“Nothing Could Deter My Desire For Giving Birth To A Child” – Real Mom Karishma

There was a girl who wished to give birth to a hundred Pandavas. Growing up, her desire to have a child pragmatically evolved but failed to materialize. Nonetheless, giving up was not her type; what happened further is magic. Meet Real Mom Karishma- An ex-journalist, yoga junkie (not going upside down kind but using to untangle perception, conditioning, and to unlearn/learn), and founder of Soulkatha. Hailing from Kalleda, she lives with her 2 kids in Hyderabad. Today she is sharing her tumultuous journey when her desire of giving birth to a child was resurrected with sheer perseverance.

Giving birth to a child- Karishma

Being Karishma:

Amma has spent most of her life empowering rural kids to stand on their two feet mentoring thousands of students through the Rural Development Foundation. She’s the earth that the pillars and roof of the 5 schools and a junior college are built on. Bapu has supported RDF and helped take an RDF kid to represent India at the Olympics. He helps people get water to their farms, builds bridges, rescues ruined ancient temples, restoring them brick for brick, is a voracious reader, and is an out-of-the-mold thought breaker. He is also a very hands-on Thathaih especially enthusiastic about cleaning his grandkid’s poop.

When I was four years old, in the dusty and dry town of Warangal in the almost hinterland of India, my Thathiah (grandfather), Erraballi Venkatram Narsaiyya asked me a question – what do you want to be?


Without a pause, as though I was waiting for someone to ask me this question in my whole long life. I looked at him and told him that I wanted to be the mother of 100 Pandavas – I clarified that unlike the epic tale of India Mahabharatha, where Gandhari birthed a 100 Kauravas who were the bad guys, I would want 100 children who were ‘good’ like the Pandavas.

I went on to tell him that unlike the Kauravas who were all sons I would have girls and boys. He laughed. He always found joy in the small things and so his reaction was typical. In the coming years, I was recognized as the girl who wanted to birth a 100 Pandavas.

Giving birth to a child - Karishma shares her story

As fate would have it:

From 4, I became 14. From 100, I changed the number to 13. At 21 I stayed firm at the number 9. And by 25 when I was unable to find a partner, I doubted if giving birth to a child was my cup of tea. So I thought maybe I would adopt two kids and it seemed reasonable. But lo and behold I found someone and at 27, three seemed like a practical number.

At 29 I discovered I actually could not have the privilege of giving birth to a child. It just was not happening and then after many years and tests later, we found a possible reason – a genetic anomaly. It could have been the very reason my grandmother had had three stillbirths. I tried everything. EVERYTHING. Treatments, therapy, pottery, anything it would take.

My self discovery:

It was then that my journey into self-discovery was enabled by my yoga teacher Kamala. Yoga got faith back in the game. Without knowing it I had decided that either yoga could give me my children or make the pain stop. After five brutally enlightening years of self-discovery and disappointments, I gave birth to the most beautiful little girl. Blast the bloody genetics!

I told my Dr. Evita, a gorgeous lady in and out, on the day she was born, ‘I will be back soon to deliver my next one soon. My family was aghast because I had been nauseous, mostly bed-ridden, anxious, and had depression to the point of suicide during the last nine months. It was a combination of wanting my baby child and my pregnancy hormones being just the way they were. Yoga and every healing therapy, energy, and science from reiki to EFT that I had learned to help me get pregnant, got me through it. Everyone told me I couldn’t and more importantly, shouldn’t. Two years and more miscarriages later, another gorgeous child was born. Only the divine could have been given me these.

And here comes the next one:

Another nine months of nausea, anxiety, and severe depression but this time I knew what was coming. This time I knew how to cope. The millions of tools in the yoga arsenal got me here. And I knew something had changed in me forever when I held my first born in my arms because I knew how her mind, her patterns, her subconscious was blank and how to be kind of parent to help her fill it with love and the power to be herself. The wisdom that yoga taught me without teaching it to me. (When I saw how people treated children I was so enraged it made me howl. By the time my younger baby came along, I was learning and growing at a pace that made me really embrace the most authentic version of human and mother in me that I wanted.)

It’s pretty awesome being me. I am in awe of how I can still find faith to fight and live another day. Blaming nothing and no one for where I am. And taking full responsibility for my actions and happiness.

Karishma

My parenting:

When you enjoy your child for who she is/he is, parenting is easy…nay, magical. It’s when we are playing by other people’s rules that the game is not fun. Make your own! Shed the expectations that society or your family has of you as a mother. Find your strengths, play to them and enjoy your mom-moments. It might be 15 minutes day, but be present guilt-free and enjoy it! I have been really lucky to have parents, who have helped me in every step of the baby journey. Without Amma, I would not have made it past my pregnancy. Without Bapu, I would not have been able to catch up on my sleep and my sleep is my sanity.

A village to raise my kids:

My village is also our maids, farmhands, and their kids who have taken on my brand of parenting/companionship with my kids – humoring me by not teaching them about boogeymen and never-ever telling them white-lies. They play, let them help in the kitchen, teach them about village life – the insects, herbs, birds, and trees – such a privilege.

I am also very grateful to my ex-husband/their father for supporting me in the way I parent and adopting it as his own. He and his mum are part of my kid’s village.

I do everything I want to do or, I will get there.

Giving birth to a child - Karishma's kids
“When we make Play the foundation of learning, we teach the Whole Child.” 

My list of parenting dos don’ts:

  • Apologize and admit your mistake
  • Never beat my kids.
  • Never yell at them when having a bad day
  • Tell them they are loved in words
  • Pay attention when the kids speak
  • Positive narrative
  • Build confidence
  • Just be present instead of offering

Being a working mother is challenging because you wish you could spend more time with your kids but it’s also fulfilling. I feel like I have more flavors and zest in my time with the kids when I focus on things outside of the kids. It’s a mixed bowl of more sweet than sour.

I want them to feel deeply comfortable in their skin. Just insanely happy with who they are, just the way they are. (And kind to the earth, the world and themselves). I believe that when this happens, everything else will fall into place. They will naturally vibrate to reach their highest version of themselves. As a parent, I hope I can play my role in enabling this. Because I strongly believe that my responsibility ends with giving birth to a child.

Author: Vaishali Sudan Sharma

Mom blogger, books lover, fan of new wave cinema, fond of jazz, lounge and classical music. Love to cook Indian & Italian cuisine.

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20 thoughts on ““Nothing Could Deter My Desire For Giving Birth To A Child” – Real Mom Karishma”

  1. This is such an inspiring story of Karishma and I loved her do’s and don’ts list of parenting!! Great thoughts.

  2. I am so glad to read the inspiring motherhood journey of karishma very beautifully written her story ..I am sure she will be the best mother and even we Readers get to learnso much from this post.

  3. This sounds so much like me. I wanted kids when I was in school myself! I agree that parenting can be a pleasant journey if we give and take respect and demonstrate love often. Loved reading this.

  4. Like they say where their is a will there is a way. If you are determined the world will conspire to give it to you. She is doing a fab job in raising her kids and so many of her parenting styles resonate with mine. I too belive that kids have their own mind and soul and we can shape them as we want them to be. We can only guide them towards the right path.

  5. She is a very strong-willed woman. Her journey of motherhood is inspiring too. It shows how courageous she is to believe in herself.

  6. Beautiful and inspiring journey of karishma to parenting. So many things to learn from her parenting journey and to overcome all odds

  7. Beautiful and courageous journey of Karishma. The do’s and dont’s mentioned by her are very important and every parent should follow them religiously.

  8. She is a strong and well determined lady, I have understood that reading your post here. Well, it takes courage to be what you are and what you wish to achieve in life.

  9. As a parent, I could easily relate to Karishma’s do’s and don’ts list of parenting. I loved the last paragraph of your post as well. Making children feel deeply comfortable in their skin is so necessary. Even I believe that when children are happy and content with who they are, everything else kind of falls into place.

  10. Thanks much for sharing with us this inspiring story I’m sure most women would definitely remember after reading. It was empowering I must say and her strong will is mind-blowing

  11. This is such an inspiring story of Karishma and I loved her do’s and don’ts list of parenting!! Thanks for sharing such inspiring stories!!

  12. She is a lady of full inspiration. How beautifully she has mentioned that don’t offer be present. This actually make me feel so happy. She is so pure and simple.

  13. Reading about Karishma’s journey is at the same time fascinating and inspiring. She has braved so many storms and held on steadily to her dream from childhood, which is really so commendable.

  14. Her last line really resonated with me. Like her I believe that we should let the kids grow into their own skin instead of trying to shape them into people we want them to be. Our responsibility after giving them birth is just that. Something I have tried to explain in detail in my book raising capable children.

  15. I like the way you narrated everything in the article, it felt so soothing to read it. Love the list of parenting do’s and Dont’s ; something which every parent needs to remeber.

  16. Yes yoga has a magical healing power and can help in overcoming many physical and mental obstacles that many women face during their journey of giving birth to child. Karishma’ s story is one of its kind and so inspiring too. she has shared some valuable parenting lessons and I follow most of these with my girls.

  17. This story made me nostalgic. It is so pure and beautiful. I liked her pointers. “Just be present instead of offering” is what we need to remember. Parents are not to provide their kids with toys, gadgets but they should e there to share a quality time. Thats the best gift they can give,