Pregnancy And Motherhood is Boon

Hello readers,

  I am a mother of a 1-year-old kid. I would like to share my experience during pregnancy. What all I have experienced, learn facts and tips to have a healthy kid and of course a peaceful mind. How to manage your pregnancy hormones. 

   

After seeing a double line in a pregnancy test kit, I felt "is there any fault with this kit?? Should I need to test again??". After 3 years of marriage and when your dates are moved several times, some are due to climate change and some are health issues. It's not the first time we did the home pregnancy test. I went and wake my husband and said I think there's a problem with this kit. It's showing a double line which I haven't seen before. After seeing it, he too was confused about what could it be as the second-line was a little lighter. He googled a lot but asked me to raise no hopes. Raising Hope will always hurt. We were running late for my uncle's office opening function, still, my husband drove the car very slowly, thinking what if I am pregnant. He what'sapped his gynec friend the photo of the kit. She confirmed it's positive, but asked us to wait for a few days to go for Doctor. we couldn't control our eagerness, we went to Lister's lab before going to the office and gave a test for my Hcg level. We then informed my parents and inlaws about the home pregnancy test kit result and they were so happy. he dropped me in my office, here comes my first advice, He asked me not to drive the car, he will come and pick me from the office. It sounded so sweet. After entering the office, with work and my friends I forgot this completely and he called post-lunch and confirmed the results came from the lab and you are pregnant and he asked are you having any symptoms?? Like Dizziness, headache, vomiting. I said no I don't have any.

I was so excited about the pregnancy, but, We didn't expect that month, because in a week he is going to London, business trip for 50 days. He is starting in 2 days.. I was happy at the same time I missed his presence. On that day evening we picked my MIL and FIL near my office, they were coming from Madurai to Chennai for staying with me as I would be alone after he goes to London. My mother and father were also there as they had a sudden trip to Chennai for my uncle's office opening. 

    

    I still remember the conversation in the car when going to back to home, my FIL asked me to take a break from career and can start after the kid has grown up. My husband supported me by saying, let her go, dad, let's make sure she goes in the cab and let her not to drive and we will check for work from home option or leave till 3 rd month completion. They were afraid as my MIL had few miscarriages and heard stories of many having it, above all I would be delivering 1 st kid in the family after long. He got 3 pregnancy test kit and my MIL asked me to check daily to confirm. My husband inquired about the hospital to his colleagues, as he didn't have much time to explore and we went with his colleague's recommendation "mangai clinic" in AnnaNagar. We went to the hospital after a week and the doctor confirmed I am pregnant and said like the next scan would be In 8th week of my pregnancy and said few things like

1. Have to drink a lot of water.
2. Eat less than before in 2 hours interval.
3. Eat high fibre foods and fruits. 
4. Don't eat more spice or oiled foods mainly uncooked foods like Pani poori, bhelpuri any chats.
5. Can do walking and stretches and post 3 months I can go for pregnancy yoga with supervision.
6. Can drive a car
7. Finish Dinner before 2 hours of my sleep time and drink a glass of milk before sleep.
8. Hot foods are preferred,even if we have outside food side-dish like sambar, not chutneys(as we will not be sure when its made)
     

Dr Jeyashree and Dr Nivedita have more patience and so kind enough to answer all our small questions like can I have biscuits at night. Can I do this that all? I didn't have much appetite but I changed my food habits completely like started having rice like vegetables and Vegetables like rice. Actually Having rice for a vegetable. Will have at least 2 vegetables and a fruit daily and a minimum 3 litres of water and a fruit juice without sugar.Dr didn't ask me to stop sugar intake but I did, hearing many stories from my friends who had gestational diabetes during her pregnancy. 

There are two good Android apps for knowing child development  and tips 

1. healofy (indian government android app,which actually has government plans,schemes,it has a chat corner where our queries are answered by doctors and fellow pregnant mothers)

2.baby centre 

I tried both.. I loved it. Healofy will give notifications daily like "maa, I am of this size and I would weigh gms and I would look like this compared to fruit or vegetable size".

That message feels like my baby is  speaking to me. 

I would strongly recommend everyone to go to a prenatal class. That helped me so much, to overcome the fear of delivery and parenting. I had normal delivery,half of the credit goes to prenatal class. In Prenatal class, they basically mould you to be a strong, positive person and give confidence for delivery and prepare you to accept any kind of delivery. Connecting with your kid from the womb. You will connect with many pregnant ladies that itself will give a psychological strength. In pregnancy, psychology plays more than physical strength. 

Tips to get a good sleep at night

        1. Go for a regular walk 

        2. Filling dinner

        3. Few minutes of meditation

        4. Favourite music

       5. Reduce your water intake 3 hours before sleep and a glass of milk before bed, Which will help you to have good sleep, have more water in the morning.

In the 8th week scan, you can get to know Mainly about 

        1. Size of features

        2. Presence and rate of heartbeat

        3. Presence of multiple babies by the presence of multiple heartbeat and multiple sacs

In your 18th week of pregnancy, your kid will hear you. So it's better to wear glass bangles, good sounds, positive vibration. I had been talking with my kid daily before and after sleep, while bathing, whenever I am alone and get some free time. No one will believe even I didn't believe in the first instance. After delivery, I was having trips in one table, to the next table my kid was having some photo treatment. No one was there. She was crying  I called her the name "chicoo".I was calling her like that in my womb. I said "chicoo" amma is nearby plz don't cry, you are with me", To my surprise she kept quiet. The kid can identify your voice and your partner's. If you keep talking to him/her during pregnancy. It will give them a secure feel. Sing or whatever u like to do. I was telling her a story, sang songs, talked with her. Gave more affirmation. All are worth. You can feel the attachment level to you.I realized one thing a few days back. In my pregnancy, I had low hemoglobin,so I had spinach regularly. someone mocked me saying as you are having spinach regularly, your kid may tend to hate it when it's out of your womb. I said that "No my kid will love it" and I said same to my kid, You will love spinach more, mostly during my meditation. To my surprise, it worked, not even a day she rejected spinach from the day I started giving food to her. she usually rejects some of her favorite food, but not spinach. Then I understood, it could be due to the affirmation I gave during pregnancy. Dear mothers, Do talk with your kid and impose all the good things she can have when she is in the womb itself, so you don't need to struggle when they are out.i missed many, But i don't want anyone to miss like me.

    You will be given folic acid, iron and calcium as a supplement. The same way you can take more spinach, curry leaves, dry fruits like fig(rich in iron), walnut(omega 3, component enhance kids brain development), Badham, raisin. Few will have constipation problem as a result of iron supplement, you can have more water, banana, greens (spinach) that will reduce some constipation problem. 

Relax, breathing exercise, mediation will help to manage mood swings. Identify a hobby or Start one like knitting, drawing, solving puzzles, reading novels. Anything of ur interest. Research has proven kids of active mothers are very active. Whatever you do will impact your kid. Even learning a new language will have some impact on your kid's memory. 

Regular exercise, psychological strength will make pregnancy easier and happier. 

    Even if you are not able to do any exercise don't leave walking. Walking will ease your hip muscles which will help you for delivery. kegals are easier and important. It doesn't need much stamina. You can do from anyplace, anytime. You have apps for kegals. Elders do say few things like don't sleep straight, sleep in your side. It's because when we sleep straight there will be a secretion of hormone which is not good during pregnancy and blood flow for a baby will not be proper. 

Getting up straight and changing sides in sleep- they will say umbilical cord will surround baby neck. That's not true. I have enquired all the doctor I have known they say it's fine to do. Only thing is if we rotate without conscious sometimes we may get pain in hip as days go on will be feeling heavy due to baby weight. Eating for two, what they mean is eating nutrients for two, definitely not by calories. Healthy weight gain in overall pregnancy is 8-12 kg. In the last 2 month, your weight will get an increase every week. So if we try to manage our weight in earlier months will pave way for normal delivery. 

Finally, I would like to say staying positive and happy will give both you and your kid happy. 

Here are a few Prenatal class which is very good and have good reviews through my friends and my experience. They have both online and offline session. 

  

          1. Shristi pregnancy care, erode

          2. Happy motherhood -ananthi ragupathy -Chennai. 

          3. Utsav pregnancy Care-amba-Chennai (not sure they have online classes). 

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