Thirty-year-old Dr Seema Hingorrany is married to Shailesh, 34, a businessman. They live in Bandra, Mumbai, with their two children: Sia, 5, and Dev, two months. A well-known psychologist, Seema thought she was well-equipped to deal

Words: Poornima Nair
Visuals: Ankur Aras

Baby
I always wanted a second child but was surprised when I was unable to conceive naturally. I had no idea why this was happening because Sia was an unplanned baby. Believing that natural conception was not possible this time round, Shailesh and I opted for Intra-Uterine Insemination (IUI, which is injecting sperm directly into the uterus using a catheter). However, after five unsuccessful IUI attempts we decided to give up. I wanted Sia to have a sibling, but it seemed hopeless and I felt I would never conceive again. But then an unexpected thing happened. In May 2007, when I missed my period, I took a pregnancy test, which turned out to be positive! My husband and I couldn't believe the good news.
I didn't know what was in store for me. My gynaecologist and mother-in-law Dr Usha Hingorrany assured me that the second pregnancy was going to be very easy. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way. I used to think that my first pregnancy was bad but the second was worse. Right from the start, I had terrible bouts of nausea and vomitting.

And then it hit me
Within three months I was admitted four times to Mumbai's Agarwal Nursing Home and put on IV drips. During my first pregnancy, I had a bad reaction to calcium, which caused my whole body to swell up. I thought I had it bad then. During the second pregnancy, I was feeling dehydrated all the time and would suddenly lose my balance and fall.
I was one of the few unlucky women who suffer from nausea and vomitting through all the nine months of pregnancy. I tried all kinds of medications but had no relief. However, after six months, the vomiting decreased to twice a day.
What kept me going was my work. I continued to give talks in schools and colleges and even counselled participants on the Indian Idol TV show. I would take a tablet in the morning, go to the washroom, puke, then go on stage and talk. Somehow, when I was on stage, I never felt sick. I always carried glucose to rejuvenate.

Work helps
As a psychologist, I believe in positive thinking and would repeatedly tell myself that I can't stop working; I can't fall sick and take to bed. I was still attending to my patients who were emotionally dependent on me. Therapy takes about eight months to a year, so I had to keep my commitments. Often, I felt my emotional intelligence go haywire while hearing patients talk about their problems. In one instance, I had a patient who suffered a miscarriage and as she talked about it, I just sat there controlling my tears.
Other things which helped me stay positive: practising meditation, breathing exercises, yoga and praying regularly. I would also practise self-affirmation and read pregnancy books. I wasn't nervous because I knew what to expect. After work, when I came back home I would tell myself 'See, you have emerged as a winner'. I also continued to write articles for newspapers and magazines because I found writing therapeutic. I never suppressed my emotions and would cry as and when I felt like it. I also talked to my husband about the way I was feeling and it really helped.

Trying Times
My husband accompanied me for all the checkups and blood tests. In the morning, he would rush to the kitchen and get me lime and glucose to help with the sickness. My hormones were raging. The smell of food used to make me feel nauseated and I could hardly eat anything. I became extremely sensitive to odour. I craved for pizzas, cheese and pickles, but couldn't eat any of these. After the 6th month I managed to have a bit of cheese. Throughout my pregnancy I was on drips - even at home! I felt miserable watching people eat because I so wanted to but couldn't retain anything. At times, even water would make me feel nauseated. But with support from my gynac and wonderful mum-in-law, I stayed focused on my work and was on a roll.