Dr. Nutan Agarwal

General Precautions in Swine Flu during Pregnancy

Frequent handwashing is the single most important safety precaution that is suggested.

Flu spreads when virus from an infected person's secretions like sneezing etc spreads in the environment.Occassionaly touching an infected area and then touching your nose/ eyes or mouth may allow the live virus to enter your system. Most of the time this virus gets killed by our body's defences but at times it may survive and cause flu.

Catch it, Bin it and kill it is the magic mantra:

Catch your infected secretions in a tissue/ handkerchief and promptly kill it by putting it in the dustbin and washing your hands with soap.

Hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol content are supposed to kill the virus in 60 seconds.

Keep the hard surfaces/infants toys; clean. Household cleansers should be used liberally as they can reduce the transmission rate.

Finally it is advised that in pregnancy one should avoid contact with sick people.

Use of vaccines

Till date two types of vaccines against swine flu are available.

1) Nasal spray vaccine: This cannot be taken in pregnancy.

2) Injectable vaccine: This is safe in pregnancy and it is strongly recommended that if seasonal swine flu is present then all pregnant women should take the vaccine. Please ask your doctor for more details.

WHO recommends that all pregnant women should be offered the vaccine. This will decrease their chances of contracting the disease and also protect their newborn from swine flu in the neonatal period

This vaccine does not have any serious side effects but may cause mild flu like symptoms upto 48hrs in some people but this is not flu as the vaccine does not have live virus. There may be some redness, soreness,or swelling at the injection site which disappears on its own.

Use of Drugs:

These are used only for close contacts of confirmed positive cases, like people living in the same house as the patient.

The drug (Tamiflu) is safe in pregnancy. Ask your doctor whether you should be taking it in case you are pregnant and any of your family members have been diagnosed with swine flu.

What should I do if I think I have swine flu and I'm pregnant?

You must go to your doctor immediately ;who would check you up and may want to take throat/ nose swabs for confirmation of swine flu. If she thinks you indeed have swine flu, she may start the medicines without waiting for the lab confirmation.

If swine flu is confirmed then you have to take further treatement from dedicated swine flu centers in your area.

In the mean time, stop going to your workplace and avoid unneccesary exposure to people to contain the spread of flu.

If you have a mild disease then you need to take treatment from home. You must avoid exertion and take plenty of fluids by mouth during this time.

If your symptoms are severe then you may require hospital admission to monitor you and your baby.

Can I breastfeed my baby if I have swine flu?

Yes. In fact it has been found that breastfed babies have a stronger immunity against swine flu.

If you have an active flu or you are very sick, you may express breast milk in a bottle and a healthy person can feed the baby.

You need not stop breastfeeding your baby even if you are on treatment for swine flu.

Joint pain refers to discomfort, aches, and soreness in any of the body's joints. Arthritis is a frequent cause of joint pain. The two main forms of arthritis, which may cause joint pain, are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, arthritis affects over 180 million people in India, with most of them being under the age of 25, and women in the age bracket of 20-40 being most severely affected by rheumatoid arthritis. Other common causes of joint pain are bursitis, lupus, gout, infection of the bone, cancer, and rickets.

Women face the problem of joint pain mostly because of menopause. Estrogen reduction during menopause very often means a bone loss that puts women at risk for osteoporosis. It is the thinning of the bone that dramatically increases the risk of fracture in women. Fractures due to osteoporosis affect about half of the women over 50.

Osteoporosis is a silent problem but osteoarthritis makes itself known. It causes achy joints, which can be very painful. Osteoarthritis results from the loss of cartilage in a joint, which causes the bones to rub together, eventually damaging the joint.

Joints, which experience high impacts such as hips and knees, tend to be most affected by menopausal arthritis. Hands and fingers can also be affected. Dehydration in women can also cause joint pain because of a buildup of uric acid, which can cause inflammation in the joints.

How can you as a woman prevent joint pain?

• It is important to reduce the pressure of repetitive strain. Some exercises such as yoga and swimming are beneficial for strengthening your muscles and joints without exerting too much pressure on them.
• Diet can have a positive influence on your joint health too. Fruits and vegetables have properties, which reduce inflammation (such as tomatoes, olive oil, and green, leafy vegetables to name a few). Having a balanced diet will not only help you with many menopause symptoms but will keep your weight in check, thereby preventing obesity and consequently joint pain.

Related Tip: How Homeopathy Can Cure Muscle and Joint Pain??

सेक्‍स के दौरान सिसकियन क्यो भरती है महिलाएं 

सेक्‍स के दौरान कई ऐसी प्रकियाएं होती हैं जो एक दूसरे को आनंद देती है जिनमें से महिलाओं का सेक्‍स के दौरान आवाज निकालना भी है। 
अगर सेक्‍स के दौरान आपकी पार्टनर भी आह या उफ की आवाजें निकालती है तो ये एक साधारण प्रकिया है। 
इसका मतलब ये नहीं कि आपकी पाटर्नर संतुष्‍ट हो रही है। हां लेकिन कुछ केसेस में महिलाएं संतुष्‍टी के दौरान भी आवाजे निकालती हैं। ज्‍यादातर महिलाओं से इस बारे में पूंछा गया तो उनका जवाब बिल्‍कुल सीधा था वे ऐसा अपने पुरुष साथी को संतुष्‍ट करने के लिए करती है। 
जबकि कुछ का कहना था जब उनके साथी जब अधिक स्‍ट्रोक देते हैं तो वे आवाज निकालती हैं। सेक्‍स के दौरान ज्‍यादातर महिलाएं आह... आउच या फिर ओ मॉय गॉड की अवाज निकालती हैं ऐसा हम नहीं बल्‍कि महिलाओं के बीच किए गए सर्वे में पता चला है। 
सेक्‍स के दौरान ज्‍यादातर आवाजें महिलाएं फोरप्‍ले या फिर मेल एजुकुलेशन के समय निकालती हैं। 
अगर आकड़ों पर नजर डालें तो 66 प्रतिशत महिलाएं अपने पार्टनर के आर्गज्म को और अधिक बढ़ाने के लिए इस तरह की आवाजें निकालती है वहीं दूसरी ओंर 92 प्रतिशत महिलाएं सेक्‍स के दौरान आवाजे निकालकर अपने पार्टनर को सेक्‍स की रफ्तार तेज करने का सकेंत देतीं हैं। 
ऐसा नहीं है कि सेक्‍स के दौरान केवल महिलाएं ही आवाज निकालती हैं पुरुष भी आवाज निकालते हैं लेकिन केवल एजुकुलेशन के समय जो साधारण सी बात है। 

1. ओह बेबी- ओ बेबी शब्‍द का प्रयोग अक्‍सर पुरुष लोग करते हैं जिसका सीधा मतलब होता है पुरुष पाटर्नर को आप संतुष्‍ट कर रहीं हैं। 
2. आउच- सेक्‍स करते समय जब पुरुष ज्‍यादा तेजी से स्‍ट्रोक देते हैं तो कुछ समय के लिए महिला पाटर्नर को दर्द होता है जिससे ये साउंड निकलता है। 
3. आह- सेक्‍स के समय जब महिला पार्टनर पूरी तरह से इसे इंज्‍वाय कर रहीं हो तभी ये साउंड निकलता है। 
4. येस- जब महिला पाटर्नर चरम सीमा में हो तब ये साउंड उनके मुहं से निकलता है। 
इस समय पुरुष पाटर्नर को पूरी तरह से एक्‍टीवेट रहना चाहिए।

Bringing a child into this world is one of the most wonderful phases of a woman's life. At the same time, this involves a lot of body changes - physiologically, physically, chemically, and emotionally.
Mommy makeover refers to one or a combination of procedures that are done to alter the appearance after delivery, especially relating to one or more of the following:

1. Tummy that is sagging (no fat, just loose skin) with stretch marks
2. Breasts that are altered in size and shape, sometimes the enlargement could be completely disproportionate with the body and cause back pain
3. Undefined thick waistline with irregular fat accumulation
4. Fat deposits on the abdomen, thighs, hips, and trunk that do not reduce with dietary changes and exercise
5. Skin changes on the face and around the eyes, giving an aged appearance
6. Post cesarean, there is excessive skin around the surgical scar

Pros:

1. Reduces tummy size
2. Gives a more youthful appearance
3. Alters breasts to the desired shape and size

Cons:

1. Weight loss, if happens, could affect the results
2. Subsequent pregnancies don't have any complications with tummy tuck but with another pregnancy the effects may be lessened or reversed.
3. Since surgery is involved, the risk of unforeseen complications always exists (for instance, in breast implants, there is capsule formation or capsulitis, in rare cases rupture may require removal.)

Mommy makeover is not a single step procedure, but a combination of plastic surgical procedures that are done depending on the problem you present with.

• Tummy tuck - If there is abdominal sagging, the tummy is tucked back into position by removing the fat and excessive skin and reworking on the belly button.
• Liposuction - Excessive fat deposits in the hips, thighs, trunk area can be removed by sucking out the fat deposits. Most commonly done in the hips and trunk area.
• Breast lift - Sagging uneven breasts, drooping nipples, reduced volume are all indications for a breast lift. During the surgery, the breast tissue is repositioned to reproduce a better shape and size and reposition the nipples if required.
• Breast reduction - Large breasts are a common problem, and breast reduction is one of the most requested for procedures.
• Breast augmentation - Either saline implants or silicone are used to restore breast size and shape to the desired results. Usually, breast lift is combined with breast augmentation.
• Facial corrections - From dark circles to sagging skin to wrinkles, facial appearance can be changed based on the presenting symptoms.

These are very brief descriptions of the various procedures that are done as part of mummy makeover. A detailed consultation with your plastic surgeon regarding costs, subsequent pregnancies, aftercare, recovery, healing, and limitations and risks is to be had ahead of the surgery.