Tag: The power of XX

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet some not so sweet moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

Diet!
Its quite fashionable to throw this word around but a correct diet is of utmost importance to a new Mom. Not only for her but also for the baby. 

There are umpteen guides on what to eat and what not to eat and with respect to the latter, I found that trial and error was the only way to decide. Something as basic as ‘ वरण भात ‘ (Varan Bhaat) – can cause the baby to suffer from Colic. (This is simple meal of Rice and Toor Dal or Arahar Dal or Split Pigeon Peas with Salt, Ghee and Lemon). 


‘डिंकाचे लाडू’ Dinkache Ladoo or Laddoos made from Edible Gum are a must for new Moms and grandmas are the ones who have to make it. This calorie and nutrient rich sweet offers a load of health benefits. Luckily I was saved the effort of making them as every visitor chose to bring this particular gift … We were inundated with boxes of Dinkache Ladoo.
All were identical except ones sent by a dear friend who said they were ‘कच्च्या डिंकाचे लाडू ‘ ..They looked and tasted totally different from the usual ones despite having the same ingredients. 



My daughter became a big fan of these which motivated me (yes me.. a reluctant cook) to get the recipe and make them. And yes, they passed stringent taste test …Yay!!!!

Do you make Dinkache ladoo?
What special diet foods have you made for a new Mom? 
I am sure my thoughts will cause a Deja vu to some of you, especially anyone who has hosted a new born. I would love to hear from you!


Here are links to my previous AtoZ attempts. 
2013 Mixed Bag
2014 Exercising For Fitness
2015 Gardens of Pune
2016 Herbs
2018 Contemporary A to Z
2019 Caring for the Caregiver

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet some not so sweet moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants)and are not meant to be a guide.

Cry
Babies sleep, feed, play and cry! 
Its a most natural thing. My husband says crying is one of their ways of communicating with Mom.. maybe its something they don’t like, or they are hurting somewhere etc.. Its for adults to decipher what our baby is telling us and act accordingly.


In the initial week, I being the Grandma was expected to ‘know’ reason for crying and the solution.. Hungry kya? Wet kya? or Colic kya??

So burp the baby.. that’s easier said than done. We had been shown  different positions to encourage the baby to burp. All these images make the task look so simple, but trust me, its not easy.. 
While its considered bad manners for an adult to burp, that’s the best sound you want to hear from an infant!! 


Bath time is another situation when babies cry.. The trick is to have water at the correct temperature. In the absence of a thermometer, I simply dipped my elbow in the water and adjusted it till it was comfortable. Usually it worked!


What did you do when baby cried? 
I am sure my post will cause a Deja vu to some of you, especially if you have hosted a new born. I would love to hear from you!

Here are links to my previous AtoZ attempts
2013 Random topics
2014 Exercising For Fitness
2015 Gardens of Pune
2016 Herbs
2018 Contemporary A to Z
2019 Caring for the Caregiver

See you tomorrow folks!

Disclaimer: My posts do mention some products or service providers but these are not sponsored and not meant to be an advertisement. All posts from a maternal grandma’s point of view!! 

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. Here are links to my previous AtoZ attempts. 
2013 Mixed Bag
2014 Exercising For Fitness
2015 Gardens of Pune
2016 Herbs
2018 Contemporary A to Z
2019 Caring for the Caregiver


To become a grandmother for the first time has meant precious days, highly emotional, highly demanding and filled with gratitude for the Almighty. 


People think that become a grandmother means she (in this case me) is immediately endowed with solutions, tips, knowledge of how to handle the newborn. That may have been true in bygone times when every house hold had many kids and grandkids. But we live in an age of small nuclear families and most of us have one or two children. Some are DINK couples (Double Income No Kids). The joint family concept is almost over. 


So for me, the job of a grandmother has been learning on the go. A fulfilling responsiblity that has had me reading, learning many new things. 

You see, medical science has evolved in past few decades  – Obstetrics and even care of newborns (Neonatology) has new concepts. One cannot be stuck in the past and I have had to adapt and fast. Of course there is space for the traditional time tested customs and I have tried to fuse traditional with modern. 


Grandma duties include looking after baby, letting the new Mom rest as much as possible, ensure she gets her nutrituve meals on time, deal with visitors and at times even refuse them visiting (even at the cost of misunderstanding), ensure that the laundry and other usual home chores go on as usual. I specifically mention laundry as baby clothes need special attention. 
This is just for starters. There is no place for complaining or anything that lane. No comparisons either.


I now realise the efforts my Mother (and Mother-in-law) had made years go to ensure I had a comfortable and happy time with a smooth transition. 


Now it was my turn.


By now you must have guessed my theme.. 

Yessss… it is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Sweet moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 


I am sure my thoughts may cause a deja vu to some of you, especially anyone who has hosted a new born. I would love to hear from you!

Hello and Welcome to my sixth attempt at the AtoZ blogging challenge.
My theme this year is Caring for the Caregiver. My posts are based on my experience and are not meant to be a comprehensive guide on the subject. I would love to hear your experiences..
You can catch up with my previous posts here.
With each post, I am sharing a sketch that I have done as a means for stress busting. 


Zombie
Care giving is demanding physically and mentally and can turn us into Zombies! 

When the caregiving period ends (either because our wards have healed and are fully independent now or any other not so happy  reason) – it creates a void. Suddenly there is nothing to do. One can feel empty or guilty of not having done something. 


We need to ‘switch off’ as it were, phase out our minds away from the situation of illness/handicap/dependency that we had to deal with and get on with our lives. If possible take a short holiday or a long one if you wish. A change of scene does wonders. This is especially helpful if you have had a long spell as a caregiver.


Dont be in a hurry to sort out paper work or possessions in case your ward has passed on. These things can wait. 


Consciously avoid becoming a Zombie during a care giving phase or once it is over.

However, as I said before…
There is no one size fits all solution. 
Every family has to find something that suits them best. 
At best, posts such as mine will inspire a family to come up with their unique workable plan.


The final sketch…
Part of the time when I planned these AtoZ posts was spent at the waiting room at a hospital where I escorted my Mom for her Radiation Therapy. It had a Fish Tank which I guess was meant to distract or soothe patients. I dont know how many people even noticed those lovely colourful fish as they swam around their glass tank, looking out at folk sitting on the chairs.


Here they are…

Can they feel the pain and distress of the patients as they try to come to terms with their diagnosis?

And here is my sketch .. to mark the end of my Mom’s therapy and the end of this challenge. 

I have had a very busy time, as care giver. Hence some of my posts are not what I had envisaged them as. 
I do plan to update them along the way.. so do come back .. 

This has not been an easy topic to write about. Some of my thoughts may sound harsh and heartless at times. I hope I have been able to encourage and help caregivers in some way. 

How has the AtoZ treated you?
I would love to hear from you.
Take care folks and Stay Happy!

Hello and Welcome to my sixth attempt at the AtoZ blogging challenge.
My theme this year is Caring for the Caregiver. My posts are based on my experience and are not meant to be a comprehensive guide on the subject. I would love to hear your experiences..
You can catch up with my previous posts here.
With each post, I am sharing a sketch that I have done as a means for stress busting. 

Yes
This simple word makes all the difference to being happy care givers.
Say Yes to Letting go
Say Yes to Saying No as well 
Say Yes to Staying Happy and Fit
Say Yes to Technology 


Say Yes to all means at available to you to do your job more efficiently and happily.

However, as I said before…
There is no one size fits all solution. 
Every family has to find something that suits them best. 
At best, posts such as mine will inspire a family to come up with their unique workable plan.


My sketch for the day ..
I meant to draw a Dragon but I am not sure if this even resembles one.
😖

Either way, the process of drawing served the purpose and I ended up feeling calmer that when I started off with the sketch.


Only one more day to go folks.
See you tomorrow with the last post.
Stay Happy!