Culture plays a pivotal role in shaping societal dynamics. Indian women often find themselves juggling numerous roles and responsibilities, including social obligations, managing family relations and behavioral issues among family members and spouses, as well as fulfilling familial duties. These pressures can lead to significant stress, often unrecognized or dismissed as normal. However, such stressors can pose serious risks to women’s health specially during gestational period.

During pregnancy, women may face additional stress from familial expectations, such as desiring a normal delivery, a male child, or a fair-skinned child. Stress, defined in medical or biological terms, encompasses physical, mental, and emotional factors that create tension. External stressors may stem from environmental, psychological, or social circumstances, while internal stressors could arise from illness or medical procedures. Early adverse experiences, including prenatal maternal psychosocial stress, can detrimentally affect developmental processes through both physiological and behavioral mechanisms, ultimately impacting an individual’s mental and physical health, well-being, and aging trajectory.