Pregnancy Diary: Second trimester

                   Welcome to the most wonderful time of pregnancy! If you haven’t checked first pregnancy trimester yet, don’t forget to check it out. I had heard, in the first trimester that energy level would return in the second trimester and that nausea and morning sickness would subside. So yes! The second trimester is the cakewalk for me compared to first and third trimester.

                   The risk of miscarriage drops to 10 percent (or less) in the second trimester. I was still nervous and decided not to tell people about the pregnancy until I complete 4 or 5 months.  But, sometime during this trimester, people will actually be able to see that you are pregnant.

                   My second trimester was filled with a lot of the fun planning things! We chose to announce a pregnancy. Also, I felt better during this trimester so plan and host gender reveal party at the end of this trimester. I know in India, it is illegal to know the gender of the baby. 


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                   Since we are in the USA, here we can get a chance to know the gender of the baby at week 20 scan. And we took it because, Throughout my pregnancy, I planned to celebrate it all possible fun ways. So yes! We celebrated gender reveal party then baby shower. It was full of fun and thrilled trimester.  In my upcoming post, I will share my gender reveal party and baby shower party too.

My second-trimester Pregnancy symptoms:

• Morning sickness:

                       nausea and fatigue characteristic of the first trimester begin to fade for me as I move into my second trimester. I was completely done with it by week 18 or 19.

• More energy:

                   The second trimester thankfully bought a burst of energy for me. I was started feeling more energetic. And yes apparently it happened overnight too. It was a blissful time. I started doing my daily routine activities.

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• Mood swings:

                     Most of the moodiness disappeared by the second trimester. I read in one of the books that, You may have more energy and fewer mood swings as your hormones balance out.

• Back Aches:

                     Backaches was like on and off the middle of the day. But, whenever it appears, it was terrible to move. I feel better when I switch from couch to chair. You can have chiropractor care for your back aches during pregnancy which I came to know after delivery.

• Dizziness: 

                I  noticed it whenever I stand up too quickly. I discussed it which my doctor in regular visits and he told me, it’s because growing uterus puts pressure on blood vessels. So don’t get up too quickly and never lie on your back.

• Itchiness:

                   As my stomach grew, It became ridiculously itchy. Moisture your skin frequently. Itchiness mostly happens at the end of the second trimester.

• Hair growth:

                     My hair started growing feast during the second trimester. because Pregnancy hormones can boost hair growth. It becomes noticeably thicker!

• Headaches:

                     It is one of the most common pregnancy complaints. Try to get plenty of rest. Also doing deep breathing helps a lot.

• Weight gain:

                    After the end of morning sickness and nausea my appetite returned. I didn’t notice any food craving but Still, I noticed some weight gain and growth.

• Baby moments:

                       Your baby’s first movements may feel like bubbles popping. As I said every time, everyone’s pregnancy is different. I notice baby’s first moment at week 19. If this is your first pregnancy, it may take you a little time to realize that those fluttering feelings are your baby’s movements. In second pregnancy women noticed those moments as early as week 13.

• Sleep issue:

                  I used to get more sleep during my first trimester compared to second and third trimester. In the second trimester, I notice a big drop in my quality sleep. Because of that, sometimes I feel exhausted all day.

• Shortness of breath:

                  Sometimes I feel it in this phase. My Doctor always said to me, As your baby grows it begins to exert pressure on your organs, including your lungs. It is common for women in their second trimester to experience shortness of breath or an increased feeling of internal pressure. The doctor also recommends me to sleep on my left side.

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Exercising in the Second Trimester

                  The most important thing about exercise during pregnancy is to listen to your body and only do what you’re comfortable with. In the second trimester, I feel better, less nauseous so I started doing yoga. I was gentle with myself and I listened to my inner voice. Because of low risk of miscarriage, you can exercise a minimum of 30 minutes. Exercise strengthen you for the physical task of labor. If I missed yoga someday, I always go for walk.

                 

           So this is all about my second trimester. Enjoy your second trimester, as I said earlier, this is easiest of all three trimester.

Pregnancy Diary : The first trimester

                     

  Hey everyone! Hope you all are doing good.. let me tell you first, why I am writing this post. I think it is a great place to share with everyone who are pregnant or not. Some who are pregnant with lots of symptoms going on may read this and feel comforted by the fact that, they are not alone, and women that are yet to be pregnant can be educated on what happens during the first trimester of pregnancy!

Everyone’s body is different, so yes everyone’s Pregnancy experience is also different. The first trimester of pregnancy is such an interesting time – there’s so much going on altogether. The excitement of creating a new life. The secret that you can’t wait to share with your friends and family. Dreaming of how much your life will change in 9 months time. There’s so much fun – the positive pregnancy test, the first ultrasound and first time seeing your baby’s heartbeat, sharing the news with loved ones. Truly, I think this is the most exciting time of life.

But wait.... Everyone is not a lucky one to enjoy this phase to that extend.. Because this is also a time of discomfort and sometimes frustration. Most women have some serious first trimester symptoms. Yes! I am one of them. For some of us, the 1st trimester is a 24-hour challenge where we sleep, vomit, sleep, vomit and repeat. I am not here to scare anyone. Don’t get me wrong. Indeed Pregnancy is a great thing.

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My first trimester and Symptoms:

My first trimester symptoms started around 6th, 7th week of pregnancy. I remembered at 6th to 7th weeks just a little bit nausea was started. I thought it’s ok. Not a big deal and I was confident that I will handle this. But, After One or two weeks the real fight was started with vomiting, morning sickness, tiredness, nausea.

• Morning sickness:

           Many women noticed morning sickness as first thing in the morning but for me, it’s not for the morning only, it happens with me all time of a day, sometimes afternoon, sometimes evening. It was like 24 hours sickness for me. At week 10, I was stopped going out. I started canceling all my social plans. I remember in week 12 I canceled one of my family friends farewell who moved to Texas from Chicago. Most of the day I was too flat and nauseous to move further than the sofa.

During this time I was lucky if I cooked lunch or dinner. My poor husband cooked everything for us During this time. He used to prepared breakfast lunch then goes to the office. Again he has to prepare dinner for us. (But now, he barely come into the kitchen 😃) I spent most of that time staring at a blank wall or sleeping. Because that was the only relief I had. I tried almost every home remedy for nausea and vomiting but nothing worked.

            Not all women go through this phase, I remember some of my friends don’t even face any pregnancy symptoms other than changes in body. Well, I think they are luckiest.

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• Tenderness and body change:

Soon after conception body generates hormones because of which we noticed some change in body. You may find it helpful to wear comfortable clothes.

• Smell and Food aversions :

I don’t know why but, I hardly craved for anything in my entire pregnancy.  When you're pregnant, you might become more sensitive to certain odors and your sense of taste might change. My nose was my worst enemy during my pregnancy. I was super sensitive about the smell. I couldn’t able to bear the smell of my kitchen. Especially ginger and garlic strong aroma. Usually, our Indian food is incomplete without ginger, garlic so whenever my husband starts cooking, I was preferred to get my self locked in the bedroom. It may look dramatic but, trust me it's happened with most of the women’s. And Yes! I stopped eating my favorite food, egg, and chicken. Suddenly strong dislike developed for my favorite food and my aromatic Indian diet.

• Mood swings :

Mood swings are totally Normal whereas depression is a different matter. Your mood can swing faster than anything because of the massive surge of hormones. I remember sometimes I was so excited about the pregnancy, sometimes spend a day in worries of everything going on, sometimes feel fear. It was in roller coaster ride of emotion altogether. But I am lucky about close friends with whom I Shared my feelings. Yes! Share your feelings with others and spend time with new parents or a pregnancy support group. It helps a lot.

• Tiredness :

I was so tired. I used to take long naps during day time.

  There are so many pregnancy symptoms like dizziness, constipation, hair loss, heartburn, increased urination. As I said, everybody is different so everyone’s symptoms may be changed.

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How to get rid of Pregnancy Symptoms :

• Sleep a lot and make sure you are well rested. During early pregnancy, levels of the hormone progesterone rise — which can put you to sleep. So Rest as much as you can. It was my first pregnancy so it was possible for me, no one was there to disturb me. If I try for a second pregnancy, I don’t know how my son going to allow me to take longer naps 🙄.

• Make sure your stomach is never empty. Do not eat large portion in one sitting. Instead, eat meal frequently.

• Keep snacks and fluid handy. Keep the crackers beside the bed, and have a nibble before you try to get up.

• Get up slowly after waking up

• Try to do prenatal yoga. Try to be active if possible.

• Get some fresh air. Whether at home, at work, or anywhere in between, make sure you’ve got access to good air circulation

• It’s important to stay hydrated. Try to drink your fluid in between the meal. Sipping throughout the day is a good idea.

• Try to take your prenatal vitamins just before bed. Prenatal vitamins may make you feel nauseous sometimes.

• If you tried everything and still don’t feel better just talk to your doctor. For me, the doctor prescribed some medicine to get rid of nausea and vomiting. And it helps me a lot.

Just remember this time will pass and soon you are going hold a beautiful miracle in your hand and Enjoy your precious moments. I handled my first trimester by reminding those lines to myself.

And don’t forget to share your experience in a comment section.

Travel essentials and tips for an Infant

            We did couple of trips before Parth turned One so I know how stressful sometimes it is. But, by planning before we can enjoy trip happily. Though, I am not an expert to give tonnes of advice. But, Based on my experience, I can surely share some helpful tips. I made sure those things below, Which might helpful for you for your first flying trip with an infant.

Before traveling :

1. Make a detailed Packing List: I does the travel essentials list about a week before we actually fly. This helps me to remind things, Also to add things as I thought. I also made a note of how many of each item we should bring. This way, you can organize things pretty well. If you forget something, there is no need to take the stress. I realized if you forgot something, you could just pick it up while you were out on your trip.


2. Buy covers for a stroller: We actually forget to buy multipurpose stroller weather protector on both of our trips. In our New York trip, suddenly weather changed and it was raining which we never anticipated. Due to which we had faced lots of problems. Unfortunately, it was out of stock in nearby area too. So I think, it’s better if you buy it before a travel.


3. Use backpacks as your carry-on luggage to free up your hands: Different Airlines have a different rule regarding luggage. So make sure to check it before packing. We pack our luggage in three items;
• Suitcase (1)
• backpacks (2)
• Diaper bag
  This way, we can avoid over-packing and it doesn’t seem like we have tons of luggage with us. Trust me, it works out pretty well.

   my travel essentials list for Infant

1. Gear:

▪ Car seat and Stroller : Strollers and car seats are not counted as part of the standard baggage and therefore can be easily checked for free. But Leave car seat base at home. You can use car seat with a regular seat belt. So there is no concern about renting a car on trip. But, be sure your car seat is made to be used like this. Because all models are different. Use stroller which fit for your car seat. But, when your traveling cities like New York, an umbrella stroller is the best option. It is lightweight and easy to carry in the metro.



        ▪ Baby carrier:

It is best while security check on the airport. They allow you to go through the metal detector while still wearing your baby. Also, the baby gets really tired sometimes on a trip and doesn’t want to sit in the stroller. So baby carrier helps us to keep them close.


  2. Well organized diaper bag:

 • Clothes– Pack at least two or more pair of clothes depending on your travel time. A pair of socks, 1 vest
• Diapers and wipes– 4 to 5 diapers. One wipe pack
• Bibs – 2 bibs, Some babies get nauseous in the plane so bring along a cloth and two bibs just in case!
• Thermometer– fevers always pop up at the most inopportune time. (I use a Veridian Healthcare Mini Temple Touch Thermometer and love it.)
• Medicines in a zip lock bag with dropper– We take Tylenol/and Multivitamins.
• Changing Pad
• Hand sanitizer
• Baby Food– I brought the pouches of baby food to use on the airplane, bottled water.
• Zip-lock Bag of baby food - I place my baby food in a separate small plastic zip bag. It includes two pouches of food (I used plum organics baby food from Costco ), two disposable bibs, two plastic spoons (munchkins is my favorite), formula, one packet of cookie, tissues and face wipes, Bottle for milk, sippy cup. If you Keep your baby food in a ziplock then, it’s easy to check in the security check.
• Jacket/sweater – It gets really cold on the airplane so I like the baby to be wearing a nice cozy and comfy sweater or jacket.
• Favorite toy- carry a bunch of toys.(I always keep his favourite toy car and train in a diaper bag) Put some in the diaper bag and some in carry-on luggage.
• A new toys - sometimes if the baby becomes more cranky it helps them for instant distraction.
• Breastfeeding cover  -  If you Brest feed your baby then it's useful. Many moms chose to breastfeed during takeoff and landing to avoid ear pooping.
• Scented diaper trash bags
• Baby blanket - since we were heading to Miami, I preferred to keep soft, muslin cloth blanket.
• Pacifiers - Parth didn’t normally use a pacifier. But I kept it in the diaper bag to give him during takeoff and landing to relief ear popping.


          3. Suitcase/carry on luggage:

▪ 2 outfits per day
▪ Pajamas one set per day
▪ Warm hat/sun hat
▪ Socks
▪ Shoes/ sandals
▪ Sunscreen
▪ Diaper Rash Ointment
        ▪ More diapers and wipes
▪ Disposable bibs and bags
▪ Bottles or sippy cup for water
▪ Bottles for milk
▪ Formula
▪ Baby shampoo
▪ More baby food/ homemade cereal
▪ Plastic bowl with a few more spoons
▪ A little bit of Dish-washing liquid (to clean up the cup, bowel, spoons, and bottle) and a small sponge.
▪ Extra zip lock bags.

•   Book your flight in baby’s sleep time.
• For unpaid lap infants, you will need to carry proof of age like a birth certificate or passport.
•          Do not choose Exit Row when you are with Infant. There is a rule that, No lap children or infant seat  are allow in Exit Row. We were unaware of it on our first trip. 
•        Before you fly with your baby first check with the pediatrician for an ear infection. Otherwise, flight journey would become worst.
•        Make your baby suck pacifier or bottle while flight take off and landing. Because such a suctions helps your baby to balance the pressure in the ear. And they feel better.
• Even if your baby cries more on the plane, don’t get panic. It’s natural to worry that you’re disturbing other passengers, but by getting over stress your baby may fuss even more. Just say sorry to fellow passengers on behalf of baby. Stay calm and handle situation patiently.
• Wipe down everything as soon as you got your seat. Tray, armrest etc.
• Divide your stuff equally in carry-on luggage and suitcase. So that, if you missed luggage, you can survive.
• Gate check your stroller and car seat. And don’t forget to get a tag for your stroller at a gate. Because, if it is got damaged you can claim it

                  If you have any other tips, do share in a comment section. I would love to hear it from you.
 

Traveling with Infant

  
            We loved traveling a lot so when Parth reached to 8 months, my husband and I decided to take a break from daily routine and plan a trip to Miami from Chicago. It was Parth’s first trip so we thought before flying we should do the road trip in the nearby area for trial. But unfortunately, we were not able to make a road trip.
             I remember how I was scared a week before we fly. There were so many questions in my head at that time. How Parth is going to react to the new place, how he will adjust in hot weather etc..  and yes the main concern was ear popping during takeoff and landing of the flight. But, by planning ahead and keeping a few key considerations in a mind makes your traveling with a baby easily manageable and it is actually fun.  I made a list a week before, That's helped me to rewind the things.
Consider your baby’s sleeping time while booking a flight. Schedule your flight during a time your baby usually sleeps. It increases the chance that the baby will sleep through the entire flight. And you can cover maximum flight time peacefully.
In our case, we schedule a flight during Parth’s nap time. As soon as Flight takeoff within 5 minutes he slept for two hours. Remaining hour was quite easy. We did the same thing while returning back home. And yes, don’t forget to bring a blanket along with you in carry-on luggage to cover the baby carrier while the baby sleeps.
My next measure concern was the location where we stayed. Before having Parth we used to find the best hotel in the best location within our budget. Because we never spend much time in the room.
             But After Parth, priorities were changed. I need a space which has access to the kitchen, along with safety and comfort. And my search ends with Airbnb (Sign up with this link and get $40 of your first stay). It was our first time giving Airbnb a try and was worth it. We choose an apartment which includes kitchen and We have been really happy with the places we have stayed in.
             When traveling with a baby the idea of eating out for three meals a day is not easy. Because of a kitchen, I was able to feed Parth fresh homemade baby food on vacation also. It also allows us to keep enough food and snacks around.  Before booking a place I contacted the owner and told her that We are with baby. She immediately responded that she will provide a crib for us. Was a great help from her side.
             Parth was so happy and we enjoyed a vacation very well. Many people avoid traveling with infants because they think it’s hectic, expensive, and they won’t remember it in the future. Seriously, I don’t believe in such excuses. He loves it as much as we do.

 

 
             He seems to sleep and eat better, and he smiles and giggles more than usual. What I actually learn from this trip is, we both spend more quality time with Parth.  My husband has a full-time job so yes, he gets limited time daily to spend with Parth. Sometimes I am also get distracted with my personal stuff. But on vacation, we gave more attention to him and yes; our bonding becomes even more beautiful. And our first experience became great.

             What I believe, when traveling with kids at this young age teaches them to adapt to different surroundings and they learn to have patience. We did one more trip when Parth turned One to New York, to make his first birthday memorable. What we noticed in the second trip is he doesn’t easily get exhausted by unexpected situations and remains calm, knowing fully well and birthday trip works out well.

          

               It’s is a little bit hard than Traveling solo or couple but not tough. It has a unique experience in itself. So just cherish those moments. I will share my travel essentials list and hacks in an upcoming post. So, if you are a new parent just do a trip with your infant without hesitation.