A woman, who carried to term a foetus with severe heart abnormalities shares how the 20-week legal deadline for termination of pregnancy scarred her forever
When Shefali Sawant*'s home pregnancy test showed two pink lines, she and her husband were elated. However, they were never prepared for how they'd be welcoming their first born.
A lecturer at South Mumbai college, Shefali was in her fourth month of her pregnancy, when a routine sonography alerted her doctor to a complication with the heart of the foetus.
Further tests confirmed that the heart did not have a pulmonary valve. Worried with the doctor's assessment, the couple sought a second opinion, who confirmed the diagnosis. The to-be-parents were also told that the chance of their baby surviving for more than a few weeks after birth were slim. This was in August 2015.
For Shefali, and her husband, a financial consultant, the diagnosis was hard to believe. "It took us almost a month to come to terms with the diagnosis," she tells us. By then, precious time was lost.
"My brother, who is a doctor, suggested an abortion but every doctor was giving me a different opinion, which confused me all the more," she says. Looking back, she believes that since she had crossed the 20-week mark, no doctor wanted to offer abortion as an alternative.
Some doctors asked her to keep faith in miracles, others told her of various surgeries that could be if the baby survived till the age of one - chances of which were very slim.
Worse still, the entire experience took a toll on her relationship with her husband. "We would constantly argue. It was different to grapple with the fact that even if our baby survived, it would have to battle health issues all its life," she says.
The remaining duration of the pregnancy was extremely traumatic for her. It was filled with hours spent on tests and visiting several doctors each week.
Then there were the hopes of her parents and in-laws, who were positive that eventually all will be alright, weighing her down.
"Doctors only spoke of different procedures that could be done while maintaining that the chances of the baby's survival were slim. Despite that, I was being asked to carry to term the baby," Shefali says.
Only one doctor advised abortion without hesitation after going through her medical reports on e-mail; the doctor did not know she had crossed the 20-week mark.
Approaching the Supreme Court did come up in conversation with her brother, but she gave up the idea, as she was already dealing with many problems. "Every day we received some new information about our baby's medical condition and we would try to come to terms with that," says the 28-year-old.
Eventually, in December that year, she gave birth to a baby girl. The three months she had with her baby, she says she wouldn't wish it for anyone.
Her daughter's short life was filled with hospital visits, and news of a new medical complication each day. "After the first two months, she spent most of the time in hospital. Neither was the pregnancy a happy time. It was extremely difficult to watch my baby in that condition. I saw my baby suffer for three months. I would advise other couples to opt for an abortion in such a situation. While as parents we may believe that we can do anything for our child, there is very little you can do except watch them suffer. I would advise other couples to opt for an abortion in such a situation. "
*Name changed on request
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