy. I got this machine where I put a bunch of vegetables in, and it purees it. We usually eat eggs in the morning, and I try to limit sugars to natural sugars. But sometimes, it is not possible to monitor what he eats. We do our best," she says.

As an infant, Phoenix would exclusively drink breast milk, and with Mukuchyan's busy schedule, that meant constant pumping. "I would pump and refrigerate it with dates. We would also use alternatives like goat's milk and goat milk formula," she says, adding that whenever she felt there were supply issues, she would resort to techniques that have helped her. "There are supplements you can take, specific teas that I was drinking from some German organic brand, which enhances breast milk production. Even eating specific stuff like dates and some pumping techniques, called power pumping I think. I was doing all of that and saw an increase (in breast milk production)."

WhatsApp Mom Groups & A Support System

Mukuchyan is first about the fact that her motherhood journey was greatly supplemented and supported by the mom groups that she's been a part of; she has even considered them more helpful than going to doctors. "I believe, and I really trust some fellow moms, more than even a doctor, you know. I was in so many mommy WhatsApp groups during this time. I was in some mommy WhatsApp groups in Morocco. I was in some mommy WhatsApp groups in India. I even had some mommy friends WhatsApp groups from Cape Town. These fellow moms, they really stick together, and they help each other, and it's so nice to have this support system. I trust these mommy communities more than doctors because there were so many false diagnoses with doctors. With moms, you know we have this inner instinct," she says, all praise for the groups that supported her during her motherhood journey.

The Vaccination Debate

Mukuchyan admits she's seen both ends of the spectrum when it comes to vaccines: people who are pro-vaccine and those who are against it. From the mommy WhatsApp groups she's a part of, to her own family, there are people divided on both ends of the argument. What's her thought though? "So the thing is that I am not pro-vaccine; I'm actually against vaccines. This vaccine subject has been such a sensitive topic even in these WhatsApp mommy groups…even in my family and my husband's family. I've done a lot of research, and we haven't vaccinated him as of now. When you're pregnant, they say don't eat this or that because it can be dangerous. Then this baby comes out and is not even a month old, and they immediately inject these things- heavy metals into the child. It's bizarre. I don't think this little body needs so many chemicals. He only had vaccine one, which is a combination of three, which I think is a polio and tetanus combination. He didn't have any side effects; I was expecting him to get a fever. At the moment, I like to keep it like that.

Mukuchyan says her decision to go anti-vaccine also stemmed from observing some of her friends' children who are healthy. "None of them has ever been vaccinated, and all of them are super healthy, and there are many, many cases of that as well." She also believes that panic is not the solution when a child gets sick and that vaccines don't necessarily prevent illnesses.

Postpartum Experience

Mukuchyan, like most mothers, had her own postpartum journey with its own ups and downs. She specifically remembers feeling uncomfortable with her new body and how movement helped her get used to the transformation. "Postpartum is like a huge subject actually; so much is happening to a woman during this whole process, and hormonally, it makes one 100% sensitive. I was feeling so uncomfortable with my body; it is something that moms have to battle with. What I feel helped me to not get into postpartum depression

and what kept me sane was to be in movement. We were still travelling first before Phoenix got his passport; it took about two months. I picked up a job, and it was giving me the feeling like that version of me that is still there. Part of my identity was my work. It helps to keep it (your identity) alive. It's worse for people who work in the industry because you have these eyes on you all the time; there's a lot of pressure to look like you used to," she says.

Mukuchyan says she finds her connection with people in the industry is stronger after she has become a mother. She finds herself connecting on shoot sets with actors and makeup and hair artists who've been through the experience of parenting, and that it has been a rewarding experience for her. "I work with other artists and celebrities, and it's an instant connection because they've been through the same thing (becoming parents)", she says.

From what we hear, Mukuchyan spreads joy on sets and is a pleasure to work with. And as she rediscovers herself and reclaims her identity, we hope this beautiful human being goes from strength to strength, both as a mother and as a force to reckon with in the beauty and film industry. Before she leaves us with very sound advice: "You can protect a child with good education. It is the key to children making the right decisions".