We have a date!!

8th Jan- That's the date given by my Gynae for the C-section. It's a good 15 days before my due date of 23rd Jan but as per my ultrasound, my placenta is already Grade-3. That means the baby will be better off outside earlier. It leaves us with just 2 weeks to mentally prepare ourselves.........I am excited & nervous at the same time. Just plan to take one day at a time now. I am planning to continue to work till the week starting 4th. Just hoping things go as per plan.

Ansh is super excited & I feel so happy to see his enthusiasm. His Christmas holidays have started & he has to join back school on 7th Jan. In a way it's good that he'll be busy at least for half a day when we are in the hospital.

Ansh is also very excited about Christmas. He is being an extremely good boy to impress Santa. Santa is bringing him his desired game, "Tumbling Monkeys" this year . The Christmas Tree is up & waiting for the present :)

Here's wishing all of you a very Merry Christmas. Hope u all have a great day tomorrow :)

36 week update

Today I have an Ultrasound..........perhaps my last one.....& tomorrow is my doc's appointment when I might get a date for my C- section. I hope it's in Jan rather than Dec. 2010 sounds like a good year to be born in. :)
Things are getting tougher as I am not able to do the easiest of things on my own now. Bending is a problem & to top it all I have pubic bone pain also know as Pubic Symphysis Diastasis. Did not have it when pregnant with Ansh. So it's something very disturbing. Nights are particularly difficult as changing sides & getting up & off the bed is particularly painful. But I still consider myself lucky that it's been a pretty smooth ride for me.
I am loving the baby's movements in these last few weeks. The movements are visible now & I can feel the little fists jabbing at my insides.
While on bed rest , I sorted out a few of the baby necessities...........cloth diapers, a few dresses, sweaters etc. Now I need to buy a cupboard to fit all of these in.
We are still undecided about the name. For a boy we have shortlisted "Kabir" & "Veer". For a girl, it would be "Khushi". We are looking for other names too. Any suggestions?

These well meaning relatives!!

"Your baby comes first"

"Why are u taking the risk?"

"If anything happens you are going to regret lifelong"

How can u stop the above? It was the same stuff when I decided to go to London last month. It's the same thing when I plan to go to Delhi in a week's time. When my doctor is comfortable , what's the problem with others? Why can't they keep their silly mouths shut?They may mean good but do they realise how much tensions they give me.

I plan to work till the end & why not. I get just 3 months maternity leave & I want to utilise it totally after my delivery. When I am ready to deal with all the pains & aches myself, with my husband supporting me whole-heartedly, what is the problem of these well meaning relatives & friends?

I am pregnant, not sick. My baby is more precious to me than to any of these relatives.I am taking informed decisions here. Being pregnant does not mean that one stops living, is it?

Ultrasound & 31 week update

Today I went for my ultrasound accompanied by hubby & Ansh. It was a "no-experience" for me as the doctor did not let me see the screen at all. But that's OK, coz the baby is in good shape.....almost 2 kgs now & that's what matters.
Ansh wanted to know whether it's a boy or a girl & the doc responded by saying that he'll have to wait for another 2 months to find that out. I so wish I could know right away. Not that it matters too much as long as the baby is healthy. But my heart craves a daughter this time. I don't know whether I should take into account the fact that the doctor was referring to the baby as "he". I was so tempted to ask, but I know it would have made the doctor uncomfortable & us as responsible citizens have to recognise the larger problem at hand for which the law against revealing the sex of the baby has been formulated.
The baby is head down , though not yet in a stable position. The doc feels it might be a good 10 days early....so his date is 12th Jan opposed to 23rd Jan as per my LMP. I am in no hurry. I want the baby to stay put & grow healthier.Though in every weekly newsletter, I eagerly look for the part where it tells me how the baby born at this stage would fare. This fear never leaves me. I am not at all feeling as heavy as last time & am still able to do all the things on my own, especially since I have put on only about 6 kgs of weight in total this time around.It's almost half of what I had put on during Ansh's time.
My blood work has to be done tomorrow. So probably I'll visit the Gynae only on Monday.
Meanwhile I am busy preparing for the upcoming wedding of Abhi's cousin sister in Delhi in Dec second week. The Gynae has given the go-ahead for travel provided I take things slow & do not exert myself.

Week 22

That's what a 22 week pregnant belly looks like. Abhi has no interest in clicking me anymore after 6 long years of marriage, so I requested a colleague of mine to click the 22 week pregnant belly in all it's glory. Ain't it cute?

I am loving my growing belly & admire it every day. The baby is constantly kicking & I am loving every bit of it. Yesterday I tried in vain to make Ansh feel the kicks. But the baby wants to keep the privilege restricted to Mommy only.

I've been thinking of names but not decided anything. Everyone is welcome to give their suggestions. I'll love that.

Have a great weekend everyone. I am going to watch "Dil Bole Hadippa" today evening...... yippee!!

Unprepared.

Another busy weekend-with my parents spending time with us on their way back from Singapore & friends visiting in the evenings.Seems like time is just flying by. Unlike during Ansh's time, I've not had the time to sit & mull over the baby. Yesterday, while going through some baby clothes, I had this strange feeling of un-preparedness. Not that I felt tensed. Just that I feel things are going a little too fast & I am too busy to take it all in.

Pregnancy Update : 19th Week

Yesterday was my monthly appointment with my Gynae & we had three major issues to discuss:

1. Whether there were any chances of trying for VBAC- No, he said. He seemed absolutely against taking the risk. He told us of uterus rupture that we had heard of before & he felt that we don't need to take that risk. So, fine. I guess I have limited choice then. At this stage, I do not want to change my gynae & it is extremely difficult I am told to find good gynaes who advocate VBAC. So, it'll be a scheduled C-Section for me.

2. Second was my concern about the weight gain. My home weigh scale showed an increase of 1 kg till date. The doctor's scale though showed 2 kg of weight gain yesterday. The doc did not mention it but once I enquired he told me that it was below the gain that is expected & that I should concentrate on having a high protein diet. Whatever he suggested seemed far from palatable- Threptin biscuits to protein drinks like Proteinex or Spert. Yuck. Maybe I'll try Horlicks. I know I like licking the powder. It used to be my favourite snack in school.

3.Travelling- We are planning to go to Bhutan next month for a week during the Puja vacations and also maybe a short trip to Delhi when my little SIL delivers her baby. Of course I knew that it would not be a problem but there is nothing like getting a reassurance. Second would be a long trip to Pune & also perhaps Overseas travel in end Oct. Doc was a little skeptical about foreign travel but gave a go ahead. So we'll see if that materialises. Third was my cousin's marriage in Delhi in December to which he absolutely denied. No travelling after 32 weeks. So that plan is off. *sob, sob*

Otherwise the pregnancy is going fine. I have a little nausea sometimes & do throw up @ once a week, but that's OK. Since the past 3 weeks I've started feeling movements & I love them. They started off as small bubbles & are graduating to full blown soft kicks .Still not managed to make Abhi feel them.

I am yet to experience cravings( *sob sob*), though I do feel hungry a lot between meals.

Reminds me, I should take pics of my baby bump. It's quite visible now & I feel so proud about showing it off. I am yet to get my maternity pants. So this weekend should surely see some shopping.

Buddha Belly!

I've been trying to get into the last bit of the loosest trousers/ skirts I have. Not very successfully though. Thank God for the Indian Salwar,Kameez & Sarees. It still accommodates my overgrown belly, though I long for a nice pair of maternity trousers. No luck yet.

Tried Westside, Pantaloons & Shopper's Stop. Only Westside had a maternity section & the trousers had elephant legs. Someone explain to these guys that the rest of the body does not grow proportionately to the belly. The worst experience was at Pantaloons where a mention of Maternity Wear had people sending me off to either the "Kids section" or the "Lingerie section". I gave a mouthful to the store manager before rushing out of that store!!My quest continues.

Weekend Update: Had a nice long weekend . Watched "Kaminey" & liked it. Went to the mall for some grocery shopping & video gaming for sonny boy with a Happy Meal thrown in. Got an office party today.
So life has been as normal as it gets here.

My Bean

Yesterday was my doc appt & he reassured that everything is on track. I do need to start eating better now coz I haven't gained any weight till now. So, I am trying. I have even started taking a glass of cold milk in the night.(I hate milk) Helps with the heartburn too.
Here's the first picture of my little bean.

Ultrasound.

Last week I took a "Double Marker" test for Down's syndrome. I'll get the report next week. But that's not what this post is about. This is about the ultrasound that was part of the test. It was a great experience. We saw the baby so clearly that it was surreal. It was sucking it's thumb & being naughty. It was sitting down & so I had to lie on my side twice to get it to come it a lying down position. I had tears in my eyes & Abhi too was overwhelmed.

Kambakht Ishq

Mom is here for a couple of days on her way to Singapore for helping in my bro's wife's delivery. We took both moms for "Kambakht Ishq" yesterday. What a mindless, total masala flick. All of us enjoyed , even Ansh. He was having a hearty laugh at all of the guffaws as if he could understand anything. Ansh has got addicted to the tub now & does not take popcorn in any other form. What a bonus for me. :)
Oh and Kareena's wardrobe is super hot in the movie, right down to the shoes & clutches. They are drool-worthy!!

Prgnancy Update: My clothes have started to feel a little tighter now......Hurray!! Though I am still able to fit into my old jeans, I am more comfortable with keeping the top button open. The nausea is a bit better too *touchwood*. I have a host of tests to take tomorrow including the Double Marker Test.

A taste of things to come.

Yesterday , Ansh's Dadi was pulling his leg by saying that Khushi will be her daughter. This got Ansh really mad & he insisted that Khushi will be his Mommy's daughter.To this Dadi said that she would do all the work for Khushi & so her claim is justified. Ansh then told his Dadi that he won't let her even touch Khushi though she would have to do all her work.
Now, that is being one very posessive brother.

And can you all imagine ,these days Ansh has been drawings lots of animals within animals. Each animal he draws is pregnant. It's amazing & heart-warming :)

Ansh & the bean

Mommy drinking ice cold water after she is back from work.

Ansh: Mumma, don't drink that. The baby will catch a cold.

Mommy: Nothing will happen to the baby,beta. Let me drink.

Ansh:(to prove his point puts his ear on Mumma's belly): See the baby is crying. I can hear. I told you na.

Ansh & the bean

Ansh has been super excited about the coming baby. According to him we are going to have "babies" not a baby coz he wants both a brother & a sister. So I was pretty anxious to find out in last week's scan if I have multiples by any chance. You never know !! So it's been explained to him that we are going to have only one baby & I am thinking of taking him along for the next scan , whenever that happens.
Ansh has already started taking about how the baby is going to go to school with him & play with him & go to Nani's house with him. He is impatient as he does not see my belly growing. He often touches my belly & says that it's still very small. Today is my doctor's appointment & when I told him this , he said " ask the doc to fill you with milk for the baby , otherwise what will the baby drink". I did not pursue the topic but I did have a hearty laugh.
It's fun seeing his excitement. He has already thought of a name if he has a sister. He's going to call her "Khushi". :)

All fine.

The USG went fine..........Yay!!. My baby, oops foetus, oops Embryo is happy & doing well in his/her cozy home.The technician did all those corrections(Baby-Foetus-Embryo) for me when I started asking about my baby.It was such a relief to hear the tiny heart pumping away. So, we finally announced to all my friends & relatives who did not already know. :)

The Silver Lining

I hate what is happening to my body right now. I have nausea all day , even into the night. I have light headedness everytime I get up from my chair. I have severe headache if I get up from a lying down position. I am not able to eat anything. I puked in the office today & whatever I had managed to stuff in in the name of nutrition for breakfast came rushing out. I felt relieved but it was short lived. It's even worse trying to throw up on an empty stomach. I cannot concentrate at work. Hell, I hardly am up to blogging these days. On top of all this, hubby is extra busy & I am not being pampered like the way I should. Most days I do not bother. I am much to sick to bother . I cannot blame him. Poor guy is working way too hard. But he is still a sweetheart in several ways.
The first time around was a piece of cake. Or, is it that I have forgotten? Can't be , coz I do not think this is a feeling that one can forget so easily.
The silver lining? The symptoms mean that everything is alright. :)