My breastfeeding journey

I have been away from the blog for so long. Largely because the last few months have been a roller coaster of a ride as I decided to join back work, one of the toughest decisions I have made in a while. I intend to write about that in the coming weeks but for now I want to talk about breastfeeding.

Source :https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Breastfeeding-icon-med.svg

I have been wanting to share my experience of breastfeeding my baby in the hope that it helps other new Moms. As a new mom it is so so easy to get frustrated and give up on breastfeeding. Your body has just achieved a humongous feet (delivered a baby) & you are aching all over, taking baby steps towards recovery. And to top that there is a constant stream of visitors who want to meet you & the baby. If that wasn't enough you realise you are no longer your own master- you have to adhere to the little one’s commands- feed- burp-diaper change (on repeat mode). It’s a cycle you cant escape. Amidst all this the little one refuses to latch on to your breast, nibbling & biting at it (ouch) leading to sore nipples, that coupled with the frustration of seeing the baby wailing, that's enough reason for anyone to give up.

Before pregnancy, I always imagined that breastfeeding would come naturally to me and the baby. I couldn't have been more wrong, that's something I can say from experience. I would have long given up on breastfeeding had it not been for some people and some aids that came to my rescue.

When I first tried to breastfeed my little one, he just wouldn't latch on. He would bite, nibble, bite some more and try to latch on but it just wasn't working. With every attempt it became more painful because my nipples were sore from all the biting. I began to dread breastfeeding my baby and would keep requesting the nurses at the hospital to give the baby formula milk. 

My mum scheduled a session with the lactation expert at the hospital to ease the process for me. She was truly godsend because she gave me the first push towards breastfeeding my baby. Here are some of the suggestions that worked for me.

 She first helped correct my posture. Since I was unable to sit cross legged on the bed (due to stitches) she asked me to sit on a chair with comfortable backrest. Gave me two pillows to keep on my lap and ask me to place the baby on the pillow so that the baby was almost parallel to my tummy.

Next, she recommended I use the Pigeon Nipple shield to help the baby latch on to the breast initially.

The above two suggestions provided almost instant relief, for the first time I was comfortable and the baby was able to suckle and drink milk. 

I had heard mixed reviews about the pigeon nipple shield, in fact some people advised me against it. But for me it was a life saver as it helped in the initiation process, helping the baby latch on the breast and giving my sore nipples some relief from all that biting.

By the third or fourth day my breasts were engorged & making me extremely uncomfortable. Here are a few things that helped me. A warm water bath helped in let down and allowed me to express some milk providing relief

My baby was feeding from only one side initially so I expressed milk from the side he wasn't latching on to to help relieve the pain.

I truly believe the first few months are the toughest when it comes to breastfeeding. Your body is still recovering, you are still getting used to having someone else rule your life, sleepless nights and to top it all every now and then the baby wants milk. I remember I would often think to myself, how can something so little want milk all the time. Nights were the toughest because my son would wake up every two hours for a feed.  Don't give up just yet and don’t turn to the bottle, things settle down soon. 

There were days when my little one would want feed ever so often, sometimes making me doubt my milk supply. Was I producing sufficient milk? Was he hungry because I wasn’t giving him formula feeds? These nagging thoughts are bound to trouble every new mom. Stop being so hard on yourself. Mother nature is a damn good architect of things. When it comes to breastfeeding, it is all a game of supply and demand. The more you nurse, the better your milk supply. Eat nutritious food, get some rest and be positive- that's all you need. As long as the baby’s pee count is good (check the number of wet nappies)and the baby is gaining weight, you are on track Mommy.

I would highly recommend that you invest in a breast pump when you embark on your breastfeeding journey, even if you are a stay at home mom. It gives you the option to express milk, hence allowing someone else in the family to take care of the baby and feed the baby while you get some much needed rest. Also, you may want to head out for a bit and get some fresh air, leaving the baby in the care of some family member, breast pumps can be very useful in such situations. For instance I had to attend a wedding when Rajveer was barely 2 months old and I didn't want to take him along for the fear of exposing him to infections and Delhi’s severe winters, that's when the breast pump came in really handy.

You don't necessarily have to spend a fortune on a breast pump. If you don't intend to pump too often you may invest in a not too expensive manual pump. I bought the Avent- Comfort manual breast pump and it has served me well so far (Shall review the pump in a subsequent post).

In fact one of the very reasons I have been able to continue breastfeeding after joining work is because I started expressing milk regularly. I express milk twice or thrice in the day which is used to feed the baby when I am at work.

Another thing that I highly recommend is to join forums where you get valuable advise from mums who are in similar situations or have been in the same boat. One such group that joined on Facebook was: 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/breastfeedingsupportforindianmoms/

There is so much one can learn from other moms' experiences. This group in particular Breastfeeding support for Indian Moms is an incredible source of information. From documents which provide vital information on breastfeeding to links to well written blogs, this group provides it all. Information & insights from the group members kept me going and helped me rectify my mistakes as well.

Having said all this, I have to accept that there were times when I just couldn’t cope with things (like when I was unwell or simply too tired) I succumbed to the pressure and fed my baby formula milk & on those days I was miserable. I felt like I was such a terrible mother for not being able to exclusively breast feed my baby. It's only now when I look back that I realize that one has to stop judging oneself all the time, mother’s are after all human. You don't become a bad mom or a less loving mom just because you fed your baby formula milk once in the day.  Each Mom's experience is different and so is the journey. It’s a choice one makes given the situation at hand and there is no right or wrong because every mother has her baby’s best interest at heart.

It’s almost 9 months and its hard to believe that time has flown so fast. Breastfeeding my little one has been one of the most fulfilling journeys & I am so grateful that I did not give up when things were rough. I would strongly urge all Mums and mums- to-be, please breastfeed your baby. Apart from the health benefits it is such a beautiful way to bond with your baby. Remember, with every passing day the breastfeeding journey becomes simpler and more fulfilling :)

My version of the Risotto Puttanesca

Being a mom is a full time job and every once in a while one needs a break from the job & one needs to unwind.

I am lucky to have a great support system in my family who encourage me to head out with my friends while they take care of RV in my absence. I think this is so so important for all mothers, you need to trust your family, husband or whoever to take care of your baby while you take a break from being mommy. You shall come back refreshed and recharged to take on your mommy responsibilities. 

One such evening we headed out to Hauz Khas village for dinner with friends and landed up at Imperfecto where we ate this absolutely delicious creamy risotto called Risotto Puttanesca. 

Thats where I got inspiration for this Risotto recipe. Now Risotto is one of the easiest dishes to cook all it needs is some time and patience. So here is rendition of the Risotto Puttanesca. I ended up adding some vegetable to this since my sister is a fussy eater and till date we need to mask vegetables in various forms to get her to eat :)

Risotto Puttanesca served Piping hot

Ingredients

3 tablespoon of butter

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1/2 Yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

4-5 baby corn, chopped

2-3 tomatoes, chopped and pureed

1 teaspoon (more or less) red chili flakes

2-3 tablespoon of oregano (I prefer to use the ones we get with Dominoes Pizza)

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup white wine

6-7 cups vegetable/ chicken stock (I usually add my salt to the vegetable stock)

2 tablespoon of fresh cream

Freshly grated parmesan cheese or even amul cheese cubes would work

Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Salt to taste

Method

• Sautee the finely chopped bell pepper & Chopped baby corn in butter and set aside
• In a pan, add butter and chopped garlic. To this, add the tomato puree and stir till the tomatoes reduce and the puree is cooked
• In a separate pan, add a tablespoon of butter and to this add the chopped onions. Cook the onions for a minute and then add the arborio rice. Stir the arborio rice and cook for a couple of minutes
• Now add the wine to the arborio rice and cook till the wine evaporates
• Now add a cup of vegetable stock and cook till stock is absorbed. Now keep adding vegetable stock one cup at a time till the risotto is cooked. This may take unto 45 minutes
• Once the Risotto is cooked, lower the flame. Now add the tomato puree & fresh cream and stir. 
• Also add the sautéed vegetables to the risotto
• Add grated cheese, oregano, red chilli flakes and salt if required
• Garnish with some cheese and parsley and serve steaming hot

This is a simple yet tasty recipe which one can whip up easily.You may choose to add other vegetable like mushrooms or olive as a variation based on your preference. Happy cooking :)

Product Review: Chicco Cortina KeyFit 30 Travel system

Having a baby is a life changing experience. Somethings change forever, for instance earlier you could make plans at the spur of the moment, however now one needs to plan travel/ visits keeping the baby in mind.

One product that can really help parents when it comes to travelling with the baby is a Travel System. And the number of choices available in the market when it comes to a strollers, car seats and travel systems is mind boggling. Unfortunately we didn't find very helpful sales person at the stores to guide us & help us decide between strollers or Travel systems.

So we decided to reach out to some of our friends who had recently become parents. And we were rather surprised as we got a unanimous response, they recommended the Chicco Cortina KeyFit 30 Travel system.

Chicco Cortina KeyFit 30 Travel System
(Photo credits: www.amazon.com)

The first question that came to my mind was, why should one buy an expensive travel system when one can purchase a stroller at a cheaper price?

My friends explained to me that a travel system is a stroller which can fix a car seat on top.  These are convenient as you can just lift carseat out of car with baby and clip (facing you) onto top of pushchair. 

So how does this feature of fixing the car seat on top of the stroller come in handy?

From experience I can tell you that invariably your baby will doze off when you drive around with him/ her strapped in the car seat. Once you reach the destination all you need to do is to lift the car seat out of the base and place it on the stroller without disturbing the little one. If you are going to a restaurant you can simply carry the baby in the car seat itself. We have enjoyed many a dinners like this with the baby sleeping peacefully in the car seat at the restaurant.

The Car seat fits onto the stroller like this, allowing easy eye contact with the baby.

Additionally the car seat when fixed on the pushchair allows the baby to face you, that is not the case with most strollers. It helps when the baby is looking at you as it keeps her engaged and helps you keep an eye on them.

But does one really need a car seat for the baby?

I would highly recommend one since it keeps the baby safe during car travel in case of any eventuality. Also it serves the purpose of a rocker that one can use at home or restaurants. For instance we use the car seat at home when my little one wants sit in the sun after a bath or when we go to some restaurant.

I have been using the Chicco Cortina KeyFit 30 Travel system for about two months. Here are some of the pros and Cons that I have observed.

Some Pros

• The car seat is extremely convenient and easy to use. Easily snaps onto the base and easy to take out of the car
• The inserts in the carseat make it comfortable for use with Infants, providing adequate support to the baby when seated
• It can also be used as a rocker
• The car seats easily fits onto the stroller. This allows the baby to face you making it easier
  for you to engage with the baby when using the stroller
• The stroller is comfortable and easy to use & also allows one hand fold making it easy to stow and keep away
• The stroller is sturdy and stable and provides for easy storage 
• The stroller also provides for ample storage with the storage basket at the bottom & a few compartments to store smaller items or a drink when pushing the stroller
• The stroller is easy to steer and comes with lockable front wheels

The stroller provides for ample storage options- a basket at the bottom of the stroller and a small storage box for keys and other small items on the top along with a drink holder.

One hand fold design makes it easy to fold and store

Some Cons

• The car seat can be quiet heavy to lift once you put the baby in it. Also the car seat has a 30-lb weight limit for the baby.
• The stroller is a little bulky and difficult to use in narrow spaces
• This one is slightly more expensive than the other travel systems available in India and also the colour choices are very limited

Overall I am quiet happy with this product and would most certainly recommend it to other parents.

And the baby is here!!

You may have guessed why I have been away from the blog for so long. Yes, you guessed it right the baby is finally here and has kept me on my toes since his arrival.

We welcomed our little rockstar on 28th October and its been one hell of a roller coaster ride since then :)

Our little Rockstar

One may have this false sense of comfort that you are adequately prepared to welcome the baby but you have absolutely no IDEA what is about to hit you. I mean seriously no clue. I don't no where the last two months have gone. YES my lil one is two months old and its only now that I have found one hour in my life to write this post :)

Life changes, it almost does a 180 degree flip.

Those nine months are all about you that is the mommy.

How you’re feeling?

What you would like to eat?

Are you getting adequate rest?

How do you look now? Is the bump visible yet?

But all that changes the minute your lil prince/ princess arrives.

Now its all about

Why is the baby crying?

Is he or she hungry? When was she last fed?

When was the diaper last changed?

Did she poop today? 

And the only way to cope with this change is to be somewhat prepared. Now when I look back, I would have done a few things differently to make life simpler for myself.

Get that baby bag ready: I wasn't due for another two weeks so I was sitting pretty and didn't have the baby bag ready until the very last minute. But it would really help if you have this one thing sorted at least a month in advance. Once you are in the ninth month you never know when the baby decides to say hello to you. So in a hurry I managed to pack a few things and I obviously missed a few. However here is a list of essentials that I feel one must have in the baby’s bag

• Sheets/ small blankets to swaddle the baby, I would suggest you pack at least two
• Clothes for the baby. Be careful with your choice of clothes since babies cant tolerate extreme cold or heat. I would recommend onesies as they keep the child comfortable and warm. You could go for cotton onesies in summers and fleece onesies in winters. 
• Mittens for the baby
• Cap for the baby 
• Bibs since you may not be able to feed the child immediately. So bibs come in handy when you wish to formula feed the baby
• Diapers or nappies (the choice is yours) I chose diapers since my little one was born in winters. If you choose nappies, I suggest you also get nappy liners.  
• Baby wipes ( I prefer Pigeon or Johnsons)
• Small napkins to wipe the baby after they burp or throw up 
• Burp towels (these are long napkins that you can keep on your shoulder when you burp the baby. It protects your clothes from getting soiled)
• Small pillow for the baby
• Blanket
• Bottle or Paladai to feed formula to the baby. I chose to use the paladai as my doctor recommended the same. My paediatrician was not in favour of a bottle as that can cause nipple confusion in infants. So if you want to breastfeed your child, he felt it was best to avoid a bottle
• A diaper changing sheet/ Macintosh

Apart from a baby bag, I suggest you also prepare a bag for yourself which must contain the following

• Maternity gowns: After spending a day in those hospital clothes you would want to change into your own clothes. Hence I suggest you carry a couple of nursing nightgowns, these would be comfortable for you and also allow you to feed the baby. I forgot to pack these and requested an aunt to purchase these for me when I was in the hospital.
• Cotton panties (one size bigger would be more comfortable) that you can use and throw since they may get soiled on account of bleeding during the initial days. You may not be comfortable in the disposable panties that the hospital provides hence it helps to carry your own. 
• Sanitary pads 
• Toileteries; Although most good hospitals provide this, it would help to carry your own to make you more comfortable
• Hairbrush and make up essentials to make you look presentable when you are discharged from the hospital
• Clothes to wear home when you get discharged. Choose something comfortable

Also don’t forget to pack that camera and mobile charger to capture the first few moments of your little one.

Get some help at home: I made the mistake of believing that I could do everything on my own. Please accept it that you are no superwoman. Although the baby is the centre of attention and needs all the care it can get, one must not forget that the mother’s body has also undergone significant wear and tear and is in the process of healing. So while it is important to look after the baby it is equally important that the mother looks after herself. So solicit the help of some family member. If it is not possible for the family members to help, hire domestic help. A newborn can be very demanding & hence it helps to have someone around to help. Even if they can help take care of the infant for a few hours which allows you to get the much needed rest or sleep, things would be a lot better for you as a new mom. Remember your baby would be happy and healthy only if you are happy and healthy.

Preparing your house for the newborn: Decide which room you are going to keep the baby in and clean and sanitise that room. Keep a bottle of hand sanitiser next to the bed and request anyone who comes to meet the baby to use the same before they touch the baby. This may seem rude to some but its better to be safe than sorry. Babies can catch infections easily hence its essential to be careful. In case any of your relatives or family members have a cold, ask them to stay out of the baby’s room (you don’t want your little one coming down with a cold). 

So work towards prepping for the baby and enjoy the little one’s company once he/ she decides to grace you with its presence :)

Planning a baby shower

One of the most exciting events to the run up of the D-day is the Baby shower. Back in January, I planned a baby shower for one of my closest friends. Little did we know that eight months down the line she would be returning the favour by helping hubby plan a baby shower for me :)

My husband planned and executed a brilliant baby shower for me recently (obviously with some help from my girlfriends and my darling sister). I was absolutely floored by the level of detailing and how well he had planned it. The event was a great success because the brilliant event planner had looked into every little detail. So I thought it may be a good idea to put together my thoughts on what made the baby shower a success. It may give you or your hubby or friends a few ideas for planning the next baby shower :)

Here is a sneak peek into how hubby made the party a grand success

Select a Theme: Setting a theme for the baby shower is a fun way to engage your guests even before the event. Gives them something to think about before the event. Hubby decided to go for the unheard of Purple Vs. Yellow. To further add a twist to this, he incorporated the Cat woman vs. Batman twist to the purple vs. yellow. So all those who felt it would be a girl (team Cat woman), were asked to dress in yellow and those who felt it was a baby boy  (team batman) were to dress in purple. 

Theme for our baby shower: Batman Vs. Catwoman 

The theme could be anything of your choice.

- Book themed baby shower: you could request guests to be dressed as characters from    their favourite books. You could have a corner lined with storybooks where the guests   could leave a message for your bundle of joy in the book of their choice. The decor could    be done up with some of your favourite childhood books and fairytales.

- Bows vs. Moustache baby shower: you could send out props (bows and moustache)   with the invite or have props lined up at the entrance & ask them to pick a prop of their   choice depending on whether they feel its a boy or girl. 

- Pink Vs. Blue: this is the simplest to implement & you can go for this if you are short of    time and ideas as all props and decorations for this one are readily available (an    observation to the mad caps store in Mumbai). We planned a baby shower around this    theme for my friend, shall do a post on this theme next to showcase how we went about    it.

-  Colour of your choice: you could choose to do up the place in colour of choice, the     decor, invites, some cupcakes.

The list is endless, you could come up with any theme based on your creativity & the time at hand. 

Decorations: Sky is the limit when it comes to decor and doing up the venue for the occasion. Following are some of the online stores where you can find decoration items for a baby shower: 

The venue was done up with purple and yellow gas balloons with baby pictures of mommy & daddy-to-be hung at the bottom of the balloons

www.partyhunterz.com : These guys have an outlet in Bandra in Mumbai which is pretty well stocked. In fact a walk around there store could also give you a few ideas on how you could do up the Decor. The website also lists other outlets across cities & gives you the option to shop online. My suggestion, be creative and don't restrict yourself to the goodies available for baby showers. Use various props available to create something of your own.

www.onlinestore.madcapspartyshop.com 

www.party-anthem.com

If you stay in Mumbai, you may want to check out some of the party shops in Crawford market. If you can brave the crowd & have the patience to look around a bit you may find some goodies. 

But most of the readily available decor adhere to the pink Vs. blue theme. So if you have some other theme in mind, you may have to be more creative by doing up the place with Balloons, flowers and mix and matching the various props and decoration material available at the store. My suggestion, be creative and don't restrict yourself to the goodies available at the stores for baby showers. Use various props available to create something of your own.

The pictures may give you an idea of how my husband went about decorating the place in line with his chosen theme.

Props for the Mom-to-be: Since the event is all about celebrating mommy & her bundle of joy, one should make her feel special. So it may be a good idea to get her a tiara or a headgear (could be made of fresh or plastic flowers or ready made one). Your local florist or an outlet like ferns N petals could help you customise one. You could also get her a sash (like the one beauty queens wear) which reads Mommy-to-be (these are available at some of the outlets I have mentioned above & could also be ordered online).

My sister got a beautiful headgear made from ferns n petals in the colour theme of the evening

And of course a sash which I wore with pride

Engage the audience

Yes, this event is all about mommy to be and her little bundle of joy, but there is go to be something to keep the guests engaged. Now there are multiple ways to doing this

Photo booth: Hubby created a fun photo booth with a backdrop of Cat woman Vs. Batman and placed loads of props in the corner. Props ranging from fun head gear, slates & chalk for people to write message for the mom & baby, wigs, posters which read “yummy mummy” to name a few. In this age of selfies, if you give people a backdrop and the props to pose with it is surely going to keep them happy and give you loads of images as memories for years to come.

Create a fun corner with a nice backdrop which depicts the theme of your party

Add some fun props for people to come and pose with & your photo booth is ready

Games: It’s good idea to arrange for a few games that could engage the guests and create a fun element in the party. For instance at my baby shower my friends had arranged for the following games

Pin the baby: similar to pin the donkey’s tail that we played as kids, in this case it was about pinning the baby on the mother’s belly (they had created a cut out for the same).

Plan some fun games for your guests. This is pin the baby to mom's belly that we had at the party

List the maximum number of baby items: The guests were divided in 4 groups and each group was asked to list down items that would be required for a baby. The team that listed the most won.

Guess Mom’s favourites: prepare a list of questions that judge guests on how well they know mom to be. The questions could range from Mom-to-be’s favourite cuisine, favourite holiday destination. the team that answers most correctly would win.

Capture those moments: engage a good photographer to capture those fun moments. In our case, hubby clubbed the maternity shoot with the baby shower. So an hour before the party started we had the photographer capture some fun images of the baby bump. Our event was captured by Vrutika Doshi, you can check out some of her other work here
https://www.facebook.com/vrutikadoshiphotography. All the pictures in this post have been captured by Vrutika. We loved her work, her non interfering style of working and would highly recommend her.

Some fun props for the family members 

Fun foods & cake:  you have a host of options available when it comes to decorative cakes & cupcakes. Depending on your choice, budget and theme you could get a cake and cup cakes customised for the event. 

You may choose to incorporate some or all of the above elements depending on the scale of event. The idea is to have fun and create some beautiful memories. And a note to the Mommy-to-be, don’t forget to give yourself a break and prop your feet up every once in a while during the party so that you don’t exhaust yourself (all that extra weight can really tire you out).