Rohan's Birth - Part 2

Birthing is personal..very personal to the mum, dad and the little baby.

Am writing this post to urge mothers to trust their bodies and take control of this wonderful experience. This is the one time that you as a woman can experience so many emotions together - extreme joy, wonder, peace and togetherness with your husband and baby. This is the absolute first day of your baby in this world, its our responsibility to make it wonderful and peaceful. Everythings registering in the little ones subconscious mind.

It helps to be prepared, it helps to read up...it helps to de-condition your mind. De-condition your mind from all those screaming images we see on TV, from all those extra tips we get from everyone around who use the word pain, c-sec, epidural, hospital, doctors, labor rooms so easily and relate these terms to delivery.

We in India are just so ready to give up control and give it to our elders, our docs and that too without questioning?

Well the day Rohan was born is going to be etched in my memory forever. I remember when he came out of me and Doc put him on my tummy..Sanjay beside me and Rohan with his big eyes full of wonder looking at me questioning me curiously. Then he wailed..a happy wail I think.

My birthing was personal and the fact is that it was me who gave birth to Rohan, I was in control all the while. At 4.00am when the surges started..all I felt was excitement...the wait of 9 months was nearly over. This is how it happened.

The fact is that I was prepared and I read up. Divya's hypnobirthing classes were great...Every belief of mine while birthing was reinstated during these classes. The fact is that the belief and need has to be yours, an expert like Divya can only show you the way...you have to take it.

Rohans' Birth - Part 1

Am writing this down to savor the feeling in my memory forever.

It started last november. We wanted Rohan in our lives and so he was conceived. In 3 months we were convinced that births in India were not our cup of tea. I hear now this is how its in any city which is slightly developed. Its possible that we are too used to having access to information in our careers and listening to instinct. So we decided to take a rain check and read up.

Our gynaec was in India's super specialty hospital, recommended by all colleagues and friends and a great doc. But with every visit I was convinced that I was a patient, who had had an appendicitis surgery, that c-secs were how things happen nowadays and since I was not below 30, it would be difficult for me to deliver my baby normally. Did I believe all this...not for a moment..you see am quite pig headed about having things done my way if i instinctively feel its right.

Any ways I kept gaining weight as I was asked to not exercise etc etc..in the interim I googled on normal delivery and got several articles in Lamaze classes, hypno birthing, water deliveries and this birthing center in assa goan, Goa.

Now Goa being our second (or maybe first home) we went to take a look and I fell in love with the birthing center and this lovely german midwife - Corina. She spent more time with me in that one visit, than the docs had done in the last six months. I felt she was sizing me up, checking if I had it in me before she accepts to be my midwife. She re enforced all my beliefs and spoke about birthing being oh so easy...' You'll be back home in 2 - 3 hrs' and then she would visit everyday to check on us.

Now logistics made Goa impossible..so Now all the search started in Delhi - where the names Urvashi Sehgal and Divya Deswal kept coming up..thanks to Divya's Blog I decided to visit her at The Phoenix hospital in delhi. Then there was no looking back..a lady whose confidence and the love for what she did was something I see in very few people. We signed up for Hypno birthing classes and a water birth at Phoenix...and then experienced the magic!!!

To be continued.....

A letter

My dearest unborn child,

It doesnt matter to me if you are a daughter or a son....it doesn't matter to me whether you look like me or your dad. I look forward to looking at your tiny face and to look into your eyes to see who are you.

I yearn to recognize that little individual that you are. I aspire to teach you some stuff I have picked up or learnt in all these years, which is not much as I am sure you need to learn things for yourself. I look forward to see what life means to you and what is important to you. I am waiting to see how we connect and how that connection keeps changing as we both grow.

I welcome you into our lives and our world with a lot of love

Your Mom

Will 24 hrs be enough?

My goodness the coming 2nd half of the year is going to be action packed for sure...

New baby, new job profile, lose 15 kgs....wonder if 24 hrs a day will be enough...and mind it all of it is something that I wanted and badly so have no reason to complaint...except for the weight loss.

Well i have never been a great believer of multi tasking...Change the one thing you want in your team or work...concentrate on one thing every month...Now I think thats gone outta the window..

Come september its gonna be a mad rush, but am going to be on the top of it...how? I dont know....yet.

Farewell 2008

As I bid farewell to 2008, I reflect - its been pretty good - for one my life changed and has forever been changing every month since last jan...

as i see the events...got married on 10th Jan..markets crashed some week later....nevertheless big milestones in life crossed i guess - got married, bought a dream house, life moving ahead with jet speed...went to maldives & thailand..saw the taj, ramgarh, rajasthan..discovered club football (never thought I would enjoy it as much as country ever), learnt to cook pretty well i must say..got closer to family!!!

one huge setback was ofcourse was the fact that I became notionally poor from being notionally rich!!!

as I bid adieu i pray for a better 2009 financially, a more exciting place to stay and more interesting work to do and more enjoyable company to be in. I pray to strengthen relations I need to work on and I pray for more laughter and joy in all lives around. Amen ;)

Wish everyone a fantastic & fun filled new year!!!