Shimmering Thoughts

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

My First Pregnancy and Experience of being a new Mom:


I had this mixture of feelings the day I came to know that I was pregnant. On Sept 1,2006 which was a friday, I just did a pregnancy test before my friends arrived for a reunion.The result was positive and I had this mixed emotions running down. I shared my thoughts with Anand and he also felt in a similar way. Everything was forgotten when my friends arrived and we had a blast during that weekend. My friends left after the Labor day weekend and suddenly my thoughts travelled back to the positive test. We weren't a 100% sure if the OTC test was accurate. We thought we would wait for a couple of days and then speak with a doctor.

Suddenly on Sept 8th, Friday I had this abdominal pain after coming back from office.
We were worried and spoke with the doctor. She was worried too and asked us to go to Emergency and get myself checked. We reached St. Peters Univeristy Hospital around 8pm and were taken in around 10pm. The ER was over booked so they had a stretcher outside a room and they asked me to lie on it.Ppl were coming in and going out. Anand was worried and we had to wait like that for quite sometime. The residents and doctors came and checked my BP, took samples for the tests and then after sometime around 11.30 took me to the ultrasound dept.

The radiologist was very helpful. She did a thorough test and confirmed that I was pregnantwith 5 weeks and that the baby was good. I was very happy to know that everything was fine.When I shared the news with my hubby Anand, he was also happy. The doctor gave some instructions and asked us to go home. We came home around 1.30am. When we relayed the news to my in-laws and Praveen and Sirisha, they were
excited. I had informed my parents too. Sirisha was going to India the next day.

I was on vacation the next week and so was at home as I had very severe morning sickness for about 3 days and then I was alright. I lost about 7lbs in that 3-4 days. As per the custom we didn't tell anyone about my pregnancy till I was 3 months pregnant.I went for my regular 8th week checkup with the doctor along with Anand and she explained us everything about Pregnancy. My doc Dr. Nuzhat Karim was very helpful though at times she was stern, she wasa very good doctor.

Slowly I was getting used to the idea that I was pregnant. During my 4th month ie: duringThanksgiving week,Anand and myself thought we should have a small vacation for ourselves,before the child comes out. So we treated ourselves by going to Las vegas for 4 days. We really had a very good time there. I was gaining wt. slowly. Ppl didn't know that I was pregnant until I was almost 7 months.

I had put on a lot of weight during my 5th and 6th month (Holiday season). I gained extra 4lbs and this remained till the end. After 6th month I was very careful with my diet. I used to have salad for my lunch and eat small meals continuously, which improved my weight and allowed me be fit and healthy. I excericesed regularly till I was 8 months. Then I used to do it when I was ok. In between in my 6th and 7th months I had severe back ache due I excesive driving. I had to use a belt. But this decreased as I approached my 8th month. I stopped wotking in my 9th month as it was becoming difficult for me to drive.


During the entire pregnancy I had mixed emotions. Sometimes I used to laugh and
sometimes I used to cry a lot.Anand was very supportive and considerate. I wanted to have a boy since in my family (my side) all of my cousins had baby girls.The day I came to know that I am going to have a girl (Dec 14, 2006), I was a little disappointed, but Anand was brave and he said everything was going to be fine. He also said that we should aim on having a healthy baby. Then I had also changed my mind and was happy with the thought.

My parents came to US in my 9th month. I was eagerly waiting for them.They were happy to see me. My mom was waiting for me to have a baby.
She and my mother-in-law were happy beacause I was having a baby girl. I had 2 baby showers, one a surprise one which my sister-in-law (Sirisha) and my mother-in-law had arranged during President's day weekend ie:Feb 18th. I was taken aback with Surprise. I didn't expect anything like this. Then I had a traditional baby shower on March 30th after my parents came to US.

The last month of the pregnancy was smooth with my parents being here and my being at home. We used to shop around for the baby, painted her room and decorated my baby's room.We(Anand, Praveen, my father-in-law,Sirisha, Sasidhar) painted my baby's room with Disney blue and we decorated the room with Pooh's theme. It came out really well.Then the D-day was fast approching. I had a false alarm two days before I delivered (Apr28). The doctor prepared me that I may deliver past my due date as I was not properly dilated. But I think my precious wanted to come out faster.

My due date originally was May 4th,2007. I got pains on the early hours of Apr30th, 2007. I started to get pains from 6 am (as far as I remember) within intervals of 2min. Anand then immediately called the doctor and she asked us to wait for an hour to see if the pains continued. He then called called his cousin's wife Uma,who is also a gyn. she also asked him to wait for sometime. In the meantime, I had a bath and got ready. The pains were unbearable. At 8'oclock everyone made a decision that I should be taken to the hospital. the doctor said that she would inform ppl @ hospital.My husband's cousins wife Vani, my mom,myself along with Anand started aroung 8 am and went to the hospital. I was taken in a wheelchair to the maternity floor and had to wait outside for few min and was taken to into the first labour room and was settled aound 9 am. Initally as advised by the doctor they gave me a medication, which put me
in deep slumber for about 2 hrs. The doctor came in and checked me. She said that I was not fully dilated. She broke my water and said she would come in later. My mom left with Vani garu and Sirisha.

Anand was with me. He was sending an updates to everyone. Time flew. At 11.00am I
started to feel the pain again. This time I said I wanted Epidural. The pains were very painful. Then the doctor reluctantly, agreed and an anestialogist came in and gave me epidural. I was numb from waist to my legs. I didn't feel anything. This went on for sometime. The nurse used to come and check on me frequently to see my progress. Around 4.30pm my doctor came in again and checked me and found that I was only 9" dilated. The doctor dilated me so that I am 10" dilated. They tried to deliver me using the epidural, but the dose was a lot. I was feeling numb with my left leg. Slowly the new nurse(eve shift) decreased the level of epidural, but still I couldn't push the baby. Atlast the doctor came in and completly switched off the epidural @9pm. I delivered my beautiful doll @ 9.50 pm on Apr, 30th, 2007. I had this wonderful feeling when they gave me the baby to hold. I was a new mom now. She looked very cute and she had her eyes open.We named her Anvitha.

I was discharged from the hospital on May2nd and was home with my baby doll. At first
managing the baby was so difficult as I didn't have prior experience with dealing babies. But slowly , I got used to her. The first two weeks were the hardest. I used to feel irritated, as I used to just feed the baby,change her Diaper, then feed and change and so on. I used to not have proper sleep @ night. But Slowly I got used to the routine and my baby was very co-operative too.By the end of 2 months she started to sleep from 7.00pm to morning 7.00am. I was very happy. I could do things at my own pace and used to have enough time to sleep. I was still nursing her.

The help from my mom was enormous. She is just too good. I can't even explain in words.Specially the first 3 months, till Anvi was holding her head straight. I started going to work as soon as Anvitha was 2 1/2 months old.My mom and Dad with Anand(who was at home that year) were looking after her.I was feeling so bad going back to work leaving Anvitha. I didn't like it at all. But it was temporary. The Bed, bath and Beyond people wanted me to help them for 2 1/2 months. So worked till Oct 5th 2007. We were planning to go to India on Oct 8th,2007.

On the way to India we stopped at London for a week and then traveeled to India. During the journey we didn't have any problem with Anvitha.She was very very co-operative. I was a new mom when I went to India. My aunts, uncles and cousins were excited to see me and Anvitha. She was like a doll, chubby and cute.We were in India for Dasera and Diwali. It was good to be there for these festivals and we came back to US on Dec 1st @ night.Slowly Anvi started getting bigger, and picking up new skills and I also started getting used to being a mom and getting closer to her.

Soon she turned one on Apr30th,2008. We just had a small get togther on her birthday. She started to walk and run :). May passed, June came and end of june I came to know that I was pregnant with my second child. Now I am no longer a new mom, I AM AN EXCPERIENCED MOM.....

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Overseas Citizenship of India

As you all know, India officially announced Dual Citizenship to NRIs. I just came across an article on this subject, so I thought of sharing with all of you. Inspite of all this hoopla about "Dual Citizenship", NRIs won't actually be getting an Indian citizenship. What they can get is more like a long term free visa to India. Indian government calls it the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI).

The Indian Govt. is going to give the first OCI on the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas day (Jan 7th) to a NRI in our own Hyderabad.

Having an OCI is not the same as having an Indian citizenship.

Limitations of OCI:
  • Cannot Vote
  • Cannot hold Indian passport
  • Cannot be a candidate for Lok Sabha/Rajya Sabha/ Legislative Assembly/Council
  • Cannot hold constitutional positions like President/Supreme Court Judge/High Court etc.
  • Cannot be a Govt. Employee
Advantages of OCI:
  • Free Life Long Visa to visit India
  • Exemption from reporting to Police authorities for any length of stay
For more information follow this link: http://www.immihelp.com/nri/dual.html

Sunday, October 23, 2005