I Chose To Have A Baby 7 Years After Marriage And I Am Still Scrutinised For It!

Even after 3 years of marriage, if you haven’t had a kid, people wonder if there’s something wrong with you. But what if you’re simply not ready for it?

In our society, family planning is a matter of public concern. Once you get married, you are expected to procreate immediately, as if it is the only reason you got married for.

I have already elaborated this social trauma earlier in my post, “Is the Sole Purpose of Getting Married to Become a Licensed Baby-producing Machine.” But even delivering good news has consequences!

They assume that you are lying. Worse, the wife is automatically assumed to be one with some problem with her reproductive system. Aunties will suggest that you consult a doctor.

When we decided that we are ready to start a family, we sought out a non-commercial gynaecologist and obstetrician for guidance. She prescribed nothing but prenatal supplements for me.

We announced our pregnancy in the seventh year of our marriage. Planning a baby so late is blasphemy in our society. Matters were worse because my sisters-in-law, who got married four years after us, were pregnant within a year of their weddings.

So relatives and acquaintances assumed that something was wrong with us. Let alone women, even my brother-in-law asked why did we start seeing a doctor in the first place and if I had any other issue before conceiving.

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They simply wanted to gossip!

Having children is life long responsibility and we wanted to take time before plunging into parenthood. Also, being eldest in the family already meant a lot of responsibilities and we wanted things to settle down before the baby arrived.

But who is interested in such explanations! Nobody believed we consulted a doctor just for guidance. The spice of the matter was in simply gossiping that we had medical problems.

So here I am now, mother of almost two month old girl cherub, born through normal delivery. However, I am still under scrutiny for having a baby after seven years of marriage.

But don’t I have a say too?

Women in the family are citing my example as a case of successful treatment. They want me to share the details of my doctor with other couples without children. Most of these couples, I am sure, haven’t decided yet whether they want to start a family.

I know I can’t go on explaining why we had a baby late (going by societal standards) But please people, keep your concerns to your kind selves and mind your own business. It is my life and my body.

I know my priorities and concerns of my life better than anyone else. And don’t even start advising now that our little girl should have a sibling soon to play with!

So ladies, if you are in the same ship as me, don’t give a fig to what aunties and other people are saying to or about you. Start a family when you want to and are ready. If are not keen on having kids, it is entirely up to you. At the end of the day, it is your and your partner’s decision, and nobody else’s. Period.

A version of this was earlier published here.

Picture credits: Still from Hindi TV series Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai

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