Vaccination

I took Aisha for her vaccinations. We had two follow-ups earlier, on her 15^th day and 37^th day. She weighed 2.5 kg on her 15^th day, ie, gained around 0.25 after we left hospital. She was ok, the doc said, and there was nothing to worry about her pre-term delivery. On her 37^th day, which was my expected delivery date, she weighed 3.6 kg, was 51.2 long with a head circumference of 36 cm. The doc said she has become a normal baby, ready to explore the world. He gave me a short counseling, ‘coz of my worry when the baby vomits or makes sound when breathing. Well, that was right. Her sleeping time has reduced from 23 and half hours to some 15 - 20 hours and she started to observe her surroundings. She smiles, she knows my sound and smell.

Her vaccination day was her 52^nd day. She cried a little. My uncle was there in the hospital, a pediatrician, and he gave me advices about how to take care of her. Her belly button was protruding, which we haven’t noticed in any other babies. Uncle said it is ok to have protruding belly button till she reaches one year or so. I was relaxed.

Aisha's Day Out

I took Aisha for a get-together today. Usually in our place no one goes out with their children until they reach 90 days. But Hubby S gave me permission for the get-together, and so I went with my brother N. Aisha was happy. I saw four of my friends with their kids. Aisha was the youngest of all. She was glad to be out of the cold place, my home, and to be out of her flannels and blankets. She enjoyed the outing.

At around 4 pm, Aisha felt sleepy but couldn’t sleep with so many people and noises around her. And me, as a first time mom, had no idea about how to put her to sleep. Aisha started crying and then started screaming. I was planning to go home when my friend S, a mom of two, came to my help. She took Aisha from me, and cradled her to sleep. Aisha was asleep within minutes! Thanks S for your help! You are good Mom.

Aisha's First Day Out

Mummy Starts

Yesterday my mid-wife, Aisha's R-mom left. Now I'm here to take care of Aisha, with the help of my mom. Aisha was sleeping when R-mom left, and so she couldn't say goodbye to Aisha. Well, today I massaged Aisha with medicinal virgin coconut oil. Not that difficult as Aisha loves the massages. It was my mom who bathed Aisha, 'coz I was afraid if water would get into her ears and nose. Aisha was very co-operative.

Enjoying her massages!

Hair Cut

Today it was Aisha's first hair cut and her Aqeeqa. She was sleeping when the barber uncle came to take her hair. She was sleeping during the hair cut and after the cut! Her R-mom bathed her and put new dress. Her aunties, uncles and grand-mom came to see her. My aunties and uncles were also present. It was a big gettogether of our relatives and neighbours after a long time, may be after my brother's marriage. My elder brother, whom Aisha calls Vallikkakka and his family was not present. We missed them a lot.
Aisha's uncle, my hubby's twin brother and his family were the special guests of the occasion. Aisha woke up for a few hours during the day time, which is very very rare. She was able to see her relatives.

Before Hair Cut, Sound sleep.

Aisha's Aqeeqa.

After Hair cut...still sleeping!

Advices Not Welcome.

Before becoming pregnant, and even before my marriage, I used to wonder about the nuclear families who don't have parents or grandparents to give them advice about their post-delivery period and baby care. Now I think its better not to have them with you. The reason? So many. Let me add a few. Those written in read are the old beliefs and those in green what the doctors have to say.

• They say babies hiccup to get their belly bigger. Hiccups occur when the diaphragm (the muscle that helps us to breathe) contracts forcefully. Feeding with the baby in the lap, patting on her back etc are done to stop or reduce the hiccups..
• Tears in the eyes make their eyes bigger. Some babies are born with a blocked tear duct, which causes tears to back up and overflow. Massage therapy is best for this problem.
• Possetting in babies make them grow faster. New-borns vomit often when their peristaltic movement is not normal. It can be reduced by holding the baby upright for some 15-30 minutes after every feed, patting their back until the burp comes out and laying her in a half sitting position.
• Massaging the head/hair with a lot of oil makes their hair grow faster. The kids will suffer from cough and cold with such a lot of oil.
• Black collyrium (kajal) should be applied on their eyebrows to make it thicker. Nonsense!
• Protruding belly button should be pressed down to make it normal. It becomes normal after 3-4 months. Pressing it may bring infection on the belly button.

There are a lot more. This list will go on at every stage of Aisha's growth. ;)

Eid

Today was Aisha's first Eid. R-mom was not here, so we had a difficult time with my mom suffering from fever. It wasn't a great Eid, and I forgot to dress Aisha in her new clothes. Two of my brothers were here. We didn't make any special meals. I couldn't go to the mosque as it was only the 16th day of my delivery.
Hope we have a great Eid for Aisha the next time.

All covered in flannels and blanket... On Eid

Bathing Baby

It was today that I bathed Aisha. The doc has said its ok to bath her, but we were not so sure about it, as Aisha was around 5 weeks premature. After long discussions and consultations with different doctors, we decided it was time to bath her. It was her 10th day and we have only wiped her with wet towels until now. R-mom bathed her in lukewarm water, after massaging her with medicinal coconut oil. I was afraid if she would cry, but she was sleeping all the time. She opened her eyes when R-mom poured water on her head. A few moments later, she resumed her sleep. This was her fist bath.

Day 9 - Dad leaves

Today at 4 am, Hubby S left to Dubai. Aisha was sleeping and so she was not able to say  good-bye to her dad. My mid-wife, R or R-mom as Aisha would call her, was there to help me with the baby and to give me oil massages and medicinal bath. This continues for 40 days after delivery, or its a 40 day spa!

Day 6 & 7 - In the ICU

It was time for the birth registration of our girl. A name was needed. I suggested Seena (Mt Seena in the story of prophet Mosa (PBUH)) and hubby S suggested Aisha. Finally, we decided Aisha.
My maternal uncle, a paediatrician, came to see me and my baby. He checked her and found she had physiological jaundice. He called his friends working in the hospital and asked them to check it. The next day, Rainbow's doc came in and asked the nurses to do the blood test. The Bilirubin count was 12.3! She was taken to the ICU. I missed her a lot, and I had to squeeze milk into a bottle every 2 hours and take it to her. Every 6th hour I had to go to the NICU to feed her. The night was terrible, nobody could sleep. At four in the morning on 7th, I went to feed her. Waited infront of the NICU till five, 'coz the nurses were busy with more risky babies. I could hear song from the ICU.
While I was feeding her, I saw a mom. She was waiting there for her baby who is also in the ICU. She had squeezed milk in a feeding bottle, and inside the nipple she had put some cotton. When they brought her baby to her, I was shocked. The baby was very small, weighing below 1 kg. The baby was fed with drops of milk, which took a lot of time and patience.  My mom asked about her whereabouts. She is a mother of two, a 3 year old girl and a new born, born at 7 months. The elder girl is with her granny, and this mom is staying at hospital alone, just to feed her new born every two hours. Staying at the hospital is very boring, and staying alone is even more boring!
I was happy that I was leaving the hospital after 1 month! I couldn't wait to reach the warmth of my home, to meet my dad and aunties. My aunties were staying with my dad when my mom came to stay with me at the hospital.
We left hospital at 8 pm. It was raining all the time. By 10 we reached my uncle's home were my maternal grandmother was . A five minute stop there, and then we left to my home. At around 10:30, we reached home. Wow! Home at last! The aroma, the light, the familiar bedsheets (after staying in green bedsheets for 1 month), the home-made food and my family - everything was very welcoming. A good night's sleep after so many days!!

Aisha At Home

Day 3

Due to the medications after my C-section, breast milk was scarce and I had to give Rainbow some formula. But that was only once in a day. Yesterday and day before yesterday they took the baby to have her sugar tested. She doesn't cry much, only once for a few seconds, and then resumes her sleep. She was all packed in flannels,blankets, with socks, mittens, caps etc to keep her warm as in the womb. It was November, and the air was cold with rain pouring often. We could see the drenched Calicut (Kozhikode) town in news papers. The retreating monsoon flooded Kerala.
I waned to go home as I have been staying in the bed for almost 1 month. My doc has promised that I could go home on the 6th day, if Rainbow is all right. I never have felt home more inviting...

Staring at the world.

Nov 1, 2010 - The Longest Day of My Life.

I don't remember if it was sunny, cloudy or rainy morning. When I woke up at five in the morning, I was feeling very very hungry. I had a chicken the night before and the doc has asked me to eat anything after 11 pm. I could drink water till five. My stomach started shouting and roaring. After a while I started vomiting, but there was nothing to vomit. I was starving.
I had been there in the hospital for almost 1 month. I went for my usual follow-up to my gynecologist on oct 5th to our near by hospital, MES Perinthalmanna. The doc has suggested a scanning. I felt something wrong when I saw the face of the radiologist. I asked him if everything was alright, and he said "yes". But it was wrong. As soon as I saw the report (My mom saw the report earlier and she consulted the doc) I felt a jerk in my stomach. The Remarks on the report read 'There is a suggestion of chord around the neck'. Not again! I was admitted there, and later transfered to a better hospital, MIMS Calicut. Three times I was scanned and each and every time the remark on the report read the same. No way for a normal delivery, the new doc said. Well, normal or c-section, we wanted a healthy baby, after the loss of our first one. After the third scan, when we were sure that the baby was ok to be taken out, we planned for the c-section. Nov 1st, the day my rainbow completes 35 weeks, was chosen,  and Hubby, S, who was abroad scheduled his leave. He landed Kerala on Oct 30th.
By 9 am I was changed and taken to the pre-operation room, where my doc and the anesthesiologist came to see me. at 9:30, they took me to see my family and then they wheeled me to the theater. Five minutes infront of the theater when the nurses had a quick review of my file.
The song 'Aadi ushass sandhya poothathivide...' from the film 'Pazhassiraja' greeted me to the theater. The translation goes like this - 'The first dawn and dusk was blossomed here...'. Isn't that a beautiful song to welcome my Rainbow?
At 9:40 the anesthesiologist started with his work, but succeeded only at 9:50. I felt my legs numb. The nurse near to my head was explaining the procedures they were doing and the anesthesiologist was patting my head. I felt so soothed and fearless. Ten minutes later, the gynoc told me that the operation was over and I could hear the cry of my child. Wasn't that the sweetest sound I ever heard? Seconds later she announced the sex of the baby, a girl and she showed me the butt - that was my first sight of the baby, lol. And then I saw her face, when the nurse had put her in the tray. A pink, blue and purple face was all I saw. She was taken to the infant care section. The doc cleaned my wound and I was taken to the ICU after showing me my family. My daughter was in my mom's hand.
About half an hour later, the nurse brought my daughter to me. The id band on her wrist read: B/O Najeeba, DOB: 01.11.10, Time: 10.01. A binary timing! She weighed 2.5 kg, 45 cm long, with head circumference 33cm and chest 31 cm. She came 38 days earlier!

Aisha's first Day

As soon as I got her, I recited the last three Surah's of the Qura'an and blew softly on her body.  Later I learned that my maternal uncle has recited the Aazan for her. She was silent and sleeping. The nurse helped me to feed her every two hours. It took a lot of time for me to get to the fact that, at last, my Rainbow was with me.
The ICU day was so long... I wanted to get back to my family and waited eagerly for it. They took me to my room, No 507 Old Block,  only the next day.
My days were getting shorter from that day onwards....

Rainbow says 'Present'

The first communication of our Rainbow came this day...

Actually, I put this post on 28th June 2011. You know, I kept this test result in my shelf and went to India. When I came back, it was still there!!!