On The Other Side...

Gondia-based gynaecologist Dr Juhi Bhalotia talks to us about how becoming mum to 15-month-old Aaira made her patient and more empathetic as an individual, and altered her approach as a medical professional

- Kriselle Fonseca

“My husband Abhishek, an orthopaedic surgeon, and I were together for almost seven years before we decided to get married. With Abhishek around, life has always been easy going. And it was only a matter of time before we decided that we were ready to start a family of our own. Much like our life together, our conception was also smooth-sailing and yet, extremely exciting. We never “tried” to make a baby, although we knew that we were ready for this ‘next step’. We didn’t overthink it, and just went with the flow.

“Soon, a missed period compelled me to get a UPT (urine pregnancy test). The irony is that although we anticipated this, seeing that we were expecting our first child was unbelievable! It’s hard to describe, especially now when I was on the other side of it. I now understood what my patients feel, when I have the privilege of telling them their bundle of joy is on it’s way. It was surreal!

“The nine months of my pregnancy were like a dream, to say the least. I was able to live my life exactly as I used to, only this time it was with a tiny human in my belly. I worked and socialised like before, and I think that was the beauty of it—I didn’t have to turn my life around for her, but rather, she complimented my life beautifully. I am lucky to have had no complaints during my pregnancy, and continued to be active throughout. I had no aversions and given the fact that I have to see the sight of blood almost all the time, I consider myself lucky!