Month: August 2012

So in New York there’s a waiting list for everything that’s decent, and we’re not just talking Birkin bags (like I’d ever really be on a wait list for this).  The first thing I did was go onto all the websites & check out the good reviews.  Then all the people that everyone liked…none of them took my insurance.  So I checked my doctors, saw who was closest & which hospitals they went to & it was a process of elimination of who had the first appointment.  I happened to be very lucky, or maybe I’m just low maintenance.  My OBGYN, Dr. Anita Shrivastava, is awesome.  The first few visits were amazing, & I liked the idea of a practice where I’d meet all the doctors so I wouldn’t have a stranger up in my crotch business at birth.  One piece of advice, be aware of the rest of the staff.  How they treat you during your visits & the services they provide are JUST as important as the doctors because you spend more time with them & when you’re an emotional wreck they can make or break your experience with imagined slights.  Also, check to make sure your OBGYN isn’t pregnant, because then they’ll never ever be by your side at birth.  Be aware though, all those nice visits where they just take your blood pressure & monitor your heart?  They come around to PANTS OFF VISITS. After they lull you into feeling comfortable for 7 months of answering questions while you sit there in your warm comfy winter clothes, they tell you to undress from the waste down & then stick a hand up there to see how it’s going.  It’s a LOT different to be your skinny little self lying on a table at 6 weeks when they do the pants off visit than your current beached whale roly polyness.  After that visit, the proverbial gloves come off….be prepared.

I was pregnant & now I’ve had a baby.  YAY! I intended to start this when I was pregnant, but I intended to exercise every day as well…

I had a lot of time to look for specifics (typically between 2 & 4 a.m. as that’s my AWAKE baby hours) about what to expect, things I need, what are the best things I REALLY need- there’s a lot of bull hockey (or B.S. if you will) that just says I need to buy a lot of stuff & spend a lot of money.  I didn’t get any real stories from real moms.  Maybe it’s because I’m new to motherhood & don’t know where to look- but I have to say I’m a little disappointed with the general knowledge out there & lack of details.  I need some stories people!  I need real insights into what happens & what products are the best.  I’m going to learn, share, & recommend based off of my own experiences & those of my friends & strangers.  I find when you’re pregnant you get a lot of advice in NYC from people who are probably super smart & their advice makes sense.  I’d like to share it.  Plus, I’m on a tight budget & I’ve researched till the cows literally came home.

My family currently consists of my large husband (he’s a big dude), my little chubby beagle Chloe, & myself plus baby girl.  We live in New York City in approximately 600 sq feet.  Yeah, less is more in so many ways.

I look forward to sharing with you dear readers, the real truth, the whole truth, & nothing but the truth.  Please remember, I’m not a doctor & any advice is not fully vetted by a physician, but only a cadre of ladies & gentlemen who have been there & done it.