Mum came back from grocery shopping in a strop today. She had ran into her old friend from school, Michelle Margolis who had exclaimed loudly ’ Oh when’s the baby due!’ to which Mum had sheepishly replied ‘I had the baby two months ago’. ‘Oh dahling. Sorry. You know me, so busy with my career don’t really have time for family and kids, BUT you’re so lucky though, stay at home Mum and all that’ Auntie Michelle had scathingly replied.

 

OUUU low blow for Mum since she had given up any chance of a career when big sister and I came along, so needless to say Mum was not in a good mood when she got home. She confronted Dad, who has having his breakfast and proclaimed loudly  “Do I look fat to you!”. I could see Dad blanche outwardly, splutter and cough as the cornflakes went down the wrong tube he looked petrified as Mum glared questioningly at him. 

 

 

 

‘Got to go sweetie, emergency patient situation’ he shouts as he grabs his coat and runs off. Coward. ‘What emergency’ Mum says,’ you do preplanned cosmetic procedures’. But to no avail, Dad was sprinting faster than Usmain Bolt at the Olympics. Such drama at our house, better than any Sinhala tele soap, I tell you.

 

So with Mum’s new decision to get fit, she straps me into my buggy, it’s one of those outdoor, smooth gliders, three-wheeled contraptions, quite comfy I must say. We hit independence square, Mum means business, okay Mum slow down now, not going to lose all that weight in a day, don’t really need to push me so fast, was feeling buggy sick for awhile.

 

 

Anyways we go round and round the square, hope Mum looses the weight fast, this is getting boring, I’m getting sleepy, will doze off and leave the loosing weight to her to deal with.

Whilst Mum flounders on with her strict exercise regime to loose the post baby fat, I on the other hand am on a weight gaining program. Everyone is overjoyed when I gain a few grams of fat, it’s a celebration.

 

A word of wisdom to other Baby peeps, sure fire way to gain weight, have a strict supply of Mum’s only breast milk  and sleep a lot, you’ll pile on the pounds and Mum will be so happy, ‘It’s all my hard work!’ she proudly tells people.…that’s right now Dads not the only ‘chubba’ in the house.

 

Infant growth patterns

 

A newborn baby will LOSE up to 10% of her body weight within the first few days of life. Within the first 2 weeks she will REGAIN this loss. On average babies DOUBLE their birth weight by 4 months; TRIPLE their birth weight by 12 months and will be around FOUR TIMES their birth weight by 2 years.

 

The most RAPID period of growth is between 2 weeks and 6 months of age. During their first month, most newborns continue to gain weight at a rate of about one ounce (30 g) per day. 

 

 

Maternity Leave

 

Is leave offered to a woman after the birth of her child. In Sri Lanka under the Institutions covered by the Shop and Office Employees Act

Maternity leave for the birth of the first and second child and subsequent children,

 

* In respect of the birth of the first child a female employee is entitled to 84 working days as maternity leave on full pay.

 

* In respect of the birth of the second child also, she is entitled to 84 working days on full pay.

 

* A female employee, if at the time of the confinement already has two or more children, the employees is entitled to 42 working days on full pay

 

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Exercise post pregnancy

 

If you had a c-section, check with your doctor first and expect to wait until you recover from your operation before beginning an exercise program. An incision from a c-section takes at least six weeks to heal, and it may be some time after that before you feel like working out.

 

However, walking at an easy pace is encouraged because it promotes healing and helps prevent blood clots and other complications. For normal deliveries, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says it's okay to gradually resume exercising as soon as you feel up to it. But your doctor may want you to wait until your six-week postpartum checkup to see how you're doing first.

 

 

Getting the right buggy

 

If choosing a buggy to be used in the outdoors, think of getting an all terrain buggy. Its light weight, easy to fold into shape and pack way in the car. Also the three large wheels, provides the baby with comfort during any rough terrain. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Mayuri Jayasinghe