Many mothers tell me, "Doctor, I think my son is going to fall sick. Can I do something about it"? How someone can treat such a condition medically, when there is no problem? But eventually, in a day or two, the mother brings in the child, with a fever or some other ailment.

Some mothers, on looking at the child's face when he or she comes back from school, can tell whether the child has had a pleasant day, or a tough day at school.

Similarly, many mothers avoid sending their child to school, if they feel something wrong, only to realise that the child has fallen sick later in the day.

Mothers should learn to hone their skills of intuition, so that they can put it to good use, even if once in a while it becomes a 'cry wolf' situation.

In my practice, I give a lot of value to a mother's intuition, and often do some tests, or even hospitalize that child, on the insistence on the mother. I have seen that nine out of ten times, the mother's suspicion turns out to be right. As a mother, you can use your intuition to help your doctor, and to help your child.

The Flip Side

Mothers can very easily sense their child's level of anxiety, unhappiness, sorrow, comfort levels, happiness and guilt, with one look.

Unfortunately, I have never known any father who has this ability. Hence, the mother is in a great position to predict and prevent many a problem in her child, if she applies her mind and listens to her intuition.

However, nowadays, with mothers also getting busier, and being overloaded with work, both at home and at the office, their minds are occupied with a hundred responsibilities, and too tired to be creative or intuitive. As a result, her powers of intuition, which require the mind to be clear and calm, are also dulled, and cannot be of much use to her, or to her child.

But by learning to calm the mind, and remaining relaxed, the powers of intuition can be brought back, and used. And by repeatedly relying on her intuitions, the mother can strengthen this trait in herself, and put it to good use. Intuition works only if you believe in it, otherwise anything that happens can easily be dismissed as coincidence, and you would have lost your sixth sense, which can prove to be an invaluable tool in many aspects of life.

Author: Dr. P. V. Vaidyanathan

(The author is a Mumbai based Paediatrician)