Right next to the window where our son sleeps, a truck is loaded with speakers and people dance to chikni chameli, am a barbie girl, boardu illada bussige hattu banda chokari(eeiiks) and such numbers and that too at 11PM. Our windows were vibrating to the extent that we almost thought they would collapse any moment now. What do you think is the occassion? It's our very own favorite Lord Ganesha's visarjane. After having read the previous line if you are thinking 'Oh visarjane is it? Why is she complaining?', then please stop reading further. You would not understand my feelings and for others who voice my opinion, why do we bear this year to year. Dont consider me to be against celebrations, in fact I love them. Lots of things change around us. Some for good and some for bad. But I dont want the bad change scoring high over good change because its our younger ones who will be living there. Let them celebrate with dholaks,drums or whatever but why make such humongous noise and dance to those meaningless numbers in front of the Lord. Earlier when a visarjan procession would come in front of our homes we would offer poojas and take the Lord's blessing. But I don't see any such act now as the procession nowadays starts only after 10-11PM.
Am I the only one who cant relate to such acts.Am I the only one so agitated?
                      It's the Bangalore bandh today. Everybody seems to be cooperating which is really very good.
Surroundings are peaceful. No shops open, no rickshaws, buses plying on the roads. I hear a group of people on motorbikes shouting 'nyaya beku nyaya beku' (we want justice). Everything seems normal for a bandh day and then all of a sudden our room is filled with a pungent smell and our son has coughing bouts. Outside the people on the bike have burnt a Tyre and the surrounding if filled with thick black smoke.

Why? Why? and Why?. When everything is going smooth according to their plans why did they have to burn that Tyre and create such discomfort and huge degree of pollution? When I witness such acts, a voice within me shouts back saying 'If its troubling you so much, why don't you do something?'. But then, Can I? Can't we change such improper acts prevailing in our society.
              

For those trying to figure out what it means, its postpartum care. After pregnancy if you have your mother or your grandmother by your side then I would consider you to be blessed.I had my mother. She is one lady who can go about from 5AM to 11PM with no grumpiness or tiredness on her face.What I am about to share is specific to what my mother followed. So, I am not sure if this would help everyone who wants to know as to what needs to be done post pregnancy.
Usually postpartum care extends up to 3-4 months after delivery. So I will be sharing details in parts.
All medications usually start after 10 days of delivery. What my mother followed is
1. I had to take Dashamoolaristha for 1.5 months. This is an ayurvedic tonic which builds immunity. I guess this is given so that we don't catch cold, cough, fever and similar viral infections. Its very essential for a mother to remain healthy if she is breastfeeding her baby.
2. Always eat items hot and drink lukewarm water.
3. Take bath in very hot water(Mother used to say that doing so helps in lactation) and tightly tie up your stomach either with the traditional cotton cloth or the now available belts.
4. Before the bath massage yourself well with a good medicated oil(we call it Bananthi Thaila) mixed with turmeric and black cumin seeds. This too helps in lactation and helps in faster recovery.
5. On the 13th day, black cumin's decoction  was given. Follow this for 3 days and drink this first thing in the morning. This helps in throwing away any left out impurities from the uterus.
6. Lots of ghee, milk and thick curd is advised in our diet. Not sure why this is done. But I did follow.
7. Usually our diet consists of items made of black pepper, cumin seeds and ajwain seeds. My mom had prepared a powder out of these three and used to mix it with rice along with ghee.
8. Along with this, rice is eaten with banana flower preparation. Refer Banantana Preparations .
                          Meanwhile, when elders ask you to take proper rest, PLEASE do pay heed to their advice. It's very important for you to get rest. Sleep straight keeping your legs close together and cover them with a blanket. Drink lots of water and eat food containing iron and Vitamin C. After 2 months you might have terrible hair fall. Stop panicking and get on. Its absolutely normal.

9. Getting back, after 40 days started with shunti lehya (refer Banantana Preparations)
10. You can start with normal diet henceforth but do make it a practice to eat your food hot.
11. After 2.5 months started taking Shatavari lehya( available in ayurveda medical stores), Kade Maddu (refer Banantana Preparations) and antina unde (refer Banantana Preparations). You can continue these for another 1.5 months.

This should take care of it. Happy parenting and do take care of yourselves and most important 'Listen to what your elders have to say' ;)

Banana Preparation
Ingredients:- Bale huvu(Banana flower, poombe), Garlic, Jeera(Cumin seeds), Pepper, Oma(Ajwain, Carom seeds)
Method:- Soak lots of garlic in water and remove off its skin. Grind it with jeera, pepper, oma to a fine paste. Later add the paste with finely chopped banana flower and heat it well until its cooked. You need to cook this well as this needs to be stored for at least 40 days.

Shunti Lehya
Ingredients:-Shunti(Ginger), Jeera(Cumin Seeds), Kalsakkare(Crystal Sugar), Bella(jaggery), Ghee
Method:- Soak ginger overnight and peel off its skin in the morning. Ginger is ground to a fine paste and heated with remaining ingredients.

Kade Maddu
Ingredients:-

Pippali - Long pepper (Piper longum)
Jayikayi Patre - Nutmeg flower
Ona Shunti - Dry Ginger
Sogadeberu - Ashwagandha, winter cherry
Dry Black Grapes
Kalsakkare - Crystal sugar
Jeerige - Cumin seeds
Vayuvilanga - Vidanga, Embelia
Gasagase - Poppy seeds
Ghee
Method:- The above herbs are powdered and mixed with ghee and prepared into small balls for the ease of consumption

Antina Unde
Ingredients:- Antu(Edible gum), almonds, dry grapes, gasagase(poppy seeds), jaggery, dates, cashew
Method:- The items are slightly heated and powdered. Now reheat this with antu and jaggery and make balls. Use slight more of jaggery.

I can still recall the days when my mom used to ask me to learn how to put a few stitches. But arts and sports were never in my circle of interests. Off late I have been thinking about it and thought why shouldn't I try something and the one thing that struck me was the Anchor Stitch kit. The kit comes in Flash Frame Series(14cmx16cm), Impression Series(22cmx25cm) and Masterpiece Series(33cmx39cm). This kit contains
1. A printed canvas for us to embroider
2. Cotton embroidery threads
3. One tapestry needle
A completed one will look like this

If you are an amateur holding needles and threads (like me :)), then you will find it quite a task to embroider it. But once you finish a small section you will realize that it is quite easy and fun too. Am totally impressed with my first art. Mom, stop complaining now ;) .