Last summer, our lives changed, when our daughter joined us and we found ourselves starting our journey of becoming her parents. 12 weeks before that day, on a Friday evening at 19:00, after a long day of working behind the computer in the covid reality, 30 weeks pregnant, we logged in to Zoom to join the first session together with 5 other couples, all of us with bellies that fill up the screen, red eyes, low on energy, and – truly want to prepare well for this thing that you cannot prepare for.
Because that is the truth, pregnancy and giving birth are chapters in life that are full of uncertainty. As Chitra kept on telling us – it is not your ‘due date’ it is your ‘expected date of birth’ and it is not your ‘birth plan’, it is your ’birth wishes’. Every Friday evening Chitra would show up with mountains of knowledge, care, patience, and most of all – presence. We got above and beyond what we ever expected, not only during the course but also in the following weeks, when the pressure started to build up and questions started popping. Chitra was there with answers, ideas, and tips. She opened our eyes to what is possible and mainly helped us remember that we got this and that it will all work out well in the end. And it did.
So the truth is you cannot prepare for this, giving birth or becoming a parent for the first time. But, having Chitra on your side, is the closest that you can get. Thank you Chitra, from all of us.
T, F & Z
