"Mumma, khana do" - How 2-year-old kirthi found her true hunger again

A mother's silent struggle

Every mother, at some point, worries about her child’s eating habits.

But for Kirthi’s mom, that worry had grown into daily distress.

Her once-happy daughter had become a child who hated food, cried during meals, and pushed away every bite offered.

"I was always stressed, constantly thinking about what to feed my fussy kid. I forced her to eat. But the more I forced, the more she resisted," her mother recalls.

Eventually, it wasn’t just picky eating. Eventually, Kirthi started getting abdominal pains, severe constipation, gut inflammation and a complete lack of hunger.

The family turned to doctors and tried three rounds of antibiotics from a reputed hospital. But nothing helped.

That’s when Kirthi’s mom, in a state of emotional breakdown, reached out to Swati.

The turning point – trusting nature

Kirthi was taken to Antahasatva for a 5-day stay.

There were no syrups. No pills. No pressure.

Swati followed one simple principle: Don’t feed the child until her body asks for it.

It went against everything the mother had known.

But she trusted.

For the first two days, there was abundance of all different kinds of fruits placed on the table for her. She used to get on her chair, look at all the fruits, ate a few pieces of bananas. Nothing else. She was completely surrendered to the intelligence of her own body.

And then, on the third day, something magical happened.

Her mother recalls, with tears in her eyes:

"She looked at me and said, ‘Mumma, khana do…’ It was the first time I had ever heard her ask for food on her own. I felt emotional beyond words. I realized she does know hunger. Her body does know when it needs food."

The gentle power of natural healing

In just five days at Antahasatva, without any medications, Kirthi’s body began to reset.

For the first two days, Kirthi got painful bowel movements.

Eventually, by the fifth day, her pain subsided, bowel movements got better, and her mood lifted. She stopped crying at the sight of food.

What changed?

🌿 She was surrounded by nature.

🍌 She was given fruits, not forced meals.

🕊️ She was given rest, not pressure.

💧 She was given time to feel hunger again.

And through it all, Swati held the space offering not just care for Kirthi, but deep emotional support for the mother too.

A mother’s message to other parents

"Please, don’t force your children to eat," she says now. "Let them listen to their own bodies. Give them fresh fruits. Avoid processed food. Stop running to syrups and tablets for every little issue. The body knows how to heal, if we just step out of its way."

From helplessness to hope

Kirthi’s journey is a reminder that healing doesn’t always come from a prescription.

Sometimes, it begins with patience, trust, and letting nature do what it does best.

Today, Kirthi eats when she’s hungry. She is now a happier and an active child. And her mother?

She finally rests, knowing her child’s body is working exactly as it should.

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