7 September 2020
“To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under the heavens.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1 How often had I heard this quote, but never had it resonated as much as it did than when I was reading Nivashni Nair Sukdhev’s book, “What’s on my mind…MAKING BABIES!” I had pre-ordered the book sometime in June this year and was one of the first people to receive my copy last week. Work pressures and launch-day nerves of my own meant that I only started reading it early on Sunday morning. By this time, I had already met Nivashni the day before, at the Durban Book Fair; vivacious, bubbly, and one of the most down to earth people I had the pleasure of meeting. Sitting down in the lounge, with a big mug of tea, I started to read. Wow! I was blown away with her words right from the start. She spoke from the heart and the raw emotion in her words jumped out at me. Page after page, chapter after chapter – I read…I laughed…I cried (actually, I howled at parts and was forced to put the book aside to wipe the tears that coursed down my cheeks). By this time, the big mug of tea could now be called “iced tea”! “What’s on my mind…MAKING BABIES!” is about Nivashni’s personal battle against Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and her struggle against infertility. It gives the reader insight into the harsh, clinical world of medicine that she and her husband had to endure, to fulfil their dream of becoming parents. It highlights the PCOS emotional rollercoaster and the impact it has, both physically and mentally. In the process, she breaks past the societal taboos and helps educate people who don’t know any better. With this book, Nivashni has given hope to many other women suffering a similar plight. By letting us into her world, she has shown us that faith and love can move mountains! On a personal level, this book hit home…hard! It stirred memories within me that I had pushed into a far corner of my brain some 15 years ago. Nivashni, with her book, achieved something that thousands of rands worth of psychologist consultations could not do…it helped me meet my own demons head-on and finally begin to heal. Nivashni, I salute you – the mother, the wife, the journalist and the scared little 9-year-old child that once was! Thank you for sharing your journey with us.
This book is available from https://madeinchatsworth.co.za/HOME/#!/Whats-On-My-Mind-Making-Babies-by-Nivashni-Nair-Sukdhev/p/194643522/category=55612989
