Maya’s Amma: Meet 35-year-old Swati Jagdish, who educates people on sex, pregnancy, breastfeeding and more

After giving birth to her daughter Maya, Swati began creating awareness about sex, pregnancy, breastfeeding, lactation and consent through workshops and meet-ups with like-minded mothers
Swati Jagdish with her daughter, Maya (File photo)
Swati Jagdish with her daughter, Maya (File photo)

The crowd of young mothers chuckled when the 35-year-old Swati Jagdish uttered the word ‘vagina.’ She took a deep breath and held the mic firm -- it’s time for ‘the real talk’. The packed auditorium eagerly heeded her words, and in an hour, the words such as vagina or sex were never a thing for them to laugh at.

Swati Jagdish, popularly known as Maya’s Amma, is now a lighthouse for many who have been lurking in the dark for too long. Coupled with her NGO, Coimbatore Parenting Network (CPN), she educates people on various subjects that are still considered taboo in the country. Lactation counsellor, sex educator, behaviour analyst, and parenting educator are some of the roles donned by the 35-year-old to make this world a better place for everyone.

“It all started eight years ago when I was pregnant. At that time, I went to a hospital in Coimbatore, and the gynaecologist examined my vagina without my consent. The incident left me in utter shock, following which I opted for a water birth in Kochi. However, the incident was eye-opening for me,” recalls the Kerala native, who has been residing in Coimbatore for the past 15 years.

After giving birth to her daughter Maya, Swati began creating awareness about sex, pregnancy, breastfeeding, lactation and consent through workshops and meet-ups with like-minded mothers from Facebook groups. In 2015, the group formed the Coimbatore Parenting Network (CPN), an NGO that promotes awareness about pregnancy, postpartum depression, new-age parenting, cloth diapering, breastfeeding techniques, and donating breast milk. At present, Swati, Minu Gnanamoorthy, Gotha Hari Priya, and Kumutha Chandrika are the four managing trustees of CPN. They have been organising events to create awareness about such topics among the public.

“I believe lack of proper parenting and sex education is the root cause of most societal issues. However, growing up in an Indian family, the children are always shushed whenever they are too curious about sex or their bodies. Parents can’t just put their arms around their child’s shoulder and expect them to have an open conversation if they keep hushing their children about topics like that,” she says.

Swati then started to post content on topics like sex education, pregnancy health and sustainable menstruation practices, intimacy and relationship on social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Youtube. The mother of the 8-year-old goes by the name “Maya’s Amma” on her social media—a name that is a part of her identity now!

Talking about her social media name, Swati says, “Maya has been inspiring me from the day she was born, and I’ve been learning a lot from her each day. However, with numerous information available on the internet, children will search online if parents don’t enlighten them about topics they need to know. As a mother, I wouldn’t want Maya to go to someone else to learn about things she is curious about. Parents should be the primary source of information for their children in sensitive matters,” says Swati.

Now, with about 4 lakh followers on social media, the mother-daughter duo educate parents and children about topics once considered taboo. And this has made an impact on society. Now, the mothers of Coimbatore no longer shy away from their kids’ sex-related questions. Thanks to ‘Maya’s Amma,’ they know how to talk, what to talk and most importantly, why to talk!

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