Indian diet for Twin Pregnancy

Having a second baby is my dream and we tried it for so long time. Finally when we decided not to have the universe gave us the blessing. From this point, I started to believe that if you wish for something from the bottom of your heart the whole universe will try to give you the same thing. This is called the law of attraction.

PS: Pixabay

Finally, we were pregnant with twins and I was in the air. The whole family was happy. Everyone was suggesting what to eat and how much to eat. You are going to give birth to two babies so you need to have a diet for three people. Everyone was giving advice on the well-being of the mother and baby in the womb. This happens with every mom, right mommy?

Mr. Hubby asked my Gynecologist regarding my diet and he strictly told me not to do any google searches. I also nodded like a good girl. 😊 I always wonder how these two babies get enough nutrition. Do mothers of twins really need to eat an excessive amount? What kind of problems she is facing? She is having twins so problems must be double like this and many questions are traveling in my monkey mind. But when I got pregnant and consulted my gynecologist she simply told me, Be positive and eat all homemade food as per your requirement.  Do not eat in excess. Drink milk and have a balanced diet.

 

Twins pregnancy is a challenging period. Our bodies have to go through a lot of problems like nausea, eating dislike, and many more.  Sometimes we are unable to have our favorite food and sometimes we carve for the food which we don’t like at all in our life.  All we need to eat properly otherwise the baby in the womb will not get proper nutrition. Our babies' growth is totally dependent on the mother's diet. A mother’s diet should include all vitamins and minerals then only she can have a healthy baby. In my case, I was totally normal till the mid of my first trimester. Then the roller coaster started and it was stop at the end of my 9 months. I had evening sickness and was so unable to have my morning and evening tea as I am a tea lover. Unable to eat a lot of fruits and non-veg food. My babies were not ready to take any external (hotel-made) food or junk food. Even if I eat that my babies immediately throwing it out. 😇

 

Disclamier : I am not a professional or nutrionist. I delivered a twin baby in the month of December 2021. Whatever I am sharing is the advice given by my gynecologist. Before having these diets consult your gynecologist.

 

My doctor suggested having a balanced diet and also explained to me the benefits of a balanced diet.

Why pregnant lady should take a balanced diet?

# With a balanced diet you consume the required nutrients in the right amount.

# Mother remains healthy throughout the pregnancy.

# The growth and development of the fetus is appropriate.

# The growth of a pregnant ladies' uterus and milk gland is in the right way.

# The pregnant lady gets the strength to have a normal delivery.

# The mother can able to have proper milk after delivery.

# Apart from physical health a pregnant lady can have happy mental health too.

When I went in the third month I started to have vomiting and acidity issues. But still, my doctor advised me to have plenty of water. Eat-in short duration can say after every 2 hours.

How to eat when you have several health-related problems during pregnancy?

The first point is you have to take your prenatal supplement. Some women have a tendency not to have it. But it is the requirement of our body and hence you have to take it. I am still taking these supplements of iron and calcium.

With this supplement, you have to take a food enriched with calcium and iron.

Drink Kokum Sarbat (Juice) to reduce the dehydration and acidity in your body.

Eat-in small proportions, after every 2 hours. I used to have this kind of eating habit and still I am following it. Now my babies are 6 months old but still, I had to take a meal every 2 hours. Breastfeeding makes me hungry.

Drink lots of water it helps to keep you hydrated and also reduces the constipation problem. I prefer to keep a 1 ltr bottle everywhere in my bedroom, on the dining table, and in the kitchen so that I am having a proper amount of water. If possible try to drink boiled water.

Eat green vegetables and fruits as much as you can. Have 1 bowl of each every day. Do wash it properly before having it. I love to eat leafy vegetables and during pregnancy, I had most of them. From leafy vegetables, you can get iron and calcium. This also helps to avoid the constipation problem.

Eat salt in a moderate amount. I was carving mostly for chips which finally increase my blood pressure. The doctor advised me not to have pickles, papad, chips, and salty food items. So please control your salt intake.

Do not eat any spicy and oily food. It will increase acidity.

Try to eat fresh food. If you are a non-vegetarian like me try to cook meat fully and make it less spicy.

Have milk twice a day. I didn’t drink it because I had a vomiting issue. But I consume curd, lassi, and yogurt.

Here I am sharing my diet chart for one day which is provided by my gynecologist.  

Time	Food items	Measurment /Comment
Morning 7 :00 a.m	Milk	1 cup  (sometime I drink )
9:00 to 9:30 a.m.	Tea Palak Paratha/Alloo paratha/ Methi paratha Curd	1 cup ( I don’t drink it) 2   ½ cup
11.00 a.m.	Lemonade/orange juice Or Fruit Or Nuts	1 glass   Seasonal 1 Fistful
Afternoon 12.:30 p.m.	Roti Sprout (Maharashtrian usal)	2 1 cup
2:30 p.m.	Rice Lentil (Maharashtrian varan/Amti) Ghee Vegetables	1 cup (I had 2cup) 1 cup  1 Tsp 1 cup
4:30 p.m	Tea/coffee Biscuit/Toast	1 cup (I had it in my last trimester) 2/3
6:30 p.m.	Salad-fruit /sprout Or Soup	1 cup   1 cup
9:00 to 9:30 p.m	Ragi roti Green vegetable Pulav/Khichadi Salad Fruit	1 no 1 cup 1 bowl 1 cup 1
Before sleep night  11:00 p.m	Milk	1 glass (Sometimes I had )

 

You will get an idea of what to have in your diet. You can have plenty of vegetables and fruits. I used this chart throughout my pregnancy. Only I was unable to have dinner in the third and fourth months due to a vomiting issue. But I try to have at least soup, khichdi, or bhakari. I never kept my stomach empty. In the last trimester, I was able to have proper milk.

Following are the options which I used. I am Maharashtrian so giving out the same food items.

Breakfast options: Upma, Poha, Paratha, Puri bhaji, Sandwich – very few with only whole wheat bread, thalipeeth, sabudana khichadi, dhokla, missal paav, vada paav- homemade, dosa, idli, uttapam.

Lunch /Dinner options : Khichadi, Sprouted khichadi,  vegetable pulav, green leafy vegetables, Dal, rice, amti, all kind of green vegetables, paneer.

Non-veg: chicken, mutton, egg – all this should be made in less oil, less spicy, and fully cooked.

PS : pixabay 

Hope this chart and food options are helpful for the pregnant lady. Whether you have a single baby or have twins this is the right amount that you have to consume. If you want to eat more you can always eat. This is the basic measurement of the meal. I consume rice 2 to 3 cups and love to drink dal at least 2 cups.

If you find this post helpful. Do share with your pregnant mothers. I must say not a pregnant but every mother should have at least this kind of meal in one day.

What kind of food do you eat during your pregency? Do you find the diet chart helpful? Comment below.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.' ---

©Neeta Kadam. This article and image are the property of Memory Flies. Any unauthorized use or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is strictly prohibited.

Bhatukali in vacation

Bhatukali -How many of you know this game? 

I guess kids in the 90s and before that must know BHATUKALI. Still, if you don't know, not to worry, stick to the whole post.

End of an era of online school

Gyan we learn from our kids : 

Be calm, accept the situation and enjoy it to the fullest. Our kids enjoyed the school in the same way (like offline)Irritating the teacher by asking questions like which subject is today? Can we write? Which lesson mam? Are you sending this in what's app group? Etc. 

For kids, it was more fun but the truth is they missed school, friends, and teachers. Due to online schooling, we are able to evaluate our kid's performance as well as " teachers" performance. We get to know the flaws and strengths of our kids. As a parent, we should utilize it.

Now it is vacation time and still, we have to schedule our kid's day, is it really necessary? This means, nowadays schools have everything in their syllabus from guitar to painting. But still, every parent feels to keep them busy.

Why?

Let them get bored. Let them allow to play in the sunlight. Let them play in the mud.  Let them play barefoot. Let them be tired. Let them decide what they want to do on a vacation. Introduce a few indoor board games and play as a family.

Do you remember, when we were kids, how much we used to play?  At that time we have no restrictions on playing from our parents. We used to play from morning to night with lunch n snacks break. Right? Then why do we putting such restrictions on our kids? Is it overparenting? What do you think?

Bhatukali in summer camp.

Now summer camps are flooded all over social media.  I don’t like to spend a huge amount on such a summer camp. But this time our colony had a summer camp. They actually conducted "sanskar Varg" for kids, which was very good for parents 😀because nowadays kids are arrogant and they have no compassion or kindness. (Not all but yes 60%) Even they don't know how to talk politely. 

Anyway, so I called them for the details. They said they have bhatukali. I literally jumped and without giving a second thought enroll my daughter.  It was ₹300 for 5 days with a unique activity. My daughter was also ready to join just because of this bhatukali.

OK, what is BHATUKALI?

My daughter asked the same question. I told her, that Bhatukali means real cooking with toy utensils. We used to prepare real meals like puri bhaji and dal rice with a toy kitchen set.

What to do?  Can we do it at home?

Well, the answer is yes, we can make it at home.

But this should be done with adult supervision. My Attya (bua-fathers sister) helps us with cooking. She actually built a small Chula ( gas with brick). We all friends bring cooking materials. Some bring oil, some bring potato, some bring wheat, and each one brings the necessary ingredients for the dish. We all cook and have a meal. This game took around 5 hours and we loved to play during our vacation.

During this summer camp, they decorate a toy kitchen set. Teachers teach kids how to knead the dough for poori, how to roll small puri, and how to fry it in oil. They allow each kid to perform these things. Cool  na! 

Then they also teach them how to boil potatoes and prepare a Sabji. They put the flame on Candle and made this "puri-bhaji" in the toy kitchen Kadai. Each child thoroughly enjoyed this. Because their mums do not even allow them in the kitchen and here they do so many cooking-related things.

How was the summer camp from my daughter's view?

It was fun and lovely. She enjoyed makings poori but got upset as she did not get a chance to fry them. I told her it was for everyone. One kid can not be allowed to do everything.  I assured her that I will allow her to fry the poori in my kitchen.😃 

Coming back to summer camp, she liked all activities except two -making Ballon girl and pot painting. 

I asked, Why?

Because we do pot, bottle, Diya painting every time mom. I am not able to make that Ballon girl so I don't like it. 😔

But I was happy that she enjoyed this small summer camp.

What were the activities?

pot painting 

Even a small child can do this Varali Painting. They give this pot with the Tulsi plant. They taught children how to plant the small tulsi.

Ballon girl

lifafa making from scrap

Bag from old t-shirt

stamping of leaves

Finger painting 

Candle painting

and some jumping 

I took one week from her vacation only when she was ready. The rest of the time she played with her friends. Every time she reminds me, mom it's my vacation. I will decide how to have fun. I said, yes madam.😇

But yes, she has a time limit too. Because once children start to play they forget to have a meal. I am happy because she is away from the screen. 

Conclusion: Reminder to the parents-

It is a children's vacation. 

Do allow kids to play outdoor.

Do not pack their schedule with unnecessary things. 

This is the best way to keep them away from the screen. 

This is my opinion. Do you agree mom? 

Do you introduce any such kind of old play to your kids? Did you play Bhatukali? Comment below. I would love to read.

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.' ---

©Neeta Kadam. This article and image are the property of Memory Flies. Any unauthorized use or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is strictly prohibited.

Badam Shake for pregnant and beastfeeding Moms

Hello all,

Hope you are doing well. It’s been a long gap being an active on my blog. I enjoyed my twin motherhood journey but I wanted to get back on my blog too. Nurturing twins without any help is really exhausting. Now we are adjusted to the routine and I wanted to have my “ME” time to upgrade myself. I am ready to brush up my writing skills and eager to read our talented fellow bloggers blog.

Many thanks to Cindy and Blogberry. I was so happy to see your email in my inbox and Mr. Hubby also assures that now I can get back to my writing. Hope I can write well and will not make you bored.

PS : Google

When I become second time Pregnant one of my friend advised me to have Badam Milk Shake – Bacche fair honge ( jokes apart) but I never had it. I don’t like to drink milk, but as a breastfeeding mom I have to drink milk regularly.  Milk is the important diet of lactating mothers. All babies nutrition’s requirement is fulfilled by mother’s milk. Mother need to take a balanced diet and drink milk regularly. I don’t like to drink plain milk so I always try to make it delicious by adding nuts, custard powder and in different kinds of milkshake form. Have you been this through mummas?

 What is BadamMilk Shake?          

Badam Milk Shake is a milk blended with almond paste. Almond milk is different and almond milkshake is different. Here we use a milk as a base and add almond paste in it. It is delicious plus nutritious

Which milk we can use for making Badam Milk Shake?

I used amul’s cow milk. You can use any cow, buffalo, Amul, Gokul, Motherdairy milk. I don’t know how it will go with coconut milk, soyabeen milk etc. I never had these kinds of milk. So Please use regular milk which we are drinking since our childhood.

Can lactating mother eat almonds?

Yes, my gynecologist advised me to have fistful nuts every day. Even pregnant ladies can also have this badam milk shake subject to condition it should be made at home. Frankly speaking I can’t eat soaked or dry nuts daily. I always forget to have it in my diet. My mom, friends advised me how to have nuts in your diet. So I am trying each one’s nuska 😀 and experimenting with milk. My ultimate goal is to have a milk in my diet. 😎

Can we make this Badam Milk Shake at home?

Yes, now everything is available on Youtube. This is my versions of milk shake which is like by everyone in my family. I am having it regularly.

BADAM MILK SHAKE   Prep Time : 10 minutes Course : Beverage Yield : 4 person ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ingredient : Badam/ Almond : 1 cup Milk : 500 ml Sugar : 3 Tbsp or As per your taste (optional) Shatavari : 4 Tsp. Saffron strands : few (optional) Eliachi powder : Small Pinch Vanila Ice cream : Scoop (optional)   Direction :   Heat a pan and add milk. Add sugar as per your taste. If you are adding Shatavari powder then skip sugar.  Let it boil.   Soak Badam overnight or 5 to 6 hour. Peel the cover and grind it to make a fine paste with little bit of water.   Soak saffron strands in ¼ cup of milk.   Add this badam mixture to boiled milk and mix it very well. Give it stir and let it boil for 1 minute.   Now add saffron mix milk and eliachi powder and mix well. Let it sim for few minutes and then put off the gas.   Now add shatavari and mix it well. Make it cool at room temperature.   Then pour it in your glass and keep this glass in a fridge for at least 2 hour. Your Badam Milk shake is ready.                                       Cremy, thick milkshake taste awesome when you add a spoon of ice cream on top of it.   Variation :  You can make it with variations. 1.      Custard powder : Add 2 tbsp custard powder in ¼ cup of milk. Make a lumps   free slurry. Once your milk is at boiling point add this mixture slowly and stir it continuously till milk becomes thick. Put off the flame.   2.       Add ice cream: Once your milk is ready you can garnish it with a scoop of ice-cream.  Or You can take this room temperature badam milk in a blending jar, add  vanilla flavor ice cream and blend it till smooth and fluffy. Lastly garnish with a scoop of ice –cream on top of it.

 

Who can drink this BadamMilkshake?

Off course this nutritious milk shake is beneficial to everyone including kids to an adult. It is highly nutritious to breastfeeding mommy and pregnant ladies. Only if anyone have almond allergy then do not have it. 

What are the benefits of this Badam Milk Shake?

# Badam / Almonds are rich in vitamin E and it is one of the important antioxidant.

# Vitamin E can lower the risk of serious health conditions like stroke, heart disease and even a cancer.

# Almond is a good source of magnesium. Magnesium is important for controlling blood sugar levels.

(Link : www.webmd.com)

Do you like milkshakes Moms? Have you enjoyed milkshakes with your kids ?

Disclaimer : I am not a professional or nutritionist. I am just a mom of three girl kids. I am sharing my experience. 

 

Everyone know this Badam Shake because it is readily available at roadside specially in India. Share your versions of milkshake recipes with me if you ever made it.

If you find this article useful please do share it with pregnant ladies and lactating moms.

'This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.' ---

©Neeta Kadam. This article and image are the property of Memory Flies. Any unauthorized use or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is strictly prohibited.

12 ways to keep kids healthy during the germ season

India is blessed with 4 seasons out of which monsoon is the most important season. Generally, we have monsoon in the first week of June. But this year we have witnessed the monsoon “above normal”

 

What is the Germ Season?

For me especially monsoon and winter are the germ season. Not only kids but we adults to get suffered from this monsoon/winter germ. I am not taking these seasons lightly because once your kid gets infected it will be more irritating to us. Sometimes other family members get infected because of them. They used to have ruuny nose, cough, rashes on the nose and it gets converted into a fever. Pediatric hospitals are flooded with sick kids and we moms tend to search more on Google for a solution, right?

 

PS: Pixel

Being a mom for the past 8 years I discovered some tips and picked up some tips from my mother and with fellow moms on how to keep kids healthy during the germ season.  

12 ways to keep kids healthy during this germ season:    

Drink Warm Water:

As soon as monsoon start we face water problems. The government also guides to have boiling water throughout the monsoon. We used to have boiled water and keep it warm to drink. It helps to maintain body temperature and is helpful for the sour throat.

Wash Hands Frequently:

Due to corona we used to wash hands with sanitizers. But when we are inside the house I always insist my family wash hands with hand wash soap by rubbing at least 20 minutes. You all are aware of excessive use of sanitizers which makes our skin dry. Water and handwash (get this mild handwash)are the best ones, try to use mild ones which have fewer chemicals. 

PS: Pixel

Drink Turmeric Milk before bedtime:

This is one of the ancient rituals which we follow since our childhood. Let me admit I don’t like milk at all since my childhood. But now I have to drink turmeric milk especially having cough and cold. Kids are observers and so I have to drink 😇. As a mother, I always make sure that my child must have this turmeric milk every night at bedtime.

PS:eMediHealth

It actually, help to fight germs. Besides, it has great benefits and no wonder nowadays it is being sold as turmeric shots due to covid, right? 

Turmeric Shots Amazon

PS: Pixel

Sleep

It is the most important thing for all of us including kids. School going kids should have 10 to 12 hours undisturbed sleep. But due to pandemics, the whole schedule is still disturbed and kids tend to sleep after 12.00 am. There is a need for rest to have a healthy body. Make a proper sleep routine and stick to it is very important. I strongly believe and witness that Sleep actually helps to boost the immune system.  

Keeping hot zones dust free:

During the monsoon our floor used to become sticky and houseflies tend to enter the house. Make sure hot zones like dining table, TV unit, Kids play area should be always dust free and wipe regularly.

Sweep the floor at least 3 to 4  times a day and mop the floor once or twice. Use rock salt, dettol, and phenyl for mopping. A strong smell of phenol keeps the floor fly free because this fly brings lots of germs.

Ajwin Potali

We all Indian mom must follow this since our baby is born. I am still using this as it always works for congestion nose. Dry roast ajwain on a pan and tie in a handkerchief and make a small potali.  Put that warm potali on the nose and chest as it will give out the relief from cough.

No sharing Utensils/ Towels:

Though we are living in one house we used to have separate utensils like a cup, snacks plates, dinner plates, glass, etc. It is hygienic to have a habit that kids will not share anyone’s utensils and towels. I strongly followed this. Do you follow the same?

Teach kids to use a hanky to cough or sneeze:

I saw many kids are unable to have this habit. We should make sure that even kids are at home and if they have a runny nose, have them a handkerchief. Ask them to sneeze or cough using a handkerchief. This will keep their clothes clean and they will develop the habit to have a handkerchief with them always.

Diffuser with camphor oils:

We all know very well about the properties of camphor. Instead of using essential oils use camphor or camphor oil. I am using this in every rainy season. It prevents fly, germs inside the house and it also helps in congestion of cough.

PS: Pixel

Drink warm soup:

Does your family love soup? Once the rainy season started we indulged in a variety of homemade soup. Chicken or Mutton soup is one of our family's favorite. Try to have this soup especially if your child is infected and has a sour throat. Check out the recipe for chicken soup. 

Change Clothes at least twice in a day.

Everyone is inside the house but still, change your kid's cloth at least twice a day.  Dust, sweat, and dirt while playing inside the house welcome germs. Built a habit in a kid to clean themselves and change their clothes after playing and before bedtime.

Have a healthy balanced diet.

Last but the top most important way to keep our kids healthy is to have a balanced diet. It should include all homemade breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner. Avoid having packaged and junk food. We need to avoid order food on ZOMATTO or SWIGGY. Having a healthy and balanced diet including fresh fruits is an immunity booster. No more chocolate, cakes, chips, corn flex, pizza, and burger. Have whole wheat cake and pizza. Just search on YOUTUBE and you will get tons of easy recipes. Involve your kids in this home baking process they will enjoy most.

 

There are many ways we generally used to keep our kids healthy during germ season. I sorted out the basics.  I would like to know from your ends too. I know every super mom has special tips.  

Please share your tips on how you keep your kids healthy during the germ season.

PS: www.pixel.com

information Reference : www.healthline.com

This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla and sponsored by Bakez by Daizy.

©Neeta Kadam. This article and image are the property of Memory Flies. Any unauthorized use or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author is strictly prohibited.