Expectant Mothers take care this Diwali

By Dr. Shobha Gupta     

The festival of light - Diwali is round the corner, you must be busy preparing for it. But you must be careful and should adopts the preventive measures and however if you are an expecting mum it is all the way very much important to take extra preventive measures.     

There are certain tips you must keep in mind so to ensure the health and safety of you and your unborn baby inside your womb. For pregnant woman it is very significant to know that what you inhale goes into your blood stream and affects the fetus. As we all know that the smoke emitted by firecrackers is not exactly what you need to inhale. From the 6th to 12th week, your baby’s organs are formed. So, it is better to avoid the pollutants caused by firecrackers.     

Following are the few tips that a pregnant mother must adopt before begin the festivities:     

1. First of all a pregnant mother should dress comfortably and wear flat footwear. It would be better to choose for the cotton clothes as synthetics have the tendency of catching fire easily.  

2. Loud noises could get extremely disturbing and troubling for the mother as well as for the unborn child so it should be avoided.  

3. Do not lift or carry any sort of heavy object.  

4. Avoid lighting fireworks that require running to a safer distance prior to explosion like Anar, Rocket or Chakri. Go easy with the hand-held sparklers.   

5. You can possibly try to celebrate Eco friendly Diwali with diyas, and lanterns rather than the fireworks and crackers.   

6. While touching the feet of elders, bend the knees down rather than the back. And if your bump is large, we are sure elders won't mind if you simply greet with folded hands.  

7. The loud noises of crackers can be quite disturbing for both the mother and your unborn child, so it’s best to stay indoors and you can also put

Tips for getting pregnant faster

By Dr.  Shobha Gupta 

If you trying to get pregnant for so long and not achieving optimum results then it is always recommendable for you to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Being physically fit is of utmost importance as it helps in regaining stamina and rejuvenating the energy level.  For example exercise; it is always recommended for a normal human being, it doesn’t matter whether it’s for weight loss or recommended for a diabetic patient. It is good for your heart, mind, your lungs, your immune system and the overall body. Regular exercise can also help you maintain a healthier weight, which means better fertility. 

Exercise can definitely be beneficial when trying to conceive. If you’re overweight, a sensible exercise program along with prescribed diets can help in conceiving. But before starting any kind of physical activity to conceive naturally it is always good to take advice from your doctor then only go ahead with these exercises. Below are the few simple exercises that help you in fighting fertility and easy conception. 

1. Brisk walking – Walking is an ideal pre-conception exercise. It is a great cardiovascular exercise especially if you step to a reasonable pace and it also helps to tone your legs, back and tummy. All these are very important in treating infertility as being fit is the most integral part of your conception plan. So, go for a regular walk in the morning and evening.  

2.  Eat Right - It is very important for a woman to have a balanced diet which is full of multi vitamins and minerals. Vitamin C is very important to women for those who are planning a baby as it significantly increases the pregnancy rate; Tomatoes provide an excellent amount of Vitamin C and E, They are also rich in anti-oxidants; Protein in your diet is very important for your fertility as it helps to maintain blood sugar balance also. Include more salads and fruits in your diet. 

3. Dancing – Although you dance for fun or it is your hobby but dancing is a great way to stay fit and flexible especially when you’re trying to conceive. Most steps in dancing involve the movement of whole body and it becomes a really good cardio workout and it tones your muscles and builds stamina.

4. Swimming - Swimming is the most safest and preferred exercise in both before and during pregnancy. It builds up the endurance and reduces toxic elements effortlessly. Swimming can be continued even when you are undergoing the infertility treatment and there is always a positive impact on it. It recharges the complete body and has a lot of fun too.

5. Cycling – Cycling is another cardiovascular exercise that keeps your cholesterol levels healthy and reduces your risk for

Treating PCOS

Deccan Herald

By Dr. Shobha Gupta     

PCOS – Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome as we all know is a disorder that affects 1 in 10 women and over 50% do not know that they have it unless and until they go for a checkup. It is the most common hormonal imbalance disorder which causes irregular menstrual cycle in women, obesity, unwanted hair growth and infertility. It mostly affects women of reproductive age from puberty to menopause i.e. 12-45 years old.     

Every second patient, I treat in Delhi has PCOS. In PCOS patients there are sufficient number of eggs which helps in conceiving but PCOS patients do not have that capacity where their eggs develop itself for pregnancy. In a research by USA, few years ago it was found out that via laparoscopy or key-hole surgery the ovaries are punctured with a small needle carrying an electric current or using laser to voluntarily breech the ovarian capsule. This surgery can lower male hormone levels and help with ovulation. But it indeed needs lot of alertness by the doctors as there are various risks are associated with it like infections from the incision, bleeding from the incision, pain after the procedure etc. 

                                                        

But the biggest risk associated with the ovarian drilling surgery is that it could destroy too much of the ovary and causes your egg supply to diminish at a young age, sending you into early menopause.     

I can recall a case of my patient Rashmi Khanna(name changed on request), a management professional married at the age of 28 has planned to conceive after 2 years of her marriage. Her world seems to have scattered when she got to know that she is suffering from infertility caused by PCOS. She went for an ovarian drilling procedure which causes