Mindy Kaling Explains Why Her Pandemic Pregnancy Was a 'Real Gift': 'It Was Such a Joy'

Mindy Kaling/Instagram

Mindy Kaling is opening up about the differences between her two pregnancies.

The Mindy Project actress, 42, explains in a new interview with Access why being pregnant with her son Spencer Avu during the pandemic was quite a different experience than her first pregnancy with daughter Katherine "Kit" Swati.

"It was a real gift to be pregnant during the pandemic," says Kaling, who secretly welcomed her little boy last September. "I felt really scrutinized during my first pregnancy and I think that it was such a joy to spend the last seven months of my pregnancy under the cover of just nobody was out, nobody was taking photos."

Kaling surprised fans with the news of Spencer's birth during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in October 2020.

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RELATED: Mindy Kaling Says It 'Takes a Village' to Raise Two Children: 'We Carry Guilt About Needing Help'

The Ocean's 8 star also spoke about how her 3-year-old daughter is acclimating to her new role as a big sister.

"I think the sharing of the resources and the toys is a little bit hard for her, as it would be for anybody, but she's definitely coming around," she says.

"I think it probably helps that her little brother just like adores her," Kaling continues. "All he wants to do is crawl up under her and be close to her."

Earlier this month, the comedian spoke to PEOPLE about the support she has received as she navigates getting back to work as the mother of two young children.

Kaling admitted it "absolutely takes a village" to raise her little ones, especially as she is back to producing and developing multiple projects.

RELATED VIDEO: Mindy Kaling Reveals She Has Given Birth to a Baby Boy: 'This Is News to a Lot of People'

"I wouldn't be able to keep my full-time professional career and have two children under the age of 3 without the incredibly strong relationship I have with my nanny," she told PEOPLE. "Also with my dad, who comes over to the house at least twice a day to take my son out for walks and to pick up my daughter and bring her home. My village is small and I wish it was bigger."

Kaling said she feels "incredibly lucky" to have the resources she needs, but admitted it took her a while to get to a place where she felt comfortable asking for support.

"We carry guilt about needing help and most women in the country don't necessarily have the same resources," she revealed. "A lot of people are lucky because they have family who can help them, but my mom passed away in 2011, so I really didn't have a choice. Particularly during the pandemic, we really got to see how precious and how indefensible childcare providers are."

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