Challenges Faced by a New Mother While Trying to Balance Work
Being a mother is hard work. From late night feedings to early morning diaper changes, the work never ends; it’s 24/7.
Infertility affects nearly 27.5 million married couples in India. More and more cases of infertility are diagnosed each day, and several factors like increasing marital age, rising alcohol and tobacco consumption, rising levels of obesity can be considered responsible for it. It is wise to say that even reaching the first pitstop of motherhood- pregnancy, is a feat nowadays.
Combine 9 months of cramps, urinary incontinence, heartburn and indigestion, varicose veins, backache, constipation, haemorrhoids, and thrush with the constant barrage of attacks online of what working mothers “should” be doing and you begin to understand that balancing motherhood and an active career is NOT an easy ride.
On 24th January, 2017, I gave birth to Aramnaya Duggal. On that day, in that moment, I experienced a surge of a new emotion in me. ‘Love’ they call it; but it was unlike any love I’d felt before – this new feeling was powerful and all-consuming. The great challenge had culminated in such a perfectly special moment… little did I know that the struggle had only begun.
In the next few months, as a new mother, not only are you often dealing with a lot of physical changes (think hair fall, skin discolouration, swelling, varicose veins, back pain, sore breasts etc.), but you are also dealing with a lot of emotions (think postpartum depression). If you had an impeccable career before the baby, then naturally you must be apprehensive of your career path ahead. Don’t worry, because it simply boils down to you being content with the balance you create between work and life. There is no ‘perfect’ scenario here, and every couple should create their own unique balance to suit their lives best. As someone who was very private, motherhood taught me to open up and learn from others’ experiences. I certainly want to do my share and tell you that at the end of the day, if you embrace the changes, enjoy the love and attention without dwelling much on the negative; you will find yourself recovering faster. I, for one, didn’t set sail smoothly right from the beginning. My partner, Sachin Dev Duggal, and I learnt with time and practice. One year later, he is an expert in diaper changes, meal preps, baby baths - you name it – and so am I. Believe me, it’s not a competition, so don’t stress yourself out trying to be the ‘perfect’ parent.
Remember:
Despite the innumerable stigmas against working mothers and a million other challenges, I applaud the mothers who still dare to have an ambition. Mothers are warriors!
