Expecting a Baby in Pandemic Times !!

New Year's Eve!

As the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Eve, we hugged to wish each other a happy new year and danced the night away. When 2020 began, it was like just another calendar year, little did we know that only two months later, the coronavirus pandemic would sweep the planet and effectively stop the way in which the world operated for so long. The unpredictability, gravity of solitude, fear of another human being, and the struggle to have our plans, hopes and dreams put on hold.

Always masking up!

At some level we all have been affected by the Covid situation and this is my story. The onset of lockdown was a boon for us as we conceived our little bundle of joy in March 2020. It is said pregnancy is the most special time of a woman’s life and my whole experience that ran parallel to Corona environment was like a beautiful rose (obviously with few thorns).

In the first trimester going out for medical examinations by doctor in PPE kit sitting 100 metres away wasn’t really comforting but courtesy Corona, getting to have my husband around 24 by 7 was sheer bliss.

Delighted at the farm!

During the second trimester, I like all other expecting women too wished to go out for street snacking or fancy dinners, watch movies in the theatre; however that couldn’t happen….. So what did we do instead! We took frequent getaways to our farmhouse, soaked the winter sunshine in morning walks, binge-watched numerous series tucked in bed and pampered ourselves to the core. 

What to crave for?

My lawyer husband Ankit being the amazing in-house chef delighted me and our baby with multi-course fancy meals (sometimes with full mahaul !). People often ask me what food did I crave for? Honestly, thanks to my loving family I didn't long for anything as all sort of dishes were either cooked at home or sent over with love from family/friends even before I could yearn for it.

As much I wished to flaunt my maternity clothing on our babymoon vacation, we ended up staying-home, staying-safe and hence saving quite some money which now for good goes to our baby fund.

Since a child is en-route my sasural after 35 years, a lot was thought of as soon as we got the good news! My mother-in-law had a two-day traditional god bharai in mind which due to corona increase had to be altered and later even cancelled. Then new plans of a fun baby shower were made, guest list was made, preparation was done and when we were good to go corona happened in the immediate family and then entire thing had to be scrapped. 

Loved all of this!

However I truly believe that "Jo hota hai ache ke liye hota hai!" Instead of one big ceremony, I was blown away by so many surprise showers... everything was so informal, heartfelt and indeed made me felt so dearly loved. Every tiny thing was celebrated, be it janmashtmi, father’s day, mother’s day and monthly birthdays of our unborn child (nicknamed neebu).

As you might know me by now, I am a person who always pre-plans. From Day 1, I had started to save maternity photo ideas and intended to get the professional photoshoot done with flowy gowns flaunting my baby bump. However one thing that Corona has taught me is that things may not always go by the plan and it is only better to find the next best alternative. So whenever I got dressed a little, I took it as an opportunity to get clicked on random days throughout the journey and truly loved the whole candid experience. Trust me, it is an absolute delight to look back and have so many memories instead of one big one!

As we ventured in the final month and started to prepare for the little one's arrival, I was pretty excited to shop for my baby. However given the Corona scare, I bought some stuff online and surprised myself with what the super excited daadi-to-be and bua-to-be shopped for the little munchkin. It was truly quite overwhelming to hold and feel the tiniest clothes of my super awaited baby.

Pandemic times in 2020 has given me a much wider perspective and taught me that -

· Sometimes all you need to be happy is you and your family

. Life is unpredictable and things might not always go by the plan A. So learn to prioritize and re-prioritize

· Never take things/people for granted; be grateful for little things and savour smallest of experiences in life

· Every problem brings along an opportunity; we just need to look for it

· While “Health is Wealth”, financial planning is also a must

With the essentials
during Covid

Expecting a baby in pandemic times may have stressed me out a little and made me miss on my babymoon, photoshoots, liberty of throwing tantrums, shopping for myself and the baby and a big baby shower but at the same time has given me so much more.....I am so deeply grateful to both my families who despite this tensed macro environment made this experience so amazing for me; the surprises, gifts, unconditional pampering, undivided attention, anything and everything I could have asked for!  

I am truly overwhelmed with so much love....With tons of excitement and a tinge of nervousness, can’t wait to see our little wonder. 

Fingers crossed!!

Shruti Sethi (Mommy-to-be)

Pregnancy : A celebration of Life !!

I am expecting my first child and I must admit that the feeling of creating, bearing and nurturing a life inside me is truly magical!

Pregnancy is a celebration!!

From conceiving a baby to delivery, pregnancy is a roller coaster ride which creates infinite memories to be forever cherished. Right from pregnancy announcement, maternity photo-shoots, baby shower, unconditional pampering and care, each month celebrations to prepping up and shopping for the awaited child, pregnancy is a fusion of experiences. Touchwood, I have truly loved these eight months to the core and am pretty excited for the final countdown. As much as I would love to share all the moments of happiness with you, this post is more about my experience and is intended to help the expecting ladies to make the most of their pregnancy.

To enjoy the privilege of child birthing, a woman’s body goes through lot of changes. Here are few of my experiences and how to deal with the same -

• Mood swings: I was pampered to the core and repeatedly reminded to just be happy, but sometimes I would feel miserable and cry over nothing | What to do? - Seek emotional support from family & friends and conveniently blame it on the pregnancy hormones. Watch videos and read books that make you happy from within as your state of mind reflects on your baby
• Body changes : Starting my third trimester, I experienced swelling all over my body - my eyes shrunk behind my full cheeks, my rings and bangles didn't fit anymore, my shoe size increased by 2 notches and my hands even started to shiver due to swelling. Recurring backaches, constant fatigue and darkening skin made me a little conscious as I saw pictures of other glowing pregnant women | What to do? – Reduce your salt intake to reduce the swelling and believe that these temporary tiny changes in your body to create a full-fledged human being are totally insignificant

• 

  Will I be good enough as
  my mothers??

  Anxiety - Even at the age of 33 years, I felt skeptical of taking up the responsibility of a delicate being. My mind was constantly flooded with questions as to will I be able to live up to the selfless and providing mother benchmark | What to do? – Stay assured that these concerns are completely natural for the first time mommies, talk it out with other moms and you will know that you would also learn and evolve with the baby.

On and off nine months of the behavioral and physical changes, the fear and dilemma, and other symptoms like breathlessness, fatigue, morning sickness, vomits, acidity, etc. may seem scary but believe me; all this is subjective and temporary. Moreover, the ultimate joy of seeing your little baby in the ultrasound scans and feeling the baby's movements and kicks (which usually start by 7^th month) will make everything just worth it. 

Every pregnancy is different, but some DOs and DONTs always standby-

• Download apps like “Babycenter” and “Pregnancy” to know weekly facts about the foetus and find answers to your questions and apprehensions

• 

  We are loving this Surprise!
  

  Don’t create expectations on the gender of your child as there is no precise way to tell the gender of the baby except by way of medical examination. Observations about heart beat rate, belly size, etc. are all myths
• Make a connection with your baby by talking to the little one... Sing children songs, rub your hand on the belly, watch movies that make you smile and laugh.... At first it might seem weird but believe me, the feeling when he/she responds will be inexplicable!!
• Find your right balance - Walk and exercise on one hand so that your body and the baby stay healthy but also take adequate rest as overexertion in pregnancy is a big No-no

• 

  Pamper Yourself!!
  

  Soak in and enjoy all the care, indulge in self-love, take care of your hair, skin and overall body as it deserves so for bearing a child
• Normal / Caesarean delivery - C-section at first may seem simpler but normal delivery is definitely healthier for both the mom and the baby, hence research on the same and do pregnancy yoga if not explicitly prohibited by your doctor
• Spend quality time with your partner because once the baby comes along, he/she will deserve and demand your undivided attention
• Let go off the unimportant things and understand that you are the only source of all the baby emotions, so say Bye-Bye to anxiety and Hi to happiness!!
• Don’t compare your pregnancy with other people’s pregnancies...Every pregnant woman experiences different sets of joys and challenges, so don’t go by the rule book (there isn’t any) and do what your body tells you!!

• 

  Love for food!
  

  Eat Right - Eat regularly and eat healthy, observe what suits your body, understand that you are the only source of baby’s food and you would not want to deprive him/her of the nutrition. Every now and then, you may surrender to your food cravings but ensure a check on your weight and pregnancy induced sugar, thyroid and blood pressure.
• Instead of out-rightly refusing to listen to beliefs of elders, try to understand the science behind it….. our postures, chanting prayers, sleep patterns, etc. all play a big role in our as well as the baby’s body in the long run
• Finish your due big projects as the soon to-be-born baby will be your exclusive project at least for a while
• Don’t overthink but do share all your symptoms/concerns with your doctor. Follow your primary gynaecologist but also simultaneously consult for a second opinion

• 

  Take regular supplements!
  

  Stay sincere on your calcium, iron and vitamin supplements
• In the last trimester, close on the hospital booking, decision about stem cell and jaapa maid. On the onset of 9^th month, shop for all the essentials you will need post pregnancy and keep your hospital bag handy

Key Note - Millions may be born every day but your pregnancy is special!!! Capture it and relish it !! Cherish and Thank your partner!

The love of my life,
Father of my child!

We as women are celebrated and pampered throughout the nine months but the men don't get any more than Congratulations! In my experience, the husband is our invincible support in the entire pregnancy journey for he does the massage when our body aches, listens to us and pacifies our mood swings, fulfils our (un)reasonable demands, satiates our food cravings, accompanies us to the doctor and stays awake with us as we restlessly toss on the bed every night, practically does everything besides carrying the baby and he definitely deserves more.

The countdown begins!

Stepping into my 9th month of pregnancy I might soon indulge insanely with my little bundle of joy, so thought of sharing all my recently gained knowledge with you all....Will definitely share how to make these nine months special in my next post….. Do stay tuned! Stay Happy, Stay relaxed !!

Shruti Sethi

The Mommy-to-be