MY SAHAANA

She hates wearing a cap...doesn't like getting dressed up...
wont let me apply kajal on forehead...loves massages and diapering...
gazes and smiles at fan light and teddy bear in d room...
sleeps with her hands in the hands up position...practises drinking milk pout while asleep...
poses better with dad...Doesn't nag or cry unnecessarily...
signals with a unique meow when hungry...and a different meow when needs a nappy change..
sleeps all thru the night and lets me sleep too..
Babies such a bliss..

AM I PREGNANT ?

Anxiety strikes the moment you miss your periods...We expect it to be the D day... We immediately buy a p strip and check for those two dark lines ... Disappointed...

Wait until two weeks before you conduct a p-test, or atleast 10 days. It takes a while for the HCG levels to reach a point which can be detected in the p-test.

Here are few symptoms of pregnancy, most of them would be like your mensuration symptoms but few would be peculiar and new to you. Most common symptoms of pregnancy are:

1.  Tender breasts. Sore and sometimes little swollen

2. Nausea with or without vomiting ( My first symptom of pregnancy was nausea which struck me when i was a week late )

3. Fatigue : Unusual sweating and extreme fatigue. you would just feel like lying down for a nap and your body would feel like it went through hours of workout. 

4. Increased urination : You would visit restroom more frequently than before. Ensure you keep yourself hydrated.

5. Increased saliva : Strange but true you would feel you mouth getting filled with saliva often as if there a citrus fruit you are wanting to have.

6. Cravings and food aversions: Sudden aversion to milk, fish and egg...and you want more of that orange, sweet lime, lemon and sour candies. If you never had these cravings before, don't ignore the sign.

Once you are late by atleast 10 days, get a p-test done. Its easily available in all the pharmacies and are 99% accurate. Take the first urine sample in the morning to get appropriate results.

NOBODY TOLD YOU THIS

1. Linea Nigra 

A dark brown vertical line which appears in the abdomen , starts from your lower abdomen and runs through your navel and in some cases across the breastline...Its nothing to be worried about it occurs due to an increase in a hormone called melanocyte which is created by placenta, the same hormone is responsible for darkening of nipples too. This would disappear automatically post delivery, for some in few months and in some rare cases by an year.

2. Placenta

Placenta is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall. This allows nutrients uptake via mothers blood supply, develops resistance against any internal infection and produces necessary hormones to support pregnancy. An average placenta size ranges from 9 inches in length and 1 inch in thickness.

However, did you know that you still have to deliver the placenta after you vaginally push the baby out. It would be surprising for you at the operation table when the doctor further asks you to push to get the placenta out. For some it can be delivered quickly and almost painlessly but in rare cases it may take a longer time to push it out.

3. Delivery date / Due date

40 weeks to deliver and that what we all look forward to, however the fact is only 5 % of women give birth on their due dates. Wondering what about the rest ?


A baby is considered full term anytime between 38- 40 weeks
Late preterm : 34- 37 weeks
Preterm: If you go into labor before 34 weeks..
Post term : If the baby is born after 40 weeks gestation.
Premature : Babies born before 25 weeks
A baby can be born any time after 24 weeks ! So dont ignore contractions or any signs of labor...

Few complications of preterm birth :

• Immature Lungs

• Pneumonia

• Jaundice

• Inability to maintain body heat

• Digestive Problems

• Anemia

• Breathing difficulties

 There are few things you can do to lower the risk :

• Quit smoking & Say no to alcohol and limit your caffeine

• Exercise adequately. 30- 45 mins of walk every day proves to be effective ( If advisable by your doctor )

• Take a balanced diet (will cover in detail on the the diet chart in another post )

• Drink plenty of water and other fluids ( Atleast 8 glasses of water )

• Take prenatal vitamins throughout the pregnancy ( iron, calcium, vitamin D, folic acid as prescribed by the doctor )

• Go to all your prenatal check-ups without fail ( will cover in detail on the check ups in another post )

• Don't ignore any signs of labor.

4. Epidural and episiotomy

An epidural is a pain management support which numbs the pain that occurs in the lower body during labor. This is given through a very thin and hollow tube. Its inserted during delivery in the epidural space around the spinal cord which acts as a pain relief. The numbing effect can be in the legs too. However you will still feel the contractions as its important to push through the delivery , it would reduce the contractions pain to a great extent.

Episiotomy is different from epidural. Its a tearing made by the doctors in the perineum. This is the tissue between the vagina and anus. Later they put dissolvable stitches and the wound takes a while, say 4-8 weeks to heal completely.

This cut is made to help the baby come out during delivery. It isn't a mandatory process however is followed when the baby is finding it difficult to come out.

Dont forget to check with your doctor on epidural as it has to be informed to the doctor well in advance and it cant be given as the pregnancy progresses and you start dilating fast.

5. Gestational diabetes

As the name suggests its temporary diabetes which occurs during pregnancy due to high glucose level that body produces. There are higher chances of diabetes if its genetic, however you cant rule out the possibility of getting gestational diabetes even without a history of diabetes. It mostly effects the mother in late pregnancy when the baby starts developing physically. Hence you don't have to worry about any birth defects to the baby. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes by 24 weeks of pregnancy and was on insulin. With a strict diet and well balanced exercise i had a normal delivery.

Will cover in detail on gestational diabetes in another post.

6. Postpartum

Whether its vaginal or through c-section your body will need some time to heal and recover. 

You can have bleeding upto 6 weeks and then stop until you get your next mensuration cycle.

7. Contractions

Dont be surprised if you feel sudden pregnancy type contractions after delivery. They might be like pregnancy contractions or mensuration cramps. If the cramps are stronger, please ask your doctor to prescribe pain killers.

8. Milk leakage

It isn't necessary that the milk production starts after delivery. Some pregnant woman might face breast leakage during pregnancy. This doesn't mean that you are definitely going to have ample milk supply once you deliver, its a natural phenomenon of your body. However, ensure that you dont squeeze or press your nipples to see the milk coming out in anxiety. Breast stimulation can result in preterm labor ! Yes.. in many cases during the delivery process too when the dilating process is taking long doctors prescribe breast stimulation its a way the stimulation send a signal to the brain telling its time to produce milk and hence progress labor.

9. Perineal massage

Refer 

http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Perineal-Massage

It shows you a step by step procedure on how to do a perineal massage. Its believed that this massage can help tearing of the vaginal muscle to a large extent and it has proved beneficial for many pregnant women. Its also said to reduce the chances of episiotomy.

TIPS TO CONCEIVE

For those who conceived without planning and without much a mess... conceiving is a mere cakewalk...for other may not be...

I would list down some 10 simple steps which would help and lay down the track in right direction for the ones who wish to conceive.

1. Get yourself checked - Well many hesitate to go to a gynecologist thinking either there isn't anything wrong with them or being scared of what if there is a problem. Its good if there's a problem as it would have a solution too... So leave behind the inhibitions and get yourself and your partner checked.

2. Ovulation tracker -  Its handy and all you have to do is install this app on your mobile and it will alert you on your ovulation date. Knowing your ovulation date greatly helps you and your partner to set aside those 3 days, and if your partner has a traveling job he can plan his trip accordingly. There are several ovulation checking kits too available in medical stores and online too.
The trick for the ones who dont know when exactly is the ovulation is to track their ovulation period which would be between 11th- 15th day from the date of LMP and have sex every other day. Ideally one ovulates on 14th day, so you can schedule it 3 days before ovulation, on the ovulation date and a day or two after...As the sperm can survive in your body for 3 to 5 days...

3. Prepare yourself : If you think conceiving a healthy baby doesn't need any preparation, then you are wrong. Keeping fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is very important to conceive naturally. There are several factors which contribute to a healthy sperm count and you can help you partner with them. Few are :

• Reduce alcohol intake. Occasional drinking is no harm but drinking daily can cause serious effects on testosterone levels and can reduce the sperm count. Ideally on the days close to your ovulation you can inform your partner and ask him to cut back on alcohol during those days.
• Include folic acid in your and your partners food. Lentils, beans, green veggies, citrus fruits and juices are high in folate. Apart from start having folic acid supplements atleast 6 months before you plan to conceive to increase your chances to conceive.

4. Plan a holiday : Alone time with your partner away from work and your daily monotonous schedule helps a lot for the couples who are engrossed at work. Its very important to have a stress free mind to increase your changes of conceiving.

5. Maintain a healthy weight : Its very important to maintain a healthy weight when you are planning for a baby. Obesity effects your ovulation and not only disrupt your planning but will also increase complications once you conceive. So its always advisable to keep a close watch over your weight and change your diet and eating habits soon.

Ideally for any couple one year trying to conceive naturally is normal and a couple neednt panic or even consult a gynecologist. If after 1 year of trying the luck doesnt support its highly advisable to go meet a gynecologist, The complications rises with the increase in age. Fertility gets effected with age. If you are over the age of 35 and have tried for atleast 6 months and arent able to conceive then its always better to take expert advice without wasting much of a time.

MY JOURNEY FROM BUMP TO BURP

Now that you are married to your sweetheart and all set to enjoy your marital life without any restrictions or whatsoever which was imposed while you were dating each other... There comes another alarm to wake you up from the so called sweetdream... That one old question from your inlaws, friends, relatives, neighbors, FB friends to the kaamwali baai... "Any good news"..

Well.. well.. for those who never thought about planning or probably before could plan the little one was already in the making it isn't much of a hassle ... But for the ones who make a 5 yr plan ( like a budget plan as our govt does ) this is the most haunting thing than an encounter with a cockroach in the basin !

Conceiving a baby ... aah.. a mere cakewalk... Really ?

There are two facets to this question... An unplanned pleasant surprise or a planned for now but not happening when needed phase..

My blog isnt going to be a to do list for the "planning to conceive" lot nor for the "expecting a baby now what next" lot, its my journey from how it happened, my delivery and postnatal phase.