255 days to you

People say pregnancy is all about sitting back and enjoying nine months of time while a miracle takes place within you. Yes pregnancy is nothing short of a miracle, but in reality the nine months makes a mother experience a lot more emotions than just enjoyment! It changes a woman both physically & emotionally.

It has been on my mind for a long time to share some experiences of my pregnancy, not with the world, but perhaps for my little one to read in future. But, there are so many stories out there that are all about pregnancy experiences, tips, warnings and more, so I am probably just going to write about some of the little things that I have personally learnt while I made camping place in my body for my little one.

If you turn out like your daddy, you may not read the whole of this, nevertheless…here you go baby….this one’s for you and all about you (ok fine, somethings about me too :P)

Week 1 to Week 5 : Cherishing the Bliss of Ignorance

Life can take a turn overnight, perhaps it’s true, just that sometimes one doesn’t realise that a lot has changed until you are aware of it. That’s exactly how Mommy and Daddy felt during the first week that you made your entry into this world. We were blissfully unaware, going about our daily chores. But in my prayers everyday, there was always a wish & desire for you!

We were enjoying life in the buzzling city of Mumbai, eating yummy food, exploring crazy things and excited about our upcoming trip to Europe! We even made a short trip to Bangalore, not knowing that it was your first flight journey! Your mommy also visited doctors in order to plan to make place for you, but even the doctors at that point couldn’t make out you were inside me! In fact they told me that I need to have a test done back in Mumbai soon. And it was when I went to get more details regarding that test, we found out that you had already made your grand entry!

Week 6 to Week 10: Dealing with Good & Bad News

Probably the most exciting part of pregnancy is first knowing that you are pregnant. Almost every couple has an exciting story of how they found out they were pregnant, how they told each other…but not your parents. We were treading that thin line between being surprised and shocked!

On the blessed morning of 2nd September 2017, your darling Daddy woke me up early so that I could take a home pregnancy test before we met Dr. Suruchi Desai at Nanavati hospital for a checkup. With sleepy eyes I managed to pee on the stick and waited to check with absolutely no expectations. When a faint positive line showed up, I was convinced that my eyes were too blurry…I ran back to bed and showed the result to Daddy who did not react! Yes did not react!

We quickly got dressed, took a picture of the pee stick and made our way to the hospital, hardly talking to each other. But I do remember looking at myself in the mirror along the way, assuming to be glowing, have healthy hair and more :P

Dr. Suruchi was just back from the Ganesh Chaturthi break, and we were her first patients. She took down our history and asked if we took a test before coming to the hospital. When we showed her the picture, she confirmed in a second that the result was positive! That you were already inside me! That was the moment. Our moment. Involuntarily I put my hand on my belly and thanked God for this miracle. Daddy dearest was still in shock, and looking at him the doctor decided its best to let technology prove it to us and sent us to get our first sonogram.

The radiologist asked us if we were first time parents and we almost burst out laughing, saying we had no idea if we were even pregnant! They found us silly I guess, but nevertheless got us into a dark room and projected my belly on a screen. And inside there, there was one tiny blob flickering slightly. I must confess that I could see nothing in the beginning and it was Daddy who had to point you out to me. Looks like he made our introduction afterall :)

So that was the good news. But there was some not so great news also waiting for us. The doctor told us your heart rate was very low and we had to wait another week to check if it picks up to confirm the pregnancy. And if confirmed, we would not be able to travel for a couple of months and would have to cancel our Europe Trip!

That week was a hard one to pass. I had to take complete rest, have no jerky movements and wait it out patiently.

Once back home, we decided to tell only close family about the good news. We called your Ammamma and Sriram Tatha on video call. Told them that I had lost 2 kg with my awesome diet & yoga, and just when they were happy for me, told them that the doc has now asked me to stop dieting as I need to eat for two! We heard a shrieking squeal on the other end!

We then called your Suma Pati and Sridhar Tatha and told them that they have been promoted to becoming grandparents! They were extremely happy and knew that their prayers had been answered.

It is only by the next night we were able to get intouch with your busy Doddamma & Doddappa and tell them the good news. We made your darling cousin, Atharv Anna our messenger and asked him if he wanted a brother or a sister! It was only excitement that came back as the reply!

Coming back to the week long wait, your Ammamma packed her bags and came to stay with me and make sure your heart beat was strong enough by the next visit. I also had my first bout of nausea during the wait which proved to be a good sign! So when the doc saw me the next week and confirmed the pregnancy, we were overjoyed. Yes somewhere inside we did feel disappointed not to be able to travel to Europe, but you were more important anyday!

P.S — Mommy and Daddy secretly hope that one day you will take us to Europe with you :P

Week 11 to Week 16 — Being comfortable with uncomfortable situations

With excitement also pepping up along with your heartbeat, I was all in to embrace pregnancy. I started by downloading apps to track every month… I mean every week, no every single day of the pregnancy! I don’t know if the apps played on my mind or it was your doing within me, but I began experiencing all the “not so nice” symptoms soon enough. The morning sickness did not stay put during the mornings at all! It probably was one of the main reasons that I had to disclose your existence at work too! My frequent trips to the loo got some people thinking I had a weak bladder! You may have been stuck looking at the insides of me for months, but let me tell you baby, I have seen the insides of many loos, wash-basins and closets! Yuck!!

It was soon time to see you on the screen again! The NT scan was really interesting where the radiologist showed us so many of your little organs — face, eyes, ears, hands, feet, stomach, bladder and even the four ventricles of your tiny heart!

While I was literally enjoying the drama in my life, we just found out that our darling dog, Cherry, back home is also on the family way! Talk about coincidence. She was growing plumper and craving for more bananas. My heart went out to her, and we quickly packed your Ammamma back home to be with her.. Anyway I had a long time to wait for you and my drama was not going to end anytime soon!

Before Ammamma left, we had a small ritual where I was given a lot of Kesar to eat (actually drink with milk) after a nice oil bath. This was the beginning of all the nights where I started having a glass of milk with Kesar. It was finally bye bye to any sort of diet and all sorts of lactose intolerance!

Week 17 to Week 20 — Knowing and Accepting that every body is different

During these weeks, you had your Suma Pati and Sridhar Tatha visiting you in Mumbai. They were happy to come and spend time with us as well as pamper your Mommy and Daddy.

The nice thing about being pregnant when you have family around is the number of small rituals and the pampering. We had a nice little flower ceremony at home where 5 different types of flowers were adorned on my head and this is the only occasion where one’s mother in law is allowed to gift the mom-to-be a black saree. Decked in new black attire, and different flowers in my hair I enjoyed every bit of the attention.

With all the fuss continued my enormous diet — actually the number of tiffin boxes I used to carry to work — different snacks, fruits, dry fruits, lunch, buttermilk, juice and more! It so happened that one day I was so engrossed in carrying all this to work that I left my laptop and only took my food! I had to turn the cab back around, to come home and get my laptop! Talk about Pregnancy Brain hitting your Mommy so soon!

I was still dealing with Pregnancy Brain issues, while back home on 21st November 2017, Cherry was already in the midst of labour! She started delivering her puppies at 9:30 in the morning and went on till 4:00 PM! She brought to life 12 healthy babies, WITHOUT ANY DRAMA! All mommies will definitely need to look up to her!

It was time for the long awaited Anomaly Scan and we were excited to see you again. However, Dr. Hingorani (the radiologist) pointed out that though there we no anomalies, the amniotic fluid in mommy’s uterus was a bit low that could affect your development. When we visited Dr. Suruchi, we were told that this was actually a very serious matter! That’s when Mommy cried because she thought she was going to lose you! But with more medicines & fluids added to my diet as well as plenty of bed rest, things seemed to get better. The reason for all of this was stress and untill now Mommy is not sure what was the cause. I had to stop traveling to work to take care of you inside me. It was a bit discomforting to see so many other pregnant women going about their daily routine, but each one of us is different and I needed my time off to be with you. No regrets! We got your Ammamma & Srivedi Pati to come to Mumbai and stay with us during these tough weeks.

The only silver lining to this phase of pregnancy was that Mommy felt you kick inside her for the first time during the 20th week! It was an absolute amazing feeling and made me feel on top of the world! I couldn’t believe it was happening inside me and had to literally stop doing everything else to soak in the feeling, everytime you moved! This was also an assurance that all was going to be well!

Week 21 to Week 23 — Adjusting to new changes with an open mind

After about 2–3 weeks of extreme care, it was time for the verdict from Dr. Suruchi. 23rd December 2017 was indeed an important date. Your Tathas, Patis and Uncles and Aunties were all praying for us. Finally the doc was very happy with your growth as well as the fluid level inside me. She even gave us the go ahead for air travel to Bangalore!

While the idea of coming to Bangalore with you was exciting, I also felt weird that I was leaving Mumbai. So the last week was spent packing things, eating everything that I was going to miss and going to landmark places so that I could get some pictures with you! I really want you to live in Mumbai sometime in life. After all, that’s where you were made!

The trip back home was eventful indeed! Your Daddy and Ammamma took total advantage of both of us and opted for a wheelchair at the airport! We had VIP service all along. Even an airline doctor came by to check if I was ok to travel with you. Guess they were worried if you decided to come out during the journey and had to sponsor free tickets to you! The flight journey itself was easy and fortunately not eventful.

Once in Bangalore the excitement was all about everyone coming to see how Mommy was doing and how plump she had become! New Years Eve was going to be a sober one this year. It was also time to look for a new doctor in Bangalore, and recommendations were pouring in from everywhere!

On 1st Jan 2018, we started the brand new year by visiting Dr. Prakash Kini at Cloud Nine Jayanagar. While Mommy was skeptical about having a male doctor (You know….no uterus…no opinion) he seemed to make things extremely comfortable. He also confirmed that all was well and I could stop all extra medication. It was only time to enjoy the rest of my pregnancy now.

Week 24 to Week 27 — Enjoying the fuss of traditions and being the centre of attention

Carrying a baby invites a whole lot of traditions. And that only means being the centre of attention. The next couple of weeks was just that for Mommy.

Marking the last day of year 2017, on 31st December an Aarti was organised at Suma Pati and Sridhar Tatha’s house. It was a lovely event and attended by most of our close relatives and friends.

It was the first time the Bangalore crowd was looking at you through Mommy’s growing tummy and the excitement was enjoyable! Even both your Attes (Archana and Rekha) who were also carrying their babies within were there at the function and we finally managed to take a preggers picture together!

Within four weeks of the first aarti, it was time for another event! The Bangle ceremony at Ammamma & Sriram Tatha’s house was arranged on 2nd Feb 2018.

It is believed that when an expectant mother wears bangles, the sound that it makes, keeps the baby inside active and she/he is assured of being safe and close to mom. I did wear the bangles for a few days, so I hope you enjoyed the music little one.

The fuss was not only about bangles though. Mommy and Daddy were adorned with gifts and company of all near and dear ones. The menu also comprised of yummy delicacies like ‘Peni’ that I thoroughly enjoyed; hope you enjoyed the taste from the inside!

Once the main events were over, it was also time for Daddy to go back to work in Mumbai. This was perhaps the most difficult time for Mommy. After 5 years of living with him, it was miserable not to wake up next to Daddy, kiss him ‘Mornini’ or hug him every night. Another tiny sacrifice that we had to make to ensure you are going to be comfortable and ok in Bangalore. I am sorry that I may have been cranky and even had terrible mood swings during these trying times. Hope you forgive me!

What marked the end of my second trimester was a delightful time when people on the outside could finally feel you move inside me! I was saving this first movement for Daddy Dearest. So when he made his next trip to Bangalore and we were staying at our holiday home at Good Earth, he put his hand on my tummy and spoke to you. As if on cue, you responded so well and gave him a nice hard kick! Trust me there is no words to explain his expressions at that moment! He was delighted to finally feel the miracle that he has helped create! Poor thing, he was only listening to my version of the feelings until then. He could now experience it in the closest possible manner. It was not surprising that he held my tummy all night and morning the next day!

So many of our friends were also excited to feel your movements inside me. For many of them you are truly special as they had never felt something like this in life earlier! Talk about making an impression already you little brat!

Week 28 to Week 32 — Completely soaking in the feeling of being Pregnant

As the clock ticked and the days passed, your Mommy’s tummy grew bigger and bigger. And a big tummy calls for a Maternity Photoshoot! Thanks to Dima starting her new photography venture, we scheduled an early morning photo session in our very own extend garden at Lalbagh.

While the pictures themselves will talk about how lovely the shoot was, the fun behind the scenes will always be in our memories.

The different poses, various accessories, assistance from Ammamma & Tatha for the reflectors and more. The changing tent proved to be extremely useful, not only for us to change into different attire but also for Mommy to quickly and quietly pee; thanks to you putting so much pressure on her bladder!

Before I got too big and would not be able to travel, we decided to spend some time at Good Earth holiday home. This was perhaps the most peaceful and lovely time during pregnancy. The day began with sitting in the portico and drinking milk while listening to the birds chirp. A daily dose of Yoga with Lara Dutta (on video) in the garden was part of the routine. Long peaceful naps with no disturbance at all was an everyday luxury! Even Cherry enjoyed playing in the backyard everyday we were there. Mom and me enjoyed watching movies and binging on tv shows under the starlit sky! Knowing Mommy was so happy during those few days, you must have enjoyed your time inside too!

The only hiccup during these pleasant times was a night of severe ear pain that I had to deal with. Back home, it was all about treating the cold with steam inhalation & gargling as no medication was allowed. So, while Mommy was treating these small little issues, you were upto your own mischief inside — getting ready to come out already. And to help you little one, Mommy’s body started prepping with Braxton Hicks! The first time I felt one of those fake contractions was in the middle of the night and it was scary. I almost thought it was time, only to have met the doc the next day to confirm that it was only a trailer and we both had more time to meet face to face!

Week 33 to Week 35 — Prepping for the big day in every way

With you in position to come out these few weeks were quite difficult with a lot of pressure on Mommy’s pelvis & bladder. The number of visits to the loo kept increasing as the days to meeting you kept decreasing. The countdown had begun!

Daddy & Mommy attended a long prenatal workshop to be well prepared for the labour & delivery. Dr. Prakash Kini delivered a 3 hour speech, that was both informative and entertaining at the same time! By the end we were prepared with exercises, breathing techniques, diet, reasons for complications, delivery process and the photo session that would follow. Mommy was now anxious only about one thing — that Daddy should make it in time from Mumbai to Bangalore to be able to cut the umbilical cord and welcome you to the world.

During the weeks leading up to the delivery, there was more and more excitement being packed into Mommy’s day. On 18th March 2018, Ugadi day, all the youngsters decided to go out for lunch. While I being blissfully unaware of what was in store, and went about doing my daily chores, the family whatsapp chat was buzzing with restaurant options, menu variety & location preferences. On finally reaching Double Decker restaurant, I was visibly upset to see hookah being served and smoke all around. That’s when I turned around to suddenly see so many friends & family gathered amongst beautiful decorations. It was a surprise Baby Shower!!!

Being completely overwhelmed was the only way to describe how Mommy felt that day.

Every tiny detail of the baby shower was so well thought of from the lovely pieces of decor, the yummy cake, the balloons, the games, the takeaways, the chocolates & even the tissues! Thanks to the four amazing ladies — Dima, Priyanka Chikki, Muriel Aunty & Roshni Aunty.

Not sure if you felt any of those moves inside, but Mommy and Daddy were grooving to some peppy music through the party that day! Don’t worry we have saved some pictures and videos for you to enjoy later!

With all the enjoyment on one side, it was equally important to seek the blessings of the Lord as the due date was approaching. It was time for the annual function of Lord Krishna’s idol being brought home at Suma pati & Sridhar Tatha’s house. It was the 7th year that Mommy was part of the function, but probably the most special one as we both prayed together! From the following year you will also be part of this festivity & we can’t wait to have you with us.

So, we were prepared for the big day in most ways. The hospital bag was ready, we had all the pointers on labour pain & breathing exercises. We were done with all the traditional functions as well as the fun baby shower. The only thing left was to short list names for you! I wanted to involve everyone in the immediate family to help decide your name. Mommy and Daddy had a long list of names that we had been collecting since the day we knew we were expecting you.

We had a small get-together and had all the family members assemble with name options. Each one was given a task so that we could short list the names that had maximum votes.

For every prospective name, Sriram Tatha was supposed to find out the meaning (in different languages); Sridhar Tatha was given the task of attaching the apt surname; Suma pati had to use the name in a Kannada sentence and Ammamma in a Tamil sentence; Dima had to pronounce the name in different foreign accents; Ani Doddappa was asked to form nicknames and distraught the name in all possible ways & finally Raghu Doddappa had to check the negative database to make sure nothing & no one too bad was associated with your name. Uff…talk about putting in thought for a name.

If you are curious little one, here are the shortlisted names that won votes. You could be named any of these:

If you are a girl:

Mahi, Rishya, Ainara, Manya, Navisha

If you are a boy:

Neil, Shlok, Yajur, Ved

Daddy decided to finalise on the name only after seeing you and probably discussing with you and getting your approval! Let’s see which of these will stick on!

It was week 35 already and also Mommy’s birthday! Her last birthday without you! Wishes poured in from everywhere and this was the day many of the extended social media friends learned about your soon arrival. Daddy gifted Mommy a beautiful diamond ring which probably also doubled up as a push gift. Mommy enjoyed her day, had the yummiest of treats, splurged on ice cream, met close buddies and smiled all along. From the following year you will make her day even more special.

Week 36 — Passing or Failing test of patience!?

The last 35 weeks seem to have passed like a breeze compared to what Mommy felt as soon as week 36 began. Time seemed to have frozen. But the kicks in her tummy reminded her that with every passing moment you were also waiting to come outside.

This is pretty much how Mommy’s body felt — Difficult to lie down because of a big belly, even more difficult to turn from side to side, extremely uncomfortable to sit as the belly was being obstructed by her thighs, miserable to walk around thanks to the pressure on the pelvis, innumerable trips to the loo that involved the misery of standing, sitting and walking around.

Added to all of this was swelling of the feet, pangs of heartburn, some sudden bouts of vomiting, a lot of sweating, painful ear blocks, some crazy Braxton Hicks and what not! Don’t blame me little one for almost giving up at times and literally asking you to come out!

Week 36 +4 days : Going through the ultimate experience of giving birth

On the blessed Monday — 2nd April 2018, exactly a week after Mommy’s birthday it seemed like any other day. Since Daddy missed calling Mommy to wish her a good morning she was upset and had a long argument with him. Being upset, I didn’t even have breakfast. After a visit to the loo I realised that my mucus plug may have come off! It was time to hurry to the hospital. On reaching the hospital in record time of just 3 minutes at 11:45, Dima and Ammamma were at the reception counter asking for an emergency consultation while Mommy sat on the sofa comfortably. Sriram Tatha also enquired if there was any labor pain but there was none. Only when the receptionist walked up to me, I realised that I did feel slight back pain.

The first contraction began in the lift at 12:00 PM. Mommy was taken to the labour room and a few wires were plugged onto her belly. After she heard your heartbeat she was at peace. That’s when the duty doctor came in to have a look. She checked, asked questions and left to discuss the next course of action with Dr.Prakash Kini who was busy in the operation theatre. Just before the doctor left the room, I found out that I was already 3cm dilated!

Dr. Prakash Kini then entered the labour room, and post examination announced that I was in active labour! He took a long scissor-like instrument and in a flash inserted it into me. And before I could realise what was happening, there was a big gush, he just broke my water! The pressure was instantly released and it felt as if I had already delivered the baby! During this I asked the doctor if I would be delivering the baby today and pat came his reply that the delivery was going to happen soon. I asked him if it was time to inform Daddy, and without batting an eyelid he asked me to call Daddy inside the labour room. But alas, Daddy was far away in Mumbai! He was going to miss your birth.

Inside the labour room when I was going through my own drama, people outside were informed that I would take about five to six hours to deliver. Dima quickly called Daddy and asked him to catch the next flight to Bangalore. Now, everyone assumed that Daddy would leave office in a jiffy and rush to the airport, however he called back to confirm if Dima was kidding since it was just a day after 1st April — Fool’s day! After confirming that this was serious business, Daddy decided to hurry up and book the earliest flight home.

Back in the hospital I was shifted to a ward and the nurses induced pain medication via drips. By this time, I started having contractions almost every 6 minutes. I knew that I would not be able to take an Epidural once I would be 6 cm dilated so I asked the nurses for it immediately. They said they had to consult with Dr.Kini before administering it and by then I was already past 6cm. It was then that I came to know that I was going to have a Normal delivery, while all this while I was prepared for a C-Section.

Within just about 15 minutes (which felt like 15 hours) the nurses came to check on me and found that I was already 9cm dilated! No one knew that my labour would progress so quickly. One more centimeter and I was ready to pop! They hurried me back to the labour room. On the way there, I spoke to Daddy on the phone. Imagine his sense of humor, when he asked me to ‘Hold on and not push’ till he comes!! And to echo the same instructions the doctor also told me to ‘Hold on and not push’ in the lift!

But Mommy was not in the state to listen to anyone! Probably because you also were not listening to the instructions and just wanted to come out soon. In the labour room, everything was super quick. Within just a few minutes the doctors could see your head coming out of me. They made a small cut to make place for you to slip out. When I was almost passing out with exhaustion with all the pushing, Dr.Kini entered the room and said that he would assist me. So with one big jerk on my belly he pushed you out of me!! That was it, my darling baby, you were born! One of the docs cut the umbilical cord, that your Daddy was supposed to cut and then I went through the pushing drama again to deliver the placenta.

I could hardly keep my eyes open but I wanted to know if you were a Boy or a Girl. Dr.Kini conveniently said he did not check and will let me know soon. Thank God for my drowsiness, else I may have snapped at him for that response. Just then someone from inside the baby room called out that you were a boy! They quickly brought you to me and that was the first time I looked at you face to face! And that was 255 days to you!