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.