Motherhood: A Blessing- Chapter 6

From the day i was pregnant, every appointment since then the hospital would ask me to do the urine test..... and many a times i had to give my blood sample.... but there were some more tests which i had to do like PAP test, Diabetes test, Anemia Test, etc.

PAP test is taken to examine the stained cells in a cervical smear for early diagnosis of uterine cancer.... When doing this test i was told that every woman has to do this every year..... i didnt do this anytime before and to be honest i dint knew bout it before.... we should be cautious enough to take precautions of these things..... well doctor examined the sample and my results were negative.....

The diabetes test was taken around my 5-6 month of pregnancy..... it is a one-hour long glucose tolerance screening done at the lab to make sure that you dont have gestational diabetes.... gestational diabetes develops only in pregnancy and stops after the baby's birth it's marked by having too much sugar in the blood and urine...... it is said that about 1 in 10 pregnant women will have it..... and if it is found, it should be controlled by eating healthy diet and taking medications..... i had given my sample and the result took sometime long..... i was worried bout myself so i watched videos regarding gestational diabetes..... there i got a very good point that if u control the carbohydrate level in ur food, since carbohydrate splits into glucose, u can reduce the sugar level.... but my result was negative again.....

Then was the anemia test... for this they take the blood sample and check the number of red cells in the blood.... when the doctor found out that i was anemic she called me and told that i'll have to take Ferrous Sulphate every day twice..... and also the Pre-natal vitamins.... i had to do the test again after one month and they found that i am no more anemic.... the red cells were sufficient in number..... i was relaxed after hearing that.....

i also had to do Group B Streptococcus test..... GBS is a bacteria found in women which can cause illness in newborn babies if transmitted during delivery.... they check the presence of this in the vagina... and if its positive they take preventive measures while delivery.... but mine was negative again.... 

Being alone in US taught me and my husband a lot of things which we couldnt ever learn in India because there the things are all handled by parents and other members of the family..... After learning all this we thought that this was a really good idea to stay here and learn things.... now that we've known so many things, we both can be there to help the future pregnancies in our families..... and also to our friends and anybody who needs.... and we really feel nice and proud that we did it ourselves.... if there are elders with us, it has its pluses and minuses.... pluses are we really dont have to bother bout the things at home... all is taken care by others and i would have had bigggg and wonderful baby shower.... but if they are not there, like in my case, I and Ramanuj came even more closer..... he knew that only he is there for me and i knew that only i am there for him.... and my friends here were so sweet they threw me a very sweet baby shower.... though it wasn't a huge party, but it was sweet enough to be in my memories forever.... and also i could do as i felt right.... after taking classes and watching and reading stuffs, i did what was right for me and my baby.... if there were elders with me, i might had to do what they felt was right..... i couldnt have challenged their knowledge too.... so even if anyone of u may have to do this alone dont be discouraged..... because whatever happens, happens for the best..... 

to be continued......

MOTHERHOOD: A Blessing-Chapter 5

Every month i used to go to the hospital for check-up...... It was really fascinating how the baby was growing inside me.... everytime when i used to go to the hospital, they used to check my bloodpressure, heart rate and weight..... because i was under weight before pregnancy, doctor said i will gain more weight than normal range which is 25 to 35 pounds.... those women who r over weight gain less during pregnancy....but gaining weight should not be a worrying issue... because all a woman wants is a healthy baby.... i gained around 42 pounds during entire pregnancy..... and have already lost 25 -27 pounds..... exercising and eating right helps a lot..... there are some exercises which one should regularly do.....

1. Pelvic Tilt:

This exercise relieves back pain and helps during labor.... here's how you can do pelvic tilt:

    a. get on your hands and knees on the floor with your back straight

    b. breathe and relax your back

    c. breathe out and straighten your stomach muscles and tuck in your hips.... hold this position for 5 seconds....

    d. breathe for few times and relax your back again.

  Repeat this exercise 10-12 times.... they told me in the class to do it 3-4 times in a day..... it helps in muscles toning.......

2. Kegel exercises

This is an important exercise..... because it helps prevent leaking urine.... this is easy to do.... you can do it anyways.... standing or sitting....

     a. firmly tighten the muscles around your vagina(as if you are stopping to urinate but dont practise during urinating)

     b. hold it as long as u can

     c. then slowly release and relax.....

   Repeat this 25 times for 3-4 times a day.....

These exercises help a lot..... i used to have severe back aches and it became very difficult for me to sit for too long..... these exercises were a relief.... even massages help..... Really, it used to hurt so bad i used to cry sometimes..... I used to ask Ramanuj to massage my back..... and massage help me to go to sleep...... i also experienced severe leg cramps during 4-6 months of pregnancy..... foot massage helps a lot......

it is important to eat well..... do not diet even though u r gaining a lot of weight..... avoid fast foods, eat healthy snacks...... and drink 8 -10 glasses of water..... rest frequently.....and please dont try to be a superwoman..... Ramanuj used to scold me wen i used to behave like that.... ask other members to help with households.....

it is said u cannot get happiness without any pains...... trust me, when u have ur baby in ur arms u forget everything... the pains the worries.... everything!!!! All you remember is the baby and that now u r a mother!!! 

to be continued...........

MOTHERHOOD: A Blessing-Chapter 4

Whenever i used to look in the mirror i felt i was changing.... i started gaining weight..... and my face was changing.... my legs were changing..... my fingers, my hands, all of my body....

everything.... and also i was going through a lot of mood swings.... whenever i used to think of the baby i used to get happy... and whenever i thought of India and my parents i used to get sad that i am not there.... many-a-times i used to cry for no apparent reason.... i asked doctor bout this and she said it is all normal.... actually there is a lot of hormonal changes inside body so women feel like this a lot.... but Ramanuj was so patient.... he used to listen to me and talk to me...... that was so supportive of him.....

One afternoon while i was reading, i felt something in my stomach..... i just didnt care and started reading..... after few minutes again i felt the same..... i kept my hand on my tummy..... and again there was the same..... THE BABY WAS KICKING..... I was like "Oh my God! what is it?"..... I called Ramanuj and told him.... he was worried that we might have to go to the hospital..... But I told him the baby has started kicking..... He was so excited.... When he came home for lunch he touched my tummy and said" I cant feel it".... I said the baby doesnt kick all the time..... Later that day when Ramanuj was back home from office and we were watching movie.... i felt baby kicking again...... I told Ramanuj to feel and then he too felt..... wow.... then he started talking to the baby..... 

everyday almost bout every half an hour i used to feel the kicking.... it was amazing to feel how the baby was growing inside..... what a wonderful creater is God..... the mother has no idea wot's inside her.... how is it growing.... i had seen some videos on the internet on pregnancy..... its really amazing how just two tiny cells turn into a wonderful and beautiful baby in just nine months...... huh!!!

to be continued........... 

INDIAN RECIPE- Sarson da Saag

I'd made this dish few months back for the first time.... and everybody loved it.... give it a try....

Ingredients

•500 gm. ‘sarson ka sag’ (green mustard leaves)

•100 gm. fresh spinach or palak leaves

•100 gm. fenugreek or methi leaves (if fresh not available, use 2 tbs. dry 'kasoori methi'

•2 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped (1 heaped tbs. grated). Pieces of ginger, rather than ground ginger, taste nice in this dish.

•3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and grated or finely chopped (optional)

•2-3 green chillies, or to taste, finely chopped

•1 level tsp. turmeric powder

•Salt to taste

•2 tbs. maize/corn meal (flour) or makka atta

•2 tsp. sugar

For tempering:

•2-3 tbs. ghee or olive oil

•1 tsp. cumin seeds

•A pinch of hing or asafoetida

•2 medium onions (250-300 gm.), peeled and grated or chopped finely.

•3-4 whole dry red chillies

•1/4-1/2 tsp. chilli powder (to taste)

Instructions

1.	Clean and wash mustard, fenugreek and spinach leaves well. Drain and chop roughly.
2.	Boil the leaves with garlic, ginger, green chillies, turmeric, salt and a little water for 20-30 minutes. You can pressure cook them for 4-5 whistles/pressures/minutes. Turn heat off and cool.
3.	Place in a blender, along with corn flour, and grind to a paste.
4.	Cook in a pan for a further 10-15 minutes, with the lid closed (it splashes a lot), until it is bubbling gently. It should be of custard like or 'pouring' cinsistency.
	Tempering or tarka:
1.	Heat ghee or oil in a tarka ladle or small pan.
2.	Add cumin seeds and asafoetida and wait for seeds to splutter or turn brown.
3.	Add onions and fry until nicely browned. Add whole red chillies and chilli powder, stir quickly with a small spoon and pour over the hot sag.
4.	Serve hot, with Makka Roti (corn bread) or Tandoori Roti or Missi Roti and a piece of jagary or gur, with lashings of fresh butter.

MOTHERHOOD: A Blessing-Chapter 3

From always Ramanuj and I wanted a baby girl..... and many of our family members too..... and some wanted a boy..... .well we didnt keep it a secret.... as we were so excited by the news and so anxious to know what's it gonna be?...... we had this appointment where i was supposed to know the possible complications i would be having... It is called FTS or first Trimester Screening.... Well my test went perfect and doctor said no complications so far.... it was another doctor and he said that since my age is right for a woman to concieve i had none of the complications which women less than 19 or more than 35 years of age have..... remember readers.... right thing at the right time.....  there is no woman in the world who doesnt want to be a mother... so why just make it late or early..... the age range 23 to 30 has the least risks of miscarriage.... so even if u feel its soon, its not and its right..... So my test went perfect and i happily came back home and thanked Ganpati Bappa...

So.... whats it gonna be....? a boy or a girl.....?..... Ramanuj said lets not keep it a secret.... and in US its not an issue bout a boy or girl..... if the mother wants to know they tell..... and i couldnt be that patient to wait nine complete months and then know what it was..... That day when Dr. Gaffari entered the examination room she said she'll be doing the Second Trimester Screening and if i wanna know she can tell whats the sex of the baby..... she checked the brain and spinal cord of the baby through ultrasound.... then she showed us the hands and legs...... oh my God they were moving inside me..... when doctor was showing baby's hands we got a feeling that it was waving its hands...... even doctor said the same..... wow...... it was such a beautiful scene..... then doctor asked if i wanna know the sex....... i said "dont tell me tell my husband"..... she said she cannot tell anyone except the mother of the baby...... So i said ok...... she said u r gonna have a baby Girl.......... we both did a big yahooooooooo........ doctor asked wot we wanted...... and we said we both wanted a baby girl....... I thanked Ganpati Bappa.......

On our way home we were discussing all bout Anushka..... Anushka is my little girl...... Before marriage, Ramanuj used to say if we have a boy we'll keep his name whatever u feel but if we have a girl we'll keep her name Anushka...... So it was Ramanuj who wanted our little girl's name to be Anushka...... We called our parents and they all were so happy...... 

So, our little one was on her way..... now it was another 5 months...... every day was like a century...... really i wanted to see my baby sooooooooooooo much...... 

to be continued.......

MOTHERHOOD: A Blessing- Chapter 2

......Seeing us the doctor asked" Arent you happy?"..... hahaha..... We were so happy and shocked that we dint knew what to say or react..... Then on our way home i was all thinking bout the baby and how tiny it is inside me.... I made a promise to myself that from now on I'll be eating more of the fruits and green vegetables and drink lots of water...... which i never used to care bout normally....... my mom and dad used to always say that" You'll understand everything when you have a baby"...... The first lesson that my baby taught me was to eat right and nutritious food...... and really i started eating right..... 

Then suddenly my "Morning Sickness" started...... Oh my God..... It was such a horrible period....... every morning i used to wake up from the bed because of the feeling...... then i used to vomit...... a lot..........I used to feel as if all of my organs: stomach, liver, lungs...... will come out from my mouth........  after a few days i got scared of waking up......... i didnt at all knew wot to do.......

Then one afternoon i got a call from Kaiser Permanante, my medical facility, that I need to come for the First Trimester class( First Trimester is the first 3 months of pregnancy, similarly Second Trimester: 4-6 and Third Trimester:7-9)..... I went to attend the class a few couple of days later...... It was very informative..... they told me how i can take care of the morning sickness...... and how there are ways to avoid morning sickness:

1. eat ur meals 6 times a day..... instead of just lunch and dinner........ eat little at a time..... morning sickness is caused because of the increase in the level of acids inside our body....... eating helps in decreasing the levels...... even in the night have a little snack or something beside ur bed so that you can eat it in the midnight anytime to avoid vomitting in the morning.......

2. keep a lemon or citrus fruit with u always.... whenever you have the feeling take a few drops of lemon and it should be fine.....

3. hold ur wrist as if u r counting ur heartbeat...... they say its an acupressure point...... that too helped me at times........

but very soon this period goes away........ 

At Kaiser they have so many classes for pregnant women...... nutrition class, breastfeeding class, newborn care class and the labor preparation class.... Ramanuj always accompanied me with these classes.... it was really a wonderful experience which i will always cherish...  Kaiser Permanante is the best one in Bay Area.... It has this wonderful staff and doctors are great..... Actually i learnt so much by myself that sometimes i think if i were in India it wouldnt have been possible for me to explore and learn my pergnancy so nicely.... As they say "Whatever happens, happens for the best".... In India I've seen my cousin how suspicious she went during her pregnancy.... she always used to say i cannot eat this, this can harm my baby, that can harm my baby.... And to add more to her misery she had doctor who said that she'll have a caeserean at the start of her pregnancy and she was all fine.... when i asked my doctor on my very first appointment that whether i'll have a caeserean or normal delivery she said how can u just predict like that..... One doesnt know what position the child might take at the end of pregnancy.... my cousin had her in-laws and parents with her..... I didnt have my parents here....I would have been more pampered in India...... they would have all taken care of me..... but i see it positively...... I thought it was a lesson which i learnt and now I can pass it on to those who get suspicious and afraid of this beautiful period of ur lifeand to those who are alone....  i had this wonderful group of people who were so supportive that i didnt really worried a lot......they said that you should drink lots of fluids and excercise.... even walking is a good exercise... i used to walk a lot with Ramanuj..... we used to chat and plan about the baby while walking..... the nutrition expert also told me that i can eat my regular diet even spicy food( Indian food in US is considered very spicy).... i can eat any fruit even papaya( In India, they say to avoid papaya because it can cause to miscarrraige).... what i should restrict was caffeine and other harmful habbits( alcohol and smoking) which i dint had..... and i used to happily cook and happily eat everything with Ramanuj.....

Then came my appointment with the Doctor.... My doctor was Dr. Catherine Berger- Dujmovic..... she is a wonderful doctor.... and later i got to know that she was pregnant herself with a baby boy.... well that day she entered the examination room where i was sitting.... and checked through ultrasound my baby..... oh my God.... i still remember how wonderful it was and how confusing and unclear..... i didnt see the baby at all..... i just saw baby's heart beat..... but Ramanuj could figure the baby very easily.... I was feeling so bad that i couldnt.... But i was happy that atleast one of us saw..... she measured baby's length and head circumference and calculated baby's age..... my baby was 2 months and 5 days at that time...... and from that day i used to hold my tummy and talk to the baby.... my baby.....

To be continued......

MOTHERHOOD: A Blessing- Chapter 1

Well readers of my blogs I wanna share with u'll a very magical moment of my life..... When I became a MOTHER!!! Wow.... when i look 3 months back, it felt so difficult.... but now as it has been 3 months i feel it was all so easy.... hahahaha!!! really giving birth is not difficult but raising a child is the most difficult part of life.... especially when u r alone..... yes when i first knew that i was going to be a mother, i had no one around me except the most important and supportive person in my life.... My Husband and of course i had my Ganpati Bappa with me all the times.... My Husband( Ramanuj) had no idea wot a baby is..... he had never seen a small tiny baby in his life.... how did we get all the strength.... You have to believe that there is someone sitting up there looking at us and solving our problems.... He gave me the most supportive  person because he knew I couldnt do it all alone.... This might sound a little filmi dialogue but I see God in him( Ramanuj).... Usme rab dikhta hain.... I have learnt a very important lesson in life that "IF YOU HAVE A HUSBAND WHO IS A FRIEND TO YOU , YOU DONT NEED ANYBODY ELSE IN THE WORLD".... When I didnt knew Ramanuj I used to always pray, as all the girls do, to Ganpati Bappa that whosoever You've selected as my soulmate He should not only be my friend but my BESTEST FRIENd.... and though He(Ganpati Bappa) has been a little late in answering my prayers because He is so busy answering the whole world.... my this most important one was answered on the right time.... and for this I can never forget Him(God).... God has always been kind with me and gave me the world's best of the things... Thank you O God!!!

Well we were all alone in U.S.... but we had very few friends who were too very supportive( to name a few Manpreet, Ajay bhaiya and Jyoti bhabhi, Kuldeep and Archana)..... When I was pregnant, I had all those pregnancy blues: how will the things happen? what to do What to not? What to eat and what to not? Am I doing the right thing or not?... and it was all very natural and obvious because I and Ramanuj dint knew anything at all.... And we still sometimes recall the time when Doctor said that my result is positive and I am going to be a MOTHEr and how both of us were all blank.... seeing us the doctor asked" Arent you happy?"..... and we........

what happened next......... read next post of The Magical Moment!!!!