Akshita is Flying High :)

Tring Tring Tring!!

Man : Hey sweety, how are you doing?
Woman : Am good just tied up fully, you know why :-)
Man: haha , i can understand. Hey, did you listen to this song "cow-u cow-u holi cow-u,i want u here now-u"
Woman: ???? What is that?? Which movie??
Man: Gossh it has rocked the world now.Sung by Dhanush..upcoming movie.
Woman: Is it? I dint know that..
Man: hehe , all you have been listening to is "uaaah uaaah uaaah uaaah", all these days :D
Woman : Very funny :P

Beep!! :) Guys you cant listen to the conversation any longer as i have muted the phone line :O

The above conversation was between myself and Vrunda back in Nov,2011. You can imagine how she was fully tied up with Akshita,she wasnt able to log onto the internet often those days.Akshita as expected was getting too dependent on Vrunda :) Am sure many mothers will agree here :)

Well for me , i was just counting days, as Vrunda and Akshita were going to be back to Chennai on Nov 27th.
It was going to be a big day for me, not sure how Akshita will react seeing me, as i hadnt spent much time with her. I used to travel to Pune monthly once all this while. Go there, spend 2 or 3 days time with her, click loads of pictures and videos of her and come back and keep looking at them whenever I am feeling bored. :) 
How will Akshu react ?? First time she is going to travel in flight. Will she trouble Vrunda too much ? Will she smile at me or cry.. How will she react to the new people around her, weather...etc..:) So many things were running in my mind.

Chennai domestic airport : Myself and dad had gone to pick up Akshita,Vrunda and her mom. We reached airport by 4:30PM as flight was stated to arrive at 4:50PM. I should have known that Indigo airlines has never arrived on time. Already i was so eager to see them, but these guys were testing my patience. There you go i saw the status updated on the board as "Arrived".  

After a little while ,yipeee i saw Vrunda ( little more chubbier :D) from a certain distance. She was bringing huge pile up of luggage on the cart. Akshita was sleeping on Vrunda's Mom's arms.
I just ran, security stopped me from entering, I said 'Sir my wife is coming there with a lot of luggage and I need to help them (in my broken Hinglish :D )'. Security looked at me from top to bottom once (by looking at the amount of hair on my face, probably he would have thought "Does child marriage still exist in India? ") :D I didnt care much though. Just ran towards her and started to say "Vrunda, Na unne virumbala ,  nee azhaga irukenu nenakala, aana ithelam nadanthidumbonnu bayama iruku "(the famous dialog from alaipayuthe). Vrunda started blushing :D

Just when Dad carried Akshita, she woke up. For some reason Akshita was staring at me till we reached home. Probably she wasnt sure how to react, cry or smile. My mom would have called atleast 5 times to know whether we are on the way and flight had arrived on time.
Taxi just zoomed pass the water-logged streets in Chennai. You can expect how the weather is down here during November and December. Our well constructed and maintained drainage systems are also of great help. :D

Akshu was still small. Like in Pune, we couldn't find a lady who can come and help us to bathe Akshu in the mornings. Vrunda had seen the lady bathing Akshu in Pune and had some hands on experience a few times herself. So we decided to bathe Akshu ourselves. Everyday Vrunda used to oil-massage her (as in my previous blog post) and my job was to help her by pouring water on Akshu while bathing whenever required. I used to be very scared in the beginning. What if I pour water inappropriately and make her cry?? Slowly I got used to it.. I used to go little late to office than usual, but will we get these days back? Akshu used to scream as much as she could before we dried her hair. We used to take out the flash cards (letters A to Z) and she used to stop crying immediately. :) We have been showing flash cards to her from probably 3rd month. Akshu has seen these flash cards so many times that as soon as we take them out, she gets this big smile on her face even now :) Its true guys, flash cards really work. First few days, babies may not even look at what we are showing, but once babies are interested, they listen to whatever you show with absolute attention.

Time had started to fly very fast. Each time I come from office, Akshu is playing with Vrunda and when she sees me, she gets this big smile on her face and starts kicking in the air showing signs of happiness. My entire office stress goes for a toss. :):)

First place Akshita explored in Chennai was "Mylapore Saibaba temple ". As soon as we stepped inside the temple, there was a huge temple bell which was ringing at least for half an hour for evening Arati. Akshu began to cry loudly :O She did not stop at all .We waited patiently outside but had to take blessings from outside and then go to city center :) There she was looking around the place and slept soon, so myself and Vrunda roamed around with Akshu in hands. So Akshu developed this habit of sleeping whenever we were out, so we could eat well outside. :P Good for us! And then she wakes up and gives this cute smile :) One good thing about Akshu was, she never pooped when we were outside :D. Vrunda, as always, would be well prepared with additional diapers, wipes,one set of dress etc. We had to carry a backpack whenever we went outside.

People believe that babies bring loads of luck to you. Well Akshita did bring loads of luck for me professionally. I got my Visa stamped after she was born especially when there were so may rejections happening around. Before I was asked to fly, I had to make Akshu's passport ready as well. To get your kids passport, either of the parents should have their spouse's name included in the passport. I should have done this right after marriage. I didnt :( TCS taking over as a passport issuing authority from government (passport seva kendra) made rules more strict, so I had to make a lot of documents ready as well. Btw even though rules are strict,  process is more streamlined now and more online based, like booking appointments and tracking your passport etc. You get your new passport at max by 5 days. So once my passport was in hands, I had to apply passport for Akshu. Here are some lessons I learnt in the process of getting a passport:

• Don't believe what agents say? Download the instructions booklet from seva kendra website for the list of supporting documents required.
• Getting an appointment online for passport is very difficult, as the time window for booking appointments is very less and the website is very slow. So better use a very high speed broadband to block appointments.
• Unless and until it is urgent, don't go for Tatkal mode, you can save some money. Normal mode gets you the passport just in 5 days (police verification post issue of passport). Once you receive the passport, wait for 15 days. Still you are not verified? Call the local police station and get it done.
• For minors, you get passports in a day (no police verification necessary).

So, finally the day arrived, March 3rd 2012, when I was asked to travel to USA for work. Working in US was one of my long lasting wishes  and there couldn't be a better time than this when Akshu and Vrunda are along my side. On the other hand, we also knew that it was going to be tough with the new environment for Akshu, how we will manage with her and stuff. Still we were confident to pull it off. The real journey starts like this.

March 3rd 2012, 4 am - After the baggage checks and bye-bye's to dad, mom and relatives, we got our boarding passes. Flying in an international plane is a long haul, and a long time to have a tired child on your lap. So if you are travelling by international flights  for the first time with baby, be sure to request for BASSINET for your child to lie down. We were thinking how Akshita would sleep nicely in this box and not trouble us much. So, as expected we were in for a ride :O

My wife had already prepared a checklist of things to carry for a long journey :D

1. Diapers, Tissues, extra clothes
2. Milk/baby food/Snacks (it depends on the airline you travel, most of them allow)
3. Comforters for babies to sleep.

Forget to enjoy the inflight entertainment system!!:D

Takeoff & Journey

Babies and young children do not know how to clear their ears to reduce the pressure during takeoff and landing. Unless your child is asleep, you need to help them with that. For older children, gum is a good aid. For babies, nursing, a bottle, or a pacifier would work. In addition to helping with ear pressure, milk also acts as a mild sedative, so feeding your child can set the stage for drifting off to sleep. General thought is that young babies often sleep well in flight with the motion of the plane and the engine noise providing a very soothing environment. It wasn't in case of Akshita though. She hardly slept for an hour in the bassinet. Then she wanted to get down from the seat and crawl. :D Not to mention she cried a lot when she was sleepy but couldn't sleep. She wasnt the baby who would keep quite when we roam around carrying her in the plane. She is someone who likes to be set free.
 

Food: We carried milk and boiled apple for the journey. She mostly drank milk and had apple. My wife believed in introducing fruits for Akshita at a  very early age. Hence she has been eating boiled apple right from month 4.Surely it gives a lot of resistance to babies.Even today Akshita takes an apple everyday. Dont expect to get whole milk from the flight attendants. It is going to be thin low fat milk, but for babies it wouldn't matter.

If you don't have a stroller/back carrier for toddlers,I recommend the one shown below. Disney stroller provides very good value for money. Also some of airlines provide the strollers (depending on the airline).

                                       

We felt the difficulty to carry Akshita always in hands between terminals and across the airports. It would have been incredibly easy for us if only we had a stroller.

After nearly 24 hours of journey, we arrived at Cincinnati, the 3rd new place for Akshita in less than 8 months :-)

Fortunately, I had my friends already staying in the same apartment, so we didnt hface much troubles in settling down. After a few days of jet lag, routine got back on track.

Next on the pipeline for us was to crack the followings for Akshita:

• Food
• Finding good diapers
• Finding a good doctor ( she was due for an injection as per Indian schedule).

Vrunda was very particular of introducing solid food apart from milk for Akshita from her early age.It is good to introduce different food to babies at an early age because, once they are aware of the things, it becomes difficult to make them eat. So she started with home made solid food (Recipe: Ghee roast rice and moong daal, make a powder of both in mixer and pressure cook the same by adding water to it and serve it to your baby. Slowly you can vegetables in small amount.) from 4th month. Slowly Akshita started to eat boiled apple, dal rice, boiled vegetables grind to paste in grinder. Vrunda continued to give these food items to her during the course of a day. We got to know about Gerber food (similar to Farex in India). Akshita liked all the variants from oats,wheat to mixed grains. Hence she started to consume Gerber food along with milk. From the past few months, she has picked up on the flavored yogurt too (strawberry being her favorite).

What if my child is a picky eater?
Many babies are picky eaters. Being picky about food is a normal behavior for many babies. There may be times when your child wants to eat a particular food again and again for a while, and then not want to eat it at all. Offer your child a variety of nutritious foods and let him or her choose what to eat. You may want to serve something you know your child likes along with another new nutritious food. Don’t force your child to taste new foods. You may need to offer a new food several times before your child tries it.

You may need to be flexible with the meals you prepare to make sure your child gets a balanced diet.Try giving your child all kinds of home made food ( except dairy stuff) until they are one year old. Here is a website in which you can find all kinds of home made recipes :

http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/

Following is the list of foods that Vrunda has tried successfully for Akshita: 

1. Rice - With Dal, Sambhar, Rasam adding any vegetable.
2. Chapati/Puri - Grinded using Mixer, with Milk and any vegetable.
3. Chick peas,paneer, mutter based curries..
4. Idli, Dosa
5. Rava/Vermicelli Upma
6. Rava/Vermicelli Kheer
7. Fruits - Apple,Banana,Strawberry,Muskmelon, water melon.
8. Pasta (made of wheat with any Ragu Sauce with grated Cheese.
9. Mild spice chicken.

Apart from these, Akshita consumes most of the snacks too. Such as cheese Pop corn, Salted crackers, Soft Chicken, Bread with cheese/jam, Toasts, sweets,cookies,crackers, wafers,  pastries and all Indian snacks.

Vrunda, like everyone had this simple logic of trying different food for Akshita because you never know until you try.


Note : There were times when we faced problems about Akshita's  eating. I was even wondering that she had become adamant. These were worrying times for me and Vrunda, especially after she turned one. We thought she would be fine after few days, but still she resisted. Akshita would shake her head saying "No no" and run. Then one day Vrunda told me its high time we shoutake her to doctor. When we checked with the doctor, Akshita was diagnosed for strep throat.He cleared our minds saying that she will definitely start eating properly once she is fine. Akshita's appetite came roaring back after a week on medication. Vrunda and myself got some fresh air again :-) Lesson was definitely learnt, if your kid doesn't eat well for few days, its better to get them checked with your pediatrician.   

 When babies cry always one's thought moves to giving her some food. This is not always true. Babies will be thirsty as well. Water is essential for babies. But how much water should babies drink? Too much water also causes water intoxication.

Infants under 6 months do not need any extra water because they get all the fluid they need from mothers milk. A sip here and there if the baby has hiccups is fine.Also, babies can get a condition called "water intoxication" from drinking too much water to the exclusion of their milk (or if too much water is added when mixing formula), causing a potentially dangerous electrolyte imbalance.
From 6 to 12 months, babies do not need much water but introducing some in a bottle or sippy cup can help them get used to the taste (or lack thereof) and consistency of the liquid. Limiting water to about 2 to 4 ounces per day is the typical recommendation as babies make the transition from all-liquid diet to one involving solids, although some babies may benefit from closer to 6 to 8 ounces per day.
After 12 months of age, a good rule of thumb is to offer milk with meals and water at most other times for thirst. This practice ensures that babies get enough calcium as well as fluids in general. Keep in mind that we get about 20 percent of our fluid requirements from foods so it's not necessary for babies (or most adults, for that matter) to drink 8 glasses of water a day.
 

Unlike India where we can take kids to the balcony to show trees,birds, kids playing outside to divert them to eat, Cincinnati being silent place, we dint have such options. Hence we used laptop as the source of entertainment. So, to divert Akshita while eating  we came across a channel named "Hooplakidz" on Youtube. Akshita's very first rhyme " Wheels on the bus go round and round" was an instant hit. Infact we even shot a video to catch Akshu's reactions. This was when she was 9 months old. From there on she has been listening to so many rhymes on YouTube.Now she has come to a point of singing along few words in the rhymes :-). Also she wont eat anything without her rhymes. So when we travel, we ensure to carry our laptoo/ tablet. Here are few channels she watches on Youtube :

1. Hooplakdiz
2. Muffin songs
3. KidsTV123
4. SuperSimpleSongs 
5. MotherGooseClub
6. KidsCamp
7. DreamEnglishKids 
8. Rajshri  
9. CyberVillageSolution - English,Desi Rhymes in 3D :)
10. Appu series  
11. Mickey Mouse Club House

There are loads of rhymes available online for your kid. Myself and Vrunda now know more rhymes than we did in our childhood. Media is the quickest way for kids to learn these days from alphabets to rhymes.

With the help of my friends here , we got an appointment with "Pediatric associates" and an Indian doctor too. So communication became easier. After the first checkup, we realized that the injection shots differ from that in the US and India. Link below details the vaccination schedule followed here in the US.

http://www.pediatricassociates.us/pdfs/IZSchedule_Childhood.pdf

Akshita should have been relieved that she didn't have to get her shot as soon as we entered into the clinic very first time. :-) Akshita got most of her injections back in India. She has been to the clinic several times now. Every time Akshita cries from the beginning the nurse takes her stethoscope until the entire check up and injection shots are over. Like every other kid, she knows so much about doctors now that even if we go to visit doctors these days  for ourselves she thinks she is going to be examined and starts crying out loud and weeps "come come come... " :D  

Milestones

Flip:  Once your baby has head control, she'll learn to roll over. She'll eventually learn to flip over from her back to her tummy and vice versa, and she'll use her new found skill to get around a bit. Most babies flip over between month 4 to 6.

Crawling: Crawling is your baby's first method of getting around efficiently on her own. Most babies learn to crawl between the ages of 7 to 10 months. Your baby may opt for another method of locomotion around this time – like bottom shuffling (scooting around on her bottom, using a hand behind and a foot in front to propel herself), slithering on her stomach, or rolling across the room.

Don't worry about her style – it's getting mobile that's important, no matter how your baby does it. Your baby will likely start crawling soon after she's able to sit well without support. Her arm, leg, and back muscles are strong enough to keep her from falling on the floor when she gets up on her hands and knees. 

Next?

After your baby has mastered crawling, the only thing between her and complete mobility is learning to walk. To that end, she'll soon begin pulling herself up on everything she can reach, whether it's the coffee table or mamma's leg. Once she gets the feel of balancing on her legs, she'll be ready to stand on her own and cruise while holding on to furniture. Usually by 10 to 18 months babies begin to walk. 
Babies develop skills using different methods and different timetables. But if your child hasn't shown an interest in getting mobile by some means (whether it's creeping, crawling, rolling, or scooting), figured out how to move her arms and legs together in a coordinated motion, or learned to use both arms and both legs equally by the time she's a year old, bring it up at her next doctor's appointment. Keep in mind that premature babies may reach this and other milestones several months later than their peers.

If you guys have a lot of furniture, its going to be difficult during these months.Its better to move all the furniture specially the ones which have sharp corners  away from babies.If you have tables which cannot be moved, try protecting the corners with spongy protectors. These are available in Amazon, Ikea, Kohls and Toysrus.

                                                 

Diapers

You'll be a lot busier changing diapers when your child is a newborn than when they turn toddler.Fortunately, by the time your little one is a toddler, diaper rash is usually a thing of the past. There are two reasons for that.

First, a toddler's skin is usually less sensitive than a newborn's, so they're generally less bothered by dampness against their bottom. Second, toddlers just don't experience dampness against their bottom as often.They’re standing upright and moving around, so toddlers are generally in less close contact with their diaper than a baby is.
Newborns and babies grow out of diapers more quickly than toddlers. Though you'll go up in diaper sizes as your little one grows, you’ll often find in the toddler years that they'll be wearing the same size diaper for a longer time because they're just not growing as fast.

We have tried many brands of diapers for toddler size, pampers cruisers being among the worst. Diaper from " Simply Right" worked for us. Never ever leaks and you get value for money as well.

  http://www.samsclub.com/sams/simply-right-premium-diapers-size-3-16-28-lbs-228-ct/prod3830064.ip

Remember to check for diaper every 6 hours, earlier in winters :D

Baby talk at 6 months. At 6 months, your baby begins babbling with different sounds. For example, your baby may say  "da-da." By the end of the sixth or seventh month, babies respond to their own names, recognize their native language, and use their tone of voice to tell you they're happy or upset. Some eager parents interpret a string of "da-da" babbles as their baby's first words -- "daddy!" But babbling at this age is usually still made up of random syllables without real meaning or comprehension.

• Baby talk at 9 months. After 9 months, babies can understand a few basic words like "no" and "bye-bye." They also may begin to use a wider range of consonant sounds and tones of voice.
• Baby talk at 12 months. Most babies say a few simple words like "mama" and "dadda" by the end of 12 months -- and now know what they're saying. They respond to -- or at least understand, if not obey -- your short, one-step requests such as, "Please put that down."
• Baby talk at 18 months. Babies at this age say up to 10 simple words and can point to people, objects, and body parts you name for them. They repeat words or sounds they hear you say, like the last word in a sentence. But they often leave off endings or beginnings of words. For example, they may say "daw" for "dog". 

  Because we hadn't been anywhere for a long holiday for initial months and recent debacle at Newport aquarium with Akshita, we had decided not to travel at all for next few months. Also we couldn't blame Akshita as she had just turned one. But Christmas was close by and there were lot of holidays in the pipeline. So we gave ourselves a chance.Considering weather and to engage Akshita enough, Florida was the best close by destination we could think of. We had one hell of trip. Here are few useful links which will help everyone for preparing for a trip with babies:

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/e6986/packing-checklist-for-your-baby 


http://www.magicalkingdoms.com/blog/2008/04/09/disney-world-with-an-infant-a-new-experience/

                                      

Mothers need to keep themselves fit and take care of their health. Its good for dads :D One fine day Vrunda fell sick and Akshita was hardly a year old. I came home early from office. Vrunda had to take rest hence Akshita didnt eat properly that afternoon. So I had to spoon feed Akshita that day. I must admit it was very difficult. I had to dance, make her laugh to eat at least 80% of the food. I felt really good when Akshita ate. Oof!! I understood how difficult it is to raise a kid.
Its good that these days men are used to cooking, helping women in kitchen, thanks to their living abroad experiences. So all Dads ensure that your wife takes adequate breaks in between, coz motherhood can literally drain their energy. To be very frank i don't help Vrunda as often as it is required. I realize I have to do something only when she is completely drained out and tired.

"Cow-u cow-u holi cow-u, Please give me milk now-u 
 Dont-u drink-u soup-u boys-u, give me milk now-uuuu
 Why this kolaveri kolaveri kolaveri di"
 

Oooppss...now its Akshita's turn to watch her own version of Why this Kolveri by Sonu nigam's son on YouTube and shake her head with the rhythm :-D

She's Home :-)

Koochi koochi kooo kooo :-) Akshita keeps starring at me and my wife :-D with those big eyes :O


Hey guys and gals, after a tense and nerve crackling time both my wife and Akshita are back home :-) Hang on to your seat belts ppl, its going to be one of those rides you have been longing to be in. I am not going to share something new, following are fully my wife's experience and information from elders.


Pets @ home? If you are having a naughty lovable dog at home, then you are going to have a tough time for few days. You pity the dog also as he/she is so curious to know what we are having in our hands and where the tiny weeny voice comes from. It will take some time for your pet to get used to the baby at home. We used to get pissed on the pet (atleast me initially), then slowly he got used to the crying/screaming of Akshita.
Trick : There is a high possibility that your pet is getting jealous that little baby's taking the entire attention @ home. So don't stop pampering your pet , as he might get irritated and start behaving mad. My wife continued to pamper him and after few days he didn't meddle little Akshita all the time. 




Pre-requisite:
Hope you guys have a decent digi cam which can shoot good pics more importantly great quality videos. If not order it as soon as you can :-)
                                             
Patience : This is mainly for guys (you will know why as you read along:D). Gals tend to get this automatically during this phase, not sure from where all of a sudden :D Good for us though ;-)

First few days/months: Your baby is going to mostly cry, fed by mom and sleep. This is all they are going to do for the first month or so. There is a belief that if babies are born in the morning, you are going to have a tough time making them sleep in the night and vice versa. Well it turned out true for us as my wife hardly sleeps during the night. Mostly Akshita used to sleep 2 or 3 am in the morning, sometimes even at 6 :( and then sleep throughout the daytime. So my wife (pity her) also has to sleep whenever Akshita does. Well if you think you have sorted out the routine of your baby, you are in for a toss. There are few instances where Akshita doesnt sleep during the day as well :D Now you guys will understand why i stressed on Pre-requisite (Bullet number 2 ) :P.

Handling a Newborn
If you haven't spent a lot of time around newborns, their fragility may be intimidating. Here are a few basics to remember:

• Wash your hands and legs (or use a hand sanitizer) before handling your newborn. Young babies have not built up a strong immune system yet, so they are susceptible to infection. Make sure that everyone who handles your baby also has clean hands.
• Be careful to support your baby's head and neck. Cradle the head when carrying your baby and support the head when carrying the baby upright or when you lay him or her down.
• Be careful not to shake your newborn, whether in play or in frustration. Shaking that is vigorous can cause bleeding in the brain and even death. If you need to wake your infant, don't do it by shaking — instead, tickle your baby's feet or blow gently on a cheek.
• Remember that your newborn is not ready for rough play, such as being jiggled on the knee or thrown in the air.

Umbilical Cord 

Umbilical cord care in newborns is also important. Some doctors suggest swabbing the area with rubbing alcohol until the cord stump dries up and falls off, usually in 10 days to 3 weeks, but others recommend leaving the area alone. Talk to your child's doctor to see what he or she prefers.

The infant's navel area shouldn't be submerged in water until the cord stump falls off and the area is healed. Until it falls off, the cord stump will change color from yellow to brown or black — this is normal. Consult your doctor if the navel area becomes reddened or if a foul odor or discharge develops.

Bonding and Soothing Techniques

Bonding, probably one of the most pleasurable aspects of infant care, occurs during the sensitive time in the first hours and days after birth when parents make a deep connection with their infant. Physical closeness can promote an emotional connection.

For infants, the attachment contributes to their emotional growth, which also affects their development in other areas, such as physical growth. Another way to think of bonding is "falling in love" with your baby. Children thrive from having a parent or other adult in their life who loves them unconditionally.

Babies usually love vocal sounds, such as talking, babbling, singing, and cooing. Your baby will probably also love listening to music. Baby rattles and musical mobiles are other good ways to stimulate your infant's hearing. If your little one is being fussy, try singing, reciting poetry and nursery rhymes, or reading aloud as you sway or rock your baby gently in a chair.

Swaddling, which works well for some babies during their first few weeks, is another soothing technique first-time parents should learn. Swaddling keeps a baby's arms close to the body and legs snuggled together. Not only does this keep a baby warm, but the surrounding pressure seems to give most newborns a sense of security and comfort. Swaddling may also help limit the startle reflex, which can wake a baby.

Baby Gas/Colic: Colic (also known as infant colic, three month colic, and Infantile colic) is a condition in which an otherwise healthy baby cries or screams frequently and for extended periods, without any discernible reason.

Colic doesn’t usually last for more than a month or two, but those two months can seem like a lifetime! Here are a few tips that may help you soothe your infant.

• Lay your baby on her back on the bed and pedal her legs as if she were riding a bike. This can also be an effective way to get out the excess gas that may be causing discomfort.
• Hold the baby upright, over your shoulder and rub her back. This position seems to calm many colicky babies.
• Lay the infant face down on your knees and pat her back.
• Even if your baby isn’t hungry, she may want to suck on a pacifier, especially if the colic seemed to appear with the onset of teething.
• Try swaddling your baby, wrapping her tightly in a blanket, with her hands at her sides. Some infants are over stimulated by their own uncontrolled arm movements and limiting them may help her sleep. Each baby is different, however.
• Movement is always a soother, but you may find yourself tiring out before your baby. 

There are many causes of baby gas, but some are more common than others. It may be something as simple as having an intolerance to food that the mother is eating and passing it on while feeding or may be something more serious, such as a lactose intolerance.Next, eliminate the potential problem foods and reintroduce them one at a time to see what you need to avoid. Most babies outgrow these sensitivities, so just because your little one gets an upset tummy at one month when you eat avocado, that doesn’t mean he’ll never enjoy guacamole.

If you aren’t sure what food is causing the problem, keep a food diary for a week and write down everything you eat, as well as when your baby is fussy and gassy. This will help you see a pattern.
Doctor recommends few medicines for babies like Colicure, Cyclopam. We used the latter for Akshita, which had pretty good effect :)

Pooping trouble?
Newborns can go through times where they will not poop for at least a week continuously. We were a little worried in the beginning. Doctors suggest that new born can go without pooping for 20 days max. So there is nothing to worry. If it really gets delayed don't hesitate to contact your doctor.

Diapering

You'll probably decide before you bring your baby home whether you'll use cloth or disposable diapers. Whichever you use, the baby will dirty diapers about 10 times a day, or about 70 times a week.


We initially used cloth ( aka langot :D).. Coz initially we thought how comfortable she will be with diapers. Also we were worried about her skin. So used mostly cloth :-) However she wets them and starts crying.. As she grew older, we slowly started using diapers. Actually diapers ( water locking type)  made her sleep better :-)



Before diapering a baby, make sure you have all supplies within reach so you won't have to leave your baby unattended on the changing table. You'll need:

• a clean diaper
• a fastener (if cloth is used), not required if you use a Langot :-)
• diaper ointment if the baby has a rash
• a container of warm water
• clean washcloth, diaper wipes, or cotton balls

Get best deals on diapers in babyoye :  http://www.babyoye.com/baby-diapering/diapers.html

Bathing

Nooooooo..Nahinnnnnn :D Thats what Akshita should be telling herself when we say "Bathing time" :P When can hear her scream even if you are outside the house.She got used to it slowly though. While in the hospital you can see how the nurse baths the baby. You will be surprised to see with what ease the nurse does it.
However try being as gentle as possible. We are not experts, hence you need at least two ppl when our angel needs to be bathed :-). One will hold her , other should do the needful :-D i have tried it once though :-)
You'll need the following items before bathing your baby:

• a soft, clean washcloth
• mild, unscented baby soap and shampoo
• a soft brush to stimulate the baby's scalp
• towels or blankets
• an infant tub with 2 to 3 inches of warm — not hot! — water (to test the water temperature, feel the water with the inside of your elbow or wrist). An infant tub is a plastic tub that can fit in the bathtub and is better fitted for the infant and makes bath time easier to manage.
• a clean diaper
• clean clothes

Baby Massage

Baby massage has been long tradition esp. in INDIA. Baby massage enhances circulation, helps in expulsion of toxin and aids the digestive system of the baby. Massage with the hands begin when the baby is a month old, when the baby's body is strong enough. Baby massage is continued for every day for 3 or 4 months, during which most of the time is spent massaging the spine,back,neck,waist,hands and feet, as these parts need to gain strength to support the body.
We didn't have any experts at home to perform massage for babies, you can say none of us were confident. So we arranged a lady who would come daily to massage Akshita in the morning around 730am. After massage and bath Akshita will sleep as though she is in tapas :D Such sound sleep not even a cracking rock can wake her up :O


Below is a brief diagrammatic explanation of the massaging technique :

Note: If you are not confident to do it, don't try it by yourself.


Injection shots

One place we know our angel is gonna cry for sure and still we take her there. Yes, time for timely injection shots. Poor Akshita her face becomes red while crying :(


Following is the immunization schedule we use. Get in touch with your pediatrician for more details:

1. BCG, Oral Polio, Hepatatis B - At birth
2. Hepatatis B - 1st month
3. Triple Vaccine, Oral polio, H. Influenzae B - 2nd month
4. Triple Vaccine, Oral polio, H. Influenzae B - 4th month
5. Triple Vaccine, Oral polio, H. Influenzae B - 6th month
6. Hepatatis B - 7th month
7. Measles - 9th Month
8. M.M.R - 15th Month
9. Triple Vaccine, Oral polio, H. Influenzae B - 16th month
10. Typhiod - 2 years
11. Triple Vaccine, Oral polio, M.M.R, Typhoid - 5 years
12. Td,Typhoid - 10 years
13. Td - 15 years

Other Vaccines

Pneumococcal - Above 6 weeks

IPV - Above 6 weeks

Rotavirus - Above 6 weeks

Smile

 Initial days Akshita smiled mostly during her sleep. Smiles   are spontaneous and often occur while she is drowsy or during REM stages of sleep. Akshu produced her first smile when fully awake when she was between six and eight weeks old. However, your baby may smile before or after this time. 
Your baby is interested in communicating with you and expressing her feelings from the moment she's born. 
If you want to encourage your baby to smile and communicate with you, look for times when she is calm, yet bright-eyed and alert. 
Hold your baby opposite you, with your faces about few cm apart, and talk to her. If your baby doesn't seem comfortable with that distance, try holding her a little further away.
Now'e days she just wants us to speak to her, she gives that big smile on her. With that cute dimple on her, u feel like speaking to her on and on and on... :-):-)


uaaah uaaah.. Looks like Akshu woke up.. here goes my wife and the cycle starts again :-):-)


                                     

The Anxious Times

ReadOrNotRead function

If (You love your wife like never before?) Then                                   

Continue with this blog :-)

Else (For Ppl who dont want to waste time) Then

Its OK, its worth your time :-D

End If

This blog is pilled up version of all the information I learnt through friends,family ,WWW, more importantly wife and of course through some personal experiences. I have tried my best to make this blog as simple and easily readable as possible.


Note: Any doctors who are reading this, if there are any blunders, kindly insert them as comments :-)

I present this info assuming that you have done the 1st part successfully :D You still don't get it?? You will know what i meant as you read along :) Yeah gals (esp guys :P) this is dedicated to you. How many times have we made fun of  or yelled at our mom?? Rather how often have we heard this from our mom " You should know with how much pains I delivered you into this world and you are behaving like this ". Of course we will feel really sorry for our mom's after speaking like that. 

Ppl I am going to share the magical and more importantly anxious times in our lives. 
Yes this is the time when you have heard that you are going to become a father soon. :D Word father sounds magical right? :D Yeeeeee.. I jumped like a baby in the below pic :)
                                                               
Fasten your seat belts guys, music starts here :P


Being pregnant is God's greatest gift to women, and it is our duty to make sure that we take good care of this wondrous gift handed to us.

Of course you may think whats there for a guy to do when his wife gets conceived. 
Hehe ;-) start laughing at yourself. I am going to repeat the same things elders hit on our head time and again. :D Stop yawning now :O "These are the times one should spend as much time as possible with ur wife". So much is bound to happen that sometimes you lose count of it. 

Get used to the "Reminder feature in ur mobile" more from now ;-)

Though, you may get the following info from your doctors, its always good to get some background before you put your questions to the doctor, right? :-)

Following are the phases that a woman enter when she is conceived  :

• 1st trimester (1-13 weeks)
• 2nd trimester (14-27 weeks)
• 3rd trimester (28-42 weeks )

These three trimesters have different emotional and physical happenings that make them unique.

1st Trimester

The first trimester of pregnancy is an exciting and yet scary time.This trimester lasts from week 1 until week 13. For women who are bursting with the good news, you are also tend to be worried about so many things now. 

Here are few basic tips that my wife followed:

Are u Working? 

• Make sure you don't travel for long distance (even if u drive at those wonderful roads in US/Europe) 
• Take a break from work often -Come back to Sunday mode : eat, sleep, eat,sleep strategy :D.
• If your manager can be good at times ;), start working from home until your 1st trimester ends.

Must Facts to be followed:

• Drink as much water as possible.
• Dont sit in one place for more than 45 minutes
• Eat Healthy - Avoid Junk food totally. Have lots of fruits (many get confused about eating pineapple, papaya. Doctors themselves suggest these can be consumed unless its over eaten ), but during early pregnancy avoid any food which heats up your body.

Things that one cant avoid :

1. Morning Sickness: About half of all pregnant women suffer from both nausea and vomiting, one quarter has nausea alone, and one quarter lucks out altogether. The nausea usually starts around 6 weeks of pregnancy, but it can begin as early as 4 weeks. It tends to get worse over the next month or so and you can feel complete relief by about 14 weeks.
2. Headache: It's not unusual to get tension headaches when you're pregnant, especially in the first trimester. Tension headaches: The most common kind of headache can feel like a squeezing pain or a steady dull ache on both sides of the head or the back of the neck. If you've always been susceptible to tension headaches, pregnancy can make the problem worse.Going crazy on caffeine can also make your head pound. If you are crazy about coffee, reduce it to a cup in 2 days.
3. Hormonal changes: More important for guys. Think twice if you are already emotional in nature (I was the one :D). Due to various hormonal changes in the body,it's common for women to have mood swings during pregnancy, that affects women levels of neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain) and the broad range of feelings you may have about becoming a parent. Everyone responds differently to these changes. Some moms-to-be experience heightened emotions, both good and bad; others feel more depressed or anxious. Most find that moodiness flares up at around 6 to 10 weeks, eases up in the second trimester, and then reappears as their pregnancy winds to a close.

        Guys, so don't react too much when your spouse is in this phase. If you cant take it, then tie your mouth with some cloth :O.You don't have a choice :D

Formal Check up :  Gals, hope you are keeping track of the number of days since you have  conceived :). 60 Days- DOT, time to get ready for your first formal check up with the doctor. First checkup/ scan is more exciting as you might get to have a first look at the fetus :)
Tablets: In general, doctors prescribe a capsule of folic acid. Folic acid is a B vitamin. It helps the body make healthy new cells. Everyone needs folic acid. For women who may get pregnant, it is really important. When a woman has enough folic acid in her body before and during pregnancy, it can prevent major birth defects of her baby's brain or spine.

2nd trimester


A mother's joy begins when new life is stirring inside... when a tiny heartbeat is heard for the very first time, and a playful kick reminds her that she is never alone.

You survived the first 13 weeks of pregnancy! Congrats and welcome to the "Action packed" phase of pregnancy - also known as your second trimester :-) This trimester lasts from week 14 until week 27.The morning sickness and fatigue that plagued you in the first trimester should have abated by now. Thank goodness for that too! Your energy levels should be on the rise again.

• Make sure you get plenty of fiber in your diet to forestall the constipation that troubles some mothers.
• You are almost certainly finding it necessary to move into larger, looser clothing
• Weight gain in the second trimester should be atleast 2 kgs a month. 

Your Baby starts growing now and following are few of the important changes:

• The chin, nose and forehead are more defined now, giving the baby a much more human look. 
• As the baby's facial muscles attach themselves, the baby is able to smile, frown and wrinkle its brow. 
• Reflexes are now beginning to operate.  
• Baby's neck is longer now and its chin is no longer resting on his chest. 

Things that one cant avoid :

• Lower back pain and nasal congestion are common around this time.
• Mild vertigo, or dizzy spells, is common.  Stand up slowly and in addition to your six small meals, add few snacks to your diet such as crackers or fresh fruits.
• Swelling and discomfort are common in the hands, legs and feet.
• Rib pain, leg cramps, and headaches are common as the fetus takes up more uterine space cramping your organs and causing discomfort.
• May experience increased lower back pain as the fetus’ weight pulls on the spine, sit down and put your feet up whenever possible.

Music : Scientists believe that once you have crossed 24 weeks, baby's sensory organs start developing. Wouldn't you love to do something now to capture your baby's senses so that he/she remembers it when they are born? It works amazingly. Mild music which can please the baby would be preferred than the rock n roll :-) Following are few songs my wife listened to when she was carrying :

http://rapidshare.com/files/122340932/garbh_sanskar.part1.rar

http://rapidshare.com/files/122347900/garbh_sanskar.part2.rar

Mine and her personal favourite is  "Address to the Child" by Amitabh Bachchan :-)

Scientists also believe that in future when the baby is crying, they will start listening to the same music he/she had listened when they were in the womb.

Doctor check up: From the the start of the 2nd trimester, you will be visiting doctor quite often. Formal check up will be once a month during this period.

Tablets: Once you enter into 2nd trimester, doctors advice you to have diet which are rich in iron and calcium. Hence they recommend to consume tablets which are rich in iron  and calcium. Few doctors also advice you to have multi-vitamin to have enough energy throughout.

Ultrasound Scan that really matters:

Scan in the first trimester is not much of significance as the fetus or baby is very small. Only thing you can hear is baby's heart beat. In general,doctors themselves don't advice for a scan in first trimester. If you are so curious to see the baby, go ahead no issues. Scan that really matters is the one after three months (12 weeks). This time doctor themselves recommend to go ahead and have a look at the baby. Doctors take measurements of the baby's growth.

Here comes my wife with that zillion dollar smile on her face :-) Of course why wouldn't they be, seeing their sweetheart sleeping inside? :-) You will feel like owning an Ultrasound at home after seeing your wife smiling like that :D Huh if only i could afford one ;-)

Injection Shots 

Four months (16 weeks) upon  of completion, doctor just checks the baby for its heart beat. They generally don't go for a scan unless you are so mad to see the baby again. After the formal checkup, doctors prescribe to go for a TT injection. 

The Tetanus Toxoid (TT) vaccine is given during your pregnancy to prevent tetanus to you as well as your baby. Antibodies formed in your body, after the vaccination, are passed on to your baby and it protects her for a few months after birth. It also helps prevent premature delivery. 

Second shot will come after 4-8 weeks.The WHO also recommends that a third vaccine be given six months after the second one to provide protection for at least five years. 


Boy or Girl : If you are outside India, this should'nt be a worry for you as doctor themselves will reveal it to you if its a boy/girl.  
In India?then try your luck by using this Chinese chart to get to know if its going to be boy or girl.
https://www.trsiyengar.com/id52.shtml

Many of my friends found some accuracy in this chart and are happy with the results. There were some failures too! It worked for us though :-):-)

3rd trimester

The third trimester of your pregnancy is one of the most tiresome, yet joyous times of your life as a woman. You’ll begin to really feel that the baby is about to become part of your life. This is also generally the time that your partner and other children, if present, will also build more of a bond with the baby.


You enter the third trimester filled with energy, but as your body continues to grow and change, you may start to feel tired and experience new aches and pains. How much bigger can I get? you wonder. Let’s face it: You get a tad tired of being pregnant. But there are plenty of things to do to keep your mind off your expanding figure and the annoyances that come with it.
As you head into the final stretch, remember to keep eating right and exercising so that your baby gains the proper amount of weight and you’re in the best possible shape for labor and delivery. As the baby grows, you’ll feel more pressure on your bladder, and later on your legs and pelvis as well. You may also have more back pain as your baby and abdomen grow, until the baby drops and the weight shifts to your pelvis and legs. This discomfort can become tiresome, and many women start to wish that the baby would come already.
Eat often You should gain one pound a week. To do this, get 300 extra calories a day from one serving each of protein and carbohydrate foods.
Doctors recommend six to eight smaller meals a day rather than three big ones. Keep in mind that you still need prenatal vitamins, at least eight glasses of water a day and 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily.
Keep moving As long as you’re not at risk for delivering a preterm baby, exercise is safe in the third trimester. But if you’re used to doing moderate- or high-impact exercise, discuss with your doctor.
Avoid lifting heavy weights, as they can put too much stress on tendons and ligaments, which become more relaxed late in pregnancy.


Air travel
There are some precautions that a pregnant traveler should consider:

• Talk to your practitioner before flying. If you are more than 36 weeks pregnant, many airlines will not let you fly for fear that you'll deliver on board.
• Try to do the majority of your traveling in the second trimester. Not only will you be more comfortable, but in general the risk of miscarriage and preterm labor are lower.
• Avoid excessive flying. Although there are no hard and fast numbers.
• Make comfort arrangements. Try to get seats with more leg room, plan to walk in the aisles, potty breaks, and water.
• Avoid travel to countries that would require immunization. Talk to your practitioner for more info on immunizations.

Fetal Movement in the Third Trimester
It starts to get a little cramped in the womb by the seventh month, but your baby still has enough room to toss and turn for a little while longer. Your pint-sized pugilist is getting stronger, and those punches, while comforting, can now be downright jolting.  Babies are individuals, just like the rest of us, and the rhythms and patterns of their activity will vary. Try not to compare your baby's movements with those of others (your best friend's pregnancy is different from yours), or of your own previous children. And don't stress if your baby seems unusually active; it doesn't mean you'll have a hyper child later on.

Month 7, you can expect to feel fetal activity every day. Set aside some quiet time twice a day to "count kicks," or any fetal movement. Ten movements of any kind in an hour or less is normal. If you haven't felt ten movements within an hour, have a snack or some fruit juice, lie down, and continue counting; if it takes more than two hours to reach ten, contact your practitioner.
8th Month : Continue counting kicks, but be aware that your baby now has a fairly regular cycle of sleep and wakefulness. Sometimes a lull in activity just means deep slumber (and soon you'll be very grateful for that ability to sleep soundly). You should be able to perk things up with a snack, which usually rouses the baby. (If you don't feel movement — ten within two hours, contact your practitioner right away).
As showtime approaches, your baby is definitely center stage. In the ninth month, at nearly full length and weight, your little one is not so little anymore, at least not relative to those cramped quarters. You won't feel those rapid-fire pummeling kicks (there's just no room for that), but larger lurches and bigger boots (as baby turns over, for example) will definitely get your attention (as will the pounding that some babies like to inflict on the cervix — maybe they sense where the exit is?). Something else that will definitely get your attention: baby's foot (or feet) lodging into your ribs. Ouch — that can hurt. A gentle nudge, a shift in your position, or doing the pelvic tilt might bring some relief. 

Time has come for sweet heart to enter into the world. Now the biggest ??? arises. Should you have a normal delivery (Spontaneous vaginal Delivery) or Cesarean (C- Section).


Spontaneous vaginal delivery is the most ideal way of delivery, because it is a normal physiological phenomenon, on both the mother and the fetus is not much damage, and mother after childbirth can be restored soon.
Larger damage of Cesarean section on mother. Surgery itself is a trauma, postpartum recovery was far slower than the vaginal delivery, and will have surgery complications.


Suggestion would be not to think too much about this at an earlier stage. Leave the rest to Almighty, he will decide what has to be done.


uaaah uaaah uaaah .. my wife has just delivered a baby.. Its a girl , no its a boy..:X.. I am confused...grr..Am anxiously waiting outside praying almighty..


eeee...Akshita ... she was looking so innocent :O shoo cute.. kooochi kooochi koooo :-) Welcome to the world chella kutti ;-) I took her from the nurse. First time ever i carried a new born baby. Biggest moment of my life:-)


Best ad to sum up this entire phase : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqmfIneh4OY  ;-)

Guys and girls .. do let me know about your experiences :-) All the very best :-)