When tennis legend Serena Williams, who is mother to four-year-old Olympia, recently revealed that she experiences mum guilt, it resonated with moms across the globe. “Mum guilt is real. I always feel so guilty when I’m doing something on my own,” the 40-year-old sports star said during an interview. Mum guilt or maternal guilt — which Dr Sonal Anand, psychiatrist, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mira Road, explains is common to most mothers — is the feeling of not doing enough to be the perfect parent. “When a baby is born, there are certain hormonal and bodily changes in the mother too, and emotionally she is more attuned to the requirements of the child. So, almost all mothers experience maternal guilt, especially working ones,” explains Dr Anand, adding, “Because then, you’re in two minds — how can I work and take care of the baby at the same time? Am I allowed to spend some time by myself? Is it okay to have someone else take care of the child?”