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Using Indian (Squat) Toilet during Pregnancy
While the news of a new member in the family makes everyone happy, it also calls for caution and careful behaviour. An expecting woman’s eating habits are monitored, childproof accessories are installed, and exercise is mandated. However, one simple function to which people do not give much thought is excretion of bodily waste. Nowadays, most of us have western style bathrooms in our house for comfort. And even if there is an Indian-style toilet in your home, a pregnant lady is not allowed to use it. But is it really harmful to use an Indian toilet during pregnancy? Here is everything you need to know about squatting while expecting.
Is It Safe to Use an Indian Toilet While Pregnant?
Contrary to popular belief, using an Indian or squat toilet while one is pregnant is not just safe but also good for the mother and child. There are no known ill-effects of using the Indian toilet when pregnant.
Benefits of Using an Indian-style Toilet During Pregnancy
A pregnant woman can benefit from using an Indian toilet during pregnancy. Following are the benefits one may derive from squatting.
Squatting reduces the chance of pelvic prolapse.
When a pregnant woman squats, it helps her build necessary pressure on the colon to eliminate waste completely.
It avoids any unsanitary contact between the to-be-mothers body and the toilet surface.
It strengthens the woman’s thighs and pelvic area and prepares her for the delivery of the baby.
It is also considered an ideal position in the time of labour as it opens up the birth canal and helps the child descend naturally.
Precautions to Be Taken While Using an Indian Toilet
While using Indian toilets is benign for a pregnant woman, one should be careful of the settings and make sure everything caters to the need of the mother. Here are a few things to keep in mind while using an Indian-style toilet:
Make sure the toilet area is dry and clean to avoid any slipping and falling accidents from occurring.
In order to help a pregnant woman balance while squatting, install handles on each side of the bathroom so that she has better grip and will not fall backwards (In a survey, it was revealed that one out of three women could not squat since they are habituated to a western-style seating).
Make sure water or toilet paper to clean up later is available readily and within arms-length to avoid unnecessary stretching by the mother-to-be.
Consult with an obstetrician about the kind of toilet you should be using, according to the needs of your body. Also, consult your doctor in case you are not used to using an Indian toilet. This will avoid further unwanted complications in the pregnancy.
Make sure the bathroom is well-lit and ventilated. This will prevent the likelihood of claustrophobia and suffocation for the woman and suit her comfort.
Avoid trying to strain yourself while passing motion, this can cause too much pressure on your colon and pelvic area, leading to prolapse.
Keep your back straight while trying to squat (this may be slightly tough in the beginning but will be easier with time). This will help maintain balance and avoid any falls or aches.
Wear a pair of bathroom footwear with tough grip to avoid slipping on the bathroom floor.
Make sure you do not try and squat on a Western-style toilet. Trying to squat on height can increase your chance of a fall.
A person should always be within earshot of the pregnant woman to cater to her needs upon a call. This is necessary in case the woman feels uncomfortable, light-headed, or experiences pain of any kind.
An Indian style or squatting toilet is better for a pregnant woman for various health reasons. It not only helps a woman defecate better, but also prepares her mind and body for labour. However, as beneficial as squatting might be for a pregnant woman, we must take precautionary measures in order to ensure a safe environment for a woman.
Also Read: Frequent Urination During Pregnancy Read more
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#HealthInATiffin Veg pulav with Soya chunks
Good for breakfast or tiffin box!
Serves
Preparation Time
Cooking Time
2 People
25 Minutes
20 Minutes
Ingredients
1 cup soya chunks
1 1/2 cup basmati rice long-grained (soaked for half an hour)
4 tbsps (tablespoons) oil/ghee
1 tejpatta
3-4 cloves
1 tsp (teaspoon) jeera
3-4 black peppercorns
1 small stick of cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 cups of veggies of ur choice (I have used carrots, peas and baby corn)
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp green chilli paste
Salt to taste
Method
Step 1
Soak the soya chunks in 2 cup of hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a pressure cooker/ pressure pan and add the cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf (tejpatta) and black peppercorns.
Step 3
Add chilli paste, ginger paste, garlic paste and onions. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 4
Add the carrots, green peas and all other diced vegetables, drained rice and soya chunks and saute for another 2 minutes.
Step 5
Add salt and mix well.
Step 6
Add 3 cups of hot water and pressure cook for 1 whistle. Serve hot.
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সন্তান ছোট বলে মনে করবেন না যে তার রাগ বা অভিমান হয় না বা হতে নেই
একদিন সন্ধ্যেবেলা আমি আমার ছেলেকে পড়াতে বসিয়েছি| সেইসময়ে আমার মা এলো| আমি দরজা খুলতেই মা জিজ্ঞেস করলো, "বাবু ( আমার ছেলে ) কোথায়?" আমি বললাম - "ঘরে, পড়তে বসেছে"| মা আমার সাথে আর কোনো কথা না বলে সোজা সিঁড়ি বেয়ে উপরে উঠে চলে গেলো আমাদের ঘরে| আমিও মায়ের পিছন পিছন উপরে উঠে এলাম|
উপরে আমাদের বসার ঘর পেরিয়ে আমাদের ঘরে যেতে হয়| আমি বসার ঘর অব্ধি পৌঁছেই আমার ছেলের কণ্ঠস্বর শুনতে পেলাম - "আমি এখন পড়ছি"| ভাবলাম, অন্য সময় 'দিদানমা'কে দেখলেই যে ছেলে সব ভুলে 'দিদানমা......' বলে লাফিয়ে ওঠে, তার আজ হলো কি? ওদিকে দিদানমা-এর ব্যাকুল আর্তি - "কি হয়েছে দাদা? আমার ওপরে রাগ করেছো?" বুঝলাম , এ তো মান-অভিমানের পালা| আমি তাদের মাঝে তৃতীয় ব্যক্তি, গিয়ে কাজ নেই বাবা| তাই আমি মায়ের জন্যে চা বানাতে সোজা চলে গেলাম রান্নাঘরে| চা নিয়ে যখন ঘরে এলাম, তখন দিদানমা-এর কোলে গম্ভীর মুখে চুপ করে বসে আদর খাচ্ছেন ছোট্ট অভিমানী মানুষটি| আর তার অভিমান ভাঙাতে ব্যস্ত দিদানমা-এর অক্লান্ত প্রচেষ্টা|
এবার আপনাদের আরো কয়েকটি দিন আগের একটি ছোট্ট ঘটনা বলি| আমার ছেলের কাছে ওর স্কুল ছুটি মানেই ওকে ওর দিদানমা-এর বাড়িতে রেখে আসতে হবে| দিদানমা, যাকে ও প্রথম নিজে থেকেই 'মা' বলতে শেখে| পরে ওকে 'দিদান' ডাকতে শেখানো হয়| আর এই 'মা' এবং 'দিদান'-এর মেলবন্ধনেই ওর নিজস্ব ডাক 'দিদানমা'| দিদানমা-ই হলো ওর সবচাইতে প্রিয়, সব চাইতে কাছের, আপনজন| প্রতিদিন ফোনে অন্তত একবার দিদানমা-এর সাথে কথা না বললে ওর চলেই না| এমনকি যখন ও দিদানমা -এর কাছে থাকে তখন ও সেখানে আমাকেও চায় না|
গত সপ্তাহে ওর স্কুল দু'দিন ছুটি ছিল| তার আগেরদিন ওকে নিয়ে গিয়েছিলাম আমার মায়ের কাছে| বিশেষ কারণে মা ওই সময়ে ব্যস্ত থাকায়, ওকে আর ওর দিদানমায়ের কাছে রেখে আসা হয়নি| অতএব বাবুর খুব অভিমান হয়েছে দিদানমায়ের উপরে| কেন দিদানমা ওকে নিজের কাছে না রেখে আমাদের সাথে বাড়ি ফিরতে দিলো| এতটাই অভিমান যে পুরো এক সপ্তাহ সে আর ফোনে একবার -ও দিদানমায়ের সাথে কথাই বলেনি| যখনি তার দিদানমা ফোন করে তার সাথে কথা বলতে চেয়েছে তখনি সে খুব ব্যস্ত| হয় পড়ছে, না হয় আঁকছে, অথবা খেলছে, কিছু না কিছু করছে অথবা তার বক্তব্য - "আমি এখন কথা বলবো না"| তার এরকম ব্যবহারে খুব অবাক হয়েছি| বুঝিয়েছি বড়রা ফোন করে কথা বলতে চাইলে কথা বলতে হয়| কখনো বা শাসনও করেছি| কিন্তু বুঝতে পারিনি মাত্র পাঁচ ছুঁই ছুঁই ছেলের এতটা অভিমান হতে পারে| আমার মা কিন্তু দূরে থেকেও টের পেয়েছে তাঁর দাদার অভিমান| বুঝতে পেরে ছুটে চলে এসেছে সেই অভিমান ভাঙাতে| কারণ এই অভিমান যে আর কেউ ভাঙাতে পারবে না| শেষ অব্ধি সফলও হয়েছে| বাড়ি ফেরার আগে দিদানমা তাঁর ছোট্ট দাদাকে কথা দিয়ে গেছে, পরেরবার ছুটিতে সে অবশ্যই থাকবে দিদানমায়ের কাছে|
এই ছোট্ট ঘটনাটি আমি সকলের সাথে ভাগ করে, সকলের, বিশেষ করে যাঁরা আমার মতোই ছোট সন্তানের মা, তাঁদের উদ্দ্যেশ্যে বলতে চাই - আপনার সন্তানটি ছোট বলেই মনে করবেন না যে তার রাগ বা অভিমান হয় না বা হতে নেই| তার অভিমানকে বোঝার চেষ্টা করবেন| না বুঝে, খারাপ আচরণ ভেবে এমন কিছু করবেন না যাতে তার অভিমান, রাগ বা জিদে পরিনত হয়| বরং বুঝে, সেই অভিমান ভাঙাবার চেষ্টা করুন| একজন মা রূপে আমার অভিজ্ঞতা এবং উপলব্ধি - ছোট বাচ্চাদের মন সহজ এবং সরল| তাই বড়দের যেকোনো প্রকার ব্যবহার ওদের মনে খুব সহজেই ছাপ ফেলে| ওদেরও অভিমান হয় আর সেই অভিমান ভাঙাবার দায়িত্ব কিন্ত বড়দেরই|
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We Asked 8 Mompreneurs How They Balance Work & Baby. Their Answers Will Win Your Heart!
“What! You are a working mom? You probably don’t get any time at all to spend with your child…Working mums cannot devote attention to their baby or important things at home; everyone knows it!” If you are a working mom, or have ever considered becoming one, chances are you must have come across this “fact”. In India, and even across the world, many hold the belief that working after motherhood isn’t a great idea. But is this a valid belief?
After motherhood, all of us face an important question – do you want to be a stay-at-home mom or a working mom? The question sometimes comes to us several years down the line, when we feel the need to find our footing and follow a long-forgotten passion. If you want to be a stay-at-home mom and devote all your energies to your child, that’s a beautiful choice in itself. But it is not a choice that can be – or should be – imposed on everyone. Becoming a mother does not mean you must give up your passions and dreams and quit the workplace for good. It is very much possible, albeit a bit difficult, to manage both work and family life.
We asked 8 mompreneurs – women who run successful business of their own – just how they manage to balance their work and family life. Do they manage to find time to spend with their child? HOW do they make this work? Their answers have left us totally amazed at the sheer willpower and strength that a woman and mother has within her.
If you too are considering starting a job or business, or planning to work from home, we recommend you MUST read their mantras. There is a lot we can learn from each other’s experiences!
1. Aditi Sharma, Kids On Board
Aditi graduated from one of the country’s top fashion colleges – NIFT – and worked in the fashion industry for some years. But somewhere down the line, she got bored and wanted to do something else. She had always been inspired by women in business – particularly, mothers – and working under two women bosses taught her a lot. This gave birth to her brainchild – Kids on Board, a youthful and vibrant kidswear brand dealing in casual and formal clothing.
Today, Aditi is a well-established mompreneur, who is boss by day and mommy all the time! While some days look more traditional – 9-to-5-ish – there are others where she flip-flops all day between work and personal responsibilities. But being a mompreneur has made her value her time much more. After all, every minute when she is working on something else is a minute that she chooses not to spend with her family and kids.
Her Mantra: “It’s NOT about balance; it’s a GIVE-AND-TAKE.”
Aditi says that achieving a true balance in a mathematical sense will likely drive you mad. There will be days when your business will require more time and attention. Conversely, there will be days when your personal life requires more time and attention. Try not to think of splitting your attention between the two evenly, but giving your attention to each as it is needed.
2. Pia Hingorani & Reet Kumar, Adores
When Pia embraced motherhood, she started seeing the world through a different lens – in a way only moms can. Her first thought was for her baby. But it was this thought that led her to entrepreneurship. She decided to pursue her dream and be her own boss so that she could do what was best for her child.
Pia and her fellow mommy Reeta now head Adores, a children clothing and accessories brand with over 20,000 customers! They love how their role also lets them design and dress their children as they please!
Her Mantra: “Prioritize and give importance to what you feel you would be HAPPY delivering.”
3. Komal Rajgariya, Lil Mantra
It was Komal’s niece and nephew who inspired her to create stylish clothing for kids. She wanted to create something that could not only let her unleash her creativity but also help her relive her childhood with new ideas and lessons. She started Lil Mantra – a fun clothing brand that provides cool and stylish kids wear in affordable range. Today, her customer base is more than 2,00,000 and counting!
Her Mantra: “Unconditional love and support from husband and family!”
Komal’s husband has been a strong support in standing by her through all ups and downs. He helped her in making things more organized and streamlined, while also helping her in managing home duties. Goes to prove just how important it is to have your partner's support when you try to follow your dreams!
4. Annu Babbar, Dress My Angel
When Annu and her sister Swati were little children, they loved designing their own clothes. Fashion was a means of self-expression. When Annu was blessed with a daughter, she realised how difficult it was to have dresses that are beautiful and comfortable at the same time. This was the inspiration behind ‘Dress My Angel’: motherhood, the unmatched joy of mothering a daughter, and reliving your childhood through your little one.
Today, Annu's day starts early at 5.30 am. She does not like missing her early morning walk – it’s like a morning tonic for her to live the adventure of the day. After she sees off her daughter to school at 7.30 am, her work time starts sharp from 9am till 4pm.These seven hours, her focus is just on work. After her daughter is back from school at 4 pm, she spends all her time with her and her family, unless something very urgent needs to be managed at work.
Her Mantra: “Prioritize the work for the day and divide the time for business and family. It’s very important to follow the time rules to bring balance between family and work.”
Annu explains, “When I am with my daughter I completely focus on spending time with her, as I would not like to miss her beautiful childhood. And when I am at work, I have all the required energy and time to nurture my business.”
5. Kanchan Vaidya, The Original Knit
In 2009, Kanchan became a new mother. Like every new mom, she too had a natural desire to dress her baby in cute and trendy outfits. During this time, she happened to visit her hometown in Himachal Pradesh. There, she saw the local women making small items of baby clothing using the techniques of crochet and knitting. This gave her the idea to start her own site where she sold products she knitted.
Slowly, more and more orders started coming in, and Kanchan started involving the ladies of her hometown! Today, several women from small places in UP, Himachal, Haryana and Delhi work upon the patterns designed by her, including knitted frocks, pants , caps, sweaters, shrugs, ponchos, hair-bands, bags, photo-shoot props…Eventually, she collaborated with FirstCry.com to reach more people, and get assistance from a strong support team for mompreneurs. Her brand is now one of the bestsellers!
Her Mantra: “It’s all about finding a profession your heart and mind wants to be involved with. If you are stuck in the wrong job, your time will be spent as a chore. Balance is achieved when you are happy about how you spend your hours; life is too short and hours too scarce not to follow your passion.”
6. Vani Chugh, D'chica
Vani Chugh heads D’Chica – a super stylish footwear, accessories and apparels brand for girls. Her own daughter Devyani was the inspiration behind this business idea. It was while shopping for her that she realized how much the market lacked. She wanted fashionable designs that matched international standards, and were yet affordable.
The first 2 years of business, Vani says, will be like the first 2 years of raising your baby. Delightful, yet draining, mind boggling and tough! You will experience things and situations no one can prepare you for. But we need to take then on with a smile, and keep telling ourselves that we are creating something truly great!
Vani also thinks that one of the biggest roadblocks for mothers who want to work is guilt – the guilt of not spending enough time with your family, or not devoting as enough time to your career. She advises, “Decide to focus on being happy, and start cutting yourselves some slack. You will feel better as mums and more satisfied in whichever career you choose!”
Her Mantra: “Know when to stop thinking about work. As an entrepreneur you are always on the job. The only way to balance is knowing when to switch off.”
Vani shared her schedule with us. Her day typically starts at 7:30. The first half hour goes in getting her daughter ready for school. Post breakfast, she spends an hour answering mails. She then hits the gym for an hour around 10, picks her daughter up from school and works straight from 12 to 6:30. She also tries to take her daughter out on most evenings. On particularly busy days, the laptop and her nanny accompany them to the park. Post 8:30, she tries to switch off from work completely.
7. Priyanka Sibal, Ps Peaches
Ps Peaches is into manufacturing, designing and marketing beautiful dresses for girls and boys. The idea was conceived by Priyanka and her fello mom Smita back in 2012. They realised that there was a big vacuum for formal dresses for little girls and boys. Also, as mothers, they were very particular about the comfort of the child and wanted something that would secure this.
The one thing Priyanka loves best about being a mompreneur is the respect and appreciation she gets from her children and family members. They really appreciate and acknowledge her hard work, and this makes everything worthwhile.
Her Mantra: “Have efficient staff both at business place and at home. This will help you spend quality (if not enough) time with your families.”
Priyanka feels that the lack of support at home is one of the biggest challenges faced by women who want to work or start a business. If the families are supportive then it becomes a great deal easier to follow your dreams.
8. Anjoo Sharma & Niki Sujanani, Dazzling Dolls
When Anjoo’s grand-daughter Devika was born, she realized how she absolutely loved gifting and spoiling her with all kinds of awesome products! It was this desire to shower her little granddaughter with gifts that first gave her the business idea.
Dazzling Dolls offers all sorts of clothing and accessories for babies. Anjoo’s daughter Niki and her husband provide a lot of support to her venture and help her keep it going strong.
Her Mantra: “Workout! If mental and physical health are good then everything else will be properly balanced.” Read more
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Unidentified Infertility - My Experience
What is unidentified infertility? It is basically when you cannot become pregnant or remain pregnant (as per my experience) and there is no underlying cause to it. You just have no idea why things happen, rather don't happen.Couples are ready to spend so much on tests and research to know what could be wrong. Sadly, when everything is normal, they expect that something was wrong and there was a solution to the same. It becomes a period of frustration, anxiety and pure fear, thinking whether parenthood is possible. All those couples going through unidentified infertility will know how it feels.This is when every one becomes a doctor; friends, relatives and even strangers who have come to know about your situation; so much unasked, unwelcome and unwanted advice. They don't realise that all one wants is someone to just listen.Social relationships do get affected as pregnant women and those with kids start avoiding you (some fearing jealousy, some purely to prevent you from becoming sad for you). This time tells you who your real friends are. It is a trial of faith, a period when we question, "Why me? What did I do to go through this? How long should I wait?"So many unanswered questions, only time will tell. The real reason of unidentified infertility, as per my opinion, is how we are so addicted to adulterated foods; there is nothing healthy about foods these days, there is no assurance that even organic foods are the real deal. Food does play a very important role in any fertility related issues, be it identified or unidentified.The most that can be made out of this situation is nurturing your relationship with your spouse, creating ground for better understanding, and exploring the best in each other. A request to all never judge, never advise and never poke your nose into things when not asked for. Please don't bother about others' fertility issues, it is a very sensitive topic; more harm will be done than good even if you have good intentions.Unidentified infertility does feel like a curse but surely for me, it was the time I made the best memories with my husband despite all the chaos I was going through. If you are interested in how I tackled my situation and ended up becoming pregnant, I will write a separate article. Do comment.
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Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
10 hours ago
Q. #AskTheExpert hello dr.
baby planning kar rhi kuch tips btayiye conceive ho jaye
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
10 hours ago
A. it's a natural process ok. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
8 hours ago
Q. when baby is kick? I'm 13 weeks pregnant
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant
Ayurvedic Gynaecologist
8 hours ago
A. during first pregnancy you may feel the baby movements after 24 to 25 weeks of pregnancy and till then only mild flatters may be felt but which you may not be feeling if you are doing some work
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 2 months
8 hours ago
Q. I’m in my 31 week 1 day of pregnancy. What will be my delivery date??
As I have low lying placenta with grade 1 maturity.
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
7 hours ago
A. you had to correlate is ultrasound examination. if there is no relief it is better you see your doctor for proper examination particularly physical examination if there is need for doing investigations to find out the problem and treatment ok
Rashmi has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 2 months
8 hours ago
Q. My hemoglobin is 6.4 from 28 weeks of pregnancy. Now I’m 31 weeks pregnant. What should I do?
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
7 hours ago
A. Haven’t when you having some kind of iron supplement because they’re very good during the time of pregnancy if you are not having one you need to start with and whatever tabs you take you should just take it with any good juice specially pomegranate juice that’s going to help in doubling the impact of the medicine that you’re taking secondly try and include more of Iron which diet like spinach broccoli beetroot pomegranate black rice sweet potato these things are exceptionally healthy for you to consume
Rashmi has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 2 months
7 hours ago
Q. This is my cbc report
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 7 m old girl
7 hours ago
A. No there is nothing visible on my wall so I can really really cannot help you can you please repose the question once again providing all the necessary details as once I’m certain what are you talking about what’s mentioned in the report according to that I can provide you proper help on your question
Dr Sameer awadhiya has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
5 hours ago
Q. #asktheexpert
now I'm 24 weeks. Sometimes I'm feeling pain in my thigh.
Dr Sameer awadhiya
Paediatrician
5 hours ago
A. For thegh query asked needs consultation with doctor for proper guidance so it is better that the doctor will guide you the correct way .
Onlfine consultation can also be taken and the expert will give you the proper answer .
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