Pregnant Diaries

Pregnancy is the most beautiful journey I have embarked in my life so far. It is a mix of emotions from happiness, anxiety, fear, stress etc. I would like to share some useful products and tips that helped me through my beautiful journey. 

Helpful buy's

Body Pillow - During the initial days of 1st trimester I have had back-pain. I didn't want to go for any medication or balms so I researched a bit and found this body pillow. This is one of the best buys of my pregnancy, it not only helped me relieve my back pain but also helped maintain a good posture throughout. The small leg pillow helped support the tummy as it grew bigger.  I would definitely recommend body pillow for all expectant mom's. Here is the link to the item click here 

Compression socks - It is recommenced for pregnant women to stay active during pregnancy unless the doctor says otherwise. One of the safest ways is to keep walking to avoid blood clots. If you cannot move a lot or need to sit in the same place for longer duration you can try compression socks which keeps the blood circulating and avoids clots. These are also helpful if your are driving long distances or sitting for work for more than couple of hours. Honestly speaking I didn't use them much as I was making sure I walk at frequent intervals but would recommend for those who cannot walk and stay active click here

Foot massager - Gaining weight can be stress on the feet and adding to that we keep walking and moving around. Luckily for me I never had swollen feet but I used to feel my feet soar sometimes. I had this click here foot massager for few years now and I started to utilize it more during my pregnancy. I filled it will warm/lukewarm water and soaked my feet in it for about 30minutes. You can chose to add either Epsom salt or soothing oils for more effect, I chose to stick to just warm water. My feet were all refreshed and rejuvenated after the 30min cycle. The above massage is super helpful but it involves a bit of work i.e. filling water, cleaning afterwards etc.. so I had to get help all the time. So, I found a simple and handy foot massage/roller click here which will help soothe the feet and keeps the blood circulating during the days I cannot use the massager. I simply use it while watching tv or even while working. Combination of both these products helped me relieve the foot pain. 

Cerave products - Remember your skin needs to be equally hydrated as much as you body. So using the right kind of safe products is equally important. Keeping your skin hydrated and moist helps avoid skin irritation and itching which is one of the common symptoms many moms-to-be face during pregnancy. I am very hesitant on using any product on my body, so I stopped using every product I have and did a bit of research and found that Cerave products are completely safe for during pregnancy. I was never a heavy makeup/cosmetic person but the even the basics like body wash, face wash and moisturize. I immediately shifted to cerave products. Below are the links for products I am using

Body wash - click here

Hydrating facial - click here

Hydrating  Moisturizer - click here

Just as much the skin needs hydration so does your lips. I have very dry lips and I need to constantly apply lip balm. Did a bit of researching and found that EOS lip balm is safe to use during pregnancy as it is no chemical, no paraben, no phthalate and gluten free.

Lip balm - click here

Stretch mark cream - Sorry ladies I didn't have any stretch marks so I didn't get a chance to try it, I prefer not to recommend something that I never used 🙂. I used to apply coconut oil during early days of my pregnancy, can't tell for sure if that helped with strech marks.

Next, it's important to feel comfortable in what we wear, so I shifted to maternity clothing and got the below.

Inners - click here 

Maternity Bra - click here [these are multi purpose they grow as you progress in pregnancy and can be used for nursing also]

Pyjamas - click here

Pure cotton tops - click here

Maternity/Feeding dresses - click here

What I ate

Diet is the most important part of pregnancy. Mother and baby need nutritional food. 

I have been heavy on sugars, caffeine and biryani's my whole life. As soon as we came to know about our pregnancy I immediately cut all three of them and shifted to a high protein, low carb meals. Initially it was difficult but as I got used to it I couldn't wait for each meal. I have experimented meal plans and decided on what suites my taste buds the most. I have got most of my meal ideas from the below link.

https://www.babycenter.in/a1046500/pregnancy-diet-plans-trimester-by-trimester

Apart from regular meals I kept the below handy throughout pregnancy

For nausea

Saltine Crackers - click here 

Tummy drops - click here  [haven't really had much nausea but really helped me with heartburn]

For heartburn

Tums - TUMS Extra Strength Antacid Tablets for Chewable Heartburn Relief and Acid Indigestion Relief, Assorted Fruit Flavors - 330 Count click here

For Constipation

Colace - I had severe constipation around 35/36 weeks of pregnancy so I was prescribed with colace. I took it regularly since then. Apart from medication I tried the below natural remedies for constipation

• Eating 3-5 prunes every morning on empty stomach
• Detox juice made with celery, spinach and apple [remember fiber rich foods help with constipation, but be careful not to overtake fiber as it could lead to diarrhea

I feel being fit and active throughout pregnancy is very important not just for mommy-to-be but also for the baby. I have tried to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay active throughout. I did most of my chores by myself including cooking, folding clothes etc.. After every meal I made sure I walked atleast for 15-20 minute's depending on my health situation. Along with this I have incorporated the below workout

Exercise / Classes

We took Bradley course for childbirth. It was a 12 week course. It did give a lot of useful information but at some point we felt it was dragging a bit. It's just us, everyone is different. I would recommend signing up for some classes so that parents to be are prepared. There are several classes available, even hospitals offer classes so make sure to check with them when you go for hospital tour. Coming to exercise I did the following exercises starting mid pregnancy

• Pelvic rocks
• Kegels
• Squats [please take help with squats, not recommended to do them when your are alone]
• Sitting on birthing ball

Note: Please consult your obgyn and take their recommendation before you start exercising.

Preparing for the D-day

As I approached my due date I had my checklist/baby registry ready, baby stuff delivered and installed and my hospital bag packed and ready to go. I will share absolute must haves for the hospital bag below.

My hospital bag checklist

•  Maternity inners (3)
•  Maternity/breastfeeding bra (2)
•  Going home dress
•  Comb, Compact powder, Hair bands, Lip Balm, Tooth brush
•  Body towel and face towel
•  Phone + charger
•  Few pairs of socks
•  Fleece/Throw
•  Breastpump(lactation consultant will show how to use it so please carry in case you have questions on usage)
•  Nursing pads
•  Nursing pillow
•  Sanitary pad(hospital grade in case you have heavy bleeding postpartum)

For the Baby

•  Baby onesies
•  Cap
•  Mitts & Socks
•  Swaddle cloth
•  Towel
•  Diapers
• Wipes
• Burp cloths
• Baby grooming kit

Alohaa...Hawaii

Deciding on island
One of the important factors on visiting Hawaii. Hawaii consists of several islands each of which are diverse with a variety of activities. Based on our criteria we decided we will be going to Oahu and Big Island
→ Maui - scenic drives, Hana, beaches
→ Oahu - Beaches, Hawaii city life, Museums, International airport
→ Big Island - Active volcano(will get to see the lava flow).

Planning and budgeting: We started browsing various sites for deals ex: Expedia, Priceline, Costco travels(we have Costco membership) etc. Please make sure to check multiple sites as they run promotions.

Flight & Accomodation: We got a really good package in Costco travels for flight, hotel and shuttle. There are packages including car as well but we did not take it initially thinking we will not be needing one. Our package was RT to HNL and accommodation.

Travel: On the day of travel wear a light jacket and be prepared for a long flight. Food is provided as it will be a long flight. Upon arrival every passenger is requested to fill an agriculture form(kind of declaration on what was brought onto the islands).

Transit and parking on the island: Parking is a big pain on the islands. Hotels charge around $35-$40/ day and every place we visit has parking fees. Looking at this we initially did not rent a car assuming we would be fine with shuttles and ground transportation, but eventually rented a car for convenience.

Island hopping: We booked local flights from Oahu to big island. The flights are pretty reasonable and they take about 45min of travel time. On Big Island we mainly wanted to see the active volcano, it was just a day tour so we did not stay there that night. We flew early morning and came back in the last flight for the day

Day-by-day activities

Day 1: We landed around 1pm super excited. We were greeted at the gate with fresh lei(flower) garland. Took shuttle and reached our hotel, our shuttle driver was very friendly he suggested several local eats and some fancy restaurants to try. We took hotel near Waikiki beach, this is the most popular area to live if you are visiting Oahu(walkable to beach, restaurants, activities, mall..very happening). By the time we reached Hawaii after a long flight we wanted to spend the rest of the day relaxing. So we checked hotel if there are any events going on in the hotel(hotels host live musical evenings or hula shows so make sure to check with them). Our hotel had a hula show and wine tasting evening so we got freshened up and went there. Spent some time there and went out for dinner. We wanted to go for fine dining, after doing some research around we finalized hula grill Waikiki. Very fancy place with amazing views. This place is always crowded, reserving a table will be helpful. If you are in Hawaii and you drink, I totally recommend having Mai-Tai's or Pinacolada. We had them in every restaurant we went.

Day 2: I called it Beach day, got our beach towels, beach chairs, umbrella and lots of sunscreen and we headed towards the BEACH. Hawaiian beaches are the best, if you visit during peak season beaches might be crowded. We went during thanksgiving which are kinds off season in Hawaii. We were able to find a good spot so started set up our chairs and umbrella. It was such a relaxing day watching the waters(shades of blue, as the sun shines on it. Amazing!!!). It was a bit sunny(higher 70's to lower 80's), we spent around half a day on the beach and grabbed a quick bite. I was looking for some local eat's near the beach and found this amazing place Mami's empanadas, a small truck with few seats. We had empanadas and corn arepas, very authentic flavors. This is right on the beach walkable totally helpful for a quick bite after spending time at the beach.

Mami's Empanadas

We walked around the Waikiki beach area in the evening(weather was just perfect, sunny but not hot, cloudy but not raining). We stopped at Rumfire for some drinks before heading back to our hotel. Very nice views of the beach and a cool place to hangout. My husband had local beer and I had pinacolada in a coconut, oh yeah thats actually fun

Day 3: This was the day we travelled to big island. We had a really early flight from HNL to Hilo. We rented a car coz the travel from airport to volcano national park is about 1 1/2 hr.  We booked the Lava hike - half day extreme hiking tour which involves hike on the black mountain(hardened volcano). This is by far the most difficult hike I have done but at the same time it was amazing. Very unique experience, we actually got to see the hot lava flow. Make sure to wear a good hiking shoes, carry plenty of water, snacks, energy bars, hat, sunscreen and a good camera :) The tour guide will walk us through which path to take and where to walk as we are pretty much walking on a active volcano dried up few years back. The tour name is lavatours.net and Cheryl the owner of the company and tour guide is amazing. By the time we were done we were super tired. We spent the rest of the day on the island exploring waterfalls, hilo farmers market(drinking fresh coconut water). Had dinner and reached airport.

Day 4: We were a little tired because of the hectic hike in big island the previous day but the fact that we have submarine scooters scheduled was exciting. We got ready and rushed to the Aloha water sports(about 20min drive from Waikiki). If you are planning to do underwater activities make sure to eat a proper meal before diving in. People assume that eating and diving doesn't go well. But no, you need to have energy to do your activity. We had a heavy breakfast and went to the boat. Typically small boats takes us to a point where we can see some fish and underwater life. We rode for about 10min to reach the spot and the guide explained safety measures and instructions to follow. We were given life jackets and signed all the paper work. So the trip takes 4 people at once so me and my husband were teamed along with another couple. We were all set and when our time came we were asked to step down the boat(a ladder was attached to the boat) into the ocean. Our tour guide was waiting with the scooter. I was asked to hold the scooter, take a deep breath and dive into the oceans and reach for the helmet and get into the helmet. Ok so I had trouble as the helmet was about 20inches deep and I took like 2-3 turns to successfully get into it. Once I got all settled in I was asked if I was doing okay(when the guide gave instructions they will show by the moment of hands okay, not okay, get me out of here signs). I waived saying I am doing great. They took few snaps of me and the merged the scooter a little deep where I can see more fish and sea-life. It was amazing, while I was roaming around in my scooter I saw my husband just getting onto his scooter. Once he came along we took some pictures with our GoPro roamed around the fishes. Amazing time. Underwater stay was for about 15minutes before they pulled our scooters out of water. We came back up, had some snacks and relaxed. At this point we were extremely tired with back to back activities so we reached our hotel and look a long power nap. We went for dinner and drinks at Rumfire. It was nice place very lively with good views of the beach.

Day 5: We were pretty tired with the previous two days activities, started the day relaxing. We had reservations for Hilton Waikiki Hula at 5pm, they did the hula indoor due to some weather conditions which was fine. It would have been nice if we had it outdoors but this was fine too. Hula is a traditional Polynesian dance, very unique performances. I would totally recommend going to at-least one of the hula performances. Make sure to go on time as there will be line. We were welcomed with the LEI fresh flower garland and escorted to our seats. The program began with some introductions, fun activities(ex: tattoo paintings) and live music performances followed by dinner buffet. Loved every bit of the performances never felt bored, the fire show was awesomeeeeeee.... I don't think I can express this more with words so I will post few pictures(they speak for themselves).

Day 6: This was the last day of our trip. We packed our stuff and checked out of our hotel. So there was this guy from Mami's Empanada(we ate on Day 2) who suggested us to drive to north shore. Its a scenic drive that covers Oahu island roundtrip would take about half day with halts. It was a scenic drive indeed, beaches, view points, scenic drive, local halts etc. We drove for about half a day took tons and tons of pictures. I would recommend spending at-least couple of hours driving to north shores. We get to see the country side of Oahu lot different than the busy Waikiki lifestyle.

Honeymoon in Paris

Paris is one of the most romantic places on earth and a perfect honeymoon destination.  After a hectic wedding all we want a relaxing time to spend with your loved one. I got married in April (5 days Indian wedding) and post wedding ceremonies and visiting pilgrim places in the hot days of India totally drained us out. I was really looking forward for our honeymoon as I was dreaming about Paris since 16. Months before our wedding I started planning Paris trip.  I did all my homework of how to apply for Schengen visa, where to stay, what to see etc.  To begin with we require a visiting visa to enter France. So we applied for Schengen short term visiting visa. Please refer to my post on Schengen Visa on how to apply.  After booking tickets I started looking for where to stay, places to visit, where to eat etc.. I wanted a stay in a room with Eiffel tower view so we booked our stay in Pullman Paris Eiffel with Eiffel tower view(make sure to ask the hotel about view when you make reservation). This is located in a great place, just blocks away from Eiffel tower and restaurants.  Streets were busy any time of the day since it was located in walk able distance to Eiffel tower.

Coffee places one thing I love about Paris is coffee places. There are a variety of local coffee vendors throughout the city; I mostly drank mocha’s and cappuccinos. You can try few places such as La Cafeotheque, Cafe Aouba, Foundation Cafe etc..

Places we saw

Eiffel Tower – Most spectacular views of Paris can be viewed from Eiffel Tower. Climb the tower both levels for the best views.

 

Montmartre Area: Montmartre is talked about by Parisians the way New Yorkers talk about the Village: It's not what it used to be, It's like Disneyland, the artists can't afford to live here anymore, too many tourists etc.

 

Avenue des Champs-Élysées - Frequently described as ‘the world’s most beautiful avenue’, the Avenue des Champs-Élysées is a Paris must-see. Tourists and Parisians can be spotted strolling at any time of day or night and at any time of year along this iconic two-kilometre stretch between the Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. Like the Eiffel Tower, the avenue is a symbol of Paris. It is lined with restaurants (Hard Rock Café, l’Atelier Renault, Ledoyen etc.), luxury boutiques (Louis Vuitton, Mont-Blanc, Guerlain, Ferrari etc.), flagship stores (Banana Republic, Abercrombie, Sephora etc.) and nightclubs. It is also the setting each year for major events such as the Bastille Day military parade, the arrival of the Tour de France and the Christmas lights. Finally, the Avenue des Champs-Elysées has some of the top museums in Paris: the Grand Palais, the Petit Palais, the Palais de la Découverte and the Espace Culturel Louis Vuitton. Round off your visit by climbing all the way to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for a spectacular view of Paris!

The Louvre or the Louvre Museum is one of the world's largest museums and a historic monument in Paris, France. The museum is located in Louvre Palace.

Paris Pierre-Herme Macaroons: My husband and I did a "Macaroon crawl" across Paris and hands down these were the absolute best. The perfect treat exists here! No cafe, just small shop with the most delicious macaroons you'll ever have.

Schengen Visa

The Schengen Area is the area comprising 26 European countries that have abolished passport and any other type of border control at their common borders, also referred to as internal borders. It mostly functions as a single country for international travel purposes, with a common visa policy. The Area is named after the Schengen Agreement. Countries in the Schengen Area have eliminated internal border controls with the other Schengen members, and strengthened external border controls with non-Schengen states. The Schengen area encourages the free movement of goods, information, money and people.

Twenty-two of the twenty-eight European Union (EU) member states participate in the Schengen Area. Of the six EU members that do not form part of the Schengen Area, four – Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania – are legally obliged and wish to join the area, while the other two – Ireland and the United Kingdom – maintain opt-outs. All four European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland – have signed the Schengen Agreement, even though they are outside the EU.

1.     First determine if you need visa to visit Schengen countries, list of countries that fall into the Schengen category are: (https://www.axa-schengen.com/en/countries-schengen-area). If you are an Indian citizen you would need visiting visa to enter Schengen countries. Citizens of other countries please check visa requirements under http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/requirements-exemptions.html.

2.     Determine the embassy/consulate nearby to you.  List of embassies for each Schengen country in USA and India are as follows: http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/embassies-consulates.html

3.     Now, gather the list of documents needed to apply for a visa

                         i.         Application form http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/application_form_english.pdf

                       ii.         Two passport sized photographs.

                      iii.         Copies of all pages of passport(include blank pages also).

                      iv.         Proof of medical insurance (for travel dates)

                       v.         Proof of sufficient financial means.

a.     It is recommended to have enough funds in your account. Please reference the below link for an approximate expense information for each Schengen country per day. http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/means-of-substinence.html

                      vi.         Application fees: Schengen visa fee is

a.     60 Euros per person – Adult

b.     35 Euros per for children 6-12 years of age.

c.      Free for children less than 6 years.

                    vii.         If non-US citizen, copy of valid us visa.

                   viii.         Supporting documents such as airline tickets for the duration of stay, hotel confirmations, and car rentals etc. Please make reservations but do not pay until visa is issued.

Note: If visiting Germany or Denmark supplementary documents are needed. For Germany fill http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/germany_declaration.pdf and for Denmark fill http://www.immihelp.com/visas/schengenvisa/supplementary_information_form.pdf