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Having a Baby in India: one calm guide, from the first check-up to Baal Aadhaar

You have just found out you are expecting, and suddenly everyone is talking about the MCP card, the RCH ID, PMMVY, JSY, the 9th of the month, the hospital package and Baal Aadhaar. Having a Baby in India puts all of it in one calm, clear book, in the order things actually happen, with every scheme and every rule checked on official Indian sites.

What is inside

40 pages and about 10,000 words (tables and checklists included) in 20 chapters, with 85 tick boxes, 17 tables and pages to fill in.

  1. How to use this book. Three promises: official sources only, no judgment, no medical advice.
  2. How pregnancy care is organised in India. Who your ASHA, Anganwadi worker and ANM are, what each facility offers, and the three documents to carry everywhere: MCP card, RCH ID, Aadhaar-linked account.
  3. Your antenatal check-ups, visit by visit. India's minimum of four check-ups, the WHO eight-contact timetable, what happens at each visit and the questions to ask at the first one.
  4. Free check-ups on the 9th: PMSMA. What the minimum package includes, the green and red stickers, and e-PMSMA for high-risk pregnancies.
  5. Choosing where to give birth. Government facility or private hospital, side by side, with the questions to ask before you choose and a transport plan.
  6. Free delivery in government hospitals: JSSK. Your entitlements, from caesarean to diet and blood, and what to do if someone asks you to pay.
  7. Janani Suraksha Yojana. The amounts published by state health missions, the home-birth payment and how to make sure the money arrives.
  8. PMMVY: who gets it and how much. Every eligibility category, the conditions, the deadlines and the documents.
  9. PMMVY step by step. The Citizen Login, every section of the registration form, the childbirth update, Track Status, and a table of common problems with their fixes.
  10. Your rights at work. Maternity benefit under the Code on Social Security, in force since November 2025, ESI, informal work, and a letter model for your employer.
  11. The first hours and days with your baby. WHO postnatal care, feeding, and what to collect before discharge.
  12. Paperwork after birth. The 21-day rule, the free certificate, late registration, Baal Aadhaar and a paperwork timeline.
  13. Your baby's vaccines. Free UIP vaccines, the birth doses and U-WIN.
  14. Family traditions, with respect and evidence. Godh bharai and other baby showers, the confinement period, colostrum and oil massage, with what research actually found.
  15. Your mind matters too. Tele MANAS, partners, and when to talk to someone.
  16. When to call for help. Warning signs during pregnancy, after the birth and for your baby, and the numbers to save.
  17. Special situations. High-risk pregnancy, twins, loss, adoption and surrogacy, single mothers, migrant families, NRIs.
  18. Month-by-month checklist. From the positive test to nine months after the birth.
  19. Pages to fill in. Care team, key dates and IDs, check-up log, paperwork tracker, questions.
  20. Glossary and bibliography. Twenty-four terms explained, and 34 sources with their web addresses, all accessed on 13 October 2026.

Who it is for

  • You are pregnant in India, perhaps for the first time, and want one trustworthy source instead of ten forums.
  • You want to know exactly which government schemes you can claim, and how, without paying an agent.
  • You work and want to understand your maternity benefit before you speak to HR.
  • You are a single mother, an NRI, moving between states, or expecting twins: there is a section written with you in mind.
  • You want to give a useful gift to a daughter, sister or friend who has just shared her news.

What it is, and what it is not

This book explains what official sources say, clearly and calmly, with pages to fill in. Amounts and rules are given as of October 2026, each with its source, because schemes change. It does not replace your doctor, ANM or ASHA, and it contains no diagnosis and no medicine doses. Every article on this site about schemes and paperwork in India stays free and complete; the book brings it all together, adds the checklists and pages to fill in, and goes with you to every appointment.

Instant PDF, with your name on the cover

Your guide arrives as a PDF as soon as your payment goes through. Read it on your phone, or print the checklists, the check-up log and the paperwork tracker to keep with your MCP card.