Getting ready for the …..”bundle of joy”!

The world came crashing down,my life took a hold. I couldn’t do my regular stuff, couldn’t meet friends, watch movies and couldn’t eat or sleep as per my wish.This “bundle of joy” as they put it across had really made a HUGE difference in my life. This was when my first baby was born. For days I kept wondering, why do they call motherhood a joy? I felt guilty that maybe I am not a good mother, I might even a bad person. Today, when I look back, it was all so dramatic. I have talked to so many women about this and the funny thing is most of us go through these emotions after giving birth to their first borns.Then why don’t we ever share? Why fake the “bundle of joy” concept? I am a mother and I proudly proclaim that I love my kids to death, I am sure all mothers do. But this love is not grown overnight, you grow fond of them and finally you fall deeply in love with them.
I have heard of so many stories of women proclaiming,”I  looked at my baby when the first time they handed him to me and fell in love with him, that very moment!” My question is how? I remember, going through the ordeal of 12 hrs of labour, panting, pushing and finally when the baby was out….I was smothered in blood …and I was totally exhausted. In all this a crying wailing baby. Yes, I was mesmerized for some time to see the ‘bundle’! It was amazing how that little thing had survived within me and how it had come out from such a narrow tunnel. Love, did not happen then for sure! I would say when you recover physically and when the baby starts responding a bit is when you start the connection, so maybe at three months of age. A lot of women actually go through post partem depression, when they see their body still in awful shape(we all want to believe that once the baby is out we will get back our beautiful bodies back, miraciously). They also secretly feel that the baby is getting more attention than them. All I am trying to share here is that woman it’s ok to be shattered initially, you have gone through such a huge ordeal, your hormones, your body, your life has changed in so many ways that you can’t even imagine. So stop feeling gulity, you’re afterall just human.
Raising a kid is a huge responsibility, something you can’t quit  or even walk away from , so  have a baby only when you are ready both mentally and physically. Being a little prepared always helps, so I am going to pen down some things which i feel are essential in the to dos and donts of having a baby. For starters, lets talk about planning;

Fitness helps-Once you’re in your pregnancy, you will put on some weight, which varies from person to person and trust me for most women I know, they are all struggling with post pregnancy weight or have become comfortably numb in the knowledge. So in case you are planning to have a baby, you should start exercising and try and be on the lower side of your desirable weigh, I would say start 6 months to an year in advance. It is perfectly fine to do light exercises, even weights (with the help of a proper instructor) during and through your pregnancy. Unless your gynaec advises against it due to medical reasons. My gynaec was super excited with me as I exercised throughout my second pregnancy.The result was a superfast delivery and very short labor. Also no ailments. Yoga and swimming are supposed to be great while your are pregnant. Don’t do any heavy duty exercising once you’re pregnant.

Gynaec-A good gynaec is very important, when you are planning the baby. After all, you are trusting her with your and your baby’s life. So research here helps a lot. A good gynaec is one who has the patience to listen to you and answer all your questions with patience.You should be very comfortable with your gynaec. The first time around I changed my gynaec after 4 months as she would not answer my questions and would tell me to read books and surf the net. For her these were regular questions. Her time was super precious, finally I changed my gynaec, the best decision of my life. My new male generic was an awesome doctor(in experience) and person. I have never felt uncomfortable with him. 
Another point, when you chose your gynaec please make sure they are associated with a good hospital,you don’t want to deliver in a rundown place with low amenities. Or, if you love your doctor, please check with them if they ar willing to come down to a hospital nearer to your residence, in case of an emergency. Most doctors are restrict themselves to one or two hospitals only. I reside in Mumbai where traffic is a great issue, so when I had to shift even further away from my hospital which was in Breach candy, it was a nightmare to live in the fact that i might deliver in the traffic.

Ovulation Cycle-It helps to know your ovulation chart. Specially women who have difficulty getting pregnant, please see your gynaec. Who will help you monitor and understand and how to monitor your ovulation cycle and will tell you days which you are more probable to get pregnant.

Stem cellbanking-Stem cell banking, is something I would strongly proclaim. It’s like buying life insurance for your child. As science is advancing, there are a lot of diseases like cancer, bone marrow transplants  where we use stemcell banking. There are a lot of companies now that are into stem cellbanking and due to market competition even offering you deals. They will come to your house and do a presentation. Though expensive, they have emi options as well. Some well known names are Lifecell,Cyrocell etc. Though typically they bank the umbical cord of the baby at the time of delivery. Nowadays, new options like banking stemcells from milk teeth of children and from a woman when she is PMSing have been introduced.

Hospital registration-Most prestigious hospitals like Lilavati, Breach Candy etc, need you to register with them with your expected delivery date atleast 4-5 months prior to your EDD. Though this does not ensure a guaranteed room of your choice, but it does block a bed for you in the hospital. So, if you don’t want any surprises in the end please register in advance.

lamaze classes-These classes teach you healthy birth practises that will make pregnancy and labor safe and easy to bear. Plus you will end up meeting other moms-to-be in a similar state, to share your worries and feel comfortable about weight gain. One such great class called ‘Nine Months Pregnancy’ that I went to is run by Dr Rita Shah. She is really good and it was she who made me mentally ready for my first delivery.All panting and puffing helps in labor,no matter how silly it sounds initially. The link to the same is .

Books to read-Reading always helps,as your body is going through various changes,its best  to be aware and be ready for it.Books like ‘What to expect when you are expecting’ are like the bibles for pregnant mothers. It deals with month by month. There are also other books you can refer to like Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth About Pregnancy and Childbirth,The mother of all pregnancy books-The truth about Pregnancy etc.

Sites to resigter with–

Sites like www.babycenter.in,www.essentialbaby.com,indiaparenting.com are great sites to get registered with. Here there are parent forums ,where you can post a question or have discussions with parents on your issues.Sites like babycenter are great as once you register your baby’s birthdate with them they keep sending you weekly mails about their growth and development.Though every baby’s growth pattern is variable but the mails kept me aware of what to expect and track if any milestones were too late. Sites like www.lamaze.org give you weekly mails on your pregnancy .

Shop for self-Pregnancy is tough, motherhood tougher. So woman pamper yourself as you will need it. Buy stretch mark creams, foot soaks(feet really hurt). Also investing in certain basic essentials stretchable clothes with spandex which are comfortable. For lowers I like jeggings,gym tracks and yoga pants- brands like urban yoga,reebok ,nike .For tops,T shirts and kaftans are very comfortable. Also invest in stretchable gold, black and silver blouses for sarees. Knit churidars and salwars instead of tie ups are more comfortable and don’t slip of your tummy either. There are also a lot of brands like mothercare,Me and mom etc which stock clothings for pregnant women. There are now various online sites like www.myntra.com,www.jabong.com etc also offering maternity wear.

Mother’s spa-A regular at parlors and spas this came as a surprise for me when the parlor/spa employees refused to even massage my back when it was killing me carrying the bump. Though very prevalent abroad,it’s a rarity even in a city like Mumbai. Very few spas offer specially designed services for pregnant women, one such leading spa is Myrah Spa in Juhu. Others places like four seasons, Westin etc will entertain you if you advise them at the time of booking.

Maid/daycare-Maids have always been important but once the baby arrives, they take a different dimension.Specially if you’re working you will need a very reliable system ,some working women advise two 24hrs maids,some say one 12 hr and one 24 hr.Whatever the system you want to entertain,but get it in place before the baby arrives .Also you should arrange for a massage lady as well who will massage you for the first month  and the baby for as long as you want(massage is very important for both you and the baby).
A lot of women try agencies,but it has never worked for me I feel that it’s becoming increasingly a scam(they send few maids for trials and once you finalise and pay the maid will complete a month and quit,after which replacement maids will be so shitty ,that you will only give up on the process).Daycare is a more reliable alternate, atleast here you can drop the kid everyday and there are no leaves.Getting a good daycare is also tough in a city like Mumbai,my friends have just registered their 5 month old kid to start once he is 1 year. So again we need to plan in advance.

The idea is to prepare you for the road ahead and I hope you find the blog useful. I have not put any contact numbers as they keep changing, that’s why links are mentioned. Mothers, I have tried to cover most topics in case you feel that you could add something to the blog, please feel free to share.
Happy reading :0)!