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Why Women’s Parents Still Pay for Their Childbirth in India
“The first baby is always born at the maternal home”
Seven months into my pregnancy, I sat hunched over my laptop in Kolkata, combing through reviews of maternity hospitals. My gynecologist had warned me that it was time to choose one.
I toggled between websites, trying to balance quality care and affordability. Watching me from across the room, my mother interrupted:
“Why are you so stressed? We’ll bear the cost.”
I snapped quickly,“Why? Don’t even think about it. I’m married now, and I’m being taken care of. We don’t expect any such things from you. Papa’s retired — how can you even say that?”
She didn’t argue. Instead, she said quietly, “You don’t understand. If you’re here, we must do it. What will people say? Pehla bachcha to mayke mein hi hota hai (The first baby is always born at the maternal home). What will your in-laws think if we don’t follow through?”
Her voice didn’t carry the familiar warmth, but a blend of duty and obligation. She wasn’t upset, just resolute, as if reciting a truth passed down through generations.
That’s when it struck me: this wasn’t just about me or the baby. It was about fake reputation, societal pressure, inherited roles —…
