Pregnancy can be a tricky time for most women, although it is not a pathological condition. One must be prepared for pregnancy with the best of health in the pre-pregnancy period. This also includes women who are suffering from diabetes. The complications during pregnancy and delivery increase manifold if one has not controlled the glucose and blood sugar levels before getting pregnant. So read on to know more about coping with the pregnancy if you happen to have diabetes.

Complications: Pregnancy with diabetes can cause severe complications if blood sugar levels are not controlled properly before pregnancy. This can cause diabetes to become even worse in the long run, with the onset of various other related ailments like kidney disease, heart disease, eye problems and more. It can also increase the risk of premature delivery, and too much birth weight of the baby as well as low glucose levels right after the baby s birth. Further, one can also lose the baby to a miscarriage due to excessively high blood sugar levels. This can also affect the glucose and blood sugar level of the baby as the glucose passes through the body.

Related conditions: If you happen to have high blood sugar levels, then you and your baby can get affected in an adverse way. To begin with, you may come down with severe depression regarding how you will be able to manage your diabetes and pregnancy together, and also due to the implications of the condition after the birth of the baby. It can also cause a condition called Preeclampsia in which the pregnant woman s blood pressure becomes high and too much protein starts to pass from the urine, which can also result in frequent urination and life-threatening defects and problems for you and the baby. In such cases, you will have to be hospitalised and the baby will need to be delivered via a C section or a Caesarean Section.



Planning ahead: If you know that you are trying to conceive, the best way is to be fully prepared well in advance. This includes planning ahead for managing the blood sugar levels and keeping the risk of other ailments at bay. You can start by losing excessive weight and seek treatment to bring down the blood sugar levels. Exercising and watching your diet are also some good ways to ensure that your Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes is in control.

Medical Team: It is pertinent to be in touch with your medical team on a constant basis. This team should include the obstetrician and gynaecologist as well as your regular doctor to whom you can report any changes.
Keep health close to your heart when you are pregnant by taking care of all existing ailments.

If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a doctor and ask a free question.

Diabetes in Pregnancy - How to Tackle it?

Surrogacy is a boon for couples who cannot conceive naturally or give birth to a child. Surrogacy is a process in which a woman's unfertilized eggs are implanted into the uterus of another woman who is called the surrogate mother. The egg is fertilized in the surrogate mother's uterus with the biological father's sperm. The surrogate mother lets the child develop in her womb and gives birth. Although, there are various medical treatments available, but not all of them have a high success rate.

The two primary methods of surrogacy are:
1. Traditional surrogacy: In this process, the surrogate mother is artificially inseminated with the sperm, which belongs to the biological father of the baby. The sperm gets implanted into the surrogate mother's uterus and the child develops in her womb.

2. Gestational surrogacy: For women who want to have a biological child in spite of being incapable of pregnancy, the gestational surrogacy method is used. During the process, in-vitro fertilization is undertaken and the eggs from the woman who wants to become a biological mother are harvested. The eggs, along with the sperm from the biological father are implanted into the uterus of a surrogate mother, who will carry the embryo and will give birth to the child.

Process involved in surrogacy
Here are the several processes and procedures, which need to be undertaken, after you have chosen a surrogate mother for carrying your child.

1. Medical testing: After a surrogate mother is chosen, the woman goes through several health checkups, medical and psychological tests to ensure that she gives birth to a healthy child.

2. Legal agreements: There are several legal considerations that have to be addressed for a surrogacy. All the legal requirements regarding the surrogacy should be written down. Some issues include both the surrogate mother and the biological parents. A financial contract must be presented as well, which will reimburse the medical expenses and requirements of the surrogate mother.

3. Medical process: The medical processes required for surrogacy include in-vitro fertilization and the transfer of the eggs, which are done in a clinic under the supervision of a reproductive endocrinologist. The eggs are transferred to the uterus of the surrogate, where fertilization takes place after combining it with the sperms of the biological father.

4. Pregnancy and birth: After successful fertilization, the surrogate mother gets pregnant. Proper care and precautions should be taken by her to ensure a successful birth. Finally, the surrogate mother gives birth to a child, who belongs to the biological parents.

This method of having a child has become very popular in the recent times. It is a great blessing for people who cannot conceive due to medical conditions or otherwise.

All You Need to Know About the Surrogacy Process

Menopause automatically brings about a dip in testosterone and estrogen levels in a woman s body. It leads to certain changes in the body and also reduces libido. A drop in libido means that sexual arousal becomes a cause of concern. This can bring in certain problems in your sexual/conjugal life. Lower estrogen levels reduce supply of blood to the vagina, thus resulting in lubrication problems. A dry vagina during sexual intercourse can lead you to experience pain during sex.

There are some other factors that can affect a woman s libido after menopause:
1. Problems in sleep
2. Anxiety and depression
3. Problems of the bladder
4. Certain medications
5. High stress levels

To remedy lubrication problems, use water soluble lubricants to lubricate your vagina. Avoid using non-water soluble products such as petroleum jelly as it can weaken the latex. Non water soluble lubricants are also known to aggravate bacterial vaginosis. You may also use vaginal moisturizers to address the issue. There are oral medications that are available, which cause the tissues of the vagina to thicken, thus causing less pain during sex.

Improving your libido
You can opt for estrogen therapy to reduce pain during sex as this therapy helps in vaginal lubrication. The main objective of estrogen therapy (Hormone Replacement Therapy) is to ease the discomforts associated with a deficiency of estrogen secretion in the body. You should consult a professional who will be able to guide and counsel you.

Certain other measures to rev up your libido have been listed below:

    Indulge in foreplay: Try and include activities such as oral sex and erotic massages in your agenda. Experimentation with foreplay can help spice things up between you and your partner.
    Try out new things: Change your sex poses, read erotic books or watch erotic videos as these may help in boosting your libido.

Bear in mind that menopause does not prevent STDs; you still need to take proper precautions before engaging in sexual intercourse. 

How to Improve Your Libido Post Menopause 

The menopause can take three very different routes for women. There are those who sail through it with very few symptoms or problems and don't even notice that their ovaries have stopped producing the hormone. Then there are those for whom it is a matter of a few hot flushes and a couple of night sweats, doesn't last long and not really a bother. This usually marks a relief from the periods. But for some it is abject misery accompanied with crippling fatigue, absolute exhaustion, hot flushes, vaginal drying, mood swings along with low desire or lack of sexual feelings. These symptoms might persist for more than 7 years.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is considered to be an effective treatment for menopausal symptoms. The other problems linked with menopause can also be influenced by HRT in a positive manner.

HRT is indicated in:
1. Treatment of symptoms of menopause and the risk benefit ratio is apt for the women and they have been informed about the same
2. For women who are around 51 years and are reaching menopause even though they are asymptomatic
3. In women who are at the risk of osteoporotic fractures and are under 60 years and the non-estrogen treatments cannot be given
4. HRT is not recommended in women who are above 60 years

Benefits of HRT:
The benefits of HRT usually are more than the risk if done in a woman who is under 60 years of age. 
These include:
1. Improvement in quality of life by relieving muscle pains and improving sleep
2. The mood swings are controlled and low moods are usually alleviated by HRT. Low moods usually arise due to menopause.
3. It reduces the vasomotor symptoms, usually within four months of the treatment with maximum benefit in three months
4. HRT improves the urogenital symptoms by lowering the vaginal dryness, vaginal atrophy, urinary frequency and symptoms. 
5. HRT reduces the risk of osteoporosis. HRT is believed to preserve the bone mass density of the skeletal sites thus reducing the chances of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures.
6. HRT also reduces the risk of colorectal cancer and cardiovascular diseases

Risks of HRT
The main risks of HRT are stroke, endometrial and breast cancer, thromboembolic disease, pulmonary embolism and gallbladder disease. Though other risks are:
1. It increases the risk of ischemic stroke
2. There is a small risk associated with breast cancer and the risk increases more, if the woman is underweight or overweight, alcohol user, smoker and stops HRT suddenly
3. Estrogen only HRTs can increase the risk of endometrial cancer. If cyclical progestogen is used for 10 days for 28 cycles then the risk is eliminated.

The Efficacy of Hormone Therapy in Early Menopause

Ovarian cysts is a common problem that affects women in their childbearing years. These cysts develop inside the ovaries at the time of ovulation. 
These cysts are of four main types: 
Polycystic ovaries
Endometriosis
Cystadenomas
Dermoid cysts


In most cases, ovarian cysts resolve themselves, but in some cases they can cause pain and grow. 


Ayurveda is a holistic form of alternate medication that can be quite effective when it comes to treating ovarian cysts. This form of medication has negligible side effects and hence, can be prescribed to women of all ages. Apart from medication, Ayurveda also involves changes in lifestyle and diet. Ayurvedic herbs help balance the hormones in a woman s body and thereby improve the overall functioning of the ovaries as well. 


Some of the Ayurvedic herbs used in the treatment of ovarian cysts are as follows:


Guggul: This herb has the potential to revitalise cells and can rejuvenate a person. Guggul or commiphora mukul also has purifying properties that helps regulate lipid production and increase iron levels in a person s blood. It also helps in weight loss and increases metabolism. 
Shilajit: The Ayurvedic herb asphaltum or shilajit improves stamina and the ability to deal with physical and mental stress. It is also known to increase sexual desire and enhance libido for both men and women. 
Amalaki: Amalaki or emblica officinalis is best known for its ability to rejuvenate cells and rid the body of free radicals. It also helps boost immunity, aids in the development of healthy skin and slows down the aging process. Amalaki helps with digestion and boosts metabolism along with maintaining the proper functioning of the liver. 
Aloe: Aloe is the most common Ayurvedic product used for skin care and anti-ageing products. Apart from skincare and hair care, aloe also helps relieve hypertension and has well known antioxidant properties. Additionally, it helps deal with high blood pressure and respiratory problems. 
Vitamins and minerals: Some vitamins and minerals boost immunity and have the ability to destroy abnormal cells such as cysts. Zinc helps prevent ovarian cysts, helps the body get rid of free radicals and aids in normal cell growth. Vitamin B complex helps in converting excessive estrogen into less weaker forms and hence balances hormone levels. Antioxidants like vitamin A and E protect the cells against damage and abnormal changes in the cell growth. Vitamin C also helps boost immunity and gives the body the ability to fight illnesses and infections.

Ovarian Cyst Treatment in Ayurveda - Effective Medicines

Women with low or diminished ovarian reserve often have to hear that becoming pregnant with their own eggs may not be possible and they may have to rely on a donor s eggs. Poor or low ovarian reserve has always been considered to be an alarming ovarian condition among women. To have a better understanding regarding the seriousness of this particular condition, keep on reading the article.

What is a low ovarian reserve?
The term ovarian reserve refers to the pool of eggs that is present at any time in the ovaries of a woman. When a physiological decrease in the number of the eggs present there is observed, it is termed as poor or low ovarian reserve. The lower quantity of the eggs the lower gets the chance of conceiving or becoming pregnant. However, it doesn t hamper the normal function of the ovaries in any way.

What causes low ovarian reserve?
The low ovarian reserve can happen due to various reasons. Some of the most common causes are the presence of genetic abnormalities, undergoing ovarian surgery, having aggressive treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy for cancer, leading life in an unhealthy way such as smoking or constantly worrying or suffering from anxiety.

However, one must remember that this physical condition is very common in women who are in their 30s or 40s. But those who have children already, the low ovarian reserve may not be a problem for them at all which is not so in case of others.

Symptoms to look for-
There are no specific visible symptoms for women who suffer from the low ovarian reserve. However, with the progress of this issue, women may find their menstrual rhythm to become shorter. For example, the cycle of 28 days may become a cycle of 24 days. Women who are near their menopause can experience signs of low estrogen, vaginal dryness, trouble in sleeping and missing out on their period dates as symptoms of low ovarian reserve.

Are there any treatment options?
It's true that there's no particular cure or treatment solution has been invented yet, but early diagnosis of low ovarian reserve helps women in having a better chance of conceiving with their own eggs. Once diagnosed with it, such treatments are offered that works towards making the conception time a faster one or cryopreserve the woman's embryos or eggs for future use. As long as the ovary responds to the stimulation, maximizing the number of harvested eggs is possible. Once the ovary fails to respond to stimulation, opting for the eggs of young women to get pregnant becomes the only option.

With more and more young couples now running into problems regarding conceiving naturally, the low ovarian reserve has become a serious threat to having children with a woman s own eggs. However, by being aware and well-informed about this particular condition and its symptoms, women can better deal with the problem.


Not Able To Conceive? Low Ovarian Reserve May Be The Reason

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