A personal note of gratitude
Having children has been the hardest but the most rewarding experience of my life. Having support of a good medical team made the biggest difference. Sharing here my personal experience.
My husband and I, both of us, always wanted two kids. But the journey to making it happen was a slightly long one. And I often say – if I had my first child in India, I would have had my second one earlier.
My first pregnancy and delivery in Mountain View was a very joyous occasion, but it became an equally difficult one. The time until the delivery was alright, as much as it can be - especially with the pandemic. The complications began after delivery, with my kidneys reacting to high dosage ibuprofen and raising my blood pressure. To add to the difficulties, the doctors discharged my newborn son days earlier than me. He was sent home during the period when everyone in the world was isolating themselves. Such a separate, uncoordinated discharge of a newborn is unheard of – mainly because it is impractical.
Luckily, we had my mother-in-law to help us out for two weeks post delivery. My husband spent a good part of the first week shuttling between the hospital and the home. If you have never seen one before, taking care of a newborn is a hefty task. The three of us had it even harder as we were taking care of our newborn, who was physically away from me. My husband and mother-in-law would feed him formula, while I would try to pump and send breastmilk round the clock from my hospital bed - and try to recover from the post-operative complications. I do feel immensely grateful for having a handsome baby, but, memories of this time period still remind me of the traumatic experiences throughout. It affected me at a deep emotional level.
When I was finally sent home I still ended up being sick multiple times and the healthcare system in the US offered no reassurance let alone comfort. Lack of support during the pandemic was a big factor in my slow postpartum recovery. And overall, I lost confidence in my own body as being healthy and fit seemed beyond my control. With all this even the thought of a second baby was hard to entertain for a long time.
Three years later, we were back in India and had finally plucked up the courage to go for the second child we had always wanted. Having had a difficult post-delivery experience earlier, my husband and I were very clear and specific about having a competent and compassionate gynaecologist for me. My parents-in-law recommended Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas, at the Deenanath Medical Hospital. He seemed to be a good choice because of his brilliant track record, and having treated several family members – and all of them had good opinions of him. We decided to go ahead with him as our gynaecologist.
Our first meeting with Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas happened during the fifth week of my pregnancy. The first one and a half trimester went by quickly, just as my prior pregnancy, but I was detected with a short cervix during the second trimester. The shortening happened at a rate that posed a risk for the pregnancy, and one of the options was to go for a stitch. Dr. Ghaisas arranged for a second opinion to confirm his observations. The second doctor, also unequivocally recommended the stitch. Dr.Ghaisas scheduled the procedure immediately. He tried his best to get us a room, but when that was not possible, he scheduled the procedure early the next morning. The stitch was done by Dr. Ghaisas himself, and his team monitored me for a day, prior to the discharge in the evening. Dr. Ghaisas always made sure that he was on call when discharge decisions were made or doctors in charge/nurses were taking measurements. Dr. Ghaisas went out of the way to ensure the outcome was the best and operation was done in time.
During my seventh month, I had the flu. I ended up having a fever. Fever, as many know, should be avoided during pregnancy. I noticed a lower number of kicks - and messaged Dr. Ghaisas. As usual - he responded instantaneously. He asked me to take paracetamol immediately and also go for the emergency NST test at DMH. The kicks had resumed after paracetamol but we still went for the NST. Luckily it came out to be normal. The in-time advice of having paracetamol made the difference.
Finally, the big decision of deciding the delivery date came. Dr. Ghaisas, who was concerned about the potential risks as the weight of the baby increases, insisted we plan for an earlier date. He even offered to do it on a day that was a holiday for him, in case we preferred the specific day - due to muhurta or any other reasons. He truly wanted the best outcome for us. I was surprised to see a doctor going to such lengths to prioritize his patients' well being.
I eventually delivered a beautiful baby girl. The idea of having a second child, to finally having one was long. I was full of gratitude to everyone who helped make the successful delivery happen.
In my prior experience, the mother is almost forgotten after the delivery. Dr. Ghaisas, however, demonstrated what good postnatal care means. He and his team would conduct frequent check-ups not only to monitor my health but also to keep my morale high. This positive mindset was an essential ingredient in my physical and mental recovery. Even though my blood pressure rose, likely due to hormonal changes, Dr. Ghaisas and his prompt actions, expert referrals and post-natal management led to a successful recovery. I walked out of the hospital with my new baby in my arms :)
The biggest difference in experience here in India and my prior experience in the US stems from the patient-centric medical support we were able to get with Dr. Ghaisas.
I was able to experience what it truly meant when the letter of admission said “You are being admitted under the care of Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas.” I understood what “care” meant here. A competent, compassionate doctor is no less than a miracle. We are all blessed to have Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas around. Having seen several doctors around the globe, I can say, there are rare doctors in this world who are in it to just help people, and they worship what they do. He is that rare gem of a doctor.
Thank you, Dr. Sushrut Ghaisas, the world needs more like you.