Ibelieve in angels because I have three beautiful angels at home who surround my life with love and happiness. However, there was one particular angel who was responsible for giving
me my children, and she is Dr Firuza Parikh.
Giving birth to triplets at the age of forty-three is no walk in the park, but I had little
choice. I got married at the young age of
forty, and both my husband, Shirish, and I
were keen to start a family soon. God bless
IVF because it’s never too late to conceive
any more. However, having said that, I have
to point out that going through IVF is a gruelling procedure; maybe that’s why only a
woman can go through it!
My first meeting with Dr Firuza Parikh
changed my life. I knew at once that I was in
the best possible hands. Dr Firuza Parikh
was my guiding light through it all. She was
always encouraging and positive. And, most
importantly, always honest. When I finally
conceived triplets, she put forth the pros and
cons in front of me. But Shirish and I were so
determined to have them that I agreed to all
her terms and conditions. Today my life is
beautiful, it has meaning and I’m almost
always happy. And I know Dr Firuza Parikh
gives this happiness to thousands of women
every year, to many who can’t afford it... And
just like me, thousands of women remember
Dr Firuza Parikh in their prayers everyday
and thank the angel for their little angels…
When we (Farah and her husband director
Shirish Kunder) started planning a family, I
did not think I would require any special
help as my gynaecologist then, seemed to
think I would get pregnant naturally. But
two years passed by and I did not get pregnant. It was at a chance meeting with
Haseena Jethmalani (who was pregnant
with twins) at a friend’s party where she gave
me her doctor’s number. It was as if it had
been planned that I would meet Haseena
that day and that she would direct me to
meet Dr Firuza Parikh.
The next morning I called Dr Firuza
Parikh.
Firuza tells me that when I walked into her
office for the first consultation, I carried an
air of urgency about me. She perceived me as
being organized and ready to start the treatment without wasting time. She says that she
was struck by my positive attitude towards
having a baby and life in general.
Our first session included a detailed histo-
ry, a thorough examination, and a compre-
hensive review of all my past treatments. In
view of my age and history, she suggested
that we try ICSI. I had asked her, ‘Doc, can
we start today?’ She then explained to me
how the cycle starts with a month of prepa-
ration. I looked at my diary for my commit-
ments to Om Shanti Om, made the neces-
sary changes, and said, ‘I am ready.’
No sooner had I left her office than a
thought struck me and I went back. ‘Well, I
am disposing my sanitary napkins today as I
won’t need them for the next nine months,’ I
declared. Dr Firuza Parikh told me much
later that at that very instant she knew that I
would become pregnant. However, she had
cautioned me that IVF is not always success-
ful, and that for me, the chances of failure
were more than the chances of success. But I
was not thinking about failure at all.
The treatment consisted of a round of
injections, blood tests, ultrasound scans, and
Director’s cut
Filmmaker Farah Khan, Dr Firuza Parikh’s
patient, shares her story
Farah Khan, left, hugs Dr Firuza Parikh at the book launch. The vent was attended by the who’s who of Bollywood, including actor Aamir Khan, in the background
SANJAY SAWANT
a periodic review of the findings. Although I
was neck deep in the production of Om
Shanti Om, I kept every appointment, was
on time on all days, and would sometimes
request for a night appointment. I loved
chatting with all the couples while waiting to
see Dr Firuza Parikh. Sometimes her staff
would end up chatting with me as well.
I sincerely believe that if you do not have a
positive attitude towards the procedure it is
not going to work. Complaining doesn’t help
and if you think that you are not getting
pregnant, then you won’t. I know that many
women worry about going through the
process of IVF, mainly due to the injections
that have to be administered. I hate injec-
tions just as much as anybody but it is only
an injection. Dr Firuza Parikh is not asking
you to climb Mount Everest! Every morning
I would go all the way to the clinic at Jaslok
for my shot from Firuza. After my shot, I
would head for my shooting to Film City.
Excerpted with author Dr Firuza Parikh’s
permission from The Complete Guide To
Becoming Pregnant, published by Random
House India.
