19th September, 2019, might have been a very usual day for most people, but for Pragathi Reddy, it was the day that changed her life in the way that she had always wanted. Things that she had seen only in her dreams were now real and magically so. Cuddled in the softest of fabrics, there he was, the apple of her eye, her son Arjun Reddy, who had elevated her status from being a woman, to the ultimate - a mother. What Pragathi experienced since then has been nothing short of amazing, for the one precious gift that she had yearned for had finally been ‘delivered’ to her.
Even though Pragathi’s story seems to have found its happy place, blurring out anything she would have experienced before it, yet, the happiness didn’t just happen overnight. Pragathi and her family had faced some rough times before it all culminated in the beautiful form of little Arjun.
Like many women, when Pragathi got married, she wanted all the regular milestones to happen at the right time. Getting married was the first step that she had taken and once that was done, she knew in her heart that she wanted to have children and become a mother. Like any young married woman, she too planned to have a family and God willing, she got pregnant too. But, things don’t always go to plan, right?
Planning a family, conceiving a baby and having a baby are all different aspects altogether. While you might plan to have a baby with all the will-power in the world, yet, it’s not necessary that you will be able to conceive as soon as you start planning. No two individuals are the same and neither are their health conditions. So, even though your friends or relatives of the same age and at the same juncture in life are pregnant or have had children, you might not be in the same league. Now, even if pregnancy happens, it requires several aspects of your body to be in harmony with each other for the pregnancy to be taken to term successfully. Delivering the baby is a different story altogether.
It’s only when all these aspects fall in place together does a baby come into this world. It’s no surprise, therefore, that having a child can easily be placed on the highest pedestal of life events in any person’s existence.
In Pragathi’s case, even though she conceived without any medical assistance, yet, unfortunately for her, the pregnancy didn’t last. As heartbreaking as it is for any mother-to-be, the miscarriage had a deep emotional impact on her. However, she was undeterred, having strong maternal inclinations and knowing very well that she was meant to be a mother soon. She kept trying to have a baby, but ended up having a couple of more miscarriages, taking her struggle on a physical and emotional basis to the next level.
The ripple effects of a miscarriage cannot be summed up in words. A series of miscarriages has the potential to derail anyone’s normal bent of mind. In this case, Pragathi is not the only woman to have experienced this trauma. There are many women who are able to conceive, but are unable to carry the baby to term and deliver.
Apart from the miscarriages having obvious implications on the physical health, what many fail to discuss is the emotional problems that they present. Many women experience guilt, blaming themselves quietly for not being able to carry the baby. While it’s absolutely no fault of theirs, a miscarriage can cause a mental wound so deep that for long women continue holding themselves responsible for the mishap. Some women also feel a sense of failure which again, they are really not responsible for. The other emotions that overpower them after a miscarriage or a series of them would include anger, often questioning why they had to go through something of this sort; sadness for having lost a baby they never got to meet; fear, of never being able to conceive and nervousness at what the future holds for them
Unlike many women, Pragathi is a warrior. Even though there were a lot of obstacles in front of her in the form of miscarriages and the emotional baggage associated with them, never once did she give up. Her strong willpower kept her going and she tried everything in her capability to give herself the gift of motherhood. She visited several doctors, underwent a battery of tests, but nothing seemed to click for her.
That’s when, upon the suggestion of a close friend, she learned about Dr. Girija. When Pragathi first met her, she knew Dr. Girija would be the one who would be able to help her. She clung on to Dr. Girija’s knowledge, confidence, thorough professionalism, and the human touch she offered. she grabbed the opportunity and decided to go ahead with her consultation and further course of treatment with Dr. Girija.
In the next blog, we will explore Dr Girija’s take on Pragathi’s reproductive health and whether Pragathi was right in assuming that Dr Girija would be able to give her what she longed for. Stay tuned!
