Mother’s Milk

“Hello Anju, how is your daughter. She looks very thin, aren’t you feeding her properly?” This was her second visit to my clinic.  I could immediately recognize her. The last time I had given her a long lecture on the advantages of breast feeding. She had at that time come with her husband and her newborn baby. She had told she was feeding her cow’s milk.
“Why not your milk?” I had almost shouted.
“I am not able to, DokSaab.” She had said, a strange pain mixed joy expression on her face.
“Why not? You can if you try.” I kept on hammering.
“You work some where?”
“Do you feel it will destroy your figure?”
She just kept looking towards her baby and hadn’t replied.
“Look Anju, You don’t realize you are depriving your daughter of her birth right. I can only advice, it’s up to you to follow”

This time she had come with her mother-in-law.
“I am worried too, DokSaab” she said, “I am doing all I can, but she keeps on crying”
“Are you breast-feeding her?” I came directly to my favorite subject.
She didn’t reply and turned to look at the posters.
“No DokSaab, even I have told her to feed the baby, but she will not listen” her mother-in-law intervened.
“What’s the matter, Anju? Even after my advice, you are still not giving her your milk. What type of mother are you”
“DokSaab, I…” she just started sobbing and went out of the chamber.
“These gen-next mothers, they don’t listen to our advice. They think they know all” her mother-in-law grumbled.
“What can I do, except giving her right advice” I said and gave the vaccine to her baby and they went.

“Doctor I wanted to talk to you about Anju”, he must be her husband, I think I have seen him before. “I know what you want to say. She is not breast feeding her baby. Even I have tried to convince her”
“DokSaab she wants but she can’t”
“If she wants then why doesn’t she feed” I was surprised.
“Sir, we thought we’ll not let any one know. But when this morning you chided her in front of my mother, Anju realized we should have told you.”
I was getting impatient “What should she have told me, and why didn’t she tell me in the morning.”
“Well DokSaab she still wants to hide from my mother and others. DokSaab, we are married for seven years but couldn’t conceive. We tried all the possible treatment. Then we were told about Test-tube baby. It was then Anju decided we adopt a child. This baby she hasn’t delivered, so how could she feed her. She just doesn’t want anyone to know and later reveal that to our daughter.”
I was feeling ashamed to have scolded Anju. “I will say sorry the next time she comes. Tell her no one will know from my mouth.” I said smiling.