My pregnancy through my To-dos(part-1)

I am somebody who loves to plan ahead and not only big events but everything, even the day to day activities. I am more comfortable if I have planned things beforehand. So I am always making some or the other To-do list. Trust me these do come in handy.  There is no risk of missing out on things and no stress of remembering things. The key is to be realistic while planning and be prepared that even if 30% of it fails it is still a very good scenario.So when I got the news of my pregnancy confirmed, I knew what I had to do next. Being an obsessive planner I sat down with my diary (in this day and age, I still prefer a diary,call me old school). Following is my way of planning through my pregnancy and my recommendations. One disclaimer before you proceed that I am no medical practitioner and this is based purely on my experience-

1. Read all about pregnancy-I read all about what I might be experiencing in coming months and what could be done about that. 

I recommend registering to https://www.babycenter.in/. They send you weekly updates that ways you save a lot of research time. You don't know need to go anywhere else. Also ain't it fun reading about how your baby is growing inside you:)

2. Check about the exercise plan- I tried to setup an exercise routine. Since I struggle with cervical issues, I wanted my body to be ready by the time I gain all the extra weight and before my bump grows. I followed prenatal yoga routine by Lara Dutta, my doctor had recommended it. You can join any yoga class or check with your doctor about any exercise routine. It is generally recommended that you do some sort of light exercise as it keeps your body active and improves blood circulation.

3. Eat right-Keep a check on what you are eating. If need be prepare another list;)

a.Go crazy on Proteins! High intake of protein is recommended as it keeps the amniotic fluid levels in check. So have besan cheela, sprouts, daal, chola, rajma, cheese, tofu, almonds etc.I had faced this problem of low fluid volume during last month since I did not realise the importance of a high protein diet. Luckily nothing bad happened but it would be good if you can be careful about it from the beginning.

b.Have smaller meals every 2hrs and include protein in all of it.

Include all the other nutrients as well, have beetroot or spinach for iron, have milk or curd for calcium. Doctors will anyways give you supplements but its good to have these in the natural form.

c. You will be feeling extra hot during, so have buttermilk or tender coconut water regularly. You can also have fresh juices.

d. For the morning sickness, keep crackers ,biscuits or dry fruits by your bedside. Have it the moment you are up. I tried lot of other things as well like fruits, juices etc, but nothing else worked.

e. If you are one of those who are dealing with nausea, try to keep eating every 1-1.5hrs but since this would mean gaining weight too quickly so be mindful about what you are eating. Also things like fruits, salads, curd which keep the acidity and heat in your stomach in check will help you keep the nausea down. Nausea usually dies down by 4th month once your hormones settle.

f. Drink lots and lots of water, it will help you beat the heat. Also it will help in reducing the acidity and gastric problems. Eating lots of proteins without feeling gassy or heartburn is impossible, high intake of water makes it possible even in the 9th month. It is tried and tested. I was eating proteins every 2hrs and drinking 9litres of water at one point.

g. Do not forget to take your prenatal vitamins- doctors generally recommend iron, calcium and folic acid. Do take these regularly.

f. Enjoy what you eat!! this is the only phase where you can eat guilt free, so pamper yourself. I remember I had major nausea issue till 4th month, I had to work from home. I would sit near the washroom with my laptop and keep rushing to the bathroom every now and then. But once it got over I went all out on those yummy cheese sandwiches, cakes and ice creams.

But I never had those cravings, I checked with my doctor about it, who by the way is very cool, she said it is a phenomenon that has come from Bollywood movies;)

4. Keeping up with the salon appointments- I experienced a lot of skin problems due to pregnancy. People say you get that glow during pregnancy but not for me, i got dark skin and skin pigmentation. The only relief was my hair. That was the best time for my hair. I love UrbanClap for being there when I was going through this phase. Salon home services are the best:)

Let us take a break at this point, it has been a pretty long post:)