Two plus one equals love

Ashka Pandit Chheda gets candid about the difficult parts of being mommy, even as she confesses that the love and joy makes it all worth it!

- Kriselle Fonseca

US-based Ashka Pandit Chheda knew exactly what was coming her way as she gave birth to baby Vansh. She did not let a positive COVID result deter her from celebrating the other positive outcome in her life—finding out she was a mamain-the-making. Read on as she lets us in on an unconventional journey to mommyhood…

“September 2020 changed our lives forever. A week after our return from New York, my husband Paarth, along with a majority of our household, tested positive for COVID. Our doctor recommended that each of us quarantine in a different room, which we did. Before starting our medications, we were asked to do a basic blood test. When the medical attendant came over to do my test, I secretly told him to do an HCG test—I had my suspicions for a while. The other reports took time, but my HCG report was the first one to reflect online. It confirmed my pregnancy, and I was over the moon! But being COVID-positive and pregnant was definitely not a part of the plan.

“I always dreamed of telling Paarth and recording his reaction while doing so, but that was difficult given it was day two of our quarantine. Nevertheless, I was determined to find a way. I woke up at 4am to put together something and tell him how our lives were about to change. On the morning of September 9, 2020, I FaceTimed with him and made him read a poem I’d written to see his reaction—it was priceless. Paarth ran across the house, barged into my room, and gave me the tightest hug! Once his excitement calmed down, he lay on my bed, just soaking it all in.