Wednesday, April 27, 2016

microchimerism and motherhood


I often say it with absolute conviction that Mithi is in my blood and flesh now. That she is in me and I always feel it, can meditate sometimes and feel her breath on my face, can hold her hands and do everything I used to do with her.

I have never felt like dusting her photo frame everyday and celebrating her birth and death anniversaries in any particular manner. I never felt like doing any charity on her name though we do some work of that sort. Charity I don't believe in but that is another story.

I was talking about how I feel Mithi is a part of me and I feel it almost literally. I have always remembered how the concept of 'microchimera' works, I had just read about microchimera in our Genetics course and it had intrigued me a lot but it was yet a concept that was not researched enough to establish things further.

But now when I read this article about how microchimerism can express itself it is a sense of déjà vu. Especially when a study suggests how mammary glands can be manipulated by the resident pluripotent foetal cells.

I will tell you what my housemaid who used to help me with housekeeping chores and belonged to Munda tribe of Jharkhand, used to tell me. I trust tribal wisdom a lot as they live so close to nature and follow the rhythms of nature closely, like the back of their hands. She used to tell me how the breast milk starts secreting when the child is hungry or when you are thinking of the child. I don't know what conclusion to draw as I kept lactating for years and even now it happens in traces. I have talked about it with a few friends but now it seems to have a scientific explanation.

Some puzzles sometimes get a faint answer and we find comfort in it. The thought that she is with me comforts.


13 comments:

  1. Sounds very true Snagi, can relate well. I think I shared with you - for almost a month I could hear Gampu in pain, and see his scars and I could actually hear him calling for me...Ma and every time I gave him healing, gradually I could see his clean clear smiling face. While healing I never in mind thought of seeing a clean clear smiling face, I was just concerned about his pain. In fact I communicate with Gampu and dont feel his absence its so real at times. Thanks for this post. Getting an answer is definitely very comforting ...may be an iota..still....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hugs Tapati. Yes the smallest comfort matters.

      Delete
  2. Big hugs, Sangeeta! I knew about this from my interaction with a mutual friend when I lost a loved one. No words can heal the wounds except the memories of the moments spent with them. You're a strong person and I wish you stay strong. She is with you, always. Much love!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely post Sangeeta! And I can so relate to it.. I feel the presence of my parents, and especially my mom, with me now more than ever before. After she passed, I felt and inexplicable closeness to her, that she's with me, connected to me and watching over me at all times.. and not in an eerie way, but in a wonderful angelic / God-like way.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I chanced upon your post and I keep thinking of you and your child. Read the article too and there is a innate sense of peace in knowing that a child will always be a part of the mother. Not just of your soul, but also of your body and nothing can take that away from us, ever.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Anonymous. Yes this sense of peaces helps. A lot.

      Delete
  5. I am very late here as I have said many times before on your FB posts and blog posts I always felt that Mithi is with you and she has put a magical dust on you which makes you shine in whatever you do.. she is there with you always...
    hugs to you sangeeta... many more success to you
    and I am going to read about Microchimera now...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you R. I always feel the same, I tell her everything though I also feel she knows already.
      Love.

      Delete
  6. Totally agree with u....yes Mithi is in u now and always will be...both of u have been in my thoughts from past few days...just felt like hugging u....lots of luv and hugs...

    ReplyDelete
  7. So good to hear from you, I feel loved and cared for. Big hugs.
    Thank you so much.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nothing much to say, just stopped by for hugs....and happy new year.

    ReplyDelete