Seeker of wisdom

 Shopping research for Zaaya and registry - 8 Boppy after 3 months. 2 more swaddle after few months. Nursing bra and pad . Plastic cover for car / bed.  Mattress cover waterproof . Rattle. Towels.  stroller/car seat - Chicco check heavy. In is  bed/crib/bassinet. graco pack n fold playard. - 9 months - mark stroller / car seat separate - no stroller - size of car.  Laundry - all clear at Costco perfume and dye free - play area move baby to both sides of bed for brain development - lighting diaper genie / munchkin pail used without shipping cost on ebayor new diaper pads - oobie - bags before 9th month car seat - checkk firestation dreamy on    mattress,  mattress cover,  rocker return in 60 - fisher price chair  table at height - diaper changing - 5-10 mins  vaporiser / wipe warmer costco 200 -  no mirrors in car rattle hsa car cover, nursing pad, lactation medicine. clothes for me and her. nursing pad / bra, diapers for h...

 first if we get contractions and we're not sure,  we will go to the hospital parking lot and wait till we're sure food and pee second make sure I drink enough water, pee and have something to eat before they put in meds and don't allow me to eat or pee. they will check for dilation 5 to 10cm and contractions. If not in active labor - want to go home IV - what's going inside the IV -  they will put me on IV - please remind them to inform you if any pain killing meds will be passed through the IV option to drink clear liquids instead want to walk around for sometime.  Here are few meds and procedures they will consider before baby is out, and here is my choice about each of these options. Please make sure you stand up to these and if they insist please make sure the justification indicates there is sure risk for baby or me, otherwise these choices hold good Pain relief C section - NO - avoid unless absolutely neccessary. epidural used with c-section - NO Inducing - N...

 baby blues should go away in few weeks. happens because of hormone dump. may cause to cry. PD is severe - deep or empty hard to simple things like shower and having thoughts like 'Everyone will be better off without me" goes on for long time Postpartum psychosis is when you are not sure what is real or have feelings that someone might harm the baby this is very rare and acting on it is even rarer PD can be cause by  - history - stress - hormones - not enough support - baby with health problem - relationship or money problems - being very young signs - sadness - no color / empty - trouble sleeping / sleeping too much - over protective of baby Lower your risk - support system - things can be messy, take it easy - Sleep - plan for it - someone to talk to - support group - exercise and diet - fresh air - shower, makeup, clothes - seek therapy if needed Treatment options therapy, medicine or both concerns why people don't seek treatment apprehension about meds, wondering if ...

 Feeding: lactataion consultant covered by insurance breatsfeeding - already ccov ered in other posts - need to poop or pee often and feed 8-12 times Burping burp every feeding pat or rub her back with burp cloth once or many times Diapers 5-6 wet diapers a day 3-5 dirty diapers a day check before feedings not ddiarrhea - should not be white black or red poop pee - light yellow is fine - can have little blood first day wipe front to back wipes  make sure you dry out after wipe before putting diaper back don't use powder yeast red rash - call doc - ointment Sleeping they sleep 18 hours - so they do give you chances to sleep first month - they sleep around the clock by 2 months - longer stretches at night hold her as needed - this is not spoiling start a routine right away even though baby won't know day and night, read or sing every night before putting to sleep white noise quiet and calm always on her back when sleeping don't adjust her morning sleep - won't help with n...

 28 to 32 weeks - 2 - 3 weeks appointments 32 weeks - every week check weight, bp, urine, swelling, kicks Rh-negative test  TDAP vaccine flu shot 35 and 37 - group b strep - vagina and anus swab - if positive, antiobiotics pelvic exam - to check cervix glucose tolerance test ultrasound - baby growth talk about birth infant CPR Risk : preterm labor - 5 or more contractions per hour, bright red bleeding, mucus brown out, pressure , dull backache that does not go away, water breaks that is clear or colored. braxton -  preeclampsia - high BP - sometimes even normal BP can get preeclampsia . swelling of face, sudden weight gain, blurry vision, headaches, not peeing.  Preeclampsia with seizure - eclampsia HELLP syndrome - pain in upper right part of body, throwing up, headeaches not going away, bleeding can even happen after delivery change is discharge - fever - diarrhea - vomit, faint , itcches when you go, breathing trouble, redness or swelling in one leg - CALL Normal ...

 Cord blood stem cells have more advantages over stem cells from other parts of the body and the future holds promise it can help in treating anemia, cancer, liver disease it is painless when compared ot getting stem cells from anywhere else 3 options 1. throw away with umbilical cord 2. donate it 3. private bank takes 5 minutes , taken to lab and cells are separated from blood. not done by hospital, the agency is responsible to coordinate ahead. public bank - you don't pay anything You may never need it and it may never work even if you need it make sure it is approved by AABB

 First tehy ask you your medical history - what meds, allergies and surgeries, or problems like sleep apnea you have, or even piercings once in active labor - no eating you get one as soon as you are in labor and ask for one you get an epidural epidural is just an opening through which the pain meds are supplied the epidural for c-section is different from the one discussed here epidural makes it more likely that your doc uses forceps or other tools epidural is given in between nerves and spinal card in the liquid area and may need to be adjusted if the effect is patchy epidural can also be combined with oxytocin for inducing or even for c-section epidural spinal block lasts 90 mins. won't numb entire bottom headache or itching may be possible -  piss before epidural, eat before epdiural, or bed pan moving around should be possible. risks spinal headache - weeks , sometimes months when hole is made in sac nerve injury life threatening - numb and weak may not reduce pain altern...

 process of making mil starts in second trimester colostrum - first milk that comes out is rich in protein and your baby needs this small amount comes out - that's fine breast becomes bigger and milk gets thinner after a week  this is a learned skill so don't use bottles until later if you don't use bottle, body learns to make more milk removes risk of diseases both for you and your baby also is most efficient - no warming, no bottles, no freezing skin to skin contact tummy down on chest wait for her to open mouth, pull her to you, not the other way moving to her.  latching - pulling - not biting or pinching lots of positions - laid back, cradel, cross cradle, football etc there is no set schedule for feeding. feeding cues - crying is late sign of hunger, watch for turning head or fist to mouth movemnet to feed.  dimly lit room change diapers atleast 6 months - exclusive breastfeed discomfort or pain only for few weeks until you get position right if pain lasts , cal...

 Few weeks before labor , it may be hard to go up and down the stairs. It can also be a little anxious.  39 and 41 weeks - when to expect baby - full term 37 weeks is normal too. but if you see bleeding call doc.cramping. contractions, call doc when to call doc after 37 weeks  - mucus plug weeks or days before delivery water breaks - wear a large pad for water break. trickle of fluid. once water breaks infection can increase if green or yellow, call doc. braxton hicks - a min or more real contractions don't stop or go away, becomes more and more powerful call doc when contraction happens every 5 mins and each contraction happens every 1 min for a period of 1 hour. factor in hospital distance. Once at hospital check for active labor even if you opt out of pain medication, you will have IV 2 monitors are attached to your belly - one for contraction, one for baby heart beat. you can still move and go to bathroom with IV and monitors. with a diff monitor, they will monitor by...

 The #1 reason why men don't get healthy - they don't go to the doctor Preventive Vs Diagnostic services - preventive - preventing before something happens - diagnostic - after something happens Today is mainly about preventive : Annual physical - 100% covered Diagnostic - copay and deductibles Why is prevention important? - 70% of diseases are prevntible4 - most chronic disease do not have symptoms - early detection associated with higher cure rates - better health and quality of life - increases productivity - reduces health care cost - saves lives Prevention is not perfect - benefits vs harms Screening test - false positives, false negatives, unnecessary biopsies, over-diagnosis USPSTF recommended tests = A and B grades Leading causes of death in the US - heart disease - cancer - unintentional injuries - chronic respiratory disease - stroke - alzheimers - diabetes - pneumonia and influenza - kidney disease This is in contradiction with what people think and read in the news....

 I read Abby's book in 1 day. It was simple. Effective. It was about authenticity, coming out, family - being stepparent, being a wolfpack. Pay inequity. But also much more. Some take aways - Creating new paths - women had fought to create the opportunities that she build her whole career on. - Be grateful and ambitious. and brave, and loud, and persistent. Demand what you deserve. - Lead from where you are - volunteering, encouraging, supporting, comforting. - Leadership is the offering you give the world. It is the right and responsibility of all. - The world needs to see women taking risks, and insist on their right to stick and try again. - When you score, you better start pointing. - Being the woman who not only wanted to win, but owned that desire and believed that she could be the one who could make it happen. Give me the effing ball. Give me the effing job. Give me the effing promotion. Give me the respect I deserve. - Vulnerability and humanity - Find your pack - Forget me...

  One of the advantages of working for a world class company is that you get introduced to thinking , topics and issues of different kinds. There's a good emphasis on learning here. Jocelyn Courtney conducted this session on mental fitness and I wanted to put these here so I spend time thinking about it. Compassion in leadership https://surveys.potentialproject.com/index.php/528311?newtest=Y&lang=en I obviously scored low on compassion. It is not news to me.

  Saving for college - Bright Horizons / College Coach What savings plan Where should I house money What investments How much Savings plan - things to consider Tax breaks (What if I did not use the it for education Financial aid impact (Saving for college works against fin-aid? Yes, but not much. Depends on income. Not dependent on assets - house, retirement accounts, vacation homes, savings not much impact as compared to income. Students income not impacting aid unto 6K but impact higher than parent’s account on fin aid after 6k. Don’t save for college in your child’s name. If you do, spend that first) Control Issues Non-use penalties Types of saving plans     - college specific plan - for people that know for sure kid will use it - 529/prepaid/coverdell - after tax money goes in, but growth is tax free for education. - can be transferred within the family. 529 - similar to 401k - mutual, stock, bonds - only one beneficiary per account - you can transfer, state plan...

 1. Income is only for a limited time. Expenses are forever. 2. Real financial freedom is not in what we are able to buy, It is in what control we have over our time. 3. Investment is more about duration than timing. 4. Save more, minimize or avoid debt. 5. People who achieve financial freedom save more and live below their means. 6. Taking loans and living flashy is a hindrance to financial freedom. 7. FI allows you to do more of what you love and less of what you hate. 8. buy quality companies, hold for 10+ years, don't over pay, keep track, sell rarely. 9. People: Sanjay Bakshi, Terry Smith, Nick Train 10. One up on wall street. beating the street, the little book that builds wealth. 11. Investing in India I took an economics course on masterclass and one of the key concepts I learnt was this quote "You are not getting your next meal because you want those ingredients, you are getting your next meal because the person selling those ingredients needs money to do something el...

Teach Play Love - podcast on children The Leader Habit Something skill oriented Something role oriented Artist's way Influence - 7 habits The finance one - I do what I do Seneca and Benjamin Franklin - just cuz I have it and is from Robin Sharma's suggestions Chasing Daylight - RS Imagining India - just cuz I had it authors he suggested - Walter Isaacson, Malcom Gladwell, Thomas Friedman, Becoming - cuz it's now the thing J krishnamurthi - fear Mother's writings. when breath becomes air. thich writings But also maybe something refreshing about travel with pictures Parenting Book Life kit npr   Brene brown happiness project The last lecture Gretchen Ruben Moments of impact Sankar's three books 1. Outliers 2. Freakonomics 3. Black Swan Habits, halo effect - cuz Sidharth recommended it Malcolm Gladwell - Blink The delusion of God Venkat - autobiography of a yogi Sadhguru - endless universe Fear Deception Doing boring things well how to turn people around why values mat...

  I've been putting away buying master class for a while. I kept telling myself 'Let me complete some courses that are relevant to my current life, the money-making life and then... I can reward myself with masterclass'. Thankfully one day, my heart decided to show the middle finger to my brain and said 'Just go ahead, spend and take the class' It's three days and I finished 2.5 courses. For a while, I've been wanting to do things like a 18 year old, where you learn things without thinking too much about how it applies to your life.  And I'm so glad I gave myself the chance to spend my money and time on something and not feel guilty about it. I feel engaged. I am listening to people talk about what they excelled at in their life and the whole story of starting and discovering themself. How often do you get to have that conversation with someone?  And none of these topics are what you would call 'solid skills'. You listen , you understand and then...

  4 things to consider: Home - #beds, move in ready Neighborhood - city, community, what you feel Timing - your urgency, market timing Budget - price range, pre-approved, how much down (locking your bank account in a home?) Other expenses / surprises - job growth - mortgage - quality school - low interest = high demand = high price Rent -  feel the place out - when you don't want to be locked down Location - jobs growing is important - price of home will increase - tech jobs (Seattle / Boulder/ Austin / Nashville / Denver ) - where the artists go - Quality of life - communtiy,  "home", belonging . stability, vibrance , calm, coffee shop - commute - different times of day, week - businesses opening up near /school days / bus station / club - diversity / people coming from outside Agent -  calms and simplifies and makes it easier, connects the dots - tours , valuations, photos, contracts, floor plan, market, stage and renovate - listing is just a listing - an agent is ...

   Learning I want to learn about a lot of things : Child rearing things. green and sustainability things. Financial markets knowledge that I can apply to buying a home or a car. understanding how to behave in an inflation. Also my current career related strengthening. courses to finish : spark, snowflake, data science. PM. I also wanted to brush my mind on a course I took on microeconomics (Duke University ) which came to my mind when I read the Raghuram Rajan article commenting on the US economy:  Some things from the article: - US gov is giving stimulus and support to industries and justifying it with the pandemic. The assumptions that go behind it is that it will keep spending going and therefore maintain the economy and if it gets too much, they can tax the rich and as long as interest rate is low, they will be fine. The author argues that this spending could be more targeted and should not have been a blanket approach. The consequence of this blanket approach would ...

 We've been trying to buy used cars and trying to negotiate with data that we have. Just wanted to record the experience and learnings here for what it's worth. Used car dealers are not selling just the car, they are actually selling financing options where they make a cut by being the middle man between the bank and you.  You should always  give them as less data as possible  and get all the details from them before buying the car. For ex " Saying you are going to buy full cash does not make you look like good buyer. It only shares the fact that they won't make money through the bank. So they will now focus on adding other things that can make them get a better cut from selling the car and not the financing.  Other things to note are they will try to put some mandatory accessories that you have to  negotiate off and ask them to bring as close to the listing price as possible  because they make a deal from it. They might not remove the whole thing but ...