Parenting

Sitting here, waiting and wondering, when the baby will choose to make its appearance. The movements are still strong and we can actually see the skin stretching, extending. Sometimes, can feel and actually "see" the head sticking out and sometimes, the limbs. Most times, can feel the hardness of the body inside. All I can do now it wait. Wait for him to choose his time and day. Today is 25th Jan. I wish he chooses 28th Jan or 1st Feb - both number 1 dates. And sometimes, I just want him to come out right away. Enough carrying this heavy package around and struggling to sleep comfortably.

Was looking at some of these parenting related images and smiling. Have a look.

23rd Jan 2018

Can this be true? Research says so! 

 This toh is true, I think.

And this one below. It is just that human love for its offspring is far over-rated. Thanks to our gift of language and hence the ability to express emotions in words? Maybe.

No matter which species, childbirth is an excruciating experience.

I remember, with Tanvi, the pain of the contractions was killing. I was screaming like a mad woman. At that point in time as the pain hits you every five minutes or so, all you want is for the hell to end. I can understand why some women choose to go for the C-section. 

But even now my thoughts don't let me consider C-section as an option. This time too I want to try my 200% for normal vaginal delivery. One reason is faster recovery, less dependence on others and another reason is the cost factor. At Lakshmi Maternity which is not one of those fancy, branded, corporate show-biz kind of a hospital, the charges for normal versus Cesarean deliveries are Rs 40,000/- and Rs 80,000/- respectively. That's a straight jump! Can't afford!

18th Jan 2018

18^th Jan 2018

Another 20 days left. The baby will be here.  Don’t know if it will be a boy or a girl. Don’t know if we over fantasized about it being a boy. 9 months have passed. Now it feels like it went by really fast. Sometimes, I think, at 50, in another decade, I must have a third baby.

Today at 5 p.m, we planned to go to a fish spa and as I got ready, I felt a leak. Half a small cup gushed out. So we rushed to the hospital. Leela Rao did the glove test. Inserted her hand and said no not yet ready. In any case, they put me on observation for an hour to see if the water had really broken. The maternity pad should be wet, she said. It was dry. So we came home. False alarm. 

Reminded me of the Steve Martin movie where both his wife and daughter are pregnant and due for labour at the same time and he goes nuts taking them on several such false alarm trips to the hospital. And when the labour actually hits, he has passed out on a couple of sleeping pills and he is the one who needs to be literally dragged and carried to the clinic.

Tan was supposed to be a Cancerian baby according to the due date of June 23^rd. But became a Gemini baby June 6^th. This baby was supposed to be an Aquarian Feb 9^th baby but might have just become a Capricorn that too No.9. Ouch! Jan 18! Tauba tauba!

While we were driving to the hospital, Satty and Tan both were excited and looking forward to the baby. 

Oh and I read that 6 dates after week 36 ensures easier labour. Check it out

I was also reading the difference between conceiving when you are in your 20's versus 40's. I was 29 when I delivered Tanvi. I will be 41 when I deliver this baby.

16th JAN

16 Jan 2018

We had been to the doc for the bimonthly check up. The next one is on 23 Jan. Weekly from now on. I am 37 weeks pregnant at a consistent 64 kilos. Blood test also done. All normal.

After that, we came home, had lunch and on the spur of the moment, decided to go to Mane Devru. Sathya was supposed to go with his parents and brothers.

From last week itself his mother was singing the tune, “no need for Sujatha this time. We will go and come. It’s very important to go...blah blah. From past 3-4 days, daily calls from her and Kumi to ask if Abdul’s vehicle Scorpio is arranged. Yesterday Sathya said vehicle could not be arranged and also Sujatha will be alone so he wouldn’t be able to accompany them. This he told to Kumi. Immediately his mother called and started the brainwashing. No, you have to come. This is your second child. You have to pray for boy child. Deepu will not come. Anyway he is not interested. But you should come.

Sathya had agreed. I was wondering why so much pressure every year on him coming. Deepu is dying without a kidney donor. If anything, he needs God’s blessings more. Or Kumi the patient. But I guess she wanted to “talk” to Sathya throughout the journey. Thaayi runa noor varsha adru theersakkagalla bhashan.

We left our home at 2:15 and reached the Maney Devru temple at 4:30, finished darshan and started our journey back to BLR at 5:00. Around 5:30, quite unexpectedly, we spotted their Maruti 800 in the distance near the Markonalli dam. They had left in the morning at 10:30. When we caught up with them, you should have seen their faces esp MIL’s.She was so angry that Sathya had not gone with her but with me. Shouldn't she have been happy that, despite my advanced stage of pregnancy, I had made it to the 2+2 hours journey to the temple! 

When we were returning from Mane Devru in Nagamangala, just before we reached BLR, Sathya got a call from Shiv Mondal saying come for an interview tomorrow. If Sathya starts work in Feb, it would be similar to what happened in Tan’s case. In 2006, in Feb, just a day after my birthday, he started his job. This time it might happen that just around the time the baby is born, he starts work – again - this time in Feb. Last time he didn’t leave the job for 11 years. This time...?

Oh as for the third trimester precautions, here are a few

9th Month

13 Jan 2018

I am onto my 9^th month of pregnancy. 

The last month - going by the due date given by the doctor.  I have another 24 days to pop. I have a nagging sense it is going to be sooner. 

My reasons for that is that Tanvi came earlier, 17 days that too and this time I feel the baby is really down, the weight is more and I find it hard to walk and carry my tummy around. 




And don’t even ask how hard it is too turn or roll over at night with the stomach that feels really hard at places especially lower abdomen.

I haven’t been able to write or update the blog at all. There has been too much on my plate these past 2 months. Hunting for a new house, shifting house, trip to Gandikota-Belum Caves and Lepakshi, planning the baby shower.

Whenever I pick up something from the ground, I am praying “Hey you thing pls don’t fall. Pls don’t slip off my hand.” Because if it falls, I can’t bend to pick it up and it might lie on the floor for days. Bending is something I just can’t do anymore.

With my third trimester stomach, we have been to see so many houses, on all kinds of roads. Amrutahalli, Manyata Back Gate Area, RT Nagar, Hebbal, Sanjay Nagar, Nagenalli .... so many areas, so many houses. 

 Just few more days for these tabs. 9 months of taking them everyday!

When you know all this is happening within you...the baby growing at an accelerated pace...I remember the doc mentioning in the growth scan report that the baby was in Cephalic position and I had googled to check what cephalic meant. 

Any Day, Now - 21 Jan 2018

The due date is 9th Feb and today is 21 Jan. I have completed 37 weeks. Any day now the baby should be here. The next few days are crucial. 

Strange feelings. I am closer to having the baby come out. and I feel like holding on to it a little longer! Though there's still 19 more days as per doc's due date, each day is taking me closer to the D-day and I am feeling these movements in my womb and know that very soon I won't feel them anymore. This is my last chance at pregnancy and motherhood.  This sensation, of this baby alive and kicking and breathing inside me - I feel truly blessed.

I have not become all round “fat”. 

My feet have swollen, stomach is big but arms and over all I am the same.

These kicks and baby’s movements within me now feel so precious. Because I know only few days left. This is it. No more. Only memories of this sweet time that I relished for the first time. With Tan, the tensions in my life – money, job, newly married life – were so pressing that I never got around to enjoying it or even remembering it. This time, God has been kind and fulfilled my longing. I have enjoyed this pregnancy. Loved myself, loved the bump. Loved the care and attention showed by Sathya.