Being a mummy of three little ones all under six presents its own challenlenges. However, losing the baby weight seems even more challenging. So its time to get serious! After juicing for a month and having lots of salads, cutting out swwets etc. ! I have lost all of 7 pounds!
So I decided to do a 30 day chaalenge. 30 days of yoga, juicing on mornings, salads for dinner, lemon water, no sweets, fruits for snack. I have also decided tthat it is time to prioritize myself before housework, cooking, etc. So no more extra late nights cleaning and when my yoga is done then I will do housework!
Yesterday was my first day, and I started at 168 lbs. Wearing a loose size 14 jeans.? So I started with 8 hrs sleep , woke up at 4:30am and did my first day of yoga, which felt amazingly empowering. I had my green juice and some bananas for breakfast. For lunch I had a little dhal and rice, yam pie and salad. Then life took over and I had some sweet potato fries when I picked up my daughter from school. For dinner I had some curry channa (no aloo) , pumpkin, mango curry, salad and a small pice of roti. I drank my lemon water all day where possible and normal water where not possible. I did go to bed 12:45am preparing food for the next day. A good first day nevertheless.
I need to work on getting to bed earlier, not eating out and eating dinner earlier.
Lets see what today brings.
My goal is to lose at least 1lb per day , so thats 30lbs. Now that my baby is 10 months, I feel like I can actually accomplish this task. Wish me good luck.
My darling baby Shriya was all too excited to come into this world. She came at 34 weeks and I was not prepared at all! She was born on Friday 1st of February 2013 at 7:52am.
The Tuesday night before she was born, I saw a bit of bloody mucus but didn't at all think anything was wrong as I felt fine and was far from my due date. However, when the blood continued Wednesday morning, I thought maybe it was time to be concerned so after dropping my 3 year old off at school, my hubby took me to see my doctor. I began bleeding more and he confirmed that I was in pre-term labour but couldn't see where the blood was coming from. He then suggested that I should go to Port-of-Spain general hospital instead of the birthing center I was supposed to go to since they cannot handle premature deliveries.
I reluctantly checked in but never thought that I would deliver so early. Unlike what people say and what my perception of public hospitals are, the nurses and doctors treated me very well. Thursday, the bleeding stopped and I was hopeful I would be able to go home, however, Shriya had other plans for me. Thank God my mother-in law had bought a few things the baby would need in case she came early.
Friday morning I was awaken by a sharp pain at 2:30am and began having mild cramps. I was able to sleep in between for a few minutes as I was very sleepy. As the pain worsened, I couldn't sleep anymore and realized I was in labour. I brushed my teeth, packed up my bags and waited for my baby's arrival. At about 4:30am the pains were very strong and I told the nurse, the doctor then examined me and confirmed I was in labour but not dilating yet, he checked the baby's heart beat and said it was the strongest he had ever heard for a 34 week old. Allah's while the contractions were stronger and stronger. At about 5am, I called my sister and told her I was going to have the baby. My hubby then called as that day was the first day of his new job.
At 6 am I had some tea and continued walking and swaying my hips during contractions and drinking coconut water. Then at 7am when the doctors came, I went to the nurses station and stood up as my contractions were severe and I knew the baby was coming soon. I had about 4 contractions infront of them and they moved me to a closer bed. Then the doctor examined me and I was 7 cm dilated. They called for a gurney and rushed me down to the delivery room since the baby was premature and they didn't want anything to happen.
By the time I got to the delivery room, I was already fully dilated and was told to push, I pushed 2 times and then got an episiotomy as the midwife didn't want to take any chances. She was out so fast, they showed her to me and then took her to the pediatrician. I heard her screaming loudly for the entire time they had her. Meanwhile, I waited to be stitched. The doctor took maybe an hour to sew me up, which felt like an eternity. I was so weak and tired and thirsty, I felt like passing out. I told the doctor but he did nothing, I just had to lay there and suffer.
Afterwards, they brought me to a bed and brought the baby in her cot, she was so tiny I was afraid to pick her up. Thank God my hubby and his mom came to visit me soon after as I was scared and in pain. After being moved upstairs, she breastfed like a pro and I wasn't as terrified anymore. However, after a while she vomited some brown stuff and the pediatrician said she swallowed some fluid when she was coming out so she was sent to NICU to be flushed out. When I went downstairs with her I was able to see my 3 year old and hug her and I cried so much for her. I missed her a lot.
Her first night I had to feed her a lot and I didn't sleep all night. I was so tired and didn't want to stay there anymore. I called my hubby and told him to get me out of there. However, because she was a premie the pediatrician said she would have to stay at least 4 days, I cried more. When my mom and sisters and hubby came to visit me I was finally able to sleep a bit. I cried so much I didn't want to stay there.
Then after they left, the pediatrician said that I could take her home as she was healthy and almost at the weight limit. I was overjoyed and called my hubby immediately, all I had to do was to get my doctor to release me and we could go home. Thankfully she did release me and we went home Saturday evening. I would have died if I had to stay there for 4 days.
I am so thankful for my mom who came every day to visit me and helped to bathe me every day since the IV on my hand was extremely painful. Also, thanks to my mother-in-law for buying a lot of stuff for me cause I had no bag prepared. Finally, thank you to my loving hubby for coming every visit to see me and bringing me delicious food every visit cause I couldn't eat that hospital food! Gosh, I love my family so much, what would I do without them!
I love cooking, I do, I do! However, since I had my little angel I haven't been able to cook, so now that she is 1 and a half, I decided to wake up extra early and start cooking for my husband. I remember now how much I loved cooking. I have a great passion for cooking lovely dishes for the people I love. So last night, I was out and about rummaging through the internet looking for recipes when I stumbled upon this delightful site: http://thepioneerwoman.com/ I love this site! I got so excited last night.
The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond is a great cook and her tutorials are so much fun to read, she is hilarious (unlike boring recipes). She shares a lot of vegetarian meals surprisingly, and since I'm vegetarian as well, I love her for it! She loves mushrooms, maybe more than I do, I love how she thinks, she reminds me of myself somehow, and how can I forget, she has some delicious pasta recipes as well. Pasta is my staple, can't get enough of it.
Check out her website, you will love her recipes, I will be making her website into my food bible!
Bringing
my angel into the world was an unforgettable experience. Apart from the
unbearable pain, it was absolutely beautiful. Having her at Mamatoto
Birth Centre was the best decision I could have ever made. The
midwife-run institution really goes out of their way to ensure that
both mother and baby get beyond best treatment.
The environment is very homely and comforting. Mamatoto is designed to
help moms-to-be who have a risk free pregnancy enjoy every bit of
giving birth, after all, birthing is such a great spiritual bonding experience not just delivering.
Having
the support of my mom, sister and husband in the delivery room helped
tremendously. My wonderful husband was given every opportunity to be
apart of our daughter's birth and he was allowed to assist me during
labour, which made the experience amazing. The midwives were so
helpful, they breathed with me at each contraction, supported and encouraged me for the entire 6hrs I was in labour there and took care of me and baby in entirety after delivery because I was very weak. They really gave us excellent service and went beyond my expectations at every step. They also know every trick in the book to help deliver a baby quickly without any meds.
They also provide the services of a Doula whether or not you are giving birth at Mamatoto to really support, comfort, encourage and assist moms during labour. My doula was very helpful and gave me lots to drink and eat during labour so I wasn't tired and exhausted when it was time to push.
The midwives also offer lamaze classes to prepare first time moms to
give birth properly, they are very educational and really does help
during labour. Their facility is very impressive and they offer water
births as well! Apart from birthing and lamaze classes, they offer many
other classes that moms may find helpful, check out their website
below. As well, they highly recommend breastfeeding and ensure that
moms can breastfeed baby successfully before sending you home. As well,
they visit mom and baby at home 24hrs after delivery to ensure that
both are healthy and baby is breastfeeding well. Also, moms are to have
a check-up visit at Mamatoto 7 days after delivering. Additionally, the
midwifes call periodically after wards (upto 9 months after in my case)
to ensure all is well and answer any questions mom may have, moms can
also call the midwives at any time if she has questions (trust me there
are a lot of questions when you are a first time mom).
Honestly,
I couldn't see myself bringing my child into the world in a drab
hospital where it would be so scientific and mechanical! I wanted
something more, and Mamatoto truly offered an atmosphere that was
homely and with a mother's touch. I thought I would share my experience
with any would be moms since I wish everyone can have the amazing
experience I had. So call as early as you can! They are an NGO and
births are funded by companies, so the earlier you call, you can
actually be able to give birth at Mamatoto for a small price or even
free! Although this was not the case with me because I took a long time
to decide, the service we received and the amazing experience far
outweighed the cost.
I awoke bright and early Monday October 26th, 2009 at about 5:30am and felt some pain in my lower tummy and felt a pop in my passage way. I tried to go back to sleep as the pain was mild, however, at 6am I had to get out of bed because the pain was much stronger. I woke my husband, got out of bed and told my mom I was having pains but was unsure of what it was. I kept feeling like I needed to go to the toilet and I actually did, however, nothing came out. Then I began to get cramps and realized I was having contractions. However, the contractions were quite painful and coming about every five minutes. My mom said "No this cannot be labor as the contractions are coming too fast". Nevertheless, i called my midwife and she assured I was in early labor and asked me to leave home about 9am since the birth center was about 45mins from my house.
As 9am approached, my contractions became very, very painful and I needed to hold someone when I had one. I was nearing crying and they were about 2 minutes apart now, not giving me much time to rest in between. Meanwhile, my loving husband went to the grocery and got some snacks and lots of Gatorade and coconut water for me to have during labor as advised by my midwife. I also finalized my birth bag making sure I had everything ready to welcome my baby girl into the world. My mother-in-law also prayed with me for a safe delivery before we left. We left the house a little after 9 with my mom in the backseat holding my hand, my niece sitting next to me very excitedly, my mother-in-law in the passenger seat and my hubby driving.
On the way to Mamatoto (the birth center), there was quite a bit of traffic and my hubby decided to drive on the shoulder since I was in a lot of pain. A police man stopped him and when we told him I was in labor he didn't believe us because I was eating a cookie, or rather trying to eat as my midwife advised me to eat because I needed the strength. It was only when he saw me have a contraction he believed and let us go.
Upon reaching Mamatoto, they midwife took my blood pressure and urine and did and exam and I was 2cm dilated. They then escorted me to my room, which was very beautiful. I was having extremely painful contractions at that point and wanted to have a warm bath hoping it would help with the pain. Meanwhile, the midwife filled up the bath tub for me. During my shower I remember my hubby being with me taking pics etc, and he asked me something during a contraction at which point I slapped him...lol. He knew better than that. The back pain was incredible, like my back was about to burst open! I then came out of the shower and they put me on the birthing ball to sit with my head on the bed while my hubby rubbed my back. Didn't really help with the pain! All this while I was having contractions every 2 minutes and not allowed to scream, instead I was doing breathing exersizes which the midwife and doula were doing with me. They really encouraged me a lot and the doula was giving me sips of coconut water after every contraction so I was not dehydrated or tired.
I then was instructed to walk up and down a few steps to help the labor progress, this helped my water bag to burst, I remember standing against the wall with my head in my hand on the wall and swaying my hips side to side. Then I went into the tub hoping the warm water would help with the pain, this was not the case. I was 5cm dilated. I stayed in the tub almost an hour, i remember wanting to push soooooo bad, just feeling like I had to because of all the pain and heaviness in my bum. At the end of the hour I was 9.5cm dilated and it was time to push! This was at 3pm.
I was made to sit on a birthing stool with my back against my hubby, he was almost holding me. I began pushing, and pushing. This was soooooo much pain. The "ring of fire" was set ablaze! I pushed with all my strength, however, only the very top of her head was showing. Bear in mind, throughout all of this, my blood pressure was being taken almost after each contraction for fear that my blood pressure would rise. They were also listening to the baby's heartbeat. They then put me on the bed to lay down as the midwife tried to insert a catheter as she thought maybe my full bladder was holding back the baby. The catheter did not want to go in, so instead during a contraction, Nalini, the midwife gave me a tiny cut and the baby plopped out. Apparently, her heartbeat was beginning to drop.
As she came out at 3:45pm, they put her on my chest and she pooped on me...lol. I held her for a while and my hubby cut the cord. They took her into the other room and gave her oxygen and cleared her airways etc, where I heard she pooped on everything! My very excited cousin and his wife and 3 children as well as my mom, sister, mother-in-law and her friend were in the other room with the baby whilst I was being sewn up with my hubby by my side. I really couldn't have done any of it without him!
The baby was then brought in my room after being clothed and I looked at her but was too weak to hold her. I felt like I couldn't lift my hands. My hubby then got me dinner (Chinese from Jenny's) and his mom fed me some. I was so weak I couldn't feed myself! Then my dad came to visit and after they left, it was me, baby and hubby left for the night. I remember the first time I had to pee, I was so weak I couldn't walk by myself, my hubby had to hold me and I had to lean on him while I peed, I was dizzy too. The midwife actually helped me wash up and got me back into bed. My hubby and I slept, not very much but still we had some sleep whilst the midwives took care of the baby and brought her to me to breastfeed when she awoke. She however, was not interested in breastfeeding but preferred to sleep. We could see her little eyes trailing after the midwives as they waked past her. I remember one episode where I was in the bathroom and she started to cry so my hubby picked her up and as he was holding her, she gradually slipped lower into her blanket that swaddled her so that her eyes would be blocked from the bright bathroom light...lol.
We were awaken at 4am by the midwife, and I was starving. I ate the leftover Chinese and the midwife helped to bathe me which I was grateful for, then we tried breastfeeding again. This time she took the breast and drank well. We changed her clothes, took some pics with the midwife, got her footprint taken, oh yes, she was weighed earlier that night, about 8pm. She weighed 5lbs 2oz and was 22inches long. So after receiving her birth certificate from Mamatoto, we were on our way home. She slept the whole way and I stared at her! We were greeted home by my mom and quickly put her onto my bed where she would spend most of her hours sleeping and playing!
My peanut is now 11 months and I am very proud to say that she has been breastfeeding since birth! Honestly, I am very grateful to have been able to breastfeed her for so many months without much problems.
During pregnancy I decided to breastfeed as I knew it was the best way for my baby to get her nutrition, but it was only until she was born and actually breastfed that I realized how very important breastfeeding really is. It really is a baby's first immunization and gives them added protection against viruses as they are born with literally no immune system. All they have are the antibodies you give them through your milk. What a genius way to protect our babies! Of course I had lots of hiccups in the beginning as I was a new mom, but a little determination and patience helped things to fall into place. First off, she did not want to breastfeed when she was born! We waited 12 hrs until she was hungry enough and then she actually drank. Even though she was feeding, she was actually using her gums to bite the nipple to get the milk out, which was very painful! I didn't mind the pain actually, as long as she was getting some milk. Her mouth was so tiny, my nipple was more than a mouthful for her...lol, so i had to use my index finger and pull down her lower lip so that she could get a better mouthful of the areola. She was a very tiny baby (5lbs 2oz), so I let her drink the milk however she could.
At one month, she was much stronger and putting on weight but I was still having pain during and after breastfeeding as she was still biting me with her gums. I thought to myself, she should be breastfeeding properly by now, it shouldn't be this painful. Although my mum and cousin told me that its supposed to be painful I knew something was wrong. So I turned to my saviour, GOOGLE...lol. I googled it and found a video of a woman demonstrating how to breastfeed properly. To my surprize, I was holding her head too high instead of the same level as my boob. I was afraid she would choke, hence, I was holding her head higher than her body. Later on I was told by a midwife that babies can't choke even if held upside-down when breastfeeding. I was glad I figured this out because after I tried feeding her with her head level there was no more pain.
The other problem I struggled with is that one of my nipples is inverted and she hated feeding from it. She couldn't latch onto it and would cry so I would just give her the "good" one and she would be fine. This meant that she only fed from one boob, so I had to pump the other otherwise it would become engorged. Sometimes it would actually leak whilst she was feeding from the "good' one and I would put a towel in my bra so she wouldn't get soaked. Another irritating problem I had was in the beginning my nipples would be unstimulated most of the times and harder for her to latch onto. So I would take a wet rag and rub the nipple until it was stimulated enough and then she would latch on. That only lasted for about a few weeks and then it was fine.
I loved the fact that I had no bottles to sterilize, no formula to wake up in the night and mix, no water to boil etc. Just lift up my shirt and she had her lunch! It all became really great when she turned 4 months at which point she was able to feed properly whilst laying down so I could sleep whilst she drank. The good thing about breastfeeding is that mums tend to get sleepy because of a hormone released, this helps them fall asleep easily and get the much needed rest we need. The great thing is I am able to be at home with my baby and give her all the love, attention, and nutrition she needs. Also, because of breastfeeding, she is so much more alert, bright, learns quickly, learned to talk fast (she has a vocabulary of about 25 words already) and she understands what we say and follows instructions. She does much more than other babies her age who are not breastfed.
Now she is 11 months and a pro milk drinker, loves to eat food too and growing up really fast. Last weekend she was in the hospital for an infection which caused high fever, cough, cold and wheezing. I was thanking God every minute because all she was drinking was breastmilk. She would not eat anything else. The breast milk still gave her some nutrition and she was not dehydrated. It also comforted her when she was irritable and helped her fall asleep quickly in the noisy and bright hospital. Once she cuddled up for some "milkies" everything was alright again and she could forget that she was sick and be comforted. It felt really good to be able to give her such comfort when she needed it.
My advice to new mums would be to have patience and be determined to breastfeed. Do not be swayed by people's comments, even if its your family or even your mom. Utilize the resources around you, whether its TIBS, lactation centres, the internet or even other mums around you who went through the same thing, you would be surprised how helpful other mums can be even if it's just to talk. Buy a breastfeeding pillow, they really, really make a difference and makes it much easier. And lastly, remember that your baby will grow up before you know it and it becomes easier as they grow up, and when they wean themselves I'm pretty sure you will miss breastfeeding. I know I look forward to our quiet time together and our bonding moments!
It has been a rewarding experience and I will continue to breastfeed until she is 2yrs old or until she wants to stop.
In my
last post, I wrote about going back to work and contemplating on
resigning, however, I really have to thank God for allowing everything
to work
out just as I wanted and for sending his angels to help me along the
way.
I
must confess that I actually was going to resign my job the Friday before I was
supposed to start because I hated leaving my baby home. However,
Friday morning bright and early, my guardian angel called and informed me that
the company I worked for was actually going under and were going to make staff
redundant and she believed that I was in the list of people they were sending home. This meant that I would get
paid a severance benefit which is better than resigning and leaving with
nothing.
On hearing this, I decided to wait until the end of January to
see if they would make me redundant. The first day I got to work, I was
instructed to document everything I do, this indicated to me that I was going
home for sure it was just a matter of time. Although going to work for the week
was rough both physically and emotionally, I stuck it out, and on Friday
evening I was called into the conference room by the CEO.
I knew what was going to happen and I was happy. He
explained to me that the company took a hit regarding the stock and financial
situation worldwide, hence he had to let me go. He was speaking in a very sad
tone, however, I was normal and smiling. I got my cheque and in 10 minutes I
left. I picked up my husband and was home early to spend time with my baby. I
was so happy, I worked one week (after being on sick leave for one month and
vacation for another then maternity for 3 months) and collected 3 months pay. I
loved it! Just goes to show how Karma gets back at ya. I am a very hard worker,
however, at work they made my original manager (who I loved) redundant and gave
her job to another manager who was incapable and stressed me out during my
pregnancy, hence I had to be home for so long because I started developing
stress-related high blood pressure and anxiety attacks.
I’m really happy I can be home with my baby now and give her
all the love she deserves, with money I might add, and I don’t have to sit in
traffic for 2 hours everyday to get work and then have to deal with a boss who
loved to stress me out.
So I thank God for really giving me what I wanted and needed
this time.
Going back out to work Monday was the hardest thing I ever had to do. I'd never left her with anyone before, I would take her with me anywhere I had to go, so I could imagine the shock that she was in when she woke up and I wasn't there. Poor baby, she seemed a bit traumatized my mum said.
At first I thought it wouldn't be so hard since my mum would be taking care of her while I was at work, and she was used to my mom, its not like I was leaving her with strangers. Then I called during the day to see how she was doing and my sister said she wasn't settling down and then she put the phone to her ears so I could speak to her and she started to cry and fuss and my heart just broke! Tears welled up and I tried really hard to hold them back as I was in work. I felt so bad. Like how could I do this to my child. Then when got home Monday I talked to her a bit and said I would change my clothes then play with her and she began to frown and twist her little mouthy like she wanted to cry. At that point I had to pick her up and had to hold back even more tears. Then to make matters worse. I had a bunch of things to do and didn't even get to spend any time with her except for breastfeeding her. I felt horrible.
Tuesday morning I so wanted to cry when I had to leave her because I didn't want her to be sad again. However, I left while she was asleep and when I called my mom during the day she said she was doing better and playing like normal. I felt better inside, not like I was a bad mom. This time when she asked me if I wanted to speak to my baby I said no, because I knew that I would cry. Anyways, I got home and fed her and she slept most of the time so I hardly got to spend any time with her again.
Today was even better since I knew she was adjusting to not having me around all day. However, I find myself contemplating whether or not to resign my job tomorrow! I'm working full time for only 2 weeks, however, it seems harder than I thought it would be. And its not just the sleep deprivation and tiredness. I miss my baby so much. Even when I'm home I can't just spend all my time with her because I have to do other things, so this evening when my sister asked me if I wanted her to take her from me so I could go bathe and sterilize bottles, I really wanted to say no. I wanted to tell her that I want to cuddle my baby until she falls asleep on me and play with her hair and watch her sleep, but I couldn't. I had to give her to my sister because I had all these other things to do. Its not that I don't trust my mum and sister to take care of her but I just don't think that they will do everything like I do. Like sterilizing her bottles...I came home this evening and found her bottles floating on the sterilizing solution when it should be filled and have no bubbles at all. Its the things like these that make me question whether or not its worth going back to work or whether I should stay home and take care of her like I want to.
At this time we need to send out our prayers to Haiti's people affected by this horrible disaster, especially the innocent and defenseless children. Can we even begin to imagine the conditions they are living under right now? Whatever aid they are receiving right now cannot even start to help with their immediate needs.
I urge everyone to give as much help and support as you can in whichever way you can, but above all, keep praying and have faith. Pray especially for those two American girls who are taking care of 150 orphaned children, mainly babies and trying to get them out of Haiti because their building was damaged by the earthquake. I prayer for the Lord to protect those babies as they sleep outside the building tonight on mattresses on the floor. Send your angels to watch over them as they sleep lord. Strenthgen Jamie and Ali McMutrie and give them the courage to do what is necessary for these kids. Please quicken the efforts to fly them out of Haiti with your miracles.
Keep watch over Haiti Lord, for they need you now more than ever.
Now that you all know my present, let me tell you a bit about my past...
I was diagnosed with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) about three years ago, and boy was it a rough three years. Before I was diagnosed, I presented with symptoms similar to PMDD and was treated for such. Then they worsened, first there was depression which got progressively worse, then anxiety attacks. It was so bad that I would be depressed for the majority of the month and it began to affect my work. I felt like I had no purpose and motivation to do anything at work. I was sad all the time and would accuse my boyfriend at the time (now my loving husband) of not being there for me, it was pulling me away from him. It was like that every month, I would blow small issues out of proportion and break down and cry and cry and I was a mess. I felt like I had no life in me and I hated it because I was always such a happy and cheerful person. It was an awful time for me and my boyfriend too I would imagine. Thank God he had the patience to bear with me.
It was so bad that I physically and emotionally couldn't bear it anymore and realized that something wasn't right. So I went to my GP who told me to get an ultrasound which showed the ever popular ring of cysts in my ovaries. Finally, I found out what was wrong! I was treated again with birth control pills, which helped tremendously with my symptoms. I felt like I had my life back again and was actually happy with no depression and no severe pain with my cycle. However, after a year and a half of using Yaz my blood pressure started going up due to stress at work. My doctor, worried, said that I had to stop taking the birth control pills...this was the worst news ever since I couldn't imagine going back to my life like it was.
It was then that I decided to get pregnant since its supposed to help with PCOS and I was willing to do anything to not have to go back to the depression and anxiety attacks. And in the first month after I stopped using Yaz, I got pregnant! It was unbelievable and I was absolutely excited. I couldn't wait for the adventure that lay ahead.
Now, 11 weeks after she was born, my symptoms haven't returned thus far and I am able to enjoy my beautiful baby and be myself with her. I must say, I was afraid that perhaps the depression would return and I wouldn't be able to love and treasure her like I would want to. Luckily, my doc says that I don't have to worry about it as long as I am breast feeding and am due to see him December 2010 to see the cysts' progression. Hopefully they won't be there...keeping my fingers crossed...
