Fertility and Stress: What Every Couple Needs to Know?

Stress is an unavoidable part of modern life, but when you’re trying to conceive, it can feel even more overwhelming. As a fertility specialist, I’ve seen how emotional stress and anxiety can directly and indirectly affect reproductive health. While stress alone may not cause infertility, it can certainly make the journey to parenthood more difficult.

How Stress Affects Fertility?

When the body is under stress, it produces higher levels of cortisol, a hormone that can interfere with the reproductive hormones—such as estrogen, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone (LH)—that regulate ovulation. In women, this may lead to irregular menstrual cycles or missed ovulation, while in men, chronic stress can affect sperm count and motility.

Stress also impacts lifestyle habits—such as sleep, diet, and physical activity—which are all vital for reproductive health. Moreover, couples under prolonged stress may experience relationship strain, reduced intimacy, and emotional burnout.

Effective Coping Strategies

Managing stress doesn’t mean eliminating it entirely—it means learning to respond in healthy, balanced ways. Here are a few proven strategies I recommend to my patients:

• Mind-Body Techniques: Incorporate practices like yoga, meditation, and deep breathing, which are known to reduce stress and

An Integrated approach to increase conception chances

Unable to conceive or having difficulty in getting pregnant or difficulty in making your wife pregnant is all known as being diagnosed with infertility. Infertility is very common issue in urban India as lifestyle plays a pivotal role in being infertile. Long working hours, stress relationships, ease to junk food, alcohol consumption, smoking too much, obesity etc all these lifestyle factors contributes highly to infertility. 

Today in this blog, I will share few points on how to boost your fertility naturally or increase your chances of getting pregnant. However it is very important to keep things simple and not become obsessed. 

1. Stress 

First of all address stress from your life. Ask yourself questions like why you are stressed; What are the things making you stress? Etc as stress can affect your reproductive system badly and having problems conceiving can add to existing stress. In women stress can disrupt the ovulation cycle and in men, stress can lower sperm count and raise the number of abnormal sperm. 

2. Physical routine 

Never underestimate the benefits of being physically active or doing exercise. Without overdoing it, exercise not only increases fertility but it is also known to reduce dementia, osteoporosis, anxiety, depression and fatigue as well as improve cardiovascular health and quality of life; Yoga in particular is an excellent stress buster and also keeps you fit. 

3. Well Balanced Diet 

A balanced diet is essential for overall good pre-conceptual health. Eat foods that are high in folic acid, such as broccoli, spinach, kale etc. Take ample amount of Vitamin B12, which is found in beef, soya products and all bran cereal, nuts etc. Take sufficient fruits in your diet which is very beneficial in combating age-related fertility struggles. 

4. Quit or lessen your smoking habit 

Research has found that smoking not only reduced the possibility of getting pregnant it also reduces the chances of fertility

Relax & Reboot: Tips to Relax During IVF Treatments

Are you currently going through IVF treatments or preparing yourself to start the process?  It’s no secret that last year 2020 was so stressed for all of us so let’s start the New Year with fresh mind and fresh thoughts. Preparing for IVF treatment isn’t exactly a walk in the park, and for many, the process can also lead to emotional, financial, and physical stress.  However, studies have shown that reduced stress levels can lead to better male and female fertility.  While it’s much easier said than done,letting yourself relax and lowering stress levels may help the outcome of your fertility treatments and will also make you feel a lot better throughout the process.  Below are few tips that you should follow:  

Firstly, avoid unnecessary stress: When you’re going through IVF, the last thing you need is additional and unnecessary stress, so the rule no. 1 is to weed that out.  This may come in the form of visitors, extra social commitments or activities, additional workloads, etc.  Do your best to keep life low-key and calm(at least during your treatment cycles), and Do not feel bad if you can’t complete few social commitments it is really OK; you owe this to yourself.

Secondly, take control of your home and work surroundings:  You spend a lot of time at home and at work,so it’s important to make sure that each

Nutrition and fertility – figure out your cravings

This Pandemic has indeed changed everyone’s lifestyle. Now many of us are at home 24/7 people have been asking why they want to eat all the time. The shift from going out and ordering from out whenever we want to be inside home most of the time takes quite an adjustment. As we get to grips with a new routine, working from home or tackling a list of DIY jobs, some people might have noticed that they are eating more. 

Sometimes we just keep heading towards the fridge may be boredom or just the novelty of being at home with food within easy reach, there are other physiological reasons we may seek out a quick snack fix. For many of us this time is also stressful as we try to make sense of the situation we are in and what it means for our future. 

Food is more than calories. It’s information. The body is a wonderful machine, constantly sending us signs and signals about the information (or nutrients) it needs to function at its best. 

In this blog we will see how cravings may be a sign of stress hormone imbalance and how this may also affect your fertility and makes it difficult to conceive naturally. 

Cravings for sweet things: 

When we are stressed our body reacts or fight to run away from the stress. Our adrenal glands produce stress hormones which (among other things) signal that we need a quick

How to cope with infertility during the Covid-19 Crisis?

Infertility is itself a big challenge and to top it covid-19 anxiety is something to which everyone is struggling. It is important to strengthen the support for women and to reduce their fear and anxiety.

We at Mother’s Lap IVF Centre are here to provide all of the support, information and attention you need as you cope with infertility during the COVID-19 crisis. 

First step is to take care of your heart, mind, & spirit:

The one thing that lockdown has given us is more time during the week. No more commute, no time dedicated to going to the movies, dining out, or attending favorite public activities and events. Utilize that and nurture your heart, mind, and spirit.

How to do:

• You can try yoga online while there is no proven link between yoga and increased fertility, a review of multiple studies has shown potential links between women who do yoga during fertility treatments cycles, reduced stress, and improved fertility rates.

• Take time to prepare nourishing meals. Inflammation is a side-effect of endometriosis and PCOS to just about every other medical or reproductive issue. Focusing on a nourishing anti-inflammatory diet automatically can help keep inflammation at bay, which has inherent reproductive health benefits.

• Keeping the romance alive! As any one coping with infertility can tell you, it takes a toll on romance and light hearted partnership. Use this time to rekindle romantic and intimate connections with your partner.

While COVID-19 is an unprecedented concern, fertility centers know how to use best-practices and medical protocol to keep our patients safe amidst this pandemic.

There’s no reason to put your fertility journey on pause, Do connect with Mother’s Lap IVF centre to

Planning your pregnancy at the age of 40? Know the tips and tricks

In today’s time women are more career oriented and looks towards financial stability first in their life. And not only women, men are also in no hurry to start a family any time soon; career has taken the front seat; hence given the rise to DINK couples(double income and no kids). As a result more women are getting married around 30-35 years of age or even later. Due to this, the mean age at first pregnancy is also slowly rising, with many women approaching Fertility Clinics for the first time at the age of 40 years for help in conceiving.

Delaying pregnancy sometimes leads to miscarriage or even infertility. With increasing age in females, the ovarian reserve or the number of eggs that a lady has, reduces drastically translating into decreased chances of natural pregnancy. Moreover there is a rapid decline in quality of eggs too due to which the chances of miscarriages also may increase. Research has shown that a 40 year old female seeking fertility has only 25 % chance of pregnancy with own eggs and it decreases to 1.6% at age of 44. If she conceives, the risk of miscarriage is around 25% at 40 years and around 50% at 44 years.

At the age of 40 and above, the incidence of medical problems like Diabetes Mellitus, High Blood Pressure is more. These may get aggravated during the course of a pregnancy. If a lady gets pregnant with her own eggs at the age of 40, the chances of having genetic problems is more. This risk can be reduced by opting for donor eggs as these eggs are of a much younger lady. 

What are the Tips and Tricks to get pregnant at the age of 40?

1. Do not wait too long for natural conception: Several studies have shown that the chances of conceiving naturally is as low as 5-10 %the age of 40. This can be attributed to the diminished quality of eggs at this age.

2.Approach a Fertility Consultant for guidance: You should visit a good fertility consultant to understand the challenges

Stress Impacts Male Fertility

Stress is the most over used term these days and there are numerous problems that stress causes like asthma, heart problems, constant headaches, obesity, depression and many more. Infertility is said to occur when a couple fails to conceive despite of one year of trying without any protection. Many researches in the past have shown the results that stress is the main factor that causes infertility in men. One of the very popular myth is that infertility is always a woman’s problem. In fact out of 100% nearly 30% of all infertility cases, the cause is attributed to a problem in the male, 30% of cases, the cause is attributed in female and 40% to both combined male and female factors. The main cause of male infertility is the abnormalities in sperm which includes low sperm production or immobile sperm. In addition to this one’s lifestyle plays a pivotal role in fertility levels. In today’s time stress is

Yoga and your fertility

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

BPositive Magazine

June 1st is celebrated as international Yoga Day worldwide. Studies have shown that yoga can help reduce stress, which can affect fertility. Also there are some specific poses that can help promoting baby-making by increasing blood flow to your pelvis, stimulating hormone-producing glands, and releasing muscle tension.

Try yoga workout to relax, better align your pelvis and increase blood flow. All factors that may help promote quicker conception.

Yoga is beneficial in many other ways too. One of the lifestyle problems is stress which further produces many diseases such as obesity, infertility, heart problems, it also disturbs your digestive system and many more. There is a strong link between stress and digestion. Stress has the ability to interfere with your digestive system and your digestive process. You may have heard of a

Indirect causes of female infertility

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

Women being infertile are still a taboo but at the same time our technology is so advanced that it doesn’t let it untreated for a long time. There are several issues which are accountable for female infertility. Today, I will list out some of the indirect causes of female infertility. 

1. Obesity: Obesity is a chronic medical condition characterized by too much body fat Being overweight affects everything.  Yet another growing problem in today’s time among the population is infertility caused due to Obesity. I see at least 30 to 35 patients in a day coming to me for infertility out of which 10% are obese.  

2. Smoking: Cigarette smoking is harmful to the ovaries, and the degree of damage is dependent upon the amount and length of the time a woman smokes or is exposed to a smoked environment. Female smokers also have decreased rates of fertility and decreased fallopian tube function.  

3. Overworking: Getting in to the office early, staying till late. Always working on the computer. Working too much regularly can have negative effects on your physical as well as mental health as all these factors bring ever increasing stress. Stress in your life can lead to unhealthy body conditions like upset stomach, elevated blood pressures, poor sleep patterns, slowing of metabolism etc. which can actually throw your life out of gear and these

Let’s put rumors to rest: Myths and Facts about infertility

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

Infertility has many myths associated with it; today let’s discuss some common myths and facts about infertility. 

Myth 1: Having sex everyday enhances fertility. 

Fact: No. In fact, it may decrease the chances.  As the egg’s life is only 24 hours long, having sex more often will only help during the woman’s fertile period. 

Myth 2: Infertility is hereditary 

Fact: False, most infertility problems are not hereditary it may depend on an individual lifestyle, and health status. 

Myth 3: Drinking wine is better than drinking alcohol 

Fact: Alcohol in any form may lead to fetal defects. Therefore, it is better to avoid it while planning for pregnancy. 

Myth 4: A late pregnancy is easier if your menstruation cycle has been regular. 

Fact: It is true that you are in your fertile period till you menstruate, but remember that the health and quality of your egg has no relation with your periods. The quality of the eggs start to decline post 25 years of age, and when you conceive after 30 years of age, you run a slightly greater risk of passing chromosomal abnormalities to the foetus. So the early you plan your

Right age to be a mother

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

The trend of bearing child at later age has been catching up in India for a while now. The reason why parenthood is being post pone are many; but the most common reasons for delaying it are: to pursue education and build career, to achieve financial independence, availability of safe and effective contraception, and occasionally to maintain gap between babies. However, the best biologically age for child bearing is between the age of 20-35 years. After this age there might be difficulty in conceiving and the risks of miscarriage also rises up. 

Risk of miscarriage under 35 years is around 15% which increases to 20-35% at the age of 35-45 years and 50% in women of more than 45 years of age. If a woman of 25 to 30 years of age tries for pregnancy, then 75% of them will conceive naturally. While women aged around 35 years or above tries for pregnancy, then 66% of them might have chances of getting infertile due to less production of eggs in them. In that case IUI or IVF would be options available for them. 

Reason behind it is usually the number and quality of eggs decline with age. Studies have suggested, Live Birth rate after IVF treatment is around 32% in the age group less than 35 years which drops to 18% in age group 38-40 years and declines further to 5% beyond 42 years of age.  

Moreover, advanced age during pregnancy is associated with medical complications. Hence women should be encouraged to consider having family during

It’s not you but it’s him – the cause behind your infertility

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

I have came across many cases and seen that it comes as a shock to most men when they find out that it's because of their health issues they can’t make their wives pregnant. It is a kind of bitter pill to swallow for them when they get to know about it. If you can’t make your wife pregnant then you are suffering from male infertility. 

In most infertility cases we cannot ignore male factors as there is a very big myth that infertility is woman’s problem. We cannot rule out without doing tests of male partner too. It is the time to shift the spotlight away from women and their biological clocks and onto men. Male fertility is one of the few residual taboos as men just don't want to talk about infertility openly it could hit their masculinity. On the other hand women can talk about their infertility with their friends they can pour out their heart openly to doctors, family or friends but men cannot; not even with their close friends. 

Let’s figure out what are the all sorts of reasons behind male fertility: 

Low sperm count: Studies conducted in the past has shown the considerable results that men who use laptops on their laps for a prolonged time can have a reduced sperm count as laptops can cause scrotal hyperthermia (elevated testicle temperature) which can considerably affect the quality of sperm.  Scrotal temperature rose with the working and non-working computers. 

Poor diet patterns: If you don’t take sufficient amount of essential nutrients and drinks too much alcohol then it could also be a reason for your infertility as it can lower testosterone levels, cause erectile dysfunction and decrease sperm production. Liver disease caused by excessive drinking also may lead to fertility problems. 

Wearing too tight pants: In the name of fashion people don't realize that wearing tight trousers or skinny jeans could seriously damage one's health. It can cut off circulation, cause nerve damage, swelling of the ankles and feet and even fertility problems. Tight pants or skinny jeans do in fact damage the testicles, even cause low sperm count and infertility in men. It causes infertility problems in men by overheating of the crotch area,

Stay stress free to conceive

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

Many researches has been done in the past which says that women with high levels of stress were 29% less likely to get pregnant each month than those women with lower levels. Stress causes infertility in women which means the inability of a woman to conceive after two years of constant efforts.  

When diagnosed with infertility, many couples feel helpless and no longer in control of their bodies or their life plan. They become stressed whereas men who work in night shifts affected more as compared to men working in morning shifts with infertility as their biological clock is very badly disturbed. They sleep during the day and to keep themselves awake, they often smoke, which damages the system further. The stress at work place and sitting for long hours at work stations is also found to reduce the sperm count. There are many factors that contribute to stress which further causes infertility like: 

• Marital disturbance 
• Job or business stress 
• Personal injury or illness 
• Death of close family member 
• Late marriages 

Women with hectic jobs are those most at risk, and are often most in denial about the stress in their lives. Stress not only causes infertility, it is one of the reasons for weight gain too. Many times stress may mess up our brain’s reward system and may cause us to crave more fat and sugar. Stress is not a good reason to treat oneself to a burger or chocolate or truck loads of ice cream. In fact, consuming high fat foods is more likely to lead to weight gain. Also, when we are stressed, we also may be more likely to drive through the fast food place, rather than taking the time and mental energy to plan and cook a meal. 

Stress is one of the major causes of obesity and even weight gain in today’s fast paced life. In fact, stress even makes it very difficult to produce optimum results if you are attempting to lose weight. Stress puts the body in ‘fight or flight’ mode from an evolutionary perspective and activates the sympathetic nervous system. This leads to the production of

Let's talk about male infertility

By Dr. Shobha Gupta 

Infertility as we all know means inability to conceive despite of one year of trying. In most infertility cases we cannot ignore male factors as there is a very big myth that infertility is woman’s problem. But actually out of 100% nearly 30% of all infertility cases, the cause is attributed to a problem in the male, 30% of cases, the cause is attributed in female and 30% to both male and female factors and rest 10% is unknown. 

Infertility in males is also very common these days. Let’s have a look at some facts about male infertility: 

1. Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol can lower testosterone levels, cause erectile dysfunction and decrease sperm production. Liver disease caused by excessive drinking also may lead to fertility problems.

2. Occupation or job: There are certain occupations can increase your risk of infertility, including those associated with desk jobs or extended use of computers or video display monitors, shift work, and work-related stress. 

3. Tobacco consumption or smoking: Men who smoke may have a lower sperm count than do those who don’t smoke. Secondhand smoke also may affect male fertility. 

4. Hormonal imbalances: Low thyroid hormone levels can cause poor semen quality, poor testicular function and may disturb libido.  May be caused by a diet high in iodine.  Reducing iodine intake or beginning thyroid hormone replacement therapy can elevate sperm count.  This condition is found in only 1 percent of infertile men. 

5. Stress: It is one of the main reasons of infertility in today’s time .It can interfere with certain hormones needed to produce sperm. Severe or prolonged emotional stress, including problems with fertility, can affect your sperm count. Men may consider it an

Causes of male infertility

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

Many a time’s infertility is considered as female’s problem .This is the most prevalent of all myths having to do with infertility, and if a couple is unable to have a child, the woman is thought to be "barren." In fact, according to Resolve, a national infertility advocacy organization in the USA, men and women are about equally responsible when it comes to infertility.  In reality, 40% of infertility is due to female factors, 40% due to male factors and 20% due to both but let’s have a look at some causes of male infertility too:

1. Alcohol consumption: Drinking alcohol can lower testosterone levels, cause erectile dysfunction and decrease sperm production. Liver disease caused by excessive drinking also may lead to fertility problems.
2. Occupation or job: There are certain occupations can increase your risk of infertility, including those associated with desk jobs or extended use of computers or video display monitors, shift work, and work-related stress. Working on laptops while placing them on your laps is hugely associated with infertility in men as the heat caused by them often reduced sperm motility and sperm DNA fragmentation
3. Tobacco or smoking: Men who smoke may have a lower sperm count than do those who don’t smoke. Secondhand smoke also may affect male fertility. Nicotine and other harmful chemicals in cigarettes interfere with the body’s ability to produce healthy sperm count.
4. Wearing too-tight trousers or skinny jeans: Yes wearing tight inner wears or jeans could seriously damage your health. It can cut off circulation and cause nerve damage, swelling of the ankles and feet and fertility problems. Tight pants or skinny jeans do in fact damage the testicles; even low sperm count and can cause infertility in men. But that’s not all. Wearing skinny jeans is associated with many negative consequences

How to Deal with infertility?

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

If you're having a hard time coping with infertility, you're not alone. Infertility is indeed has become a challenge that requires personal change in order to meet the demands of the process.To be precise infertility means that you are unable to conceive despite of 1 year of trying for a baby. Although infertility feels like the greatest challenge that can't be overcome, those who reached out to us prepared the belief that there is always a hope. I have personally experienced that many women have said, “The more I realized that infertility changed my life, the more it made me take steps to change my life but coping with infertility is really a tough job”.

There is a lot to manage when you are trying to get pregnant and dealing with infertility issues. The most difficult could be the emotional ups and downs that inbuilt in the process. People around you can be insensitive and terrible in their comments. Social situations, like a baby shower or seeing moms with babies are extremely painful. Many women feel betrayed by their body and the injustice of the whole thing. They keep blaming themselves for such situations.

Last but not least, the common question; “What have I done that causes me infertility?” But we have to understand that sedentary lifestyle

Ten do’s and don’ts during IVF treatment

By Dr Shobha Gupta

When a couple chooses IVF for conception, it affects both the partners physically and emotionally. While the chance of conceiving during the first cycle of treatment highly depends on the reproductive health and other psychological factors, there are a few things that you can do to improve your chances of conceiving.

1. Prepare yourself for IVF: Note the date when your period starts, the number of days it lasts, and anything else regarding your menstrual cycle (at least for three months before starting the treatment). This can help your doctor chart your treatment. It could prove to be helpful if you experience any problems in conceiving. It can also be valuable in pinpointing the date of conception–and consequently your due date.
2. Avoid Stress: Try not to stress and be positive. avoid making major life changes such as moving to a new house or starting a new job the same time you’re going through the IVF process. As High stress levels are known to reduce fertility in both men and women and compromise the outcome of an IVF cycle.
3. Try Acupuncture: Acupuncture may be beneficial to women who are undergoing the IVF process when performed within one day of the embryo transfer as it helps in implantation and aids the process of conception.
4. Eat right: A few months before your IVF, begin eating a fertility diet. Getting nutritious foods is vital for producing healthy eggs and promoting implantation of the embryo. Continue eating a well balanced diet.Your diet should consist of 4-6 small meals each day and each should consist of some complex carbohydrate(such as brown rice or quinoa) interspread with fresh fruits and vegetables. For a fertility diet read here..
5. Stay hydrated always: Some women during IVF process suffer from OHSS (Ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome) so drink

Hypnosis may boost IVF success rate

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

As we all know that infertility is a growing problem. According to WHO approximately 8-10% of couples experience some form of infertility problem. On a worldwide scale, this means that 50-80 million people suffer from infertility.

Some facts in India about infertility-

• An estimated one in seven couple in India have fertility problems and mostly there is no known medical explanation.
• It is believed that 10% of the general population suffers from some form of infertility.
• India has a population of over 1.2 billion, the number of Indians suffering from infertility is huge.
• Of every 100 couples reporting to fertility clinics, 40 per cent are cases of male infertility, 50 per cent are of women, and the remaining 10 per cent of both partners being infertile.

Infertility is complex and stressful experience and going for IVF often causes more stress to women because of fear of conceiving or not. In vitreo fertilization or IVF is a technique use to treat infertility which is widely popular and acceptable now as more and more couples are seeking towards it.

We have often seen that hypnotism is used when a person forgets themselves and goes in trance or in a state they move in and out of all of the time. When a person drifts off to sleep at night and wake up in the morning; they move through the hypnologic state, whilst daydreaming etc. But science has taken a step forward and proved that hypnosis can double the chances of IVF success rate.

We have introduced hypnosis or progressive relaxation therapy in IVF at our centre and the results are amazing. Our success rate has improved drastically in past one year.  We have used this progressive relaxation therapy on about 206 women so far and about 65% of them have been conceived.

According to a research done in European society of Human Reproduction and Embryology hypnosis can double the IVF success rate. The study was conducted by Professor Eliahu Levitas. In his study of 185 women found that 28% of women in the group who were hypnotized became pregnant, compared with 14% of those who were not.

Main part of IVF is the ET which is called Embryo Transfer which usually takes 10 to 15 days to contribute to an increased clinical pregnancy rate. Women may be stressed during embryo transfer from fears that the treatment will fail, fear of having a miscarriage that can effectively create an obstacle to conception; they will conceive or not or that the transfer will be painful etc.

Hypnosis helped a woman's uterus to remain relaxed, allowing the embryo to implant more easily. It is also possible, they say, that hypnosis produced changes in immune or hormonal uterine function resulting in an improvement in the interaction between the blastocyst and the endometrium or the lining of the uterus.

Hypnosis is one of the most effective tools that I know of for helping the mind to support the body throughout IVF treatment, as well as to help people to cope better with the whole experience. It can enhance natural conception & compliments IVF. Your fertility can be greatly enhanced with Hypnosis.

Case study:

Shilpa Jindal (name changed on request), 31 a housewife diagnosed with infertility in 2013. She

underwent IVF treatment at Mother’s Lap IVF centre in 2014. I was very anxious and doubtful about IVF. I had no idea how it will gonna help me as there was lot of mental and emotional pressure. My ET was due and during it I was extremely stressed out when the doctors there talked to me and they explained me that hypnosis will gonna help me in conceiving better.

She spent some time telling me about what the last two and half years had been like for her and how it had left her all broken. She told us all the family history how she had turned down social engagements, holidays and family gatherings to avoid being taunted by the relatives of not being pregnant yet.

So we counseled her, told her to perform deep breathing exercises and started the hypnotherapy procedure by taking her into deep trance, made her visualized that her baby is nearer to her.

As a result of our work, now Shilpa is happy with her 1 year old baby girl. Hypnosis is a wonderful way to change any negative feelings & release emotional blocks.

The reason hypnosis makes such a dramatic difference is not fully known but the body can be made to relax more completely and this makes all the hormone systems work more effectively. You can also relax the uterus which then allows for the egg to be implanted more easily.

WORLD DIABETES DAY: Diabetic..? You cannot become a father

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

November 14 observed as World Diabetes day. Diabetes as we all know is a root problem of many other diseases. Diabetes in a lay men’s language is a chronic medical problem in which a person is suffering from abnormally high levels of sugar or glucose in the blood. A person suffering from diabetes has refrain from sugar or glucose for the rest of his life.

Today, millions of people are suffering due to diabetes. In the last 4 years percentage of diabetes sufferers has gone up by 30 percent. According to a recent report by IDF- International Diabetes Federation, India continues to be the “diabetes capital” of the world, and by 2030, nearly 9 per cent of the country’s population is likely to be affected from this disease. India accounts for the largest number of people i.e. 50.8 million suffering from diabetes in the world.

This disease is actually dangerous as it gives rise to many other diseases as well in your body. One of them would be infertility; Diabetes can directly affect the

Watch your Blood Pressure if you are pregnant

By Dr. Shobha Gupta

Pre-eclampsia is a hypertensive disorder characterized by the presence of high-blood pressure and high protein levels in the urine (proteinuria) during pregnancy. 

According to data collected by the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) shows that pregnancy-induced high blood which is responsible for 12% of maternal deaths in India, is the leading cause of maternal mortality

The first symptoms of Pre-eclampsia include high blood pressure and a high level of protein in the urine. Pre-eclamptic women also often have swelling in the feet, legs, and hands. This condition is said to appear during the second half of pregnancy, often in the latter part of the second or early third trimesters. However, it can occur earlier too.

If this condition goes unnoticed, pre-eclampsia can lead to a more complicated condition called eclampsia that can put the mother and baby’s life at risk. In rare cases, pre-eclampsia can cause death. Women with pre-eclampsia who have seizures are considered to have pre-eclampsia.

About 10% pregnant women are detected to be suffering from pre-eclampsia. Headache, overall swelling and dizziness are other symptoms. However, not all pregnant women with these symptoms are pre-eclamptic. There is no way to treat the illness per say. Delivering the baby is usually the only cure. Usually this condition automatically