The first time I took my toddler to the supermarket was when she was two years old. Until then, I had been reluctant to take her because I knew that I would end up running behind her throughout the store instead of shopping.

‘Marriage and motherhood are not obligations but rather choices’- the statement alone speaks volumes and needs no further explanation, but I feel the need to elaborate as to why so many of us stand by this statement.

Raising a child doesn’t make a woman invalid. It doesn’t mean she should dissolve her identity into that of her child. Being a mother just adds to the identity of a woman rather than reducing the value of her individuality.

Let us remember that a woman’s existence is not just limited to marriage and pregnancy. Her health, education and individuality should be prioritised over her duty to take the progeny further.

Research shows that babies seem to “know” a lot more about the world we live and grow in than previously believed.

Dear society, please understand that motherhood is a choice and not a necessity. A woman should get to choose whether she wants to be a mom or not. An unwanted pregnancy can lead to dire consequences in future for both the mother and the child.

As a maternity and baby photographer and as a mother, this was a journey that I experienced, first through my own life, and then through these mothers, after many months of virtually interviewing women across the globe.

A video went viral as Soha Ali Khan’s daughter folds clothes and the everyone finds is adorable .

Will we still put moms on a pedestal if they refuse to perform certain chores because they are not up for the task?

“My parents tried to stop me but I was too independent to listen to them. I got hate from relatives; My mother’s alcohol addiction worsened,” Sunny Leone said.