News Bites

• Organised a lavish lunch for our friends from Wolverhampton. Made Daal Makhani,Baked Matar Paneer,Mix Vegetable Bhopali Syle,Moong Daal Pakoris ,Imli Vaale Aloo,Paneer with Spring Onions,Gobhi Masala, Mix veg Rice and Raita.
• Made a trip to Great Yarmouth - the seaside town over the Easter Weekend.Had lunch in " Prezzo" at Beccles.
• Books read - " The Happiness Project " by Gretchen Rubin, " The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"
• Joined my local gym at the Hornchurch Sports Center.Attended Group exercise classes like Total Toning,Body Jive, Body Balance and Body Step. Also attended the Personal Training Session from a Personal Trainer for 35 mts.
• Aayush starts attending Georgie Porgy Preschool three days a week. He goes Monday afternoons and Thursday and Friday mornings. This alongside going to Creative Kids nursery Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Joined a local Reading Group at my Hornchurch Library.Atttended the first session but not the second one due to childcare issues.
• Nishka has completed all three of her Vaccinations and now atleast she is free for the next 8 months. Her next injections are due after her 1st Bday.
• Movies watched - "Life Express ","Dirty Picture ",Guzarish","Perfect Match","Everything Must Go " and "Ek Main Aur Ek Tu".

Birth Notes - second time

My due date was Xmas Day - 25th Dec 2011.From the very beginning of my second pregnancy i was not sure whether i wanted to have a natural birth due to my traumatic first pregnancy.However i knew that having a C-Sec does not mean that things are going to be straightforward as it is a major abdominal surgery and there can be various complications in having get that done. I was assigned a Consultant ( S Chakarvarti) and i saw her after every few weeks. When i met her for the first time she referred me to a Counsellor as she felt that i am carrying a lot of excess baggage from my first experience and i need to get that out from my system.
I saw my Counsellor ( June Mitchell) throughout my pregnancy and that did made things a bit calmer for me. I was getting prepared mentally for a natural birth as my Consultant also believed that having a C-Sec will be more unsafe as i will have high chances of blood loss.

However as time approched i realised that i do want to go for C-sec as i felt that i will be in more control of things as compared to last time.

So on 8th Dec 2011 i met my consultant and requested for a C-sec and she referred me to a Senior Consultant - Dr Richard Howard. I was not sure whether i will be granted one as NHS does not support elective C-sec. But Dr Howard was quite understanding and he mentioned that it is quite natural for me to feel scared because of my last experience and he is happy to perform the surgery himself. So the date was decided and i was told i will have my surgery done on 19th Dec 2011.

On 19th morning i reached the Postnatal ward in the Green Zone of Queens Hospital.I was seen around 8 and was asked to change to Hospital clothes and get ready for surgery at 9 am.But after some time we were told that there are few emergencies and there is no bed left at the Recovery Room therefore either my surgery will be delayed or postponed to another day.

We were sent to a Postnatal room and we stayed there till 12:30 pm.All this time i was quite sure that my surgery will be postponed and we might have to come next day.

Then one of the doctors came at 12:15 pm and told me that they are ready to perform the operation and i should be heading towards the Ops Theatre. My process started at 12:30. There were approximately 10 people in the room and each one of them were doing their assigned jobs. I was given spinal block and also Anti Infection Antibiotic.The atmosphere was quite overwhelming for me in the beginning and within seconds of injecting the spinal block i could not feel any sensation from the waist down below.

After few minutes Ashish was allowed into the theatre and that helped me to calm my nerves but i was feeling very dizzy and disoriented. I mentioned this to the doctor and he did something on the machine and suddenly i was not feeling dizzy anymore. Me and Ashish decided about the name right there on the operating table. At 12:59 pm our daughter was brought into this world. She was handed over to Ashish while my rest of the process was finished. At exactly 1:30 pm i was out of the Ops Theater and shifted to Recovery room.

Introducing Nishka

Two Already!!

Aayush turned two and we can see noticeable changes in his behaviour.He is more responsive and playful but also cranky and sometimes stubborn as well. He loves to play with pots and pans and is extremely passionate about cars and trucks. He loves to sit behind the steering wheel and manouver it.He does say few words and his vocabulary includes"mom";"papa";"cooking";"bus".He can make us understand whatever he wants and can easily explain us with his hand gestures or expressions.He loves to play with small pebbles and collects them and hides them in the storage section of his truck. I wish i could turn back the closck and make him baby again when he could come in my lap and used to feed and sleep again.!!!

Little Things

• Finished reading "My Feudal Lord" by Tehmina Durrani and currently reading " Eat Prey Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert.


• Cooked an elaborate lunch for friends - made Dum Aloo Banarasi , Gobhi Kasoori , Paneer Makhani , Hyderabadi Subz Korma , Oriental Stir Fry and Angoori Raita with Parathas and Naan.


• Aayush started his swimming lessons every Saturday morning at our local leisure center.


• Bought various cookbooks by Tarla Dalal and Nita Mehta on my trip to India.


• Watched " Music & Lyrics " and " Serendipity " on recorded televison. Currently watching "Caroline Quentin - A Passage to India " on ITV.


• Witnessed a historic win for India in the Cricket World Cup.


• Recent meals cooked were "Nawabi Curry" ; Jamie Oliver's Spaghetti ; Rajma, Chocolate Fudge.

One Year Already!!!

My Sweetheart turned One this month.. Cant believe it has been a year already!!! Many Many more Happy Birthdays to you my darling.

Back to Work

After almost one year of maternity leave i am officially back to work!!! Its been a week already and it doesn't feel too bad. I do get exhausted by evening but i have quite a support at home at the moment so it is all right to manage.Aayush has taken the change very nicely and enjoys his time with his grandparents. In the meantime these are some of the few things i did before starting my full time job:-

• A Visit to V&A Museum on a rainy Sunday.
• For the first time i had the chance to Vote and i did exactly just that.
• Bollywood Movies seen -"Rajneeti" and "Housefull".
• Attended a "Real Food Festival " at Earls Court and had lunch at "Masala Zone".We bought some very fresh Mozzarella Cheese;Real Mexican Salsa,Shahi Masala Mix and Kadai Masala Mix.
• Aayush had his Mundan Ceremony and also we conducted a Satya Narayan Katha.Food made was Pooris,Chola,Imli Aloo,Shahi Paneer,Aloo Gobhi,Jeera Pulao,Masala Bhindi and Kheer.
• I passed my Driver Licence Exam in the first attempt.... with only 6 minor mistakes.
• Joined two Baby and Toddler Groups in my local area.I think it was a good decision as Aayush loves the place and also this has become a good ground for Nursery as this gives him exposure to different kids.
• Made two friends out of these Baby Groups - Vaijenta and Jyoti.
• Met my colleague for lunch at O2 and Thai Lunch of Vegetable Spring Rolls /Thai Green Curry with Rice.
• Purchased an I-Phone for myself and downloaded apps such as Pedometer/Use your Handwriting.
• Books finished reading - "The Gift " by Cecilia Ahern;"Motherhood" by Judy Reith;"Love Over Coffee" by Amrit N Shetty;"The Vine of Desire" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
• Saw "Merchants of Bollywood " at the Peacock Theatre.
• Tried loads of curries from Tarla Dalal "Desi Khana" - Ceylonese Curry;Cauliflower Curry;Mixed Vegetables-Patiala Style;Green Peas and Mushroom Curry;Tava Mushroom;Mughlai Aloo etc
• Also made Pineapple Cake from Manjula's Kitchen Blog;Kutchi Dabeli from Nupur's One Hot Stove;Spicy Chaat from Tarla Dalal's Desi Khana;Mexican Rice Casserole from Nupur's One Hot Stove;Black Eyed Peas Vadas from Mahanadi Blog;Singapore Noodles from Good Food Magazine;Mix Veg Risotto ;Vegetable Pasta Bake etc etc.
• Saw Shrek 3 D in my local Odeon Cinema and hated it.. The movie is too boring and doesn't capture my interest at all.
• Did some clothes shopping for myself --- a motivator before joining work..Bought Skirts/Tops and Formal Trousers from Marks and Spencer and John Lewis.

Hopefully things will be fine for the coming weeks and i will be able to strike a good balance between my work and home...

Return Home

It has been a month exactly that i came back from India and it feels as if i never went away.Days are filled with eating, going out and finding out ways to keep an 8 month old baby occupied.

• Lunch at Pizza Express with my Sister in Law and Niece.I had Nostrana Salad which had New Potatoes,Avocados,Red Pepper,Green Beans, Mixed Leaves,Parsley and a free range Egg with house dressing.I substituted Chicken with Mushrooms.
• Made a trip to Coram Fields which was on my list ever since i was pregnant and i was waiting for the day when i can take my baby there since the entry to the park is restricted to only people who are accompanied by kids.
• Browsed Bloomsbury area and had coffee and cake in Carluccio's.
• Aayush was due for his second photo session locally and so i took him there. He behaved nicely in the session and some very gorgeous pictures have come out.
• Whenever i see Aayush is getting all cranky being at home i take him out in his buggy and go for long walks in my area.He loves looking out and grasping everything around him and i get some much needed exercise.Sometimes it happens twice a day which really tires me up in the evening.
• I have been doing a lot of cooking in this past month.I made a colourful Mexican Rice Casserole,Cheese and Vegetable Muffins,Semolina and Bottle Gourd Pancakes,Vegetable Fajitas, and Kutchi Dabeli.I also dared to make Strawberries dipped in Chocolate and Fruits with White Chocolate.They didn't turn out the way as i expected them to be.
• I also had our friends Gaurav and Mughda for dinner one Saturday and i made Chana Paalak,Tawa Paneer,Salad,Boondi Raita,Vegetable Pulao and Fruit Cream for dessert.
• Movies watched this past month were :- "Housefull","The Proposal";"35 Shots of Rum" ; "Julie and Julia"and"An Education" from Blockbuster Rental.
• I finished reading Shobha Narayan's "Monsoon Diary"and "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown and "The Immigrant"by Manju Kapoor.
• For the very first time in my life i cast my vote. I never knew that i can vote in UK. I was under the impression that voting is reserved only for citizens but i was wrong.
• On a rainy Sunday we decided to visit V&A Museum.I would like to go there again when the museum will be a bit empty as it was too crowded that day.
• Browsing magazines such as Time Out (London),Prima,Country Walking,Living Etc,BBC Good Food,Good Housekeeping,Cook Vegetarian,Weight Watchers etc.
• On one of the weeknights i went out for Dinner with my Office Colleagues to a French Restaurant "One Lombard Street".We had a 5 Course Dinner Menu of Grilled Marinated Provencal Vegetables Pesto,Tapenade and Saffron Veloute (Starter),Spinach Risotto with Garlic and Nutmeg Nut Brown Butter ( Mains) and Bitter Chocolate Marquise Raspberry Coulis and Creme Chantilly (Dessert).

India Trip

Week 1

• Arrived in New Delhi with a crying 6 month old baby.Had to wait 45 mts just to get hold of my luggage.


• Overwhelmed by the number of people coming to help me right from Security Check at Heathrow to Delhi Airport.Excellent cabin crew of British Airways which i was least expecting them to be.


• Stayed with extended family for 2 days in Delhi.Had excellent Poori-Aloos for breakfast/Kulcha Chola for Lunch and Methi parathas for dinner (1st day).South Indian Lunch the next day followed by Aloo Parathas for dinner.


• Baby was a star on Monday on route to Nagpur. Air Hostess were all going gaga over him and wanted to cuddle him.


• Rested completely for 4 days at a stretch doing nothing except eating/pottering around the house and sleeping and then eating again.


• Baby has never seen and experienced such a crowd in his entire 6 months of life.He got super excited and wants to play all the time even when he is feeling sleepy.


• The only form of exercise i am doing is a 20 minute walk in the evenings.


• Getting myself a body massage every alternate day of the week.

Week 2

• Had the most spicy Vegetable Chowmein at Haldirams.For dessert i had Bengali Sandesh.. Again very yummy and very light.


• Organised family photographs and taking few of my childhood snaps with me to London.


• There are few friends of my mum visiting us to see baby in evenings.


• Eagerly waiting for my sister to come as she will be seeing baby for the first time.


• This week Aayush was introduced to lentils- We made Red Lentil Soup with Onions,Garlic and Carrots,Red Lentil Stew with Potatoes,Carrots and also some Khichdi.Some spices were also added like cumin and coriander powder.


• A very good Chinese Dinner of Vegetable Chow Mein,Fried Rice,Spring Rolls,Gobi and Mix veg Manchurian on a Saturday Night.


• Aayush has been cranky this week due to his teething.But Thankfully he is still sleeping through the night.

Week 3

• Drinking bottles of Neembu Pani.Very refreshing.


• Had Vegetable Cheese Sandwiches along with Sandesh at Haldirams.


• Bought myself four colourful traditional style kurtis from Pantaloons and Westside.


• Reading magazines like Filmfare,Femina,Good Housekeeping and Savvy.


• Dozing off in the hot summer afternoons with air conditioner in full blast.


• Aayush is teething for third tooth of his and therefore being cranky and unsettled.
  

Week 4

• Bought Good Homes and Better Interiors magazines.


• Had a lavish dinner buffet at Hotel Sun and Sand on a Sunday evening.

• Playing mindless game of Farmville with my sister whole day.


• Got myself a haircut in stylish Belezza Parlour.


• Read Chetan Bhagat's Two States in 2 days.


• Bought again some magazines like People,Better Homes and Gardens,Good Housekeeping and a Tarla Dalal Cookery mag.


• Had Chola Bhaturas from Haldiram along with Khandavi,Veg Patties, Pyaz ki Kachoris,Paav Bhaji and Paneer Kathi Roll.

Week 5

• Got myself a relaxing facial.


• Bought again some very nice Anarkali Suits from Westside


• Had dinner at Panchwati Thali with never ending dishes on my plate.

Visited Crossword Bookstore and bought myself "Indian Summer" by Pratima Mitchell,"Dollar Bahu"by Sudha Murty,"Such A Long Journey" by Rohinton Mistry,"P.S I love You" by Cecelia Ahern,"Bye Bye Blackbird" by Anita Desai,"Love Over Coffee" by Amrit Shetty,"Tales from Firozsha Bagh"by Rohinton Mistry.

• Invited over by one of my mom's friend for tea .. had onion pakoras. and chola bhaturas with paneer sabzi followed by Ras Malai.


• Aayush was extremely unsettled during the Indian Airlines flight to Delhi.Cried for half an hour and just made everyone jump from their seats.A gentleman helped me with my hand carry bag as well as waited for my luggage and pulled the trolley as well.Bless him.


• Chinese dinner again ... Tasted Momos,Chow mein and Fried Rice.

• My cousins came over for lunch on my last day in India.We had Chola Bhaturas,Fried Bhindi and Dahi Bharas followed by Vanilla Icecream.


• On the way back home to London Aayush was an angel and enjoyed playing with fellow passengers and air hostess.

5 Months

• Baby A is very much settled into a routine ( Thanks to Gina Ford).He takes his first feed of the day at 7 am.He either plays in his cot or sleeps for an hour before i prepare his bath.He enjoys his massage and bath now and smiles a lot while he is in his bath tub.After he is all dressed up i leave him on his Activity Mat to play.Since i have started Weaning him -he gets to eat Baby Rice/Fruity Porridge or Baby Rusks mashed with milk.Then he is given his second bottle of the day after that which he goes to sleep for an hour or 2 hours.His next feed his due between 2-3pm.The time after that is the most difficult one as he gets restless.Sometimes i take him out for a ride in his pram.His second meal of the day is his dinner which could be anything between Apple/Carrot/Sweet Potato/Pear puree.He takes his last bottle and sleeps at 7 pm.
• He has been gaining weight steadily with just one blip when he lost an ounce of weight.That was because he had a Tummy Bug.He suffered from diarrhoea and his throwing up increased.But thankfully he was fine within 3-4 days.
• The first signs of tooth are all there and i can see two white specks in his lower gum.He wants everything to be chewed on and just loves to chew my finger when he gets his hand on it.He has variety of teethers at his disposal but he loves to chew his spoon/his muslin cloth/his fingers or mine/sometimes mobile as well.
• He giggles hard when i tickle his tummy and can laugh uncontrollably at times.He loves to move his head from side to side observing everything around him.He is an extremely attentive baby and would turn his face quickly as soon he hears any sound or voice coming from any direction in the house.

Things done so far

• Life has been busy and not so busy for the past one month.I don't think so i will be able to write down each and every thing which i have done so far but will try..


• Weather has not been very helpful in London this month.. lots of snow with sub-zero temperatures.It was nice to see everything covered in snow for few days but when it stretched to more than a week it was frustrating to be sitting at home all day and night.So it was decided that as Ashish would come back from work i will be going out for a walk to get some fresh air and also to have some much needed me time.However since weather has improved i have started to take Aayush along with me for a walk around noon everyday.That helps me to get out of the house and do some serious walking for an hour.


• Since i was stuck at home for long periods of time i have done some serious cooking - tried recipes which were bookmarked for so long now.Tried Parsnip and Ginger soup for a very wintry evening .. It is the first time i bought Parsnip.. never tried this vegetable before.Ashish didn't like the soup very much but i think it was not too bad.Made use of Delia Smith book " Delia's how to cheat at cooking"by making two recipes from it. The book was bought long time ago ( maybe 2 yrs ago ) but never tried anything from it. I made Cracked potatoes with melting cheese and spring onions and Very garlicky chili pasta.Both the dishes came out fine and i will definitely try them again.


• This Christmas i bought a very simple and complete vegetarian cookbook by Vidhu Mittal " Pure and Simple -Homemade Indian Vegetarian Cuisine"It is exactly the kind of cookbook i was looking for .. all vegetarian and recipes which you can actually try with ingredients available in my kitchen pantry.I made Mushroom Cheese Toast which Ashish loved,Sago Cutlets,Daal Tarka which was a combination of Chana Daal/ Moong Daal and Laal Masoor,Beans with Baby corn,Baby corn and Capsicum,Mixed vegetables with Cottage Cheese...Phew that is lot of cooking.


• Reading has also been on my agenda all this time however i am unable to do any serious reading. Ashish brings me "Metro", "City AM" and "London Evening Standard " which i aim to read almost everyday but i can still see a huge pile in one corner which i have to finish.I am also reading magazines like "Psychologies","Real Simple","Olive" and "Delicious".


• I have started weaning Aayush for which i bought all his Weaning Bowls/spoons/ Bibs and very special Chico High Chair.He has been given Cow and Gate Pure Baby Rice with his 11 am feed.I am following Gina Ford book of Weaning for him and so far it is working out for me.I am going to introduce him to a variety of fruits and vegetables in the coming days like peers,carrots, apples ,sweet potato,courgette and cauliflower.So far his response has been excellent with it and i am noticing that his reflux has improved.


• Television watched - Loads of Food Network/Good Food and Home channels. Catching up on Indian Winter Season with documentary on Mumbai Slum- Dharavi with Kevin Mc Cloud.Also seeing Gordon's Great Escape with some amazing authentic recipes.


• On fitness front i am doing Wii Fit 30 mts a day almost 5 days a week.I am also trying to keep a tab on what i am eating .. I have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, soup for lunch and a proper Dinner of Chapati/Daal and vegetable along with it. I am trying to snack on raw veggies and fruits when i get those hunger pangs.But sometimes i do loose the motivation to do anything and just gorge on biscuits or namkeens.


• Above all i also managed to see 2 hindi movies past month.. Rocket Singh and 3 Idiots along with the baby.I was not prepared to watch movie with a baby but Ashish convinced me into it.. Aayush was angel in both the movies. I actually didn't feel at all that he was with us.I enjoyed both the movies and wish Hindi Cinema could make more of these substantial movies.

Life without Mum

My mother left for India after four months of stay with us. She came 15 days before my due date. She was suppose to leave after 3 months but we extended her stay for a month more.

She has been a great support throughout these months.The way my pregnancy turned out - i can't imagine not having her and getting recovered so quickly.To make my life easier she has cooked meals for me and put them in freezer- i think i won't have to cook much for this month.She entertained and cooked elaborate meals for my friends as well.

On Friday we took her out to Panna's Restaurant for dinner. Ambiance was good and food was all right. We had Virgin Pina Colada for drinks,Karahi Bhindi (Okra rolled in spiced Gram Flour) and Masala Papad as starters/ Dal Makhani,Malai Kofta and Diwani Handi( A blend of different garden vegetables cooked with spices ) accompanied with Tandoori Rotis and Pudina Parathas.

Saturday was the D-day when she was leaving. She made Rajma Chawal and Aloo Chaat for Lunch.We were busy packing and checking weight of her luggage.Before sending her off we had coffee and Scones from Cafe Nero.

Sunday - We cleaned the house and did no cooking at all.In afternoon we went to our local Costa Cafe and had coffee with Paninis for lunch.We had Maggi Noodles for our Evening dinner.

Monday - First day alone with the baby.I was up very early mainly because i was anxious and wanted to be on top of chores around the house.Throughout the day Aayush seemed not very happy - i am thinking that he too is missing my mum.I took him out for a walk after his second feed and he slept throughout.After Dinner which we finished by 7:30 pm - i was so exhausted that i slept for an hour.

I am keeping myself busy by meeting friends and also planning some outings with Aayush. I am a control freak and i think that makes things difficult.I like to have a routine and micro manage things. One of the resolutions for next year should to just relax and take each day as it comes.

3 Months

• Our baby turned 3 months old and we can already see significant changes in his personality.He has undergone a lot of things in these 3 months .. from his acute Reflux problem to his weight not gaining. He has been admitted to hospital and stayed there for 2 nights so that his feeding can be monitored.


• He has started to respond by smiling and squeaks when he is happy. We can see that he wants to talk and makes noises trying to make us understand whatever he is trying to say.


• He also holds his Tommee Tippee hand toy and takes it in his mouth.Also today i noticed he can hold his bottle while he is feeding.


• He loves watching colourful objects and follows them with his eyes.
• He has become less cranky after his bath when we try to put on his clothes.

A Typical Day

My day starts when Baby A wakes up. Today he was up at 6:15 am.I changed his nappy and gave him his medicine and at 6:45am - his first milk feed of the day.After about an hour playing in his Swing - he slept.In the meantime i completed my morning chores of folding laundry, preparing his bottles and surfing the net/having breakfast.

Usually he sleeps for 45mts to an hour after his first feed.Before his next feed - we try and give his massage and bath.Since my mum is here she does the massage for the baby.

Most of the times he sleeps for an hour before his next feed at 11:00 am.After his second feed i take him out in his pram to shop locally or for a walk in the fresh air.

If i am lucky- he will be sleeping once i am back home and i can peacefully have my lunch.After this baby is ready for his next feed at 2 pm.I give him full bottle and then try to put him back to sleep.Sometimes i am successful and some times not.He does take a nap of 45 mts.

Otherwise he plays in his Play gym or in his swing.He does want attention all the time and would make sure he gets it. I do carry him around in every room as i do my chores.He is often fascinated by the music which i play for him on our DAB Radio.


By evening he gets restless - and is time for his feed.He gets his bottle around 6 pm.If Ashish comes back on time from office - he plays with him otherwise i try to put him back to sleep.He sleeps for an hour or so .. in the meantime we finish our dinner.We watch TV till 11 at night. He is given his last feed at 10-10:30 after which he sleeps through the night.


This schedule is followed almost everyday but there are days when schedules are thrown out of the window and i have to start all over again but so far so good.

Week At a Glance

Saturday - I woke up at 5 am along with Baby A and gave him his first feed of the day. He went back to sleep and slept for at least 3 hrs. In the meantime i completed my Morning chores.I have always felt that if i wake up early i finish a lot of work early in the day.My mum cooked a delicious breakfast of Semolina Dhokla which was made from scratch.Ashish and my Mum went for a movie " London Dreams" and i had my friend come over for a chat.
Evening we did Grocery Shopping and had Moong Daal Pakoris for dinner.After dinner we settled for some Evening television.


Sunday-Went for a drive around the Ilford area and did a takeaway lunch of Idlis /Vadas and Dosas.Pottered around the house the whole day.

Monday- I started writing Baby A's Feeding and Nap time schedule again.I also visited my local library and took some books out for reading.


Tuesday-This is the day when we visit our Local Clinic for Baby A's weighing Sessions.We also attended Baby Bounce sessions which take place in our Local Library. Unfortunately he was quite unsettled during the session and so i had to bring him out of the session.


Wednesday-We did nothing but shopped locally for grocery.


Thursday-I took Baby A and my mum to Canary Wharf to have lunch with Ashish.We had lunch in Tiffin Bites and had Vegetarian Thalis comprising of Biryani/Kadai Paneer and Chole.

Friday- The weather was extremely bad and Ashish had Doctor's appointment so we accompanied him and came back home.

Life with Baby A

• Last week has been very difficult for us.Little A 's Reflux issue got very serious as he started throwing up almost all his feeds. He was crying all the time and was unsettled almost all day.He didn't gain weight for 3 weeks.The only consolation was his weight was stable.We tried changing his milk to Enfamil but he could not digest that and had to be switched back to SMA Gold.He was admitted in Whipps Cross Hospital and stayed there for 2 nights.He had to undergo blood tests and an Ultrasound scan to determine if he had any underlying problem. Fortunately for us, he was diagnosed with Reflux and was given medication to control his throwing up.


• After completing 2 months- our baby smiles when we talk to him. He gives a very welcoming smile once he wakes up in the morning.I feel that he can now understand his surroundings and therefore gives us the response by smiling.


• We also noticed that he has started to entertain by himself for at least 20 mts... sometimes for half an hour.He stares at the ceiling and plays with his hands.


• Finally, i have switched to Formula based milk from Ready made carton milk.I was skeptical that he might reject it again as he did when he was 4 days old but this time he took it without any problem.


• Baby A has also settled into a routine.He is fed every 3-4 hrs depending how hungry he is.After coming from hospital i am feeding him 150 ml of milk which is recommended for an 8 week old baby.


• He had his 6 week checkup done at our local GP.Also he had his first injections.We all went for a nice afternoon lunch at "Rose Vegetarian" in Kingsbury.We had Aloo Tikki Chaat/Dahi Bhalla/Vegetable Chow Mein/Sweet Corn Soup and Rasgullas.


• Socially i have never been busier - I have my office colleagues coming to see the baby and have lunch prepared by my mum.Also i am going to attend this year's Christmas Dinner with my colleagues.

Notes from the Week

• I have recently started using Google Docs and i am loving it.Not sure why i was reluctant to use it but i think it is better than Google Notebook.I can organize my Contacts/Food Planning/Books by using the Templates provided.


• A bought Sony Vaio Personal Computer and Vaio Digital Frame


• Last Saturday i watched "Wake Up Sid" with my Mom in Cinema. Nice refreshing movie. A looked after the baby in the meantime.


• This Saturday was Diwali- My Baby's first one.My mom cooked a very lavish lunch for all of us.We had Moong Dal pakoris,Malai Paneer,Sweet Rice and Fruit Cream.In the evening we did Pooja and visited my Brother-in law's place. We had Vegetable Pulao for our evening dinner.


• I am maintaining a Baby Record Book (photo above) to record all milestones of our baby.It is not a very fancy book but a very simple book which we got when we registered our baby's birth.

Week Ramblings

• This year my birthday was special as now i have Little A in my life.Also Little A completed his first month in this world.A wanted to go out and treat me to a lavish Indian Dinner but i decided that it would be best for all of us to order food from outside and have it at home.As our baby completed his 1st month - we took him to temple.We performed a little puja for the baby.The most amazing thing was Baby A also folded hands while he was shown around the temple.I also got my haircut done that day.After a very long time i was quite happy with my haircut- exactly what i wanted.
  In the evening A got a Pineapple cake (photo above) and ordered from London Darbar. We had Dal Makhani/Tadka Daal/Baigan Bharta/Paneer Makhani/Malai Kofta and rotis.
• Baby A has become extremely fussy while he takes his milk. He hates to burp and wants to sleep as soon as he finishes his bottle.I never knew that feeding will be so difficult.Now i don't look forward to feed him as he cries a lot which breaks my heart at times.
• Celebrated Karwa Chauth with my mom for the first time - she made Malai Koftas/Chole/Aloo Bhindi / Boondi salad and Tandoori Rotis.Weather was extremely bad and we hardly could do any puja outside.It was raining all day which made things difficult as well.
• I am meeting one of my office colleagues this weekend.I think it will be a good change and will get to know office gossip as well.She has an 8 yr old daughter for which i am taking a 15 Book Box Set of Roald Dahl Stories.
• I thrive on routine and that i what i want to do with my baby as well.So far he sleeps all through night which is a boon as i have heard that babies tend to be awake all through night.He gets his massage and bath after me and my mom finish our work.I hate when things don't turn out the way i want and with a month old baby you can expect this to happen frequently.
• I have gained approx 9 kg after my pregnancy.Loosing weight is the most difficult thing.One has to be really focused and have immense self control. I have started doing simple Yoga and some light Aerobics but i have a long way to go.I am taking care of my diet as well and have decided on no more Dinners outside.

New Life

• It has been a month since our life changed completely. I think we are doing fine as first time parents.There are moments when i feel flustered with the mundane activity of nappy changing/ feeding and burping but overall it has been fine.Little A is also having Reflux and therefore he is quite unsettled at times.He has been given Infant Gaviscon which has brought some relief to his tummy.He has been to hospital in the middle of the night where doctor said his intake of milk is more than what his tummy can handle.So from then he has been given 90 ml of milk.
• With Little A in our lives now - our schedule depend on his nap and feeding times. I still do housework/ surf net/read and watch television but everything is done in snatches of time.At present my mom is here and she takes care of lot of things like cooking which gives me time to do other stuff.Everything else is done in a rush so that when Little A wakes up - we can give all our time to him.
• Our baby has started to smile -mostly in his sleep but today he smiled at A while his nappy was being changed.He also sometimes smile when we touch his chin.He is most happy when my mom gives him massage in the mornings.Only once he has cried while having his massage but overall he has been good.
• Today Little A has been extremely unsettled throughout the day and so in the evening i bought a pacifier. A is not really happy to use a pacifier as he thinks he will get used to it and it will be difficult for us to get rid of.I am aware of this but sometimes it gets difficult to listen his cries all through the day. I have decided to use it only in extreme circumstances when i am losing my patience.I do get stressed with Little A 's cries.. sometimes i feel so helpless that there is nothing i can do to soothe him. The only reassuring thing is that he is feeding well and gaining weight with no symptoms of any illness.
• I saw Hindi movie "Dil Bole Hadippa" in cinema. I was resisting to go to cinema as i was not sure how will Little A take to this outing. But his dad insisted that we should go. Little A woke up as soon as the movie started and so A took him to the nearby mall so that i can watch the movie.
• We have been very lucky in one thing-we hardly faced any sleepless nights with our baby. He sleeps quite well in the night almost 4-5 hrs in one go.Touchwood.He sleeps well in the first half of the day which gives me enough time to complete chores.After lunch he becomes quite restless and becomes difficult to handle.

Birth Notes

My due date was 26Th August.It came and went and i felt nothing.I had my Midwife appointment and she suggested a Membrane Sweep - which i declined.I wanted things to start naturally and was getting impatient that why things are not happening quickly.I knew that first pregnancies are often delayed.She also told me that baby is big for my height.After the appointment A and i went for a coffee locally and i spoke to one of his colleague about her birth story.

Saturday -early morning i started getting slight labour pains. I took Paracetamol which gave me some relief and i slept for few hours.By evening the pain was getting unbearable and A suggested that we should go to Hospital.I knew that it was of no use but as my parents and A felt that i should be seen by a Midwife.. i had to give in.
In Hospital - I was seen in the Triage Unit where Baby's heart beat was monitored.Midwife told me that i am in very early stages of labour and not dilated at all.We all came back home as this was the answer i was expecting.I could not sleep at night and started getting contractions which were 10 minutes apart.

Sunday- My contractions were fairly irregular as they were sometimes 10-14 mts apart. Again that late night around midnight we went to hospital and midwife told me i am only 2cm dilated.I came back home around 2 am. I took a hot water bath and it did give me some mild relief but after a while it became unbearable.

Monday :-We decided to go to hospital again around 5 am.
I was finally admitted to the Labour Ward around 7 am.Pain was getting beyond my control but midwife told me that i was again only 2-3 cm dilated. According to them i was still in the early stages of labour but i felt as if it was enough for me.

After seeing that i am unable to bear the pain - i was given Pethidine injection which gave me immense relief and i was knocked out for few hours. I remember i was in and out of sleep. Again after few hours i was examined and told that i am still 2-3 cm dilated.This time it was decided that my waters will be broken. The waters were broken and i was told to go for a walk around the hospital.By this time my contractions were irregular but as the effect of injection was going down i started getting the pains.Now i started using the Gas and Air which was effective for an hour or so but after that i was getting hysterical with pain.I also had a hot water bath in the hospital and it helped me pass 2 hrs.

Around 4:30 pm i was given Epidural - which finally got my misery to an end.I was told that my contractions are fairly regular and now i am 6 -7 cm dilated.
I was also told that it is quite a possibility that baby is not getting enough oxygen.My Blood Pressure was going low and therefore they decided to do a Foetal Blood Scan of the baby. They did this thrice in a span of 2 hrs. The result came out fine.Now i was full 10 cm dilated.By 9 in the evening i was so exhausted and disoriented that i had lost the urge to push the baby.During the entire process i also threw up quite a few times. There were 4 doctors who were now involved in my delivery.They tried to use Ventouse twice but were not able to take the baby out.

Finally after a lot of struggle and with the use of Forceps my baby was born at 10:45pm in the night.I suffered a major blood loss and my haemoglobin came down to 7 which led to blood transfusion.Even after the Blood Transfusion my haemoglobin level was 7 and the doctor was suggesting that again two units of blood needs to be given. I decided against that and requested them to discharge me. So on the fourth day i came back home with my baby.