When Should I Worry if I'm Not Getting Pregnant

Are you planning to conceive? But failed it despite trying many times. This is because

conception is process that calls for more trials before you finally succeed. You should know that there are some medical facts which keep coming on your way of getting pregnant. It is estimated that globally around 60 to 80 million couples suffer from infertility annually, of which probably between 15 to 20 million are in India alone according to an ICMR Bulletin. When everything else fails and you think that the in vitro fertilization or IVF may be the only option for you to opt, but before considering anything know some facts that can hinder your chances of conception:

Decline in the number of healthy eggs:

You are born with a fixed number of eggs. But the number gets declines as you age and so does the health of those eggs. According to The American Society of Reproductive Medicine, even a healthy and fertile 30-year-old woman’s chances of getting pregnant reduce by 20% with each passing month.  The ugly truth is that consumption of fertility drugs, without any consultation with an expert, further decreases the numbers and aren’t of much help. In case you want to delay pregnancy and want to keep your eggs in good health till conception, you should probably try freezing your eggs for future use.

Importance of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience to a woman. Although it’s a natural process,

breastfeeding is a learned skill, which requires practice and patience. First of all make sure you should increase your water intake. This is extremely important when you are breastfeeding your newly born. If you stay hydrated more milk will be produced and it will help you feel energetic the whole day too. Keep your meals simple yet nutritious. Always keep fresh fruits and vegetables at home so that when you feel hungry you do not grab any snack or cookies or high and empty calorie food items. 

Let’s discuss the benefits of breastfeeding:

Your breast milk is the best possible food for your baby and will give her the best start in life. It provides the required nutrition as well as immunity for your baby. Here are few benefits of breastfeeding for you and your baby: 

Trying for a baby? First read this!

Are you or someone you know, trying for a baby? These changes to your lifestyle could get you on your way...

Eat a Whole Food Diet

A great method for boosting fertility and overall well-being is to eat a whole foods diet. When trying to conceive, eat leafy greens, organic dairy and high-quality protein. Not only will this improve your fertility, but eating healthy will boost your well being throughout pregnancy.

Get Regular Exercise

Getting the right amount of exercise can do wonders for your mood, well-being and it can may even help with boosting fertility. If you’re struggling to conceive due to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or are overweight, regular exercise can help regulate your

Preeclampsia: Queries answered by Dr. Shobha Gupta, IVF Expert from Mother’s Lap IVF Centre

Q.1 How common is preeclampsia in Indian women?

Ans. Pre-eclampsia is common in Indian women, affecting between two to eight in 100 women during pregnancy. Around one in 200 women (0.5%) develop severe pre-eclampsia during pregnancy. Stress of metro cities is the major cause.

Q.2 Is the percentage on a rise due to changes in lifestyle?

Ans. Preeclampsia is on rise these days, yes lifestyle as we'll as late pregnancies responsible for this.

Q.3 What are the causes of the increase, if any?

Ans. Mainly lifestyle plays a very important role in it. Obesity, stressed life, diabetes, late age of conception, previous history, family history of hypertension responsible for this. Sudden weight gain, pedal swelling, headache, vomiting,

Trying to conceive: Myths vs. facts

What’s the truth and what are just old wives tales!

It generally happens "When you're trying to conceive, you, the female, are the one

obsessing over it — figuring out when you're ovulating, when is your period date, and the guy is somewhat oblivious. If you're not conceiving, the burden of guilt, so to speak, is on the female. A lot of couples don't realize that 35 to 40 percent of the time, there's going to be a male factor. And they're very surprised when they find out."

Not Able to get pregnant is often a misunderstood condition, which is why there's so much confusion surrounding it. Here are some common myths & truth observeds by Dr. Shobha Gupta, Infertility Specialist at Mother’s Lap IVF Centre – New Delhi.

It's easy to get pregnant, In the best of circumstances, a pregnancy occurs only 20 percent of the time people have unprotected sex. We won't even start (an infertility) workup until patients have gone one year without conception, or the woman is over 35."

Improve your chances of conceiving

By Dr. ShobhaGupta

Want to improve your chances of conceiving and having a healthy, happy pregnancy? Here’s how to get your body in the best shape for conception.

Healthy Weight

Being significantly over or underweight can reduce your chances of conceiving. A healthy BMI is between 20 and 25. If you fall outside the ideal range, try to lose or gain weight before conceiving. Underweight women are more likely to have irregular periods and, in severe cases, ovulation can stop altogether. According to a study women with a BMI between 35-40 had a 23-43% less chance of pregnancy when compared to those in the healthy range. It’s always a good idea to stay healthy by working out regularly and eating nutritious foods, but especially if you’re trying to conceive.

Mid-thirties and Infertility: Age does matters

These days more couples are delaying starting family into early mid-thirties’. The golden age for women

to conceive in their third decade of life that is their twenties. As more women are delaying getting pregnant, it is even more important that they try and maintain healthy life style to maintain optimum fertility.

Age and Fertility

Women’s age plays an important role in their fertility, women are born with around 4-5 million eggs which remain in a quiet stage until they reach teenage years. From teenage onwards, there is a slow and steady loss of the follicles and only 400,000 – 500,000 follicles remain. The process of the drop in quality and quantity of eggs gathers pace around the mid-thirties’. It gains even more pace in late thirties and later as women enter into their 40’s. The chances of getting pregnant for women in their 40’s can be as low as 5% when compared to

Breastfeeding after an IVF delivery

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

Breastfeeding comes to mothers naturally. However, this is not entirely true in many cases. After delivery the mother’s body undergoes a lot of changes that can make breastfeeding difficult. But this not at all means that you should give up on breastfeeding. Mothers who undergo a C-section or IVF delivery might face problems during breastfeeding. Stress, hormonal imbalances and fatigue ae very normal for such mothers that can lead interfere with breast milk production. 

Please go by the following tips that help in overcoming issues with breastfeeding: 

1. Omit stress from your life – First of all stop taking too much stress. Though it is very normal to feel stressed out after delivery especially if it’s your first baby. But stress at this time could hamper breastfeeding. Remember, a stressful mother will often find it difficult to lactate or even help the baby latch on correctly. Practice deep breathing or take bath in your tub feel the water and try to do everything that keeps you calm and relaxed.

2. Take small breaks from breastfeeding - . If your child keeps on suckling frequently, production of milk could be hampered though suckling helps to produce milk but sitting for long hours with the baby at your breast can only make it more stressful and hampers with breast milk production. So, take small breaks after feeding; let the milk production begin