x @suta_bombay “All my friends would say ‘Engineer, doctor, computer scientist’ etc, and I would just say ‘mom’. From before I can even remember, I’ve always always wanted to be a mother. When anyone asked me what I wanted to do in life, or what my ambitions and goals were, I would say “to be a mother” We had a dress up day at the end of high school - where we were supposed to dress up as ourselves, 10 years down the line, and I went with a helmet under my shirt, basically pregnant. Motherhood for me is learning to be both a shelter and a launchpad—nurturing their spirits while helping them become their own little people. It’s not perfection; it’s presence. Something I wish people understood better is the constant, around-the-clock need—being everything to someone, all the time. The lack of personal space, the emotional and mental load—it’s exhausting in ways that are hard to explain, even though it’s filled with love. Choice in the context of becoming a parent, to me, is having the freedom to decide what’s best for your child without pressure or judgment. It’s understanding that there’s no one-size-fits-all way to parent—and that what works for one family, or even one child, might not work for another. It’s about trusting yourself to make those calls. Something I had to really unlearn, was the idea that being a good mom means constantly putting myself last. I used to think that was noble, but I’m learning that looking after myself—my mind, my goals, even just getting a bit of rest—isn’t selfish, it’s necessary. My kids don’t need a worn-out version of me; they need a happy, healthy one. It took a whole lot of mental strength to trust that my body would provide for my child—both during pregnancy and beyond. But it also meant learning to recognise and accept my body’s limits, and knowing when to turn to science for support. There’s power in that balance: trusting your body while embracing the help it needs”