Shikha Mashroo's Journey With Rita’s Pregnancy101

It has been quite a while since I have been wanting to pen down my experience or say my moments of Prenatal pregnancy.

Sometimes I feel, that all has happened so quickly days back I was PREGNANT, carrying a life inside- and today I have officially become a mother, a life in front of me- smiling, making faces, wondering, staring, gazing at everyone with small eyes. In short, it's Real- It’s my Baby, my life, my Jigar Ka Tukada.

The above words are not enough to describe it. Today when I look back or when someone asks me about how was your pregnancy- it takes me 9 months back or precisely 8 months when we came across the news that we were expecting. Honestly, I was not on top of the world feeling like jumping with joy….no melodrama please….it took me a while to sink in the news. I normally behaved, but yes, from that day onwards, it was not Me..it completely became WE. My every thought, every action, and what I eat, and drink was carefully taken care of. While I had everyone around me, Hubby, Family, and friends, I was still searching for someone; deep inside me, who understood me, and shared my thoughts, and concerns who felt the same condition, as I was. One who would say Being Pregnant is normal and very much real…I will still be the same individual. Someone who will prepare me to go through the journey of my lifetime, probably the only one.

Often we were asked to be active during pregnancy. When we ask old folks what is being active, it is dusting, cooking, arranging your wardrobe…basically all household activity. Zzzzzzzzzzzz. It’s not their fault, they had done it during their time.

I like to highlight the fact, that today women are well aware that they need to be fit and healthy. But the most important is being healthy mentally. What’s the point if you are doing, where your mind is not there? No point in pleasing others, at least during this time of your life. Do what you want. Do good reading, listen to music, and do household chores but to the limit where your body can support.

And there I came across Rita’s P101. It might sound a little weird and funny. A few years back, maybe in 2006, a movie came – Salaam Namaste, where Priety Zinta had joined the prenatal class and from that day I thought, if I ever get a chance I will also join the same.

Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho ... to puri kainath usse tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai

To many, it may be just a Prenatal class or Pregnancy-related information center, but for me, it was my second home – a place where I could be myself, which gave me my much-needed space and Friends for a lifetime. Our babies will be Soul Friends if not brothers and Sisters

It's all in my mind. Our trainer Gita while taking a class on Labor- often repeated, “It’s all in Mind” about the pains, but today it is applied across. It is all about how I wanted my pregnancy to be…

I joined in my fourth month and continued till a week before I delivered.

Talking about it- It was sheer pleasure- total fun, laughter, gossip, and of course workout, which had helped me tremendously in staying active. I was able to do all my work till the last day, in fact, I drove the car till the last day. What more I would have expected? By attending the class, I learn about different technical terms, and everything about pregnancy, baby care, and postnatal care.

Most importantly it had given me the confidence of having a healthy pregnancy throughout and having a healthy delivery. My family members encouraged me and were equally amazed on seeing my confidence and health.

This was because I have always imagined having Healthy Natural and Timely delivery.

Well, the term Natural should not be confused with “ Normal”. For me, my baby's health and mine were important keeping in view what the Doctor suggested in the end. Giving birth is itself a natural process.

Coming back to Pregnancy101, the support we received from Kajal & Gita and batchmates, the sharing of information, etc. made us all short-time Doctors. Where by we all shared tips, Dadi Ma ke Nuske....

My Friends group included Purnima, Shraddha, Payal, Ashima, Alisha, Kinjal, and Ishita. Kya din the….

Pot Lucks, lunches, sharing recipes, shopping lists and so much more. In fact the kind of stuff I had shared with my friends, I didn’t even share with my Mom.

Well not mentioning of Mobile we made for babies will make my story incomplete. Credit to our craft teacher Shraddha – we can now confidently tell our kids that during pregnancy we also did something constructive.

In the end, I would like to thank Kajal and Geeta from P101 and my crazy friends from the bottom of my heart for making my Pregnancy journey lifetime memorable.