When a baby is born, happiness follows; however, when a woman becomes a mother,
responsibility follows. The responsibility of knowing it all, right from breastfeeding the child,
to crawling, pooping, teething, speech, and many more. A lot of us treat a mother as the sole
responsibility bearer for a child’s wellbeing. We start believing that she is not a human,
rather a Google because she is supposed to know everything. Why the baby is not eating,
why the baby is not pooping, why the baby is not crawling, many such questions are asked
to a new ‘Mother’.
As I said, it all happened with me as well, when I became a mother for the first time. It was
all a new experience of my life. To be honest, when I held my daughter for the first time, I
was totally confused about what to do with this tiny baby! With the passage of time, I too
started believing that it’s a mother who knows everything about her baby. It is a prime duty of
a mother to protect her child from every danger, be it a societal or physical. However, this
isn’t always possible.
Why should the mother be held responsible for knowing it all? She is a human and at times it
is okay for her to accept that #IdidntKnow.
’All-Out’ in its recent campaign, has echoed the thought. It recently organised an event
wherein the discussion centred around the societal pressures that almost every Indian
mother face, regarding her child’s health and wellbeing. The panel consisted of:
● Mrs Sonali Bendre (Actress and Author)
● Dr Samir Dalwai (Pediatrician)
● Dr Rupal Patel (Psychologist)
● Mrs Ruchita Dar Shah (leads the mommy community ‘FMC’ - a Facebook
Community).
Both Ruchita and Sonali Bendre shared the same thought, that motherhood is not always a
bed of roses, rather it is a constant struggle and pressure to raise a happy and healthy
child. In a world of constantly emerging threats, we usually miss the threats like the one
caused by the tiny creature - a mosquito. This tiny creature can cause dengue, which can be
fatal for a child’s life. We often overlook the signs and the symptoms of dengue - fever,
headache, joint pain, weakness and rashes, and often confuse it with normal fever.
However, in order to stay protected and guarded against dengue, it is important to get rid of
standing water in your area. Mosquitos breed in buckets, flower vase, cisterns etc.
Following the discussions, brand film for All Out’s #MujhSabNahiPata campaign was also
showcased, which has received an overwhelming response from the audiences. After
watching this film, I can completely relate to the thought behind the campaign.
I still remember, when my daughter was under the age of 2 years, she suddenly developed
rashes on her legs and hands. These rashes turned into blisters overnight. I got scared
looking at the condition of my daughter. She was experiencing pain and itching. I was quite
sure that it cannot be chickenpox, as only the legs and hands were infected and moreover, I
had given every possible vaccination to her.
My daughter was unable to walk after rashes spread to her genital area. When we took her
to the doctor for the check-up, he confirmed that it was Chickenpox! I was so surprised when
the doctor said that if only one dose of Varicella Vaccine has been given to the child, then
only the hands and legs get infected, and not the back and chest. Usually, two doses are
required for the same. The first shot of vaccine at the age of 12-18 months and the second
one at the age of 4-6 years. As my daughter’s second dose of the vaccine was still due, she
got infected. Thankfully, a week later she was better than before and gradually she became
fine.
This incident made me realise that #MujheSabNahiPata and I am still learning the ropes of
being a mother. Through this ordeal, my family also realised that a mother does not know
everything and she only learns from her experiences.
Lastly, to conclude, I would say, yes, it takes courage to say #MujheSabNahiPata and I
believe that my story will help other moms to be more vigilant and prepared for the future. At
the event, all the mothers tied a knot in their attires, in a bid to remind them to share their
#MujheSabNahiPata stories.
Please share your story and your own experiences in the comment section below and tie a
the knot in your attire as a reminder to share your #MujheSabNahiPata stories and enable other
mothers to be more vigilant about their children’s health.