10 TIPS FOR EVERY WORKING MOM TO STRIKE A GOOD WORK-LIFE BALANCE.

 

 

I confess I am a workaholic who fiercely loves her family. I struggle to find the balance between all of this and though it’s really hard it also a lot of FUN! I am brutally honest about this adventure we call being a working mom & through my honesty I hope to empower and inspire women to believe that they can do this.

“Motherhood is not the end of your Identity”

I am a Fashion professional by the nature of my job & General Manager Design & Marketing by designation. I work for a Bombay based export house and deal with clients like zara, oysho, Mango, Next, urban outfitters. In the past i had worked for brands like H&M, river island, top-shop and Masimo dutti to name a few.My job involves extensive travel around the globe for presentations & meetings. People who know me ,Know my jet setter life before becoming a MAMA.

I love my job & love my travels, it gives me a perspective to live life differently. Experiencing multi culture on my work trips definitely changed my horizon to a lot of things. Also it is so much self empowering to go out their in the world and make your mark.

I had my SONshine with great difficulty & a lot of wait but the wait was worth it. I love him more then words but at the same time i cant give up on my identity, And work is a very important part of me. Working full time & raising a tiny human sounds like a lotof work right!?! So the question is how do i do it?

 

“I think every working mom probably feels the same thing: You go through big chunks of time where you’re just thinking, ‘This is impossible — oh, this is impossible.’ And then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible.”Tina Fey

Do i spend enough time with my son ? Am i part of his daily happenings ? How do i take care of him while being at work?

And the Answer to this is – I strike a balance, and have best of both worlds. Here are 10 ways, how i strike a work-life balance –

1. Let go off the guilt – Rather than dwell on how you’re not with your child, think about how your role of being a Working mom is benefiting the family. Your reason to work may be any, to provide a bright future for your children , help support your family status or elevating & developing self as an individual. Bright side is, in the end you are raising an independent kid.
2. A Reliable care giver – If you live in a joint family with your in laws and parents around then you are sorted, but its a real problem in nuclear family. If you are a nuclear family then its important to figure out a reliable care giver, A nanny who can take care of your child in your absence. There are a lot of professional agencies these days , Where security is not a big problem and they provide trained professionals. You can opt for someone living with you or some one who comes for 12 hrs.
3. A creche’ – If you are unable to find one suitable & trustworthy care taker at home then creche is answer to your problem. There are many state of the art creches/day care, who provide all the amenities that will keep your child safe & entertained. There will be some challenges like kids catching infection frequently, but that will happen when ever your kid will start going out, be it creche a play school or school for that matter. Its better they get use to it from an early age.
4. CCTV Cameras – It has been a blessing for me. I have got CCTV cameras installed in all rooms of my house and i can see my son live on my phone on my laptops. It ensures his safety and i get to see my curly cuddly running around & playing around the house 🙂 You can login from any part of the world all you need is a data connectivity or Wifi. Also keep calling time to time checking one your kid.
5. Support from work – It is very important to get some kind of flexibility & support from your work place. I have some credibility after working for so many years and with my past performances my employer has been kind to be flexible with me. All employers need to understand a woman has many roles to play in her life so be vocal with you employer to be flexible with you and figure out a working model where neither you nor them are affected.
6. Spend quality time with your child –  Above i have stated the logistics of making arrangements to keep your baby safe while you are at work. Now lets talk about making time for your baby.You need to design your day in such a way that you get to spend quality time with your kid so you don’t go on to the guilt ride. And honestly i wont be able to do this if i don’t have support from work. I prefer going late & coming late rather hustling in the morning & come tired home & not spending quality time with your child. So mornings are for him. I wake up anytime between 7-7:30 am. so an hr work out, or go for runs or just do stretches at home with or without my son. From 8:30 to 10:30 I give uninterrupted time to my son. We indulge into various activities , eat breakfast together, i make sure to feed him breakfast because then for other meals i am not around. I oil his hair, brush his teeth, do these little things , bath him and then in half hr get ready and leave for work. During evening i am back by 8-8:30 pm and then literally bath in 5 mins and then dinner in 5 mins and its time for his Nanny to go. From 9 to 10:30 – 11 pm is our time again. our routine is, some active play, then reading a book and sleep.
7. Create an activity/meal, chart– Make a chart for full week during weekends about his meals( breakie, lunch, evening snack, dinner, milk & quantity), medicines (if any). Time table for the whole day mentioning meals, nap time, play time etc.Or if you are sending your kids to a creche make notes in a book and hand it over to the concerned person there.
8. Organise yourself – Make sure to pack yours & your kids bags a previous night.Purses, work bags, baby bags/school bags.  Remove what to wear in the night for next day both for you & your kid. When you are at work, try & work smarter, without wasting time, not telling you to interact with your peers ( its one of the most important thing to be a successful manager) But casual internet surfing gossiping & long lunches etc eats time. You rather utilise that time and work efficiently and wind up on time for the day to go back to your baby.
9. Me time – Most importantly do not forget to focus on the golden Me time hr. Remove that one hr every day where you only focus on your self. It could be reading, running, working out, listening to music, painting or perhaps watch your favourite show. Remember you can’t serve your family if you will be irritated, frustrated. So make sure to rejuvenate your self everyday to get clarity of thoughts which will help you function better.
10. Delegate responsibility to your spouse – Don’t try to take everything on you, Delegate some responsibility to your spouse, eg: if you are getting late at work or have a work travel coming up, communicate with your husband to be around when you are not. Let your husband take care of your child when he wakes up during the night or early morning, so you catch on some sleep.

Hope you found this read helpful, Would love to know your thoughts in comments below.

Love

Sakshi 

 

 

 

 

BREASTFEED – Best for baby

 

 

Its the Breast feeding week 2017, and being an advocate of Breastfeeding how can i not share my journey of breastfeeding & share my learning & experience on this topic . I remember i had put so much pressure on myself right after delivery that i was getting panic attacks until the 3rd day when i started lactating.With so many failure lactation stories around i was under a lot of pressure thinking , will i ?, what if i wont? but even if i didn’t!?! would that make me a bad MOM? NOPE! so please don’t beat yourself on this, and do whats in your control because the way women feed their baby does NOT  define their success as a MOTHER.

when it comes to breastfeeding every mother is different & every child is different.Every moms challenges will be different. So weather you breastfeed or pump feed, or bottle feed it does not matter as i believe every mom does best for her child. Having said that breast feeding has endless benefits both for the baby and the mother.

So here are some Reasons why Breast feed is good for the baby and the mother, what are the challenges, lactation, Foods for Lactation & support during lactation.

Advantages of Breast feeding – 

1. Unique nutritional formulation- ideal nutrition.
2. Unique immunologic and development medicament- Which protects against Infection & stimulates optimal development while breast feeding.
3. Programs infant for later development
4. Human milk is a complex bioactive and prophylactic fluid.
5. Wholesome hence there is no need for supplementation.
6. No  risk of contamination & no need to sterilise bottles ( such a task)
7. Maternal antibiotics in milk protect against infection till 9m of age.
8. Problems like Skin allergies, asthma are less common in breast feed babies.

 

Different position of breastfeeding – 

I started lactating at 3rd day after delivery and learning feeding positions was so difficult for me. Also people around ,created much panic. But its important to keep your cool and learn about these positions from the beginning.

Start by placing baby on one side, toward your breasts. Make sure your baby’s whole body is facing your chest, with his or her ear, shoulder and hip in a straight line (those little boy or girl parts should be parallel to the breast you’re not feeding from). You don’t want your newborn’s head turned to the side — it should be straight in line with the body. Use a nursing or regular pillow to bring baby to a height that makes manoeuvring him or her to the breast easier. A mother should always sit with her back supported . and take the baby towards her, this prevents her from back pains. I always preferred Upright position. Other positions like lying down & feeding sideways are better avoided. In case of twins Football potion works best as both kids can be fed simultaneously. Also this position is good for moms who had c-sec as you don’t have to place the baby on your belly because stitches hurt for few days. Learn more about Feeding positions Here–

 

Always let the baby feed from one breast then give the other as the baby gets HIND milk which is rich in FATS. Basically, the initial milk during each feed is more like water and later comes the nutritious milk , Always complete feeding from one breast then move on to the other even if the other one is leaking milk, its fine. I did the exact same thing until the health care providers pointed it out to me. 

 

Challenges during Breastfeeding 

1. Inadequate breast milk: First few days there may be reduced milk, or you wont even lactate but from 3-4th day you should start lactating. First few days a jelly like substance called Colostrum is enough for the baby. Especially post C-Sec lactation may delay as the mother is fasting. Its advisable to consume 4-5 ltrs of liquid in form of water, milk, juices etc.

Some women get adequate lactation and some dont, here is a quick look at foods that enhances milk production –

• Water – Drink lots of water all day especially right after a feed.
• Nuts – When you get hungry because of feeding, munch on some nuts.
• Flax seeds- best to have first thing in the morning
• Green veggies – Have lots of leafy greens like SPINACH , i used to have a spinach tomato soup daily.
• Fruits, ornage, payaya, banana etc
• Sesame seeds
• Dry fenugreek seeds (Methi)
• Thymol seeds (Ajwain)
• Aniseed (Sauf) – soak them in ater for couple of hrs, and drink it. Repeat 2-3 times a day.
• Fennel

Click below to know my postpartum journey and what food i ate and how i lost weight.

A WOMAN Behind a MOTHER…POSTPARTUM JOURNEY!

2.Retraction or Flat nipples– prior to delivery massaging of nipples helps. In severe cases, Nipple shield can Solve the problem. Expressing milk by breast pump is also an option. All though extreme hygiene care needs to be kept in mind while expressing and feeding expressed milk, to avoid infections.

3. Breast Engorgement /Mastitis : This condition is swelling & pain in the breast during feeding. To avoid this you should massage your breasts daily, it forms lumps otherwise which leads to complications. If there is excess milk express it and keep. Hot fomentation and medicines help in severe cases.

Breast milk Recommendations –

• Mastitis – Continued breast feeding is recommended during antibiotic therapy.
• Breast Abscess : Feeding from affected breast is not recommended but breast milk should be expressed out. Feeding can be resumed once abscess has been drained out and mother is treated with antibiotics. Breast Feeding should be continued from unaffected breast.

4. Cracked Nipple – Do not use too much soap & water , keep them exposed to air, do not wear tight bra. Can apply breast milk or coconut oil.  or use ointments like Nipcare which is also safe for the baby.

Expressing Milk

I personally swear by Breast pumps, I started pumping when my son was 2 months. Sometimes i had excess milk so i had to express and it worked great because while i was sleeping, any body in the family use to feed my son. Its a good way to keep your sanity in place. Also when a mom gets back to work Breast pumps are your answer to all the puzzles in your head. Its easy & quick, however some precautions needs to be kept in mind to avoid infections –

• Wash your hands well with soap & water before expressing.
• Sterilise pump and and the bottle
• Storage  :Room temp- 2-3 hrs , insulated cooler with ice pack – 24 hrs, Fridge – 5 days, try to use it up in 24 hrs, Freezer – 2 weeks.

Support during Breast feeding –

Breastfeeding is not an easy journey for a woman, And this is the time when a woman needs people around to make her feel that she is not alone and she has all the support.It also takes a father’s shoulder, a colleague’s helping hand, a friend’s sympathetic ear and a grandma’s eyes. It takes all of us and our hearts to help mothers breastfeed. Because raising the healthiest possible tiny human is not only a mother’s responsibility. IT TAKES ALL OF US. Fathers, grandparents, friends and colleagues , you’re already helping a lot the breastfeeding mum whom you know closely or intimately. But you may be wondering how you could possibly help her more so that she can breastfeed for longer.

• For DADS –   After your wife is done feeding the baby, take the baby and burp him, also  provide emotional support to your wife, believe me she needs you like never before. wake up with her if the baby wakes up in the night. Show her some love, let her know you are there for her.
• For Friends – Keep visiting your friend who has become a mom recently, spend some time looking after the baby so she can catch up on some sleep or motivate her to speak her mind, talk about how fun life will be with her baby around.
• Family/grandparent – Let the new mom rest in between feeding times, meanwhile look after the baby and help the new mom with daily chores so she can relax. And  shower all the love on her ,motivate her to breast feed and tell her she is doing great.
• Boss – Be lenient with breast feeding moms with working hrs at least for 6 months. Make her feel she is still as productive rather more as she has one new role now.

Hope you find this article useful!

Much love

Sakshi

 

SINGAPORE – WITH KIDS

World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. I so stand by this quote. I have been an avid traveller, 15 countries and counting….Recently explored another chapter that’s called Singapore. And it was indeed very special being first with my son.

 

Me and my husband love exploring Europe and we always do one country at a time. So Singapore was not on the cards, but once you have a baby Dimensions and perspective change and only country that came to our mind was Singapore. We were looking for a destination around India to avoid long haul flights. It took us only 4 hrs to land in this beautiful City of gardens.

Travelling with a toddler: Checklist & tips

And here is why? Take a look at Singapore through my eyes and find out what to do with kids.

1.  Singapore zoo – Walk on the wild side with award winning wildlife park where animals roam freely in their natural Habitat. This wild life park is spread over a 26 hectare with 300 species of mammals, birds and reptiles, which provides an excellent wildlife experience which your little one is sure to enjoy.  From White Tigers, pygmy hippos, and even naked mole rats to African cats and giraffes,they have it all, Which is sure to excite your little one. To be honest,i have never seen my son so excited. He was pointing out all the animals with his finger and was expressing is excitement was blabbering and jumping. Our favourite watch was orangutan, White tiger, different species of hippos , polar bear . They also have a dinosaurs land, where they have created different species of dummy Dinos which is great to educate our kids about. There are quick snack & gift stores all around the park. For adults , there is something called Breakfast with orangutans, Quite adventurous right! I would have done it, if i was travelling without my son.

TIP – Don’t forget to get a Map, to guide your way through this huge park with 11 zones depicting wild life from different countries. 

2. River safari – Visit River Safari in Singapore for a wildlife experience themed around the world’s freshwater rivers. From the Yangtze to the Mississippi, From Ganges to Nile river to encounter animals of all types, including the beloved Giant panda, Which was truly the highlight of our visit to river Safari. It is such a great Learning for kids , about the native animals and plants that are found around the world’s legendary rivers, and take a boat ride on the ‘Amazon River to spot Flamingos, which your little one is sure to enjoy.

Visitors can take a boat ride on the Amazon River Quest, or the River Safari Cruise; walk through the Squirrel Monkey Forest or see the Amazon Flooded Forest in the world’s biggest freshwater aquarium exhibit.

TIP – Buy tickets to zoo and river safari together to get a better deal 🙂

3. S.E.A Aquarium – Immerse yourself underwater at the Sea Aquarium and discover more than 100,000 marine animals, Yes its world largest Sea Aquarium. It is such a pristine feeling and such a sense of peace to see these gorgeous underwater creatures and makes you wonder what will underwater life be. My son was amazed to see such creatures and kept pointing out at the fishes. From little  to big, from pretty to fierce, you will witness every possible specie of underwater here.  You can also enjoy Dinning with beautiful views of these swimming creatures at the ocean restaurant by Cat Cora.

4. Universal Studios – Step into the glorious world of movies at this world-class theme park located within Resorts World Sentosa with enticing selection of attractions, rides and entertainment for families and thrill seekers. with Live entertainments , rides and many other attractions, your kid is going to have a busy day. However kids below 3 years of age have very limited things to do. But i am lucky, my son is a happy go lucky and enjoys his surroundings. So it was a lovely family day out!

TIP – You can do Sea Aquarium and Universal studios in one day. Make sure to get priority pass to cover everything in Universal Studios. 

5. Sentosa Beach – With Azure waters , sun & sand this beach is perfect for a family with small restaurants and pubs around. The pubs are all open air and are absolutely kid friendly. Watch your little one enjoy making a sand castle and his little foot prints as he takes a walk along the beach with you. Watch relaxing sun set as you sip on a cocktail while your little one is busy playing with sand. There is also  a kidzania at Sentosa beach.

Tip – someone told me there are red ants on Sentosa, and tea tree oil works perfect on stings. We didn’t find any ants there though. If you want to do Aquarium, Universal ,beach and other attractions at Sentosa , its ideal to stay there for 2 days, as its a little away from the city. They have lovely resorts around. 

6. Flower dome – Gardens by the bay – Its definitely No. 1 attraction in Singapore and a must visit for all age. My First reaction when i steeped in was Wow! Where am i !?! Is this a dream, Every thing is so beautiful. Step into an air conditioned flower dome  which replicates dry cold climate of Mediterranean region like Italy, Spain where every nook is covered with beautiful flowers possible, which gives a feeling of perpetual spring.  And a perfect place to take uncountable snaps and is every Instagramers paradise 🙂 Flower Dome is sure to amaze you and your little one.

 

7. Cloud Forest – Gardens by the bay -If you are excited after reading about flower dome,  Brace yourself to know about Cloud forest. A mysterious world veiled in fog, features a 35 meters tall Mountain covered in lush vegetation, shouldering world’s tallest indoor water fall. A lift takes you to the top level and then you explore and learn as you walk your way down. There is a lift at every level.  My son had so much fun exploring with us. very kid friendly place, there is a lot of space for kids to run around as well.

TIP – Carry a scarf or a light jacket as it get a bit chilly inside – Temp –  23°C – 25°C

8. Super tree Groove and OCBC sky walk – Make a trip to the top of one of these iconic Super trees and be awed by splendid views of the Gardens and the surrounding Marina Bay area. Or, stroll along the 22-metre-high OCBC skywalk, a 128-metre aerial walkway that connects two of the Super trees, and see the Gardens from a different point of view. Its a must visit to witness these iconic & never seen before structure and don’t forget to capture those wonderful moments at Super tree with your family as they make a Prefect  background 🙂

Tip – you can do gardens by the bay in one day, Flower dome, cloud forest and super tree. 

9. Merlion Park – When someone says Singapore, what is the first thing that comes to your mind? Yes  ! That national icon, the mythical Merlion with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, throwing water from his mouth. Its a must visit  to this tourist attraction with lovely views of marina bay sands and the bay, & restaurants and pubs around. This place bustling with energy is a must visit where you can capture some fun moments with your kids perhaps with the water thrown by the Merlion 🙂  Its around the Fullerton Hotel also known as Fullerton square.

10. Marina Bay Sands – Last but not the least, and definitely the highlight of our trip.The famous marina bay sands which is known world wide for its ultra luxury  & Hospitality. and yes the infinity pool at the 35th pool with cities breath taking views is definitely a highlight. Whats amazing , and to my surprise this hotel being so busy and bustling with guests from around the world offers great amenities and features for kids in the hotel. we spent one day only chilling at the pool and little H enjoyed every bit of it.Be sure to be spoiled in luxury at Marina bay sands hotel and your kids will feel at home 🙂

Other fun places to visit – Bird park, Singapore flyer, Art science Museum, Singapore botanical Gardens, Night safari,Cable Car and Clarke Quay River Cruise, Chinatown,Adventure Park Zipline.

Stay tuned to read my review on hotels we stayed in Singapore.

Hope this helps you 🙂

Much Love

Sakshi