Pregnancy Post Death of 20-Year-Old Son
Happiness is something that walked hand in hand with Bhavini Kadam. Ever since she was in school in Mumbai, she had been a bubbly child and then a fun-loving teenager. While in college her marriage was fixed with her father’s friend’s son who lived in a city not too far away. He was barely two years her senior and the two got along very well from the day they met and decided to settle down.
A year down the line, Bhavini got married to Suresh and the two had a daughter. While their world and hands were full with the little one, Bhavini conceived again and had a son when the girl was just a little over 1.5 years old. Both were normal deliveries and she had little to deal with in terms of post pregnancy issues or care. However, bringing up the two children was “chaos” for Bhavini in the initial year or two. Slowly things settled down well for the couple and the two children, not even two years apart, got along like a house on fire.
Being close in age had its advantages – Bhavini always had the comfort of knowing that her kids had each other for company. Years passed and the girl completed her graduation while the boy was still in college. He had to take his second year exams when tragedy struck the family. An accident in the hills took the boy’s life and the family was left shattered. While Bhavini, an otherwise strong woman, suffered from severe bouts of depression, the others tried dealing with the tragedy by sometimes living in denial and sometimes venting it out. Things went from bad to worse and a year or two down the line, Bhavini was sure she wanted to try and have another child. To fill the void her son had left behind, she was determined to meet her doctor who would advise her on considering pregnancy at a stage when she was going to reach menopause.
Bhavini got herself checked and since her cycle was still regular, she settled for a proper diet and took the required medication while still battling “severe depression” all along. But then, there was hope for a new child to fit into the shoes of the one who had so tragically left. Bhavini got pregnant within six to eight months of her decision, and tried her best to stay positive and focussed throughout. It was not without much effort that she was able to go through a pregnancy at this age and stage of her life. A couple of months also required complete bed rest. But as she neared her last month of pregnancy, Bhavini grew impatient and anxious. She was also very keen to have her child in her arms. Her doctor advised her a C-section procedure and Bhavini became a mother, yet again, at the age of 48.
Her little baby girl gave her hope and love in equal doses and at 8 years of age currently, drives her parents’ life through an interesting and meaningful process. They enjoy picking her up from school and dropping her off to birthday parties and believe that a much younger child at this age is what keeps their world occupied. Everything else is secondary, be it business or day to day issues. What matters is Akanksha, the little girl who lit up their world, yet again.