Geet Basra Talks About Her 2 Miscarriages And How Women Who’ve Gone Through This Should Not Suffer In Silence
In the Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi starrer Mimi, I particularly enjoyed this one dialogue where Mimi asks a question about the pregnancy to the gynaecologist and Bhanu replies instead. She shuts him down with a simple yet effective question in return: Have you ever given birth before? It’s a nice spin on the ‘No uterus, no opinion’ school of thought. The reason I bring this up is to also facilitate the understanding that pregnancy and motherhood aren’t just experiences that are unique to women, but they are unique for each woman. And one of the worst practices of our society has been to silence women when they try to talk openly about issues related to both, such as miscarriage, abortion, postpartum depression, weight gain, breastfeeding and more. Celebrities and influencers are trying in their own ways to change the conversation, the latest being Geeta Basra, actor and wife to cricketer Harbhajan Singh.
Last month, Basra and Singh welcomed their second child, a baby boy they named Jovan Veer Singh Plaha. The couple, who were married in 2015, already have a daughter, Hinaya Heer Plaha, born in 2016.
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While it is a joyous occasion for Harbhajan Singh and Geeta Basra, the latter has taken the time and mustered the courage to speak up about something that could have been quite difficult to share. Basra revealed that before giving birth to their son, she suffered two miscarriages in 2019 and 2020, both during the first trimester of her pregnancy.
In an interview with ETimes, the actor opened up about her miscarriage, while also offering words of support and encouragement for other women who might’ve or might be going through something similar and have lost hope.
“Howsoever early it happens, if it’s your first trimester, the loss is felt by the mother far more than anybody else connected to her. I want to talk today. I want to tell those women who have had miscarriages and lost hope to pick themselves up again.”
She added that women should not suffer in silence, which is what most women tend to do since there really is no healthy habit in our society to openly talk about these things with our partners or family members, Much like periods, it is spoken about in hushed ways, which might sometimes be stifling for women who need to let out grief so they mourn over their loss and move on.
“They should not give up and suffer in silence yearning for a child. Yes, a miscarriage can have a terrible effect on you from which you might take a long time to come out. A couple of my friends have had miscarriages. But we as women have to learn to put this behind us in the quickest possible time.”
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Also Read: New Zealand Passes Legislation To Grant Bereavement Leave For Miscarriages And Stillbirths
Of course, to each, the time required to come out of this can be different. But for some women, it can be harder, and without proper professional help, they might take a very long time to start the life that has come to a standstill. And that includes trying for a baby again.
In the same interview Geeta Basra also spoke about how Harbhajan Singh is a hands-on father, and how the couple divided their parenting duties when Jovan was born.
To say that even with more open and honest discussions, we’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the mental health issues that women go through because of their biology and the societal norms that govern their bodies, is a fact. Here’s hoping more celebrities personifying these issues can lend some gravity to the conversations around it, and normalise it for the masses who are quick to follow trends set by celebrities and influencers.
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