Diet that enhances your fertility

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

Planning for a baby..? Your diet contains a special role in your conceiving.  Fertility diet includes food which would enhance the egg and sperm quality and supports a healthy pregnancy. 

A recent study has stated that certain food may increase IVF success rates.  For example Bananas are a great source of potassium, vitamin C, Vitamin B-6, Manganese, fiber and a range of other nutrients, which men need in order to maintain a strong sexual vitality. Also many studies have proved that bananas provide nutrients that can influence male fertility. Bananas are rich in Protein, Vitamins, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese which are essential for healthy sperm count in men.

Apart from that starting your day with a bowl of oatmeal might be a course to successful conception because it has great cholesterol-lowering powers &

Preserving umbilical cord

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

The umbilical cord is a cord between mother and baby that connects a baby in the womb to its mother. It runs from an opening in your baby's stomach to the placenta in the womb. Placenta keeps your unborn baby’s blood supply separate from your own blood supply (mother). This placenta is enables to carry out the functions that the unborn baby cannot perform for itself 

Umbilical cord blood is a baby's blood left in the placenta after the baby is born and the umbilical cord is cut. Usually umbilical cord gets discarded along with the placenta blood as a waste

In the 1970's, medical researchers discovered that human umbilical cord blood contained the same kind of stem cells found in bone marrow. Researchers believed that they could also use stem cells from umbilical cord blood to save patients.

Delivery is the only time that stem cells may be extracted from the umbilical cord, otherwise they are discarded. The blood cells in the umbilical cord contain special stem cells

Precautions for Pregnant women for Holi

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

Holi is the time when people forget their ill wills and come together to mark the celebration. As the

long weekend started so it is very important for pregnant women to take care of few things while playing holi.

Earlier colors was made up of herbs and flowers but as time passes chemicals, dyes have replaced this tradition and now a day’s people play holi with chemically treated colors. Some colors are even carcinogenic. So, it is very important for a pregnant or lactating mother to simply stay away from colors.

Not only colors; bhang is also the one such tradition associated with holi. In Delhi especially, rang and bhang are the two things which completes the festival. But bhang’s overdose can lead to serious health complications. Bhang is an intoxicant which makes you feel drowsy and sleepy. Consumption of bhang can result in high blood pressure, increased heart rate; it can also affect foetus, nervous system and brain.

It is very important for a pregnant woman not to play holi at all; stay indoors or even if you want to step out then go with your trusted elders around. So, lactating mothers should practice same caution as pregnant women. Use of these colors by pregnant women may result in pre mature birth, low weight birth and miscarriage or abortion. It can also affect the nervous and reproductive system, Pregnant women have reduced immunity levels and are, therefore, more prone to illnesses and infections, and their skin is more sensitive as well. Therefore, reaction to colors that one may have is very dangerous. Chemical colors have harmful health effects on the baby through breast milk. So, lactating mothers should practice same caution as pregnant women.

You can have homemade colors which can be made by using turmeric, roli (sindoor), boiled beetroot and onions. Tradition, if it must be followed, can be respected by placing a sandalwood or saffron tikaa on the baby's forehead.

Also do apply a thick petroleum jelly moisturizer on the skin and oil on the hair before started playing holi. Washing oneself properly is especially important for lactating mothers who otherwise risk their baby ingesting colors.

So, take precautions and enjoy the festival of colors. Happy Holi to all from the Team Mother’s Lap IVF.