Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures — A Dialogue on Maternal Health with Swati and Her Mentor Suneel Vatsyayan

"हर कोई बच्चा पैदा करता है, इसमें नया क्या है"—इस सोच को बदलने की ज़रूरत है।
#WorldHealthDay2025 पर आइए संकल्प लें: स्वस्थ शुरुआत, आशावान भविष्य।

सिर्फ अस्पताल नहीं, जोखिम मुक्त प्रसव के लिए ज़रूरी है प्यार, देखभाल, जागरूकता और तनाव मुक्त माहौल।
माँ के साथ चलिए—न उससे आगे, न पीछे।

💡पिता के लिए एक सत्र। सोच में एक बदलाव। एक स्वस्थ भविष्य। #मातृस्वास्थ्य #नवजात_देखभाल #NadaIndia #SocialWorkMatters 

On the occasion of World Health Day 2025

By Nada India Foundation & Vidya Lead Academy

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“For risk-free deliveries, a healthy environment is required.”
These heartfelt words by Swati (Name changed), a lactating mother and social student from Sonipat, Haryana, strike the very core of this year’s World Health Day theme — “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures.”

In a candid conversation with her mentor, Life Coach Suneel Vatsyayan from Vidya Lead Academy (knowledge partner of Nada India Foundation), she reflected on her lived experience as a young mother and student. Her insights speak not only to the challenges faced by women like her but also to the pressing need for inclusive, empathetic, and well-informed systems that truly support maternal and newborn health.

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Changing the Conversation Around Childbirth

Swati shared how often in society, childbirth is brushed off as something routine.
“Har koi bacha paida karta hai, koi nayi baat nahi hai(Everyone gives birth to a child, it's nothing new),” people say, minimizing the physical, emotional, and psychological journey of motherhood.

But she believes this mindset needs to change. Childbirth may be common, but each mother’s experience is unique — and every birth carries its own risks and demands care, respect, and support.

She stressed that stress and lifestyle factors are major contributors to high-risk pregnancies. “We talk so much about institutional deliveries, but forget the emotional institution around the mother — the family,” she said.

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Involving Families, Especially Husbands

Both Swati and Suneel agreed that education must extend beyond health centers and reach into homes.
Swati suggested that “a session for families, especially husbands, is needed to understand the love and care a pregnant woman needs.”

Without this emotional understanding, the burden falls entirely on the woman, increasing stress and risk during delivery.

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The Role of Social Workers

Suneel Vatsyayan emphasized the critical role of trained social workers in bridging these gaps — from promoting institutional deliveries and risk-free births to ensuring that the societal mindset evolves.

“Social workers must advocate not only for health infrastructure but for the creation of a nurturing ecosystem around expectant mothers,” he shared. “This includes tackling ignorance, building emotional literacy in families, and connecting mothers to supportive community services.”

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What Needs to Improve: A Mother's Perspective

When asked what one thing she would improve from her personal experience to ensure risk-free deliveries, Swati responded:
“Empathy and support at home. A woman needs to feel seen and heard. That’s the first step towards a safe birth.”

A Call to Action

This World Health Day, with its theme “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures,” we echo Swati’s message:

Let’s invest in high-impact interventions — not just in hospitals but in hearts and homes. Let us fund and promote initiatives that not only reduce avoidable maternal and child deaths but also nurture the long-term health, growth, and dignity of mothers and children.

Because every healthy beginning deserves a hopeful future.

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#WorldHealthDay2025 #HealthyBeginningsHopefulFutures #MaternalHealth #NadaIndia #VidyaLeadAcademy #SocialWorkMatters