American Born Confused Sikh

My Dear Navi,  When it comes to having children, some women have super easy deliveries and pop our their baby in minutes. Some women have super traumatic life threatening deliveries that have twists and turns and unexpected surprises. My delivery with you was somewhere in between. . . .  If and when you ever have a child of your own, know this: When it comes to your delivery, it isn't your decision on how it will be. It isn't the baby's decision on how it will be. It is 100% the doctor's decision!  During my pregnancy, I was told that I could and should have a birth plan. And in that plan, I could indicate what I wanted and didn't want at the birth. But let's be real, nothing ever goes according to plan, so I didn't make one! You know I believe in the laws of attraction, so I decided to manifest my delivery, but here's a little secret: that didn't work either!  For so many months, I tried to picture myself having a natural vaginal birth. I didn't...

My Dear Navi, One of the greatest lessons I want to teach you is to not give an F* about what people think about what you say, what you do, and most importantly how you look.  As life goes on and constantly changes, so will your appearance, your outlook on fashion, your makeup preferences and your weight. By all means, I hope that in the future you are still eating and loving all of your veggies (especially when I put them into a yummy tomato pasta!) and all of your fruits. I hope you are still loving the outdoors and that you take walks, and jogs, and exercise so that you can live your best and healthiest and most fulfilling life.  But please know that your weight might fluctuate time and time again and it's not a big deal! When I was in college, I worked retail and I was on my feet 24/7. I was pretty skinny. But then when I graduated I got a sit down office job and I went out to eat a lot with my friends and I gained quite a bit of weight. (But I do not regret that time spen...

Wow, I haven't written since January! But I can't help it. When given the option of write or sleep, sleep always wins! #newparent!  I've been wanting to write about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, formula, baby, baby with covid, daycare dramas, milestones, maternity leave, stay at home mom, working mom and gosh so much more. Our baby girl recently turned one and my goodness it has been quite a year! And as I watch her on the baby monitor to my left with a big pile of laundry to fold on my right, with all of the emotions and with everything that we've been through, the one word I have to summarize all of it is: Thankful.  So, so, so thankful. This will sound super cheesy and almost a little Bollywood, but yes, my daughter is the apple of my eye, my heart and soul, and my new purpose in life. Even when she gets tomato pasta all over the floor and the wall, even when she flips over and crawls away while I change her poopy diaper, even when she wakes me up numerous times t...

"I think it's time we get a dog."  It had been six months since the miscarriage. Six months of trying. Six months of prenatal pills and ovulation tests and heartbreaking periods. Every month was a huge disappointment because the nurses and doctors said that I would be extra fertile during this period. They said that the first 6 months after giving birth or having a miscarriage was an extremely fertile time and there was nothing wrong with me and they were confident that I could get pregnant again.  But month after month, nothing was happening. And every time I got my period, it brought back the trauma of the miscarriage. I was getting depressed. I lost my job. And because of covid 19, countrywide lockdowns were in full effect. Everything was closed. Travel was banned. And meeting with people in general was pretty much forbidden. (Unless you were the prime minister of the United Kingdom of course. Then you could go to parties and do whatever you want!) But for an extrovert...