My baby girl! !!!

I had just finished the previous post "what is the update? ", published it and dosed off to sleep when suddenly out off the blue I felt an uncontrollable urge to pee and a liquid which didn't feel anyway like pee came. I rushed off to the bathroom but ended up soaking my nightdress and the bathroom floor. My husband who had seen me jump from the bed and run to bathroom followed me inside and saw the liquid on the floor and he was like "your water bag broke". I looked at him in disbelief. I knew that what he was saying was true but I didn't want to believe him so I responded with"don't be silly I just lost control." He looked at me like I had lost my head. I was already on the toilet seat letting out another gush. 'Call your mom' was hubby response. And my mom doesn't believe in mincing words. Her response was you dont loose control of your bladder at this age. I know you enough to know that. Now just goo doctor. Call them up and tell me what is going on later. Meanwhile my hubby not waiting for me called doctor's office and we were told to come to emergency as it was 1.30am.

Thankfully I had just packed the diaper bag the day before so all I had to do was change my dress, grab the bag, pray and leave. With a promise of calling from hospital to my in law.. Me and hubby left.  Frankly once in car I was feeling calm and I could see my hubby panicking. We managed to have fight and make up before we reached the hospital. The moment I got admitted my delivery nurse came and food a litmus test to make sure it was amiotic fluid.  With that turning positive I was officially in labor.

After 8am, I was administered induction medicine as i was showing no sign of contraction though I had a dull period kind of pain in my lower abdomen and back.  By 11 am I had only 4 cm dilation but the pain was coming in strong horrible waves. When one particular wave left me shivering, shuddering and quaking from tip to toe, I decided enough is enough I will take epidural.

Epidural turned out to be another drama as it took the anesthetic 30 mins to locate the correct nerve during which time i was supposed to stay absolutely still, which was impossible with contraction coming in every 5 mins. Unfortunately he never got the nerve and decided to just plunge it where it was available. Right side of my spinal chord. Though it did the trick for me.  Once the epidural was one my nurse decided to increase the induction medicine to accelerate dilation. So by 4 pm I was in active labor and stayed pushing

.

As time ticked by I started realizing that my girl was not coming out. Apparently my pelvis was to tiny and was stuck in it. So for 4 hours of pushing the doctor cane to see me. The final option of c section. All by then I was ready for anything to get my girl out. With my consent doctor put together his team and I went in to the OR at 8.30 pm on Oct 6th 2014. My lower portion below ribs was completely desensitized but frankly I was so far gone by then that I fainted/slept right on the OR table and woke up to girl crying and my husband's joyous whisper if "our baby is here". My dear child VIDHATRI VYTESH was born at 8.56pm Oct 6th 2014n a Monday.   :-)

People who were near me for delivery: my hubby,  my sister. .. without them counting down and standing by me the 4 hours of labor would have been impossible. My in laws. My brother in law and sweet niece. 

"What is the update? "

Well my only response to this question, which I seem to be hearing from everyone around me, is nothing... Still waiting.... First pregnancy, or is normal to be delayed.... i have no clue when my girl is planning to come out.

We miss call by mistake, everyone assumes that we are in hospital. Not that I fault them. It is what I would expect of myself too. But irrespective of expectations or hopes am at the most uncertain and anxiety filed part of pregnancy - waiting for labor and delivery after the expected due date. Rest of pregnancy goes off in countdowns and event planning and simple expectations. But once the due date crosses all sorts of thoughts comes in to play. It starts with 'when is it going to happen?'... Which turns in to, 'How is it going to happen?'.... And then 'what can I do to make it happen? ' ... Which further detoriates to ' 'is everything going to go alright? ' and then finally settles on 'God! Whatever happens, let it go alright and let my child be born hale and healthy!!!'....

Every time I feel my girl stay silent, I start wondering if she is under stress... is the placenta functioning properly.... May be I should just induced add soon as possible... is she alright? . And then I rush to the fridge pull it a glad of juice and drink it and wait for a response. One miss sends me in to panic mode.

I never thought I would panic for such tiny things in life. But somehow becoming pregnant had brought it the worst-case-scenario-devil in me to life and believe she comes to life so often that these days that I look like I have taken leave of my senses. Being practical until by baby is born is going to be uphill task.

Recent update: went shopping in IKEA for the last time before purposed induction date (Thursday midnight supposed to report  to the hospital.. So that they start the medication arguing 1 am on 10th Friday.provided all goes well my girl should be born on 10th.) And got a hanging mobile made of cloth with flower, Spider, Dragon fly, butterfly, and bees. Hanged it from top of the ceiling for my girl to see.  Thinking of getting night lights in moon and star shape and put it up nearby for her.  Here is the pic of the mobile.

40 weeks and still counting

Putting up this pic has been the most frustrating. After such a long wait, having to wait some more without any sign of when is the end time is not my cup of tea.

Wish I knew what my girl is planning. May be then I won't be so anxious. Today is my girl's supposed due date and other than the mucous plug coming out yesterday I haven't had any other symptom of delivery yet. In fact the Jeera water that I drank yesterday just seemed to have made me tired and sleep early. Orbs than that even the lingering back ache and lower abdominal pain seems to have vanished. My doc is kind of certain about seeing me for induction next week. While I am praying to all the deities I know for natural labor before that.

Beauty of 3rd Trimester - Part3, Month 9 & last 9 days (supposedly)

 

The first thing I did at the start of 9th month was this blog. I knew that without something to keep things in perspective I will drive myself crazy by staring at the claender

Beauty of 3rd Trimester - Part2, Month 8

 

Believe me, though meant to be humorous, the feeling depicted in the pics are practical truth. I started being more emotional, weepy and irritable than I had ever been in my life. All said and done I was having the best experience too.

• This month started the amazing phase where I could literally feel my daughter's feet in ribs. Most often it was painful, cos she turned out to be so active that I could feel my right ribs and left kidney bruising but it was most wonderful feeling. "Eighth month is the month folks when u start to feel an increased fetal movement" my pregnancy app told me and believe me I did not need any reminder from it. I remember this particular weekend (it was one immediately after Baby shower (which was in the first week of August)) when my girl was exceptionally active. So active that for those 2 days I had a permanent bump against my lower portion of my ribs and my husband got his long held dream of feeling the baby's feet fulfilled...,well end result when we went for next check up, I found that my daughter has moved from side-wise position to happy inverted position ready for delivery. And I moved from looking like a cantaloupe to a watermelon plus pumpkin.
•  Month 8 also marked the beginning of struggle to turn in bed or getting in to position or even sleeping for good stretch of time. An hour and half of undisturbed sleep was rare to come by and I found myself growing tired everyday. One hour of sleeping on my left side, found me walking up with sore shoulders and numb legs. And god forbid I make the mistake of rolling over on  my back in sleep, within ten mins I will be waking my husband due to severe leg cramps (which will last me whole day). I started building fortress of pillow around me in an effort to keep myself from rolling over and my poor husband found himself delegated to the edge of king size bed.
• In terms of doctor visits, it is one of the boring months. The only measurements take were my BP, weight , belly size and the only exciting part of the check up hearing baby's heartbeat through Doppler. My doctor after the first visit got concerned as I was showing excess weight gain (due absolute lack of exercise the previous month) and I was strictly instructed to make sure my weight gain was only 1 pound per week, which I almost managed. At the end of eighth month, the doctor take vaginal swabs for Group B Strep Infection. Which turned out to be negative for me (not that I was bothered, I was pretty confident that I did not having any infection). 
• One of the reassuring phenomenon that started during this month was breast leakage. It took me a week of finding hardened flakes to understand what was going on. From then on I started paying particular attention to which food the discharge seemed to increase (ofcourse accompanied by painful breast, but by now I am so used to various aches in my body that I hardly notice it). And it also put my mind on ease that I will be able to feed post delivery. Vegetable I seem to be responding to are onion, lots of milk and water, spinach smoothie. Fenugreek doesn't seem to be having much effect while onion seems to be most effective. I haven't tried melons yet. Will be trying them out next to see how it goes.

On a side note:: I am trying to trace the position my Blinky turned to from side wise. Initially she was in lying down position with her legs towards my right side and her head on left. Once she turned to the inverted position, I believe her feet were right under my diaphragm (I know this from number times she has kicked me right in my heart or the way I could feel flexing her fingers/feet against my right lung) and her head sitting right on my bladder with either her hands or i dont know what portion rhythmically hitting left side of my bladder. For the nth time in pregnancy I was running to loo every half an hour. Her butt lying on the left, every time I woke up from sleep my stomach looked like a misshapen watermelon skewed to left side.

Things accomplished during this month::

• Had the most wonderful baby shower 
• Finished final purchases for Baby and started with arranging the baby room
• Washed all baby clothes and got baby's diaper bag from hospital ready.
• Started the pediatrician search
• Found out from hospital what our co-payment commitment etc were (which turned out to be nothing)
• Registered myself for hospital tour.

Mucous plug

I may be starting to dilate. I am not sure. But I noticed a really sticky, whitish paste kind of thing in my panty today while trying to pee. I am praying that it might be the discharge. Cervix is supposed to be plugged in during pregnancy and before delivery cervix starts opening up resulting in discharges. Have to repeat whatever I did yesterday today again, so that if it is discharge it will continue. And I can hope to have delivery within this week.

02, Oct, 2014::

I am discharging. Instead of liquid flow, today morning I had a single solid glib of mucous kind of membrane with pink tint come out in my pee. Whatever I have read tells me that it could be cervix mucous plug that has come out. Which means I could go in to labor anytime. 

I know it is to gross to put mucous plug pic but right I don't care. I am pouring up the pic so that I know what to expect for the one. 

Gollu visits and sisters time - Day 4 & 5 of the Special 9 days (Navratri)

One thing that I didn't really do during this whole of pregnancy, is spend valid time with my sister. Every time my husband was also there, so my attention used to be divided between them. When my in-laws finally reached and it so happened that all the gollu invites turned out to be on the weekend of their arrival, a whole day long plan to visits to everyone's house began. But when the plan seemed to start from 7 o clock in the morning and go on till 9-10 night, i started panicking. I cant manage such long drawn out day. It was beyond my stamina level at this stage and my food requirement s will be totally gone for a toss. At the risk of offending people around I decided to drop out of the plan. Thankfully in-laws were ok with the idea as they understood that such strain is too much for me now. Hubby was also happy to have his time with his parents and the best side effect of this whole thing: I got my time with my sis. After seeing them off, taking full advantage of the day offered, me and my sis talked, played  and slept (me mostly) the whole day. She was happily showing me off her garden. We talked about her delivery experience. Got stuck in my niece's play tent... :D on the whole we had a good lazy day... and nice together time.

The next day, I went with my hubby to 2 of our friends home and to Sai Baba temple (I had been wanting to go for such a long time). Did chapal shopping with my in-law and came back home. Now waiting for the last few days and praying that everything goes well and on-time (fingers crossed).

After the dry run, went to meet my doctor for regular check up the next day and it turned out be a upsetting meeting. I am not showing any signs of dilation, not having any discharge or any kind of contractions. While I have no clue when my delivery is going to be, I am due on Oct 3rd which is less than a week (it is only four days away from the day am typing) away. My doctor is plenty sure that am not ready for delivery anytime close. So other than fixing an appointment for monitoring the baby's health and regular check up I have nothing else to do... and my doctor is certain that I will be meeting him (meaning I will not go in to labor earlier).

The  wait is getting to my nerves. I have heard of lot of instances of delayed delivery most of which have to be induced... I have feeling am also heading towards the same thing. My only fear is I should react well to being induced and be able to deliver normally and my Blinky comes out hale and healthy.

The dry run - Day 2&3 of the special 9 days (Navratri)

My girl decided she wanted her grandparents to see the hospital the day they landed. So from the day before she reduced get movements. Believe me it was very scary. I waited patiently for hey to stay get movements back for a whole day. I couldn't sleep the night due to anxiety. But I didn't feel her. So in 25th morning 5 o clock I drank about 3 glasses of juice to see get response. Got a very slight single kick in response whereas she usually would've given me a bruise with her kicks. Around 7 I again drank a cup of tea with nearly 7 slices of whole wheat bread.  After that I fell asleep due to exhaustion. In my sleep I could feel her moving about 4 times.

By the time I woke up around 8 I wad in full panic mode. My hubby had taken the day of top pick his parents up. In my stress I had a roaring for with him which ended in me breaking down and crying and telling my husband of my panic. After wick I decided to call the doctor's office. I called them around 9.30am and they asked me come in immediately to monitor the baby movement. Since my husband had to drop a colleague of his in airport before picking up his parents,  we picked him and took him to the hospital where the poor guy was waiting in the waiting room while I went in for check up. 

And guess what I hear the moment am hooked to the monitor. ... A nice wonderful rhythmic heartbeat punctuated by a number of kicks. But I still wasn't feeling any of them. The nurse just told me. Don't worry you won't feel them this late in to pregnancy. She is to big to move as much.

Hubby left me in hospital to get monitored and went picked up his parents. My mom in law had the thrilling experience of hearing her granddaughter's heartbeat and listen to her move around.

After two hours I left the hospital feeling so much relived. The next day regular check up I learnt that my girl had gone up in weight by around .4lbs. But I still don't seem to be showing any kind of dilation. I think my doctor is coming to the conclusion that I might need a induction. But we are waiting till 41 weeks for any decision.

The special 9 days (Navratri)- Day 1

I have been kind of avoiding this page. Simply because I have been getting too nervous, anxious and frustrated with the wait. I was kind of afraid that this countdown might make me crazy. So why did I come back here . Well my in-laws are reaching tomorrow and I decided that now might be a good time to re start the countdown and I can hold out form going for a day... after that I will have company so I might be able to remain grounded and hopefully distracted... Hey before I forget, Happy Navratri guys..!!

My sweet and simple gollu for this year

Week 38, Day 1 - Depressed after visit to doctor

I hated yesterday. I went in thinking that I might be having a big baby but looks like mine is small.... Might even classify as underweight. Am sick and worried. I have been eating well. Nutrition and quantity. My weight gain has been steady and normal as per expectation but she has not gained as much. She is a solid one pound less than what she should be. When I wad told, I wanted to cry. I feel like a failure. But what else can I do. I can only eat healthy food. She has take the nutrients from me. There is still two now weeks to go for due date and am trying to think of ways to increase all the nutrient content in my food. Lot more smoothies and fruits and spinach. I don't know what else to do. I feel helpless. My hubby cried in the doctor's office. Please please please let the readings be wrong. Please let her be normal weight. 

I could see that even the doctor was puzzled. My stomach looks so big and he pressed in to my tummy and he could feel the baby all over the bump. He said that you feel like you are having a lot of baby there but some how the head circumference and abdominal circumference is showing the baby weight to be small. But he did say that it is OK for the baby to be within +/- 3 weeks of current week. Which brings her right in to the margin of normal growth. She might have just slipped in to the margin. I wish I was dealing with big baby fear than this depressing feeling. I want my baby to be healthy and happy. I want to give at least a good start. And I am failing at it.

Tomorrow is my 38th week check up and we will be getting to know the baby's approx weight and other measurements. Because of the big baby fear we might also be discussing various option (like inducing ahead of time, so that i can deliver when she is at a reasonable size). Whatever be the case, am going to push it as long as I can. One I want her to big happy healthy baby... even if it means being induced ahead of time. Frankly there is only one thing for me to do. Pray. Pray that she is healthy no matter whatever be the situation.

I cant wait for my child to be born. This last 4 weeks (from week 36) is turning out be the longest period of pregnancy. This wait seems to be going on forever.

Beauty of 3rd Trimester - Part 1, Month 7

from www.alexakitchen.com/comics

What all happened during the 3rd trimester:: I am writing it in bullet points cos so many things happened that I sometimes don't remember the sequence. But one thing for certain, my 3rd trimester was more troublesome, longer and more wonderfilled than the rest of the pregnancy (this is including all the nausea and puking in 1st trimester).

• The first hurdle in 3rd trimester: swelling ankles and BP going erratic. I unfortunately have to go through pregnancy in the peak of summer. So I made sure to drink lot of water, so much so that my feet started swelling because of excess water. I didnt realise that was the reason for my swelling. When I went in for my check up (first time I happened to have an afternoon appointment for that month, otherwise I usually have first thing in the morning), my BP had shot up to 135/88. I went in to utter panic mode. I had been checking my weight and BP carefully whole through the week and it had been normal, but was suddenly wacky in doctor's office. My doc just looked at me and said, dont worry, must be the heat. Also cut down on the water. You are drinking too much and that's causing swelling, drink only if u r thirsty. Just to be safe, monitor  your BP for next one week at different times. If it is constantly showing high reading call me. I went home and did just that and found my readings back to normal by nightfall and continued to stay that way for rest of the week.
• Gestational diabetes Test: A milestone test, if turned positive or even borderline you are stuck with no more sugar and repeated diabetic test. I was dreading this one, cos' my sis who was pregnant last year had ended up borderline and was forced to forgo sweets and yet my niece showed high sugar levels on the day of her birth. Of course it receded and came down to normal levels by the time she left the hospital but until then it was tense, stressful and painful watching a newborn getting pricked every hour for blood test. I desperately wanted my sugar levels to be under control. I thankfully had not had any craving for sweets or salt or spice during my pregnancy. except for rare instances of craving for idly, I have had a reasonable pregnancy so far. Well, fasting after dinner the previous night, I almost fainted by the time my turn came up in the testing center and all I was handed was a bottle of sugar drink and told to drink it and come back after an hour. To make long story short, I cleared my test with flying colors.
• Rashes, rashes everywhere: I spoke too soon about my pregnancy going easy on me. I didn't realize that I was about enter most testing week of my pregnancy. Rashes!!. Since my hubby was having meetings late in to the night and he was keeping me awake with his continuous talking I decided to sleep on sofa for 3 days which was critical period in work for him. Our sofa sits right under window, and since even the nights were hot I decided to keep the windows wide open and sleep. 3 days later I had the worst possible rashes on my thighs and arms. The rashes started out as redness and within matter of hours had turned in to itchy, swollen, small boils all over my thighs and arms.... In panic I called my doctor and he told me there was not much he could do about it cos I was in 7th month pregnancy. He asked me to apply anti-itch cream and wait it out. With no cure in sight, I went to urgent care and was told the same thing. The doctor in urgent care asked me try the anti-itch for 3 days... if not resolved I should come back and there were steroids that he could prescribe but he gave me disclaimer that the steroids were not tested on pregnant humans and so they have no idea what the effect will be. I decided to leave it be and bear through the pain. The anti-itch cream turned out to be the worst possible idea. Next I ended up with worsened swelling and pain deep in my bone. In desperation to temporarily (atleast) soothe itch and pain, I applied sandalwood paste on the rashes and breathed a sigh of relief for the first time in 3 days. I started doubting that I might have PUPP... and scared that I was going to struggle till delivery with this pain. I started applying sandalwood paste (to soothe) and vibuthi (to stop itching.. very effective) and sitting continuously in a/c, eating melons to cool my body... i was also having raw turmeric powder and neem powder mixed together in empty stomach in an effort to get rid of any kind of insect bite poison and such... after a week and half of struggle, the rashes finally subsided but major part of the next month was still filled with itching. It took lot of self control and patient application of vibuthi and sandalwood paste to get rid of the itching.

Thus ended my eventful 7th month.

Arranging space for my girl in my closet. This is the third arrangement am trying out. Hopefully this will work out without much trouble.

Lists made for baby:

I never realized that I might need so many list for the baby. It is basics. Even normalshopping needs list whereas this is life changing. Here are some of the list that I made

1) Hospital list: things that goes on hospital bag for me, baby, and hubby. Food that I might need (though hospital does provide food being Indian and vegetarian makes my taste buds crave for certain kind of food which makes it essential to carry my supplies). Things to do before labor like labor and delivery tour, prenatal classes if am going for any, pre-registration in the hospital. Getting breast pump booked via hospital. Checking with finance if I have any deductible or co payment due for insurance. Providing hospital with pediatrician details. 

2) Booking pediatrician: This took longer for me because I was trying to get same pediatrician as my niece and she is in different hospital to where my delivery is happening. Making a list questions to ask the pediatrician during the meet & greet. 

3) What does the hospital bag have: While I have gone through many lists in various websites, apps, provided by hospital etc.. I personally feel that the hospital bag of mom and dad must have few indispensable items like insurance, wallet, some cash, credit card, keys to house & car, phone with chargers, mp3 player with charger /battery, laptop with charger, if ur parents live abroad and u need to talk to them then international calling card (filled with minutes of course), change of cloth for 2 days, coming home dress for mom and dad (if it matches with baby it is even better :D), socks, flip-flops, towels for mom (might need this during the drive (if the hospital was far off from ur home like mine was) incase the water breaks), toiletries

To make long list short, below is image of my list of things to take to hospital... am not sure how many I might find useful but am taking all of them with me...

4) Things to buy for the baby:

Believe me this list was just the beginning of it. I might have bought a hundreds of other things along with these. Ofcourse I didn't purchase certain must-haves like crib and required accessories like mattress as I had decided on co-sleeping with the child. But that meant that I had get things to keep Blinky safe while sleeping with me and hubby (esp because hubby tends to roll over in sleep).

5) Baby shower guest list & Baby registry: This was a never ending list and required so many visitations and was fought over so many times.

6) Setting up baby room: Still not completed, think it is never going to be completed

Today's craving from husband :-)

Food that kept me alive and nutrition-ed in these months of pregnancy::

1) Spinach smoothie: Add any fruit I can get my hands on; strawberry, grapes, apple, banana, orange; Add spinach and one tsp of agave nectar and blend thoroughly. Add few cubes of ice or chilled water.. You have the perfect recipe to combat summer during pregnancy.

2) Sangeetha Restaurant: Its as-if that guy opened to cater to my pregnancy requirements. Only place whose food did not unsettle me, even let me overeat without trouble.
3) Vegetable fried rice
4) Kichdi: Dal and mixed vegetable rice
5) Midnight snack: Bananas, glass of milk, dinner left-overs, raw carrots,
6) Pasta: Thanks to my friend and her husband, I found that I could eat pasta without any trouble and soon had my shelf lined up with Organic pasta sauces from whole foods. Add few vegetables, pasta sauce and whole wheat pasta, viola..!! Nutritious food ready to be eaten under 15 mins. This saved me many a fainting spells in my second trimester, as I used to go from slightly hungry to ravenous in matter minutes multiple times through the day.
7) Tomato Chutney and Narthanga pickle: My first trimester I survived wholly on these two items. Without them I shudder to imagine the spells of nausea and vomiting that would have followed.

Comments I have got from strangers on looking at my tummy:

1) In water park: This lady watched me jumping around happily in water and said "please slow down and be careful. we don't want you to deliver here" (I was little more than 30 weeks then)
2) In Costco (just crossed the 36 weeks deadline): After nearly 3 hours of grocery shopping I was completely worn out and was dragging myself to a bench while my husband billed the purchases. A voice suddenly spoke from my left side "So when are you due". I turned to see one of the costco employee smiling at me. "Oct 3rd" I replied. Her eyes flicked to my tummy  and she said "doesn't look like it", I gave a confused look. She replies "It will be September." I give her weak smile and hobble over to the bench while praying inside 'please dont do that to me'.
3) Visitors @ home This was around my 22 weeks.  My husband's friend's aunt was visiting us. I Was meeting her for the first time and when talking to my mom in law over fone,  she says, "your dil looks very big. She might have early delivery". All I could do was gape at her.

4) In Walmart, I was around 30 weeks. Me and hubby as usual had gotten carried away and purchased a number of dresses for the little one. We were standing at the billing counter and Lady at the counter was billing last dress when she suddenly noticed my tummy and said "oh you are expecting. I thought you were getting it as gift for someone." Me and hubby looked at each other and then down at my tummy. Really!! you missed 'this'!!!!

Stories shared with us:

In best buy: I was around 24 weeks. We were looking for Chrome cast. When this lady (once of the geek squad) looked at me and was super excited "when are you due?am 20 weeks. What do you do to keep yourself cool in summer? Do you feel hungry often? " all in one go. I smiled and said due in oct. Drink lot of fluid. Yes I do feel hungry. I snack a lot. She smiled, "me too. "

Big Baby fear: As am over 36 weeks, my doc is panicking at the size of my belly (I do look like I will deliver any moment rather than 4 weeks later). He says "You have one solid baby there (she has to be)... " and then he dropped the bomb, "lot of people choose to induce if baby is big".. me and hubby together shake our head "no way!! am waiting as long as i can". He says "Alright we will see the baby weight around 38 weeks".

I talk to my mother that night over fone and tell her doctor's prediction. My mom gets a worried look in her face and says "It will become very difficult for you to do natural delivery if the baby is too big. If the doctor is serious then listen to his options". Panic builds in me and that night I dream (nightmare) of a cesarean delivery.  As I badly want vaginal delivery and want it to be as natural as possible, cesarean delivery is my worst nightmare, I ended up crying in my sleep whole through the night. But by next day I consoled myself, At-least the baby is big and hopefully completely healthy irrespective of the kind of delivery, that is more important.

Then I started searching through Google (I have tortured myself with unnecessary information lot of times. Sometimes I thin Google should be banned, but I cant live without it. I dont think anybody can these days.), wondering what is ideal length. I found that my belly was nearly 3 cm more. But that was not so bad, cos it is allowed to be + or - 2 cm.

When I met the doctor next time, I asked him and he responded, believe me if u proceeding the same way, the baby will be atleast 10 lbs. My eyes bulge out. "I hope u r joking" is all am able to croak out. He smiles and says, "dont worry, thats not going to happen.. u seem to be progressing alright. Now we haev to just wait for 38 weeks."

I let out a sigh of relief. Now all I have to do is wait for week 38 to come.

-from Dhana

Weird dreams closer to delivery:

1) 10th Sep: Yesterday I dreamt that I delivered my baby on 11th Sep (God knows why I got dates in my head even while dreaming), and as soon as she comes out, she starts tlaking about going to Mammoth Lakes (its in CA). Best part of the whole dream, I dont feel any pain while delivering her.
2) 8th Sep: Hubby dreams that he and his girl have shaven their head clean and have grown horns suddenly.
3) My in-laws land and hubby brings them directly to hospital cos am already in labor (quite possible, never know for sure)
4) Am stuck in traffic and the highway patrol is helping me delivery..!! (Please NOOO!!)

5) Am caught speeding in a freeway ramp and am pleading with the cop saying my bladder is too full and I really need to reach home (every time I drive, I expect this to happen...)

- from Dhana

I found this while looking for some good quotes and couldn't resist sharing. They are simple and beautiful and say everything there is to say in few words. I cant wait to welcome my dear daughter to this world. Show her the wonders, joy and beauty here.

From Daddy:

When you feel a hand rest upon your Mum,
And you hear the sound of a low deep hum,
I hope you know, and to yourself think gladly,
This touch and voice is of my Daddy.

It's still early days but you've got my heart,
And I know that this is just the start,
Because from now on and forevermore,
I will love you, cherish you, and always adore.

Every day my love for you grows,
And I hope to you this already shows,
I will do everything I can to make you see,
That you will always mean the world to me.

From Mommy:

It's dark in here as I swim around in my mommy's womb
I don't have eyes to see yet, but I can feel
I can tell my mommy loves me, she tells me everyday
I feel her cold hands warm up, as she lets me know she's there
I feel the vibration of her voice, as she sings me a lullaby
She eats all my favorite things, even the stuff she shouldn't
Her hands let me know I'm safe as they sooth me to sleep
I know my mommy loves me, I can feel it in her touch...


- from Dhana

Food I love: Mostly Bland food. Lots of Dal, Spinach smoothie

Food I hate: Broccoli (used to be my most favorite.. i could eat it anyway before pregnancy... once pregnant, i found i couldn't stand the smell of it), bitter gourd, Spice
Only thing that pulled me through 1st trimester nausea: narthanga pickle, tomato chutney and eating for half stomach, apple (didn't touch it after first 3 months...got bored of eating it)

Mood swing: Weepy and angry at the slightest provocation.

My walking route: 

Best moments: 1) When my husband got me Idli for valentine's day gift and ate to my heart's content (best gift he could have gotten at that time.. even diamonds wont have made me happy then)

2) When my dear husband gifted me a kutti Krishna 

3) When my husband hugs my stomach early morning (everyday :)) and 'She' responds by kicking

4) When my husband sang to our girl and she danced the whole time

5) When we saw her heartbeat first time in ultrasound (Around 5weeks and 5days, we named her Blinky then. Looked like she was a tiny winking thing in my tummy. Me and my husband were hugging each other and crying on seeing her. Our doc discreetly left the room )

Cravings: sugar candy (balli mittai/jeera mittai), Idli (south Indian steamed rice pancake), Jalapeno popers, lemon rice

Songs that I enjoyed listening to at this time: Mornings: Ganesha Pancharatnam, Chidambareshwar stotram, Thunbam illada nilaye bhairavi... Night: Krishan nee begane baro, Harivarasanam, Jasoda Hari..anytime during the day: Kun fayakun, Murshid khele holi, Aao Balma

Songs that 'She' seems to love :): ... all songs period

Baby Shower: August 3rd: Had traditional ceremony and cake cutting.. with lots of friends and family... My sister, brother-in-law and my husband's mami together decorated the whole house with lots of balloons, baby dress, diaper cakes, diaper scooter (with a lion riding it :D).. My husband had ordered specifically for onion & garlic free food and eggless tres leches cake with a cute stork with baby bundle decoration. I saved the decoration as a memory. 

Baby moon moments: 1)We went to Ukiah, the City of ten thousand buddhas. Attended chanting session in the monastery, ate vegan food in their restaurant, chased after their peacocks (not really.. i am not in any chasing state). did peacock feather picking... And then went to Lake county and cooled our feet in water.

2) Since I am water crazy even in normal time, my husband took me to a water park, where I jumped to my hearts content without adverse effect in water. (I entered their lazy river pool and never left for next 6 hours we were there). Best time !!

3) San Francisco park... rose garden.. After one circuit, I spent the whole time sleeping on park bench with my head in my husband's lap. :D

-from Dhana

Kick Count (more like full body rolls): 15 in last one hour

Hunger Strikes: 3 meals and one snack

Potty Breaks: Lost count

List of things to do: Atleast 10 lists :)

Doubts and Questions for the doctor: The xls sheet is running out of rows

Books on baby and delivery: I can start my own library

Baby gears purchased: my room looks more like store than home 

Dreams/nightmares about early delivery: Every single night

Countdown: When r my in-laws reaching??!!

!!..Eagerly waiting..!!

-from Dhana

What does last one month of pregnancy mean to me... tiredness, pelvic pain, elation that just 4 more weeks to go, sleeplessness and nightmares, sudden influx of irrational/rational fear about delivery, arranging/rearranging and then rearranging once more the baby room, going mental at your husband for not closing the closet door, everybody panicking at your slightest expression of discomfort or pain, desperate need for a good pelvic massage, exhaustion after just 1 hour of shopping and much much more.

Believe me the last month is no walk in the park and every single day is spent in anxious waiting and fear tinged eagerness. God help my sanity!!

-from Dhana