Doctor Mommy Speaks

In a country where a woman dies every 12 minutes due to pregnancy and childbirth complications, nothing is more important than being aware of your "OWN RIGHTS"

Expecting women and new mothers often face disrespect, abuse, ill-treatment, and discrimination while availing maternity care services in India, and indeed, globally. There is often a complete disregard for a woman’s choices, dignity, feelings, and privacy that makes her birth story, should be remembered with love and warmth, an event of stress and severe trauma. 

It shouldn’t be this way.

🌿White Ribbon Alliance India and Centre for Catalyzing Change (a global advocacy movement for reproductive, maternal and newborn health and rights), of which Centre for Catalyzing Change (C3) is the national secretariat, have developed the Respectful 

🌿Maternity Care Charter: Universal Rights of Women and Newborns. 

This Charter clearly articulates the rights of women and newborns within the vision and provision of a framework for ethical, high-quality respectful maternity care that supports and upholds the dignity of both.

 

Are you aware of your rights as a woman in this country???

Be the voice of change and help spread the word.

Guided/structured Mindfulness techniques for beginners

🌿BODY SCAN MEDITATION

📌It's just being conscious about all of your body parts. the basic purpose of most mindfulness exercises is to help you regroup your thinking, your decision making, and your attention spans to bring your concentration to one place that is in the present moment.

📌The reason is that brain can do just one task at a time. For example you may be sitting with your child, and you might think, “yes, I'm spending time with my child”. But then are you really? mentally you might be thinking about the chores, the laundry that's piled up, the food that you need to get prepped for tomorrow, or the meeting that you need to prepare for. 

📌What you did was you were present with your child just physically and not mentally tough. You'd be making him do his homework or engaging with your child. But then that's not what we're seeking.

📌Let's make it easy for our mind and body to be synchronised, that is through mindfulness exercises. So let's take a look at some of the easy exercises that you can begin with.

📌In BODY SCAN MEDITATION you have to be aware of all your body parts, that is using your body to bring your attention back. What you gotta do is lie on your back with your legs extended and arms at your side, palms facing up. Focus your attention slowly and deliberately on each part of your body. In order from toe to head or head to toe, whatever you prefer. Be aware of your sensations, emotions, or thoughts associated with each part of the body. 

📌For example, close your eyes and you start thinking about your hair, concentrate on the hair, then think about the eyes, then say when you come to your back, you might feel that yes, I'm having backache or when you reach your legs, you might feel that, okay, I'm getting a sensation of itching. Whatever there is, I want you to be conscious of it. Now doing this, for starters, do it for a minute or two. And it's going to be enough because when you begin actually, your concentration doesn't last that long. 

🌿FIND THE ENTIRE EPISODE ON MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES FOR BEGINNERS ON DOCTOR MOMMY SPEAKS PODCAST
🌿Link in bio
🌿how do you calm 🧠?

Guided/structured Mindfulness techniques (for beginners)

Body scan meditation. 

So what is this? It's nothing, it's just being conscious about all of your body parts. See, before we start, I'd like to tell you, the basic purpose of most mindfulness exercises is to help you regroup your thinking, your decision making, and your attention spans to bring your concentration to one place that is in the present moment.

The reason is, it's a brain. It's a body that we're talking about. And that brain can do just one task at a time. For example you may be sitting with your child, and you might think, “yes, I'm spending time with my child”. But then are you really? mentally you might be thinking about the chores, the laundry that's piled up, the food that you need to get prepped for tomorrow, or the meeting that you need to prepare for. 

What you did was you were present with your child just physically and not mentally tough. You'd be making him do his homework or engaging with your child. But then that's not what we're seeking. Let's make it easy for our mind and body to be synchronised, that is through mindfulness exercises. So let's take a look at some of the easy exercises that you can begin with. Number one is a body scan meditation. In this, you have to be aware of all your body parts, that is using your body to bring your attention back. What you gotta do is lie on your back with your legs extended and arms at your side, palms facing up. Focus your attention slowly and deliberately on each part of your body. In order from toe to head or head to toe, whatever you prefer. Be aware of any sensations, emotions, or thoughts associated with each part of the body. 

For example, close your eyes and you start thinking about your hair, concentrate on the hair, then think about the eyes, then say when you come to your back, you might feel that yes, I'm having backache or when you reach your legs, you might feel that, okay, I'm getting a sensation of itching. Whatever there is, I want you to be conscious of it. Now doing this, for starters, do it for a minute or two. And it's going to be enough because when you begin actually, your concentration doesn't last that long.

Do you sometimes feel that Motherhood is a restriction?

🌿It holds u back
It feels like your life has come to a stand still
Like nothing is about you anymore 
Its just about the kids, the family and the house.
You feel lost 
You lose your sense of self

🌿All this because you are short on time now.
Whatever lil you got is always taken up by the kids.
What is it that you do for yourself
What thoughts come to your mind when you look at yourself in the mirror
Do you recognize yourself

Here's another truth.

🌿Motherhood make you more capable 
It unearths abilities you never knew you had
It makes you strong and vulnerable at the same time.
You can do more
You can push more

🌿Need proof?
Imagine you younger self
Compare you accomplishments 
Look into your routine then n now
See the innumerable number of tasks scheduled and ticked off now.

🌿Stil doesn't click ?
You got time
Get going
Do something for yourself
Motherhood isn't holding you back

🌿Its empowering you to push ahead and move forward. 

🌿You go mama !!!!

What are your thoughts on this?

What is mindfulness? 

Mindfulness is a type of meditation, in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you are feeling in the moment. In simpler words, just sit down and let thoughts pass by without interpreting them or without looking for solutions. 

Why do Parents need mindfulness in their lives? 

I've always found this one feeling really overwhelming. And that is the need to constantly be there. They need us all the time. There's two things you could do. Number one is you could attend to all your children's needs, and in the process get exhausted and overwhelmed. Because you can't pour from an empty cup. 

The second option is to take your time, take a break, let your kids be by themselves till you are mentally and physically recharged again to take care of them. This is definitely the better option. But from experience, I can tell you, I find the second one more difficult, because it's riddled with the mom guilt. And I literally feel bad for not paying attention to them. At some point we need to condition ourselves to put our needs first and mindfulness can help us do just that.

More on mindfulness techniques for beginners coming soon.
Do you practice mindfulness?
Does parenting overwhelm you too?
Comment with a 🙃 if it does....

How to keep kids positive in these times.

📌Talk about positive things in the future like you remember the waterpark, we are going to go there after the pandemic is over

📌This keeps the hope alive

📌Avoid talking about covid, people dying, bed shortages,  extension of lockdown in front of the kids

📌Try to spend 20 mins with your kid daily. No distractions at this time. And do her favorite activity  

📌No need to look for new DiYs daily or buying new toys. Dont over burden yourself.

📌Just remember that our kids have been robbed of their childhood when ever u interact with them  

📌You are the only constant and normal thing left in their life.

WHAT KIND OF SCREENTIME IS BEST FOR YOUR CHILD?

Our kids are living and breathing in a digital environment. If your days are screen free or minimal screen time is allowed then a huge pat on the back for you.

But for the rest of them who are working from home or working AT home doing the household chores without any maid may find it difficult to engage with their children. 

We often find ourselves relaxing for 2 mins after giving the phone to our kids. Know that its perfectly fine if your doing it and these are unprecedented times. You can do only do SO much. So how to ensure whatever lil yime yoyr child is engaging with screens is productive for him?

What kind of screen time is the best for children?

👉co-viewing: turn screen time into movie time or put something on the TV.  Talk to Your child about what's going on in the video or cartoon. Discuss options,  ways in which the prime characters could have solved the problem.  Be the first one to come up with silly alternatives and see how your child responds to it.  Does he get satisfied easily or does he question your alternatives or provide better solutions.  The aim of co- viewing is not to sit together with your child and enjoy cartoons but to discuss and make it a fruitful time. 

👉interactive media:

If you are one of those who don't have time to sit with kids and engage with them then this option is for you. Choose any media that is interactive but not addictive. Interactive media means one that involves interaction or active participation of the child. Either one that is based on question and answers or one that has tasks to do. Video games,  educational videos are examples of interactive media.  Beware while you choose among these. Through a reward system video games work on the same reward centres in the brain as co***ne does. That's what makes it addictive. 

Choose an app or a media that forces the child to leave the screen and play. Wondering if something of this sort exists? Watch this space?

What are you kids' fav media to spend time on screens.  Comment below.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S Reunion.
I am so excited!!!!

Are you ready for it?

I don't know if you're a Millennial or a gen Z. Everyone till date can relate to it.

I for one wasn't into binge watching series but then my husband introduced me to this amazing bunch of FRIENDS and since then we connect over it, discuss it, get Nostalgia over it and more. Can't thank him enough for this.

But with the Reunion released, i can't bring myself to watch it. Its in my hands but i am so overwhelmed. It means a lot. An ardent fan can relate. The Mr.has decided to not watch it as he's satisfied with "the end" and he's afraid the 100s of cameos are going to destroy the one amazing memory he has of "The perfect End".

I on the Other hand was waiting for this since they first thought of an idea for a Reunion and it got in the news. Thats years ago. I crave to see their chemistry again, to see the magic that the 5 of them create on screen. Every episode has been a breath of fresh air.

And now having expectations i am afraid they may or may not stand upto it.

Help ! I am super confused. Are you an ardent fan of the best show in the world?

What do i do?

Have you seen it yet?

Comment below.

Don't give me spoilers, I will block you.