From here to maternity News Archive News

The warmth was still missing. That8217;s what I felt the last time I was here, four years ago. Things had changed. Oh yes, the air-conditio...

Written by Anuradha Mascarenhas

August 2, 2003 12:00 AM IST

3 min read

The warmth was still missing. That8217;s what I felt the last time I was here, four years ago. Things had changed. Oh yes, the air-conditioned labour room was nicely done up and the hospital authorities now allowed a family member to accompany the patient. But four years is a long enough time for a lot of things to change, I thought, as I stepped into the starched white maternity gown handed over to me.

I paused as painful memories flooded back, the trauma of losing my first born to cruel fate. I had now been given a second chance. Nine months had passed by with its share of long walks, soyabean and fruit diet. I was happy once again but I was scared to express it.

No, my husband and I decided against making plans or buying baby clothes. Let8217;s wait, was the silent pact between us. How often one hears people reminisce about how they sailed through their pregnancies. I greedily devoured the information, later checking whether I, too, had the same signs.

So I was back to the labour room with the gynaecologist assuring me that everything would be just fine. Sure, you don8217;t have to go through this yourself, I wanted to say. The entire family had turned up 8212; they always do 8212; I gulped as I paced up and down the corridor. I was already full-term and my doctor didn8217;t want to wait till the projected date. He decided to induce labour and promised to use an epidural if the pains worsened. Oh, it will take you 24-48 hours to deliver, the doctor smiled, as he injected the gel.

They remembered me, the chief resident and junior docs, who were now seniors. Yes, they remembered the last time when I spent a heart-breaking seven days waiting to deliver my baby, who had multiple heart complications. I was not ready then. I was disillusioned. Why me, why us, why my baby, I had thought.

Don8217;t worry, they told me now, you8217;ll be fine. The doctor had said 24 hours, but the baby knew better. He was out in five. I cried the last time and I cried now. I couldn8217;t believe it. That horrible pain that racked my body causing my husband to stand in uneasy silence vanished in a jiffy as I heard a long wail. The sound of music. I smiled gratefully as I looked at my husband flashing the V sign through the crack in the door adjoining the OT.

Our lives have changed since the baby. The routine is set by our son who believes in night shifts and catches up with sleep during the day. He opens his eyes ever so slowly and gives an unblinking stare at his surroundings, makes funny faces, lets out another grunt and goes back to sleep.

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Never mind the visitors, or mum reading the newspaper aloud. No sir, this is one lad who knows his mind and even as I cannot and will never forget the first, even as I grumble and moan about the innumerable times I have to change the nappies, motherhood is an unforgettable experience.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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