What it's like to be a Single, Unmarried Mother In India | Anmol Chaudhary | Karishma Mehta | EP 51

“At 26, I wanted to end my life! Life took a sudden turn when I broke up with my then-partner… a few weeks later, I missed my period. So I took a pregnancy test—it was positive. I freaked out! I contemplated aborting my baby, and that’s what my ex pushed me to do, too. But when my sister and I went for my ultrasound, I heard my baby’s heartbeat for the first time. That moment changed everything. In two minds, I asked the Universe to give me a sign. And you won’t believe what happened next...”

As a pregnant 26-year-old who had just broken up with her then-partner and was on drugs, Anmol Chaudhary was faced with an impossible choice; but she chose the tough one – to have her baby out of wedlock. She lived a life fraught with challenges, but never once did she back down. Today, her child is her whole world…

From running away from her home at 14 and facing the horrors that come with it to becoming a single mother at the age of 27, Anmol’s journey has been anything but conventional.

In this episode, we spoke to her about her journey, battling with suicidal thoughts, what kept her strong throughout her pregnancy, and what it is like to be a single mother with a child out of wedlock in India. Join us as we take you through Anmol’s journey—a tale of a mother’s love, courage, and resilience.

#humansofbombay #podcast #singlemother

We spoke about:
. Her accidental pregnancy at 26
. Contemplating abortion
. Crowdfunding for her delivery
. Her family and society’s reaction to her pregnancy
. Filling the father’s void
. Body-shaming faced by new mothers
. Life as a single mother

Time Stamps
00:00- Precap
00:20- Introduction
00:53- Welcoming the guest
01:32- Finding out about her pregnancy
02:06- Drug abuse
02:37- Lack of love in life
03:04- Feeling suicidal
03:18- Seeking therapy
04:11- Realised she missed her periods
04:30- Pregnant at the age of 26
07:30- Leaving home at the age of 14
08:58- Emotional call with Mom
09:06- Started building a career
11:18- Views on abortion
11:24- Decision to keep the baby
13:45- Sister and ex-partner’s reaction to her pregnancy
13:56- Ex pushing her to abort
14:39- Figuring out finances
15:50- Crowdfunding for delivery
18:26- Parents’ support
19:28- Societal treatment
21:06- Filling the father’s void
22:03- The father meeting her baby
22:20- Tried co-parenting
22:40- Jayce’s resemblance to his father
23:22- Feelings on ex-partner’s marriage
23:39- Breaking down
24:27- Meeting her ex’s mom
25:56- Being a single mother
27:48- Message to all single moms
38:17- Pros of being a single mother
29:02- Being empathetic to mothers
29:42- Struggle for work
31:56- Figuring it out
32:46- Show & Tell segment

The Humans of Bombay Show, hosted by our CEO and Founder Karishma Mehta, is a Humans of Bombay original where we celebrate real-life heroes. From the single mother who had a baby out of wedlock to a female officer who served the army for 11 years, we want to bring out the extraordinary stories of seemingly ordinary people.
India is a melting pot of stories, and with the Humans of Bombay Show, we want to bring these beautiful stories to you and give you a peek into the unique minds of people who have excelled in their fields.
The track 'Kahaaniyaan' has been Created & Sung by Harshil Karia.

𝐂𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐓𝐮𝐛𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 – 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲!

Links:
Humans of Bombay
Instagram:   / officialhumansofbombay  
YT Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/@humansofbomb...
LinkedIn:   / mycompany  

Anmol Chaudhary
YouTube:    / @anmoljaycechaudhary  
Instagram:   / anmolchaudharyofficial  
Twitter:   / anmolchaudharyy  
Facebook:   / anmolchaudharyofficial  

Karishma Mehta
Instagram:   / karimehta05  
LinkedIn:   / karishma-mehta-b22151174  

About Humans of Bombay –
Humans of Bombay is a movement that started 9 years ago. We believe that every person has a story to tell and we want to help them tell these stories. In these years we’ve published stories across genres – stories of love, hope, faith, and courage. And through our storytelling, we’ve built an engaged community of over 5M!

Our idea is simple – to strike a chord with our community and catalogue the beat of humanity, one story at a time.