Parents don8217;t understand why birth is considered great event8217;

Amrutham Ayyanar and her newborn weighing 2.8 kg were sleeping on the floor in ward 119 when The Indian Express visited them at the Government Hospital for Women and Children. She did not know why the birth is considered a 8220;great incident.8221; Neither does her husband.

At the same time, in the same hospital, Usha Venugopal delivered a female baby. She had had her valakappu8217; just yesterday. 8220;I never dreamt of having a baby so soon. I was carrying less than nine months, but itjust happened,8221; she said, happy that the baby is well.

8220;God8217;s gift,8221; says T Venugopal, who works for a private company. 8220;We never planned to have what you call the millennium baby. My friends were telling me that I would miss being a millennium father since the delivery was due sometime by January-end. Now I am one, but I fail to understand the importance of that.8221;