From the editor’s desk
Being a new mom is a joyful state like no other. It is the happiest time of your life….. Isn’t it?
In India, motherhood is always unquestioningly, painted this way. New mothers cannot be anything but full of smiles to the baby and the many visitors. Emotional stress or anxiety are most often not discussed with the spouse or family due to the stigma attached to being anything but joyful after a baby is born.
Baby blues or Post partum depression are viewed as contrary to the established notions of the self-sacrificing mother. As a result, even the mildest form of anxiety about pregnancy is a battle for the mother. Most women may even be unaware that their anxiety has a name and requires medical attention.
In this issue, Family Mantra brings you stories of those who have struggled through various pregnancy related anxieties and how they coped through it.
Elizabeth Alex shares with us about her ‘The Postpartum Roller Coaster’ of two kids in two years. Frustrated, angry, mood swings; her relationship with her first child was really suffering. Her road to recovery will truly encourage those in the same situation.
A father’s emotions and anxieties during pregnancy are unfortunately not really given much importance. Aravind Pulickel gives us a man’s perspective on how he dealt with their sudden pregnancy. ‘I Felt My Wife’s Pregnancy Pain..Just Kidding!’ will make you laugh and touch your heart at the same time.
A premature birth can be extremely traumatic. In our feature article, ‘In a hurry to get out’, Chitra Jayakaran talks about how the stress, bed rest, fear and premature birth of their second one was an experience that really changed their lives.
To gain a deeper understanding of pregnancy related anxieties, we interviewed Dr. Jalaja Veronica, a Gynecologist/ Obstetrician and Mrs. Olive Nagraj, a counselor. In ‘A Deeper Shade of the Blues for a new mom’ they provide in-depth insight into postpartum depression and coping methods.
Does having a baby lead to a rocky marriage or a rocking one? Natasha Fernandez talks about her post-baby journey and how it affected her marriage in, ‘Rock-a- bye Baby’.
Do we fall easy prey to lies and fallacies and propoganda? Do we double check things before we circulate them? Is it true just because you heard it or read it on Whatsapp? Abraham Thomas gives us his opinion in, ‘The Cost of a Lie’.
As electronic media has percolated into our lives, reading books has taken a backseat. This generation now associates books with just learning. Latika Sakhuja shows us that there is a lot more that comes from reading in ‘The mystical world of books’.
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