by Bringing you the very first story for ‘Pregnancy Diaries’. If you are would-be-mum who wants to share your journey on pregnancy phase or a mum who wants to recollect her pregnancy story with pictures, reach us at mumsandstories@gmail.com
Meet Kanupriya Agarwal, who says she is a mom to an almost 5 year old naughty boy, a social media consultant, a parenting & travel blogger and founder of a very popular women-only community in Mumbai, called Powai Women Networking. Kanupriya holds an MBA in HR and also is a postgraduate in Advertising & PR.
This interesting mum was recently recognized by Facebook and was invited by Facebook India to Delhi last year as one of the most prominent groups in India. This women’s’ day, she received an award from Young Environmentalists for empowering women through digital media.
For the Pregnancy diaries on Mums and stories, she shares, “First of all, my pregnancy was nothing like I had imagined. I had not seen anyone close to me getting pregnant before me. So, I had absolutely no idea how pregnancy “truly” is. I had imagined it would be hard for me to carry on with the regular day to day activities, or to even sit up, climb the stairs and so on. Only after I conceived, I came to know from my doctor, I can be as normal as I was before. It came as a surprise to me.
I would say my pregnancy was neither difficult nor totally a breeze. I didn’t have any major complications fortunately, but, I did develop thyroid and gestational diabetes. Due to this condition, I had a lot of food restrictions. I was of the opinion that, pregnancy was a time where in you could (or should) over feed yourself with all the good food, but, during my time, it was the opposite.
I was barely allowed to eat 3 proper meals! So, these were some things that I was not prepared for, not that it bothered as such. But, this is one reason I feel we should share our experiences with others around us (whether good or bad), so would-be mothers are prepared for what is to come or they know one can never be totally prepared for it J
I can’t recollect any one “special” moment during pregnancy. But, the day, I realized I am pregnant was really a special one. And the other would be when we saw our baby in 3D scan during the 4th month. We were thrilled to bits. It was such a unique and a beautiful feeling.
Well, because I had GD, my baby was growing really fast. The strange thing is I barely put on 9 kgs throughout in 9 months, despite my baby growing quickly! So, the doctor decided to induce labor 10 days earlier as they didn’t want to wait more. So, this was what I could say a difficult part as I was not prepared to go in early! But, what followed was a 2 day stay hospital without any sign of labor. So, ultimately, I had to go in for a c-sec delivery, which scared me till no end. Again, because I wasn’t ready for it. But, having said that, it was pretty smooth. The hospital staff were extremely professional who knew their stuff well and were very capable to handle new moms and their anxieties.
To the would-be moms, I would say, firstly, please join a good pre natal class in your city. It really helps in multiple ways. You are more prepared to handle sudden changes. You know what is going to come. Secondly, like I said, every pregnancy is different. So, one cannot predict what will happen. So, be prepared to face challenges and have faith in God. Last days of pregnancy should actually be spent in enjoying more and worrying less. But, don’t forget to prepare the hospital bag well in advance J
If you have the right kind of help and support system at home, being a new mum can actually be fun. In my case, I didn’t always have strong support system, so, it was kind of difficult for me. The initial trouble comes in the form of breastfeeding. I too had a lot of difficulty from the day we were discharged from the hospital. But, I got it sorted by visiting a lactation consultant. After that, there was no looking back. I nursed my son till he was 23 months old and never had to give him formula. I feel one should not hesitate to visit a lactation consultant and also take help from family and support groups in case of difficulty in feeding. And I would again like to mention that before becoming a mum, I didn’t know this could even be a problem, I didn’t know we should exclusively breast feed for 6 months. What I mean is that it is very helpful to read about experiences of others to prepare ourselves better.
On a final note I would say, share experiences with each other and stay happy.”
