All about Superbottoms

To advance Cloth Diaper my baby was a decision I made even before I was pregnant. I did a lot of reading on cloth diapers and came across Superbottoms through Facebook ads. Firstly I fell in love with the prints more than anything else. I knew their product categories, prep routine, fit and even a bit of trouble shooting by heart. All that was left was to get pregnant and get the cutie out to flaunt the diapers. To be honest, I did have a mixed newborn stash from a few US and UK brands along with the Superbottoms Newborn covers stash. With Superbottoms, the soakers were ready to go with 5 washes and the others were still repelling water. I stopped preppping them and bought another newborn starter back from SB. I didn’t want to use the diapers in the meconium phase and D started pooping 8-9 times a day from the 11th day onwards. I was using CD only for diaper free time during that time.

I started to exclusively cloth diaper D with SB from when he was 2.5 months old. I was in Ooty at the time and the weather was very unpredictable but I continued with 6 newborn covers and 6 soakers. The first time D wore the SB, it leaked after one pee. My cousin who is also a cd’ing mom helped me with the fit and I haven’t faced a leak ever since. I was very reluctant to use an AIO* considering the tedious wash routine. At 120 days roughly, D was outgrowing the newborn covers. It was getting tight at the leg crease (he’s a tall baby) and I bought the one size covers. I was still using 2 disposables at night. That’s when team SB launched the UNO, a one prep all-nighter with a detachable soaker 😵. I bought my first UNO and put it on D one night. It lasted a whole 14 hours. I was beyond thrilled and bought a couple more. Now I am an exclusively CD’ing SB mom. I use CD’s even for outings and that’s when wetbags come into the picture. They’re water and smell proof bags to hold your soiled diapers. Wetbags are very versatile, if u have 2 or more of them you can use one for fresh diapers, one for the soiled ones and the other for just about anything. As of now my stash has 3 covers and 12 UNO’s (I bought a few just for the adorable prints). I want to add a couple more covers because I’ve come to realise that covers are the best. For daytime diapering, for diaper free time ( just put a normal cloth nappy inside the cover so that the pee doesn’t soil the clothes), for mix and match of inserts, homemade flats and pre folds and unless the cover gets wet (rare) I reuse it alternatively with the other covers. So yaay for covers and yay yay yay for UNO at night and longer durations. Also, fleece liners are a great option for babies who poop frequently. It leaves no stain and cleaning is much easier compared to cotton inserts. Apart from diapers, SB also make training pants,  wetbags, backpacks (diaper bag), sling bags, diaper changing mats, bibs for babies and toddlers and adorable mini diaper keychains.

I am a very happy Superbottoms & an eco-friendly mom. This is one way of giving back to the environment I guess. About the cost, you only need to spend 50% that of disposables and plus, u can reuse them for a second baby if maintained well. That’s the reason behind mom’s buying used diapers to try before investing in new ones. The satisfaction is immense. To top it all, the customer service/helpline team is absolutely the best. SB is founded and run by mum’s & are always ready to help, not only with CD’s but everything you’ll need wrt parenting ❤️
A few tips for those of you wanting to make the shift:
- Buy one diaper or maybe a starter pack and use it before building a stash. There is a small learning curve & once you hit it, there’s no looking back.
- The advantage with SB is that you can wash the diapers in the washing machine along with your regular laundry if you follow their wash routine correctly. .
-Invest in covers! Unless you use it, you won’t know that they’re god sent.
- Join the Facebook peer group, Superbottoms family to get a better picture
https://m.facebook.com/groups/265744833756569?ref=share
HAPPY CLOTH DIAPERING 😊😊
*All-in-one diaper : has the insert stitched inside the shell.

(This is not a paid post and all the views expressed are my own)

Labour story

I don’t understand the word ‘normal’ in labour. Giving birth itself is normal. No mother should be blamed for going through a c-section. In fact, extra respect for the mom’s who agree for a c-section for valid reasons. I would’ve been petrified to sign those papers. From my personal experience I think that the labour process depends 80% on the doctor one chooses. It’s also the most important decision. I had a pretty smooth pregnancy with very minimal sickness and swelling. The only issue I had was at 37+ weeks when I developed PUPPP/PEP rash on my stomach. I had to apply calamine lotion about 10 times a day to control the itching. Luckily I went into labour on the 3rd day of the rash.
A day before I completed 38 weeks, I was extremely (EXTREMELY)restless. I just wanted the baby out and nothing else. G and my mom had caught a viral infection and were running 102 plus temperature even after  doses of antibiotics. I also had slight temperature from that evening though not troublesome. All I was hoping for was to go into labour once the two of them get better. I  had back pain through the day but continued with the general stretches and climbed 400 stairs. At 3 in the morning on 12th August I felt like I was getting  cramps. Till 3:45 this went on with 5 minute intervals. I googled (pregnancy and googling go hand-in-hand) and also from what I had learnt from my antenatal classes, decided to time the cramps which were actual contractions. I downloaded an app that was meant for tracking contractions and started timing the pain. It was regular 30-40 secs pain every 3-5 mins. From when i started tracking, it kept sending me a msg that I need to get ready to leave home. So after thinking for too long I woke up G and my mom at 4:15. Both of them were tired beyond measure and my mum couldn’t stand for 5 straight minutes. We drank Tea with toast that I made 💃, re-checked if everything’s packed, I had a bath and we left to the hospital by 5.30. Through all this, I still had contractions every 4 mins for 30-40 secs. I thought I will deliver in a jiffy, but who was  I to decide when little D wanted to make an appearance!? Luckily the doctor was at the hospital when I went in and she was surprised I was there. I had called her the previous evening to ask what medicines to take for fever and here I was coming in for labour pains in less than 24 hours. When checked, I was just 1 cm dilated but was running a 102 fever. So the doctor decided to treat the fever first  and induce the labour next.
Now I was very particular about not getting induced and wanting  a natural labour but I didn’t tell that to my doctor. I didn’t think I’d go into labour that early and hadn’t discussed the birth plan with my doctor.  I’m sure a lot of docs today are very open provided the terms are discussed well in advance, not during  labour. I kept telling myself/praying/hoping that I need a natural delivery experience ( Induction should be done for valid medical reasons and not as a protocol for speeding up the delivery process. Having said that I don’t have anything against mums who have opted to get induced, I just didn’t want to. That’s it!)
My temperature went back to normal after the medicine and shot up in 3 hours. This went on for the whole day along with the 4 minutes contractions that were the same intensity from 3 am. At 11 that night when the doctor came by I was 5 cms dilated, I wasn’t very pleased because I was basically going through early labour for almost 20 hours 🙄. But then she said something that I’d never forget. I didn’t have to be induced 💃. My labour had progressed on its own with zero intervention and as per the doctor’s calculation, I was to deliver by 5 in the morning. Then the usual protocols happened and CTG was being recorded which started getting super annoying at one point with the amount of pressure it was putting on my abdomen. By 4.30 I felt the urge to push. Then everything happened in a jiffy. Duty doctor checking- 9 cms dilation- room getting prepped and the doc being called- asked to push- baby out and me doing unwanted prayers hoping for a girl. Then my baby peed like a parabola curve 👶!
Most women don’t have it easy and it’s always not as good as it sounds. But pregnancy and giving birth to your child is the most beautiful phase ever! I think moving around is very important in pregnancy if you have a no/low risk pregnancy. My antenatal classes was a real blessing. Also through my pregnancy my mum was with me keeping me well fed and happy. G was of great help when it came to satisfying my unhealthy food cravings. Staying hydrated helped reduce swelling overall. It’s very important to be well informed about the procedures during labour though one doesn’t have much of a say in front of the doctor. Episiotomies have become the protocol in most hospitals today though people like me shouldn’t have had it. D weighed just 2.7kgs with a super tiny head. Also, I didn’t have tears of joy or feel ecstatic like how people do in burth videos once they see their baby. I did take time to bond with my baby and I didn’t think about it at all. Now I melt into a puddle when he smiles at me. So don’t worry if your heart doesn’t burst with joy when you see the little squishy. It’s going to happen someday. What one really needs to be prepared for is Breastfeeding .No one warns us on breastfeeding because labour is being that exaggerated. I will share mine soon. End of it, Vaginal or caesarean, it’s all normal because you’ve done your best to keep that little heart safe throughout! That’s what matters.
My lovely doctor was Dr. Amutha Giridhar, GKNM Coimbatore
Antenatal classes was Vriksham by Anupama, Tirupur/Coimbatore. 

The fourth trimester!

After what seemed to be a breeze of a delivery of my baby BOY, I thought i had done it!! No more troubles, just cuddles and snuggles. The first night went by as I thought, insecure newborn, wants to be held, nurses often and sleepless. But what came after and still happening is something I never dreamt of. I was told about  the ‘Fourth Trimester’ in my antenatal class but it’s much beyond what I had imagined. The second night at the hospital, my mum and I were in for a treat. The wailing that started at 11 at night didn’t end till 7 in the morning. When I was not trying to nurse him (which was for almost 5 hours) my mum would try hard to pacify him. He would sleep the minute he started to nurse and so it happened that I sat for 5 hours trying to keep my newborn calm. His screams were anything but that of a newborn. What I wasn’t aware of was that newborn can cry through the day as well, not only nights🤯! Then the ‘not sufficient milk’ drama started and everyone else decided  that my day old so needed  top feed. I tried to put off formula as long as I could and tried a pacifier which he spat right out (too much swag for a one  day old).
A day went by with a lot of people wanting to know if he’s latching, nursing, sleeping, pooping( yellow or black!?) and peeing enough. Whatever my answer be, the only response they had was that it’ll be that way till 3 months (then why ask the question in the first place?) amidst all the chaos my son didn’t forget to cry like he was being tattooed forcefully. Then I heard that if he keeps crying like this, his navel will get swollen or worse, he may develop a hernia! They had me at that. The big blue tin was brought and my mum and I gave him formula the third  night( without the doctor’s consent). What came next proved that he wasn’t crying for hunger because he wailed through the night. We shushed, swayed, walked, galloped and nothing seemed to work. The next experiment was to check if he was gassy, infant antacid was given which seemed to quiet him a little coz he took a good 20 mins to lick the medicine around his mouth. But he started crying after 👻. So not gassy, maybe colicky was the conclusion.
The fourth day, mum and I gave him his first bath at home and he absolutely enjoyed it. Then the miracle happened! My dear son slept for 4.5 hours straight without flinching an eyelid after his bath. I was thanking all the gods for thr first 2 hours and slept for the next two. In between all the chaos and calm, i started exclusively breastfeeding my tiny heart. It took a lot of time to convince my family that breastmilk works on demand and supply and that my son is getting enough. I knew he was getting enough because he had about 6 wet nappies in less than two hours when he was just 5 days old. Though he hasn’t been very troublesome after that day, he still doesn’t have much of a pattern at 2.5 months. My nights have gotten much easier but the days are still unpredictable with him sleeping well one day, wanting to be held all day the other and just not sleeping the other. Since the 3 month mark is supposed to clear the air for most babies, I am eagerly waiting to see if it makes a difference. Till then I will continue to bask in the innocence of my munchkin and enjoy my pregnancy hair. 

The Gender Drama

                                                       

From the time news of my pregnancy reached people's ears, the one thing I get asked without fail is if I want a boy or a girl. I'm sure it's a normal to ask because I've asked it a million times to mothers-to-be in the past. The ones that know me well didn't find the need to ask because they already knew that I want a girl. Infant I've always wanted to mother two girls, Always as in AL-WA-YS! I have absolutely nothing against raising boys, infact I have a favourite child in the whole wide world and adores me equally (I think 💓), my nephew. Somewhere between marriage and pregnancy I warmed up to the idea of having a baby boy as the second child😃.

The desire to raise girl children may have risen with having a lot of girls in my family, maybe because of the best times I had studying in an all-girl's convent, the fun of dressing up & even because I want to Be for my child what my mom is to me! One more reason and I think the most important one for the want to have a girl child is that I've missed having my father around. I've missed speaking to my girlfriends on how amazing and annoying my father is when it comes to going out or managing finances and likewise. So visualising G do the things that I didn't get to do with my father has been a constant thing from day one. I'm not sure if G is going to be a cool dad or a strict father, but all I want is to enjoy the father-daughter bond. I maybe selfish like that but I don't mind it at all. 

I have a lot of relatives who constantly tell me the following:

'if u want a girl,  U'll definitely have a boy'😏

'you shouldn't have gender expectations'

'you will go into depression once the baby is born' and so much more.

What if I have a baby boy? Am I going to give up my baby for adoption? HELL NO! I want a girl, yes but that does not mean that giving birth to a baby boy will push me into depression. Why?? Firstly because I am not stupid and then because I've been bonding with this little heart for 8 months now and I am going to fall in love again the minute I set my eyes on him/her. I think being pregnant and getting to feel the teeny weeny inside move like a rockstar has gotten me dreaming a lot about the future. The 'us' time for the baby and me has always been about imagining daily routine after the baby, telling the baby that the entire family will be head over heels with her/him, dreaming about holidays together, reading books together and everything else & It's one of the best memories I will carry for the longest time. 

Be it a Girl or a Boy, this baby is going to turn my routine, time zone and pretty much everything upside down and I am going to give my everything and I can't be more excited!!💃💗

So for those of you worried about my mental health, take a chill pill. I will Love my baby boy as much as my baby girl.Till then, I will enjoy playing the guessing game and being pregnant. 

new year, new me and the thing that keeps me going!!

so, its been two weeks since new years and almost a month since my previous post. not that i've been very busy but because i've conveniently fallen in love with my sofa and sleep again 😟 . I have never been a resolution person but this year i really want to change my eating habits and keep away from the couch as much as possible. the body sculpting course i did has actually helped me shape up and lose some weight and i aim at maintaining it (super difficult😔).
   The morning waking pattern has improved quite a bit since Gowtham kept complaining that i don't wake up in the morning for one sole reason, that i am lazy to cook!!!! to prove him wrong i have been waking up, making breakfast, packing lunch for him and also have been cooking up proper dinner😌.  G is an early riser, infact he's not quite the sleeper. but i am 100% the opposite (women need more sleep, u see) and i need my 8 hours to stay non-cranky for the next 8 hours! since i don't have any makeup bookings till pongal (no weddings happen in the month of 'thai' in tamilnadu) i have been having extremely lazy days and some days my back hurts from all the sitting :( .
  so we wakeup, he has his coffee and milk bikis and i have my banana, we read the paper, i prepare and pack lunch for G and make breakfast (mostly just granola with cranberries and milk and on rare occasions when my mum has sent batter, we have dosa and idli) and send him off to work.
  Then the real deal begins. i bring my glass of ezhani (my father-in-law cultivates coconut, so lucky with the coconuts and tender coconuts), turn on the tv and sit on my favourite sofa with 3 cushions around. first its The Kapil Sharma Show, then a movie on comedy now (half way through which i sleep), when i wake up the clock would've magically turned 3 hours later😳😳. the dishes in the sink will be crying out loud and so i'll reluctantly get up to wash them. one good thing here is that i always love a clean and neat kitchen (who doesn't really), so once i start cleaning i don't stop till the counter is sparkling clean. laundry then gets done and i take my lunch to My Spot and settle for the next 2 hours. it's already time for tea then, so the move has to happen. cleaning the house happens thereafter since i don't have a maid (another  long story) and it's time for dinner. 9 hours go by like this on most days and on the rarest of occasions, i squeeze in half hour's stretching or some sort of exercise before dinner time. bed time was past midnight last year but since i've decided to wake up early in 2017, i've decided to sleep early too (b/w 11.30 pm and 12 am).
   after a lot of puzzle solving and Q&A's in my head, my brain finally dozes off to get ready for another great day. in between this monotony, the thing that keeps me going is G, not much of a romantic(i make up for his non romanticism). he always comes home with a smile and greets me with a kiss. it's kind of like saying he's glad to be back home(he says it sometimes too) 😍. the other great thing about G is that he is always planning on the next vacation or holiday 😛.
  p.s a picture of my favourite sofa will be on the next blog coz i've come to the in-laws' for the pongal weekend.

start of the journey

okay, so this is the journey of a freelance makeup artist(me), a house wife (when not freelancing) and an adorable daughter (always). 3 years into my marriage, when i was on the verge of falling deep into depression and all that follows i was told to choose between a good life and a better one. deciding to doing a course in makeup was the most tough one because my mum had always been against me choosing a path similar to hers (most efficient beautician in the queen hills for 27 years now) more so due to the pressure of having to manage work and home everyday. but when i ran the makeup idea across her, she was all game for it. i cannot take sole credit for choosing a career in makeup because this brainstorming idea was given by a cousin who thought i wasn't going to make a great housewife ;). clearly, thanks to him. then there is this amazing friend i made 3 years ago in the form of my husband, Gowtham who has always been pushing my finish line further so that i don't stop anywhere😍. thanks to the lovely parents i've made after marriage for giving a thumbs up to my decision braving all the 'in-law' restrictions. a big thank you to all the super cool cousins who have helped me in my journey so far, be it modelling for me, dropping me to class, cooking yummy food or for just being there!

TOUGH CHOICE
i put in a lot of time researching for the Artist who can teach me Professional Makeup and narrowed it down to the top 3. but it was a quick decision thereafter. i spoke to Vydurya Lokesh of Posh Styling Zone, Bangalore and immediately fell in love with her💖. she was so cool about the whole thing and gave me a comfortable space to decide and get back. her work was so good and the feedback her clients gave were  amazing. i will always look upto her as a mentor and a friend. she is the best mentor one can get, so giving and always chirpy.. one will never have a bad day with her around. it was a 15day course with one-on-one sessions.

15 DAYS
Vydurya was very sweet to arrange models for all the 15 days considering that i wasn't from bangalore. with a 3 day theory and basic makeup class, we went on to the 4th day. i was first taught to apply an eye-liner (i was so bad at it)😐. then came the makeup for self session :) what i've always wanted. over the course of 15 days i learned to master the lining of the eye;) , enhance features by highlighting, contour, some amazing eye makeup and to perfect the skin. at the end of 15 days, i walked into a MAC store for the first time and was so happy that i actually knew what each product could do. i invested in my basic kit there and as well as a few other stores like, INGLOT, SEPHORA, MAKEUP FOREVER OFFICIAL and ESTEE LAUDER with no idea of what the future holds.  A distant cousin (makeup artist too) also helped me pick my brushes and eye shadow palettes.

Doing the makeup course has been the best decision i've made so far and it has immensely helped in boosting my confidence, my attitude and helped me choose better options ever since. the couch potato that i was was finally stepping into responsible shoes and it reflected immensely in my marriage💃
and thus the journey began.