Can this happen and if so what are the kind of activities that you could indulge in?
Meeting a friend over coffee: Once in while, having caffeine is not bad and you could surely catch up with your best friend or a bunch of friends who understand your need to feel good during pregnancy. This could be at someone’s home or at a café of your choice.
Watching a comedy movie or well known cartoon movie in theatres: Being pregnant does not mean you have to cut down completely on your social activities. Unless instructed by your Obstetrician who would have informed you to curtail your social do’s you need not fret. Yes do not be over adventurous to watch action or horror flicks as these are not really recommended as more than having an impact on the child you might get frightened which is not good. Instead, have fun by watching a good comedy flick or cartoons. It’s better to enjoy watching cartoons; sooner or later you will be watching much more once your baby is a toddler!
Go for shopping: Maternity phase has undergone a huge transformation. The shopping that you do in this stage for maternity clothing will not come back again. So while you shop to wear such clothes, do understand not to over indulge as these will be of minimal use post pregnancy.

Go in for allowed beauty pampers at a good salon: Going in for a manicure or pedicure will do good to your relaxation quotient. However be sure to inform your beautician that you are pregnant as some salons assign special beauticians to take care of you.
Going for a nice drive: Going out for a nice drive is definitely not a bad idea.  Early mornings or late evenings when the weather is good, you could of course go in for a nice long drive with an experienced person who knows to drive the car well and not cause jerks.
Reading: Pregnancy is a time especially your second trimester onwards you would realize you will have to be calmer and paced out in your life. So if you are not working make sure to utilize the time by reading not just on pregnancy books or infant care but others that you like. It could be magazine or novels. Reading will be a treasured activity that will be difficult to indulge in once you have the baby until the time the little one is less dependent on you.
So enjoy and take care.
Copyright 2012- The content is not to be copied anywhere else.

Posted: April 7th, 2012 under General Thoughts, Pregnancy and Parenting, Reshma's Blog.
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TRENDS We have come to a stage where we are all excessively dependent on search engines — whether it’s a pasta recipe or your doctor’s analysis, finds RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA

As the Internet has become an integral part of our lives, we are now using the Web space for work, correspondence and social networking. One product of the Internet, the search engine, has become so essential that most urban users cannot think of alternative tools.

Why do we use search engines? Because it offers instant answers to whatever we ask? The World Wide Web is a huge resource, and a search engine organises the information we are looking for, whether it is a question of etiquette or resume writing, or where to watch a movie, in any form we like.

Amrita S., a homemaker pregnant with her second baby, says she uses Google and Yahoo to learn more about parenting, recipes and just plain news. “Google or any other prominent search engine ensures I am very much updated on world happenings. Moreover I do find would-be mothers or anyone who wants to know anything that a doctor has said will definitely search for that condition, therapies and medicines available and how to tackle it.”

How dependent are people becoming on search engines? For Priyanka, a class 12 student, searching is an inevitable part of her life. She looks for information on a host of topics, whether the musician or lyricist of a song she liked on the radio or in-depth analysis of a subject that has been explained in class that day.

With many websites, including search engines as part of their page, people feel search engine information is trustworthy and presented as though a friend has shared it with them. Says civil engineer Akhila Haranahalli, “I use it mostly to learn more about anything from a pasta recipe, to why a certain friend’s platelet count went up. It helps as a source of reference pictures for sketching. Yes, it is fast and gives one information about almost everything under the sun. Also, the content is trustworthy and if someone mentions something that I have no clue about, I quickly do a search and update my knowledge about it.”

Do search engines encourage students to use shortcuts? Rishabh, a class 10 student, says he is so used to Googling — when he has to look for background material for his projects, the latest wallpapers, or anything on teenage issues — that he finds it hard to manage without it even for a day. He adds that searching on the Net has made life easier for him in completing his homework or projects and that’s what gets him hooked on to search tools.

Entrepreneur and techie Sheshgiri Kamath explains how search engines became inevitable. “Search engines are a means to an end, the end here being getting information. They do make the process of getting information infinitely easier and efficient than what we did in the past. However, even if they did not exist, our need for information would always exist and the human brain would have come up with alternative ways to get this information. This could be reading, travelling or something else altogether.”

What is revolutionary is the way they now work, he says. “Search giants are already mapping our search behaviour, which enables them to show customised search results, based on our online behaviour. This is like them knowing what is going on in our head and it is simply amazing. We are already living a future, where we are being given answers, even before we can finish asking our questions. It remains to be seen just what form search engines will take in the future. ”

John Battelle in his book “The Search” states that every day millions upon millions of people lean forward into their computer screens and pour their wants, fears and intentions into Google.

That human input is what is making this phenomenon something different from the kinds of research we used to carry out. “Link by link, click by click, search is building possibly the most lasting, ponderous and significant cultural artefact in the history of humankind: the database of intentions.”

Published in The Hindu Metro Plus on April 2, 2012. Link to the article-

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/article3270919.ece

Posted: April 2nd, 2012 under Published Articles, Reshma's Blog, The Hindu.
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Planning to start a brand new column regularly- Hope many from the related community would find it useful. Initially this would be collated information from various sources  and drawn from my own experience. I would be trying to incorporate a medical practitioner’s view at the earliest.

However the content under this column is to be taken for reference and please ask your Obstetrician or Pediatrician for further advice on pregnancy and child care. Happy Reading…

Welcome to the world of pregnancy and kiddo care!

Travelling during pregnancy poses a lot of queries for would-be- mothers. Is it safe? What care I need to take while travelling by road or air travel and so on. Many families in India are acceptable to the fact that a pregnant lady can travel by a train journey if her doctor gives the permission. Train travel is perceived less jerks, room for walking and provides the lady can take rest due to the structured seating design. While this is true, it is better to travel during your second trimester.

Please remember make tour travel plan only after informing your consulting Obstetrician and after he or she gives a go-ahead.  You would be most comfortable between tour 14^th and 28th week of pregnancy. Early stages of nausea or vomiting would have traduced and you would be comfortable with your body. You would have not yet put on too much weight and would be easier to move around.

The following suggestions are for that one-off long distance trips. In case you are working and have to travel every day then make sure you travel in a car rather than the auto rickshaw in India to avoid unnecessary jerks and bumps. If this turns out rater expensive, choose to travel by buses where you are assured of seating space. Be watchful of your movement during boarding and alighting on the footboard. If seating space is just not available for a day in the metro train or the bus hold on to the railings but at all times be safe. If you feel uncomfortable do not hesitate to ask for a seat or get down at the nearest stop.

Long Distance travels

LAND OR ROAD TRAVEL

If the choice is to travel by road, try and choose a comfortable car. Needless to mention short travels are better during road trips in pregnancy.

The seat belt should be worn correctly. For a better grip for you and your baby within you, wear the seat belt below your belly and directly across your hips, not across the belly. This is good both on safety and comfort wise.

Be sure to take a break like rest stops every hour. Walk about for a few minutes before moving forward in your trip. This is to ensure you are repositioning your body and getting up and walking helps in aiding comfort level during long distance travel in pregnancy.

Make sure to frequently rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes. This will help the body to keep the blood circulation. And of course be sure to be dressed comfortably.

Essentials to carry during you road trip:

• A small pillow for your back
• Water
• Healthy snacks like fruits, sandwiches prepared at home
• Books to read
• Music to listen on headphones

AIR TRAVEL

• Do ensure you let your doctor know that you are travelling if need be by air. You might need a medical certificate as a requite by some airlines to allow pregnant women to travel. Choosing an aisle seat with enough leg room will help you get up easily when you want to walk about or use the restroom.

Things to take note of during your air travel:

• Do not hesitate to ask the flight attendant for any kind of help to make you feel comfortable during the journey

• Your entire medical history copy

• Avoid if possible long hours while travelling by a flight

• Eat foods that are well cooked (veggies, fresh salads, fresh fruits and clean water are your safest bet).

• Make sure to wear support stockings for your legs to avoid swelling.

RAIL TRAVEL

Many Indian women prefer using the trains while travelling long distance. It is safe though you should carry your medicines if you have been taking, choose lower berth and utilize the space by moving around once in a hour for five minutes.

Essentials for Rail travel

• Make sure to take a small pillow for your back
• Books that you like to read
• Music to listen on your headphones

So if you want to travel during your pregnancy make sure to have a safe and enjoyable trip.

My experience: I have traveled by car short distances within the city and by train on long distance. I was careful and did enjoy my travel and never faced any complication due to my state of pregnancy. Thank God!

(If you want to comment on this article do so by getting in touch with me on the Contact Me tab).

Posted: April 1st, 2012 under General Thoughts, Pregnancy and Parenting, Reshma's Blog.
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