Pregnancy is a blissful period, even with all the discomfort associated with it. And with proper awareness and caution, it is possible to keep pregnancy-related complications at bay to have a smooth sailing experience till you deliver the little bundle of joy.

Some women have health issues during pregnancy, while others suffer from disorders before pregnancy, leading to complications at the time of the pregnancy. It is very crucial for women to receive proper health care, both before and during pregnancy to reduce the risks of complications. Here are some common pregnancy complications that you should know about before you start planning a family.

Anemia: Anemia is a condition where you have lower than the desired number of healthy red blood cells. To deal with this condition, it is important to treat the underlying cause of anaemia. The most common symptom of this complication is feeling tired and weak even with the slightest physical exertions. You will have to eat a proper diet that consists of folic acid and iron supplements. Your healthcare provider will have to regularly monitor the iron levels during the time of pregnancy.
High blood pressure: Chronic high blood pressure before as well as during pregnancy puts the mother and the baby at risk. It is associated with increased maternal complications such as placental abruption, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes. It puts you at risk of preterm delivery and even infant death. It is crucial to handle this condition before pregnancy to mitigate the complications.
Obesity: Recent studies suggest that the heavier a woman is before pregnancy, the greater are her chances of developing pregnancy complications. Research suggests that obesity during pregnancy is related to increased use of health care services along with longer hospital stay after the delivery. It may also cause complications like gestational diabetes and stillbirth.
Urinary tract infections or UTI: A urinary tract infection is a bacterial infection of the urinary tract. The common symptoms of this disease include fever and shakiness, pain and burning sensation at the time of passing urine, a pressure in the lower belly, an urge to use the bathroom often along with reddish and cloudy urine. If you think you have this complication, you should consult your doctor immediately. Your doctor will most likely prescribe treatment for the same.
Placenta previa: Placenta previa occurs when a baby's placenta partially or totally covers the mother's cervix   the outlet for the uterus. Placenta previa can cause severe bleeding during pregnancy and delivery. You'll need a C-section to deliver your baby if the placenta previa doesn't resolve.
Talk to your gynaecologist if you think there is even the slightest chance of suffering from one of these complications to avoid the further dire consequences.

5 Pregnancy Complications That You Should Not Ignore!

Blood in urine, medically known as Hematuria is not usually a cause of concern, but it can translate into an adverse condition if left unevaluated. The kidneys and other structures in the urinary tracts such as urethra (tube connecting the bladder to the outer part of the body); bladder (that stores the urine) and ureters (tube joining the bladder to the kidney) are the sources of blood flow to the urine. Hematuria can be accompanied by symptoms such as discharge of tea-colored, brownish-red or pink colored urine due to the presence of red blood cells, traces of which can only be detected under the microscope.

Underlying causes behind this disorder might be

Urinary tract infection is where the bacteria enter the body through the urethra and begin to proliferate in the bladder.
Kidney infections (pyelonephritis) is when bacteria infiltrate into the kidneys from the bloodstream or travel up from the uterus to the kidneys.
A kidney or a bladder stone is marked by the minerals in the concentrated urine precipitating out and molding into crystals that deposit on the bladder or kidney walls.
Enlarged prostate is a condition in which the prostate gland, that is situated just below the bladder surrounding the upper part of the urethra, starts growing as males head towards their middle age.
Kidney disease such as glomerulonephritis causes swelling of the kidneys, thus disrupting the filtering system.
Bladder, kidney and prostate cancer are also possible causes.
Hereditary disorders such as sickle cell anemia (a hereditary disease of the red blood cells in the hemoglobin) can also pose as a cause behind this disorder.
Kidney injury as a result of heavy blows, accidents or injuries sustained while playing a spot can also contribute to this condition.
Medications such as penicillin or the anti-cancer drug  cyclophosphamide 
Strenuous physical exercises like intense workout or running may also result in Hematuria.
Treatments
There is no fixed cure for Hematuria; instead the doctor would work on treating the repressed conditions behind the symptoms, such as prescribing antibiotics to heal the urinary tract infection or a medicine to shrink and normalize the enlarged prostate or administer a shock wave therapy to destroy the kidney or bladder stones. 

Blood in Urine - 10 Reasons Behind It!

Most people would panic on seeing slightly red urine being passed. A common urologic condition, this happens because blood cells are leaking into the urine. There are multiple reasons which can cause it, and not all of them are major causes for concern.

Read on to know more about some common causes, and how to manage this.

Urinary tract infections: There could be an infection of the entire urinary tract including the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder, and the urethra. In addition to blood in the urine, there could also be an urge to urinate, pain with urination, fever, and flank pain.
Enlarged or infected prostate: The prostate naturally enlarges with age and can obstruct the urethra, causing pain and blood in the urine. There is a constant urge to urinate and difficulty initiating the stream. Infection of the prostate also produces similar symptoms along with fever and pain.
Kidney diseases: In addition to infections, other kidney diseases including glomerulonephritis, which can also lead to hematuria. Kidney stones, which are quite common, are also another reason, and this will be characterised by the sudden sharp pain around the flank which is very diagnostic of kidney stones. Injury to the kidneys from trauma or sports is another reason for hematuria.
Cancers/tumours: Cancers in the kidney, bladder, or prostate can cause blood to appear in the urine, but this would happen once cancer has reached some advanced stage, not very early in the process.
Listed below are some risk factors for hematuria.

Age: Men older than 50 are more prone to hematuria
Sex: While men are more likely to have stones or prostate infections, UTIs are quite common in women below 50s.
Family history: though not hereditary, if kidney stones or cancers or infections are in the family, chances of developing hematuria also goes up.
Medications: Aspirin, blood thinners, NSAIDs, and some antibiotics increase the chances of hematuria.
Exercise: Long distance runners are shown to be more prone to developing hematuria.
Diagnosis: In addition to a physical exam, blood tests, imaging (CT scans and/or MRI) and cystoscopy might be required to confirm the diagnosis. Identifying the cause is extremely important as treatment would depend completely on the causative agent. Though hematuria is just one of the symptom, the underlying cause could have severe adverse effects on the whole body system.

Treatment: Whether it is an infection or enlarged prostate or kidney stone or tumour, once the cause is identified treatment is customised accordingly. Antibiotics for the infections, laser treatment for the stones, etc. are recommended.

If you see your urine turning slightly pink in colour, talk to your doctor immediately. Identifying the underlying cause and treating it will help solve the problem of hematuria.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!


Blood In Urine - Is It Actually Serious?

A preterm labour is referred to a condition when the cervix opens up within 37 weeks of pregnancy. An ideal pregnancy lasts for a span of 40 weeks. If preterm labour is caused due to preterm contractions, the baby is born earlier. This results in serious health risks for the baby. At times it requires long intensive care for the baby to ensure no mental or physical damage happens in the long term.

What are the symptoms of pre-term labour?
While some women show evident signs of pre-term labour, some women present symptoms that are more subtle. Some unmistakable symptoms of pre-term labour include regular contractions, sense of tightness in the lower abdomen, vaginal discharge, diarrhoea, constant backache, bleeding from the vagina, watery discharge from the vagina, pain in the abdomen and abdominal cramps. One or more of these symptoms should be immediately reported to the doctor to negate the chances of any miscarriages or serious complications.

What are the risk factors?
While there are no proven risk factors of preterm labour, lots of factors have been tagged with a pre-term labour. Some of the notable ones include:

Little pre-natal care
Premature birth in previous pregnancies
Giving birth to more than one baby at a time. This is especially applicable while giving birth to a triplet.
A stressful event such as a personal loss or events related to extreme emotions
Bleeding from the vagina during pregnancy
Any infection of the genital tract
Any complications related to the placenta, uterus and cervix
Any birth defect related to the vagina
Chronic health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure
Putting on weight more than the recommended level
An excess of amniotic fluid
Consumption of illicit drugs or smoking at a heavy rate
The shorter length of the cervix than the normal one
What are the complications involved?
Pre-term labour cannot be stopped with any medical procedures. If pre-term labour is caused due to smoking or an infection, the same can be addressed. Any pre-term labour that eventually leads to giving birth can confront with complications such as low weight, problems related to the vision of the baby, behavioural problems and learning disabilities.

Diagnosis and tests:
A doctor will closely monitor the symptoms a woman is facing. In the case of regular contraction, a close look at the cervix helps a doctor to decide the condition of a patient. To be assured a doctor might recommend a full pelvic exam, ultrasound test, uterine monitoring, and maturity of amniocentesis. A test of the vaginal secretion further gives the doctor enough evidence about the possibility of a pre-term labour. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Gynaecologist.

Pre-Term Labour - Can There Be Complications?

Top 5 signs you're ready to have a baby

Most couples dream of holding their first-born in their arms. But there are others who also dread the prospect of taking such a responsibility. Some are not sure and some cannot wait. It's important to know the fact that life certainly changes forever the moment a small bundle of joy enters your life. And there are many factors involved.

If you wish to know if you and your partner are ready to have a baby, check for these points:

1. You're excited

The first sign that you need to look out for, and which points out that you're ready to start a family of your own is you're eager and excited to welcome the newest addition. Reading baby books and blogs, thinking of ideas on how to decorate the room for your baby, or keeping yourself up-to-date on the latest parenting news may be certain signs that indicate your eagerness to have a baby of your own.

2. You're financially ready

Another indication that you may be ready to welcome a baby in your family is when you have every financial aspect sorted out, including investments and savings. The ideal financial plan should be such that you're able to add to your savings as well as build up a retirement corpus while still being able to sustain the lifestyle that you and your partner would like. Most importantly, sticking to the financial plan is as important as coming up with one.

3. You can empathise

A quality that every would-be parent needs to have is empathy. The ability to put yourself in another person's shoes is vital before you can bring another human being into the world. You and your partner may have different empathy levels, which you need to know beforehand as parenting also involves empathising with your child's pain fears, needs, and worries and so on. 

4. You're ready to make a professional sacrifice

Having a baby also calls for making a professional sacrifice as looking after a baby is not an easy task. You or your partner may have to take a long break from work. It's, therefore, vital to see where you and your partner stand in your careers.

5. You have support

Having experienced people around you or people you can trust can help ease the days that usually follow on the arrival of this newest visitor. Your support could be in the form of your parents or in-laws who can look after your child while you go for work or take rest. Other support systems that you can consider are day care. 

Above all, you need to be the best version of yourself before taking on this additional responsibility.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.

Related Tip: Title: 4 Worst Foods Ever To Feed Your Baby! #ParentingBlunders

Assessment for Young Couples: Top 5 Signs You're Ready to Have a Baby

With any fertility treatment, a failure is possible due to several reasons. Most couples are having a problem while conceiving a baby and seek various fertility treatments with hope. When things happen otherwise, and the treatment fails, they miserably suffer.

What is IVF?

IVF or In Vitro Fertilization is a fertility treatment where eggs are removed from the woman s ovary and fertilized with retrieved sperms in a laboratory dish. The embryo is then transferred to the woman s uterus. The treatment is said to have a success rate of 40 percent; which means that it can fail in 60 percent cases.

So, why does the treatment fail?

Can it possibly fail ? 

Though the success of IVF depends on certain predominant factors like age and overall health, there are two common reasons behind a failure of IVF, and they are:

An abnormal embryo- The most prevalent reason for a failed IVF is an abnormal or incompetent embryo. In most cases, this is due to an irregular number of chromosomes (aneuploidy) in the embryo. This might be because of an abnormal egg or abnormal sperm or when both gametes are abnormal. 

Implantation failure- An underlying implantation dysfunction may prevent the embryo from attaching to the lining of the uterus. When the thickness of the endometrium is thin (less than 9 mm) at the time of progesterone administration, the implantation may fail. Implantation may fail due to surface lesions in the uterine cavity (due to scarring, polyps, or uterine fibroids) as well.

Other reasons are poor ovarian response and pre-treatment stress.

Make IVF a success with Ayurveda

Ayurveda, the ancient system of healing, appropriately prepares you well-ahead of an IVF treatment. The three key aspects of this treatment are   Detoxification, Nourishment, and Lifestyle changes.

Detoxification

The success of IVF is largely dependent on healthy eggs and sperms and a proper implantation of the embryo. Thus, as the first step, Ayurveda suggests that the couple are to be cleansed with Pancha Karma treatment before conception. Known as Beejshuddhi and Sthanshuddhi, the detoxification procedure purifies ovum, sperms, and uterus.

Along with these, other Pancha Karma procedures like Basti, Uttarbasti, Yoniprakshalana, Vamana, and Virechana are performed to improve the health of reproductive organs. Shirodhara helps in reducing the stress levels of the couple.

Nourishment

Diet is an inherent component of Ayurveda treatment. Hence, a diet that increases fertility is advised to the couple. The couple is advised to stay away from certain foods as well.

The fertility diet includes fresh and organic fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy proteins, Moong dal, soaked almonds and walnuts, dried fruits like figs, dates, and raisins, ajwain seeds, cumin seeds, and turmeric.

You should refrain yourself from spicy and salty foods and that containing artificial sweeteners, high-fat food, caffeine, alcohol, and excessive meat. Apart from the diet, certain Ayurvedic herbs are prescribed that strengthens the reproductive organs and improve immunity.

Lifestyle Changes

Infertility has become one of the lifestyle diseases. Ayurveda insists that healthy lifestyle is essential to conceive a baby. According to your body constitution, an Ayurvedic expert can guide you to make lifestyle modifications with Dinacharya and Rutucharya. Also, you must ensure adequate sleep and practice yoga (Surya Namaskar, Sarvangasana, Dhanurasana, Shalabasana, and Pranayama) regularly.

When IVF treatment is failing frequently, you tend to lose hope. However, with Ayurveda, there is definitely hope for success in conception.

How Ayurveda Can Help In Conceiving When Everything Else May Fail?

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