A mother's angst

Every fortnight as I sit down to write this column, I scan the news websites and social media to update myself on current affairs.

- SWARA BHASKER

In the last few months this process has been accompanied by a sense of foreboding. Some months ago, my husband and I discovered I was pregnant. It was almost immediately after our court marriage and neither of us was prepared! We were prepping for a larger wedding celebration in March, and did not guess that my constant fatigue and gynaecological issues were signs of pregnancy. Once we digested the news, all other concerns were replaced by our anxiety at being clueless first time to-be parents. I, beset as I was with hormonal changes and first-trimester sleepiness, began to read books on pregnancy and devour the internet for any kind of helpful information.

My biggest takeaway-one that was corroborated by my gynaecologist and friends- was the simple motto: what affects the mother, affects the baby. This was true not just on food and nutritional consumption but also audiovisual consumption. 'Avoid stress' was the seemingly simple mantra everyone parroted.