The Nightmare!

The book (What to Expect When you are Expecting) told me that its fairly common for me to have nightmares. Actually this book has become my savior, my messiah from above.We don't get a lot of support from the doctors here; I mean they are OK but I don't have the luxury to call my doctor when ever I have a doubt. In situations like this, I heavily rely on this one book. 

What the book didn't tell me was that Anand (or every partner) goes through his own share of nightmares trying to work around the fact that soon he would be called, "dad". Yesterday I woke up at 5:00 AM, just like any other day and was having breakfast. Out of the blue Anand said, "make sure you set the security alarm on when you are alone; don't forget".

There really should be a book which focuses on what a partner goes through too. We seem to be so completely focused on women during pregnancy (rightly so) that we almost forget that it takes Two to Tango. We (society) expect them to be a rock/strength and what not when they are also going through the life changing event to parenthood. They have their own share of worries and nightmares too and I wonder why no one feels comfortable talking about it (I am referring to books here).

Lately partners are also involved to an extent, like going along for doctors visits, prenatal classes etc but unfortunately they are still focused so largely on women. emm....something has to be done.

First visit to OBGYN

I had my first visit to my OBGYN on 22nd Sept, 2011; until then I was seeing my family doctor itself. I have this thread sitting in my drafts for a while now since I dont really have much to add. Surprising eh? It really wasnt much. In fact i thought I would somehow develop a 'bond' with the OB since more than likely she would be delivering our baby. My meeting with her was so short that I am having trouble recollecting how she looked like.

The nurse I met there was a sweetheart though. Apparently she was practicing for over 40 years now and she really was smiling ALL the time. I wish she were also there along with me during labor. She also told me that I am just putting on the prescribed amount of weight, which is good. Phew! what a relief.

And yes, yesterday I gave my blood work for gestational diabetes. They actually took 4 vials of blood! What ever they need so much for? I was feeling very week all day yesterday because of that.

Resting...

The day before yesterday I made sambar and some subzi. I had the same for yesterdays lunch which didnt really agree with me. I started throwing up. Many times. Looking at myself throw up, I threw up more! lol.
So, told my colleagues that I am unwell and I rushed to my doctors office; I didnt want to be completely dehydrated.

When I reached my doctors office, it was FULL! :Sigh: When i initially called her, she asked me if I am throwing out any red, I said no. She then said that since I am throwing up so often, the next thing coming out would be that. I kinda freaked out. The last thing you want to hear is that. So, to be on the safer side I wanted to head to the emergency straight but my doctor said I should still see her first. I trusted her and went to see her in Milton from Toronto. The cab ride took forever and then the wait took forever.

When I did get to see her, I had already been feeling light headed for more than 3 hours and been throwing up constantly for more than 2 hours. She checked the baby's heart beat first and declared that its perfect. Thank God! The next step was to check my blood pressure and she said its a little low. My pulse apparently was a bit off too but that's because i had been sick hours now. Or that's what I was told.
She asked me to take small sips of water, take small bites of food in regular intervals. So, that's what I did. She diagnosed it as a stomach flu. I had been severely dehydrated by then and the light headed feeling continued. I went home from there and got some rest. My doctor also gave me a doctors note saying that I needed to rest for the next couple of days.

Hindsight, everything happened so quickly and before I know it was 5:30 PM and I am home. Before having lunch at 11:30, I started feeling a bit sick and thought it could be because I went to lunch room to warm up my food. I have always felt sick in the lunch room at work, since the beginning of pregnancy. So I didnt think about  it much. I forced myself to have half of my lunch and headed out to get some air and walk a bit. By then I was feeling a little light-headed. I called my sister and we talked for about 30 mins. After that, I couldn't talk to her much as I felt the intense urge for the first time to throw up. Its when it has started. And it didnt stop much after that.
On my way to the clinic Anand commented that lunch smelled a bit funny. I should have trusted my instincts and should not have forced myself to have lunch. Anyway, since I always feel sick in lunch room, I didnt think much about it.

As of now, I am home resting a bit. Feeling OK I think. Still feel a little light headed but I am trying to drink water and eat small bites, regularly.

Baby baby...Yes Momma?

I was reading 'what to expect when you are expecting' and came to know that by now baby's hearing is very well developed and that she would start responding to my voice if I start taking to her. I have also read online about it.

So, I thought I would give it a try; which I did a week ago. To my utter delight and surprise our kutty baby also responded! I just spoke to her a few cooing words keeping my hands on tummy and she moved and kicked! I thought it could just be a coincidence. So, I tried everyday after that and she responds with kicks and sometimes with movements. I feel this is nothing short of a miracle.

Usually I talk to her after dinner when I am lying down, when everything is quite and I am relaxed. Last night was funny. She started moving a lot even before I went upstairs to bed. So, after I finished my chores, I took one of the rhymes books and started singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star...Since she was already moving, I thought she would continue moving. But as soon as I started singing, she stopped moving. After I finished singing that rhyme 2-3 times, I stopped to drink water and then she began moving again.
So, I started singing again and she stopped moving and resumed only when I stopped singing!! So, we can conclude one of the two things now:

1. She is keenly listening to the song I am singing and hence stopped moving.
2. She is asking me to shut up.

Which one do you think is true?

Seemantham and Valaikappu - 31Aug2011

We celebrated my Seemantham (Godh Bharayi/ Baby Shower) on 31Aug2011 in our home, hosted by sister-in-law, brother-in-law, father-in-law parents and of course Anand.We have invited very close family and a few close friends.

A little bit of history about Seemantham (taken from Ammas.com): In Tamil Nadu, the Seemantham ceremony marks a woman's passage into motherhood and celebrates her fertility. Seemantham is a ritual performed widely throughout Tamil Nadu by Hindus, Muslims, and Christians in preparation for a woman's first delivery, and its primary functions are to satisfy the pregnant woman's desire, cravings etc; bless her, and ensure a safe delivery and a healthy baby. Mantras are intended to purify the fetus and to request Brahmavu, Agni, Ragadevi, Vishnu, Soman and Gangadevi to protect it, to make the delivery smooth and to make the child healthy and intelligent. It takes about one hour. Seemantham is only for the first child. 

Valaikappu:
This ceremony is performed during the odd months of pregnancy mostly during the fifth or seventh month for the expectant mother in her mother's house. Prayers are invoked for the well-being of the mother-to -be and the fetus. I am supposed be dressed up just like I did during my haldi ceremony before wedding.

For convenience, mostly people do this seemantham and Valaikappu on the same day, which is what we did too.

I had taken a day off on 31st Aug. We (Anand, I and parents) woke up fairly late at about 7:30, had coffee and cereal. After organizing the last minute things, like getting all the puja items organized in plates ready to be used by the gurukkul/priest, I went off to take shower.
Oh ya, before that, I had made some curd rice and mom made some suji-halwa for nayvedyam.

Soon after I wore my new saree, my sister-in-law  (SIL), brother-in-law and our little nephew arrived with all other puja items to be used during ceremony (and boy oh boy, there were many).

Then my SIL put on my jadai naagam (flower adornment for hair) which she had ordered for me. I have missed out on this during wedding and hence I was really thrilled to be wearing this. After all, this would be the last time I would get a chance to wear this. 


By then a few of the guests we have invited started arriving. Soon after the gurukkul also arrived and the puja started. All of us were wearing traditional cloths, just like we did for our wedding. Ha ha ha, you can officially call me fat now :) And that heavy silk saree isn't helping much in that regard. Oh well, after the baby is here, I am hoping to be back to what I was before.

The Seemantham puja itself lasted about 30 mins and then the Valaikappu started with all the women applying kumkum, haldi, chandan, bangles and flowers. 

It truly was like a haldi ceremony during wedding. Thanks to my SIL who made this all possible and memorable. Below is the picture taken with parents.

Below is the picture with my SIL, BIL and little nephew. 

Below is the picture with my FIL.

We ordered food from Udipi, a vegetarian restaurant. According to our tradition, we needed to order rice verities for this function. So, the menu consisted of:
Tamarind rice, coconut rice, bisibeli bath, sweet pongal, curd rice, medu vada and sambar, aloo gobi, beans, papad, pickles, ladoo, fruits and of course coke. Everyone said that food was very nice.

Every one brought so many gifts. While I cannot name each and everyone of them, I am truly thankful and very moved for all the thoughtful gifts. 

Thanks to my parents (and sister) who have brought saree and gifts to Anand and I from India. Thanks to my Father in law for being here on our special day and your gifts.

A special thanks to my sister-in-law and brother-in-law who have put together a bottomless big box of gifts! The more I see the more gifts seem to come out of that box-of-gifts!! Thank you soo much for making my day so memorable. You both (and Karthy) have truly helped make this day one of the most memorable days of my life, perhaps second only to the day I got married to Anand.

Without you all, it wouldn't have been the same. From the bottom of my heart I can say that I couldn't have asked for a better day. 

And lastly, thanks to Anand without whom none of this would have been possible. 

Our baby is truly blessed.

The first kicks!

I have been feeling the baby movements since the time I crossed 16 weeks and a few kicks more recently, like after 20 weeks. They were irregular and I can hardly pin point a single day.

But for the first time ever Anand felt the kicks when he touched my tummy on the evening of 2nd September, 2011 while watching TV. He was so happy and he felt the kicks thrice. He says its an interesting feeling :) Since they are still not very regular, he couldn't feel them again but I am sure that's going to change as the days progress.
Just wanted to log this date down :)