by Veena Krishnan

Created on: March 30, 2010   Last Updated: April 01, 2010

Motherhood is a status which brings joy at whatever time of the year. However, that is in case of planned motherhood. Unplanned pregnancies and untimely motherhood does not come into the purview of this article.

When a woman knows she is pregnant especially when she and her husband/partner are planning on having children then she is looking forward to the baby’s arrival. She has her husband’s support who is also eagerly looking forward to his new role as a father. Other family members and friends share the woman’s/couple’s happiness. Everyone concerned starts preparations for the new baby’s arrival.

In many societies a room is converted in to a nursery suited for the child. The room is equipped with furniture that will be needed and parents start buying things they will need once the baby arrives. In many eastern societies there are religious ceremonies associated with a woman’s pregnancy. She is feasted and given gifts and often pampered. A pregnant woman is given special consideration in every society because of the attitude we have towards children and babies in general.

A baby always elicits emotions of love and caring from those around her/him and there is a natural tendency to protect the newborn. This human instinct has been recorded by scientists from all fields of enquiry such as sociologists, anthropologists, biologists etc. No one refutes the importance of this instinct. Therefore a baby is welcome any time of the year.

However considerations of convenience may make certain times of the year more suitable for bringing up a newborn than certain other times. People living in communities with basic amenities might have to consider the weather conditions and availability of essential resources that the newborn might need. But aren’t children born to mothers living in places with very severe winters or in the deserts. Such communities have a life style suited for the prevailing weather conditions. A working woman might want to have her baby when her work demands are least. For a woman who works in a school, timing her pregnancy and delivery to coincide with the school holidays would be ideal. But leave vacancy appointments, job share and part-time workers are some of the systems in place to take care of such situations.

In our society babies are always welcome and in some countries couples are given incentives to have children.  In the UK the length of maternity leave was increased. Paternity leave is available and no restriction on the timing of this leave is imposed. Thus there are facilities available which does not necessitate a drastic change in one’s life style when a woman chooses to have a baby.

Conception is a chance event and science has not yet found a method of guaranteeing it. Even in the highly controlled In Vitro Fertilisation procedure the doctor cannot be sure it will succeed. Besides children are considered a gift of God and any time such a gift arrives is a good time!

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