Dr. Manjiri Kawde

Drinking a cup of tea everyday helps in keeping the gums and teeth healthy as it contains high amounts of fluoride and flavonoids which prevent harmful bacteria from sticking to the teeth.

Diet is an important part of any person's life as food that goes in your body is what replenishes the resources lost in a day's work. The wrong kind of food will have adverse effects on the body in all sorts of ways, and that holds especially true for nursing mothers.

A mother, after carrying a baby to a full term, has to go through many hormonal and physical changes, which can be very stressful. After childbirth comes one of the other most important phases i.e. nursing and it is important to ensure that the mother gets proper nutrition during this phase. This is because it is the mother's milk that provides the baby with the required nutrients for growth as well as to build and immune system, which is why it is very important for a nursing mother to have a proper diet.

Let's look at some of the food items that should be consumed during this time:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables - These are important during the nursing period for the mother as she needs to supplement important minerals in her body such as calcium and iron. Green, leafy vegetables are a must.
• Dairy products low in fat - As the mother's body produces milk, certain minerals get drained quicker than others and a direct supplement for them would be dairy products. However, it is important to ensure that their fat content is low as this can add cholesterol and thus, may adversely affect the health of the mother.
• Lean meats - Lean meats are a great source of protein that can supplement many of the minerals and nutrients. However, rich meat-based foods and heavy red meat should be avoided. Chicken in roasted form or tikka form is also healthy proteins that can be consumed 2 - 3 times a week. Fish, especially Salmon fish, is also a healthy and rich source of omega-3 as well as high in protein.
• Legumes - Legumes are a great source of iron, which is an extremely important mineral for a nursing mother. This is also an alternative for vegetarians. Legumes are not only a rich source of iron, they are also high in protein and helps the mother to stay fit and energetic to be able to take on the additional responsibility of her new-born baby. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Dietitian/Nutritionist.

The inability to conceive after indulging in unprotected sex is known as infertility. It can also be referred to the biological incapability of a male to cause the conception or a woman being unable to carry the pregnancy for full-term. Research has shown that female problems contribute to over half of all the infertility cases while a majority of the other causes include sperm disorders.

Treatment of infertility depends on:

1. Cause of Infertility
2. Duration of Infertility
3. Age of both partners
4. Personal preferences

Causes:
Causes of infertility in women include:
1. Ovulation disorders: This is regarded as the most common cause of infertility in women. The disorders can be caused due to the following

• Premature ovarian failure
• PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)
• Poor egg quality
• Hyperprolactinemia
• Overactive or Underactive thyroid gland
• Chronic conditions like cancer or AIDS.

2. Problems in fallopian tubes or uterus: Abnormalities in the uterus or fallopian tubes render the woman incapable of conceiving naturally. This might be due to:

• Submucosal fibroids
• Surgery
• Endometriosis
• Previous sterilization treatment

3. Medications: There is a possibility that treatment will cure infertility. Examples include NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy. Treatment of infertility might involve a significant amount of psychological, physical, temporal and financial commitments. In men, treatment is done to treat lack of healthy sperm or general sexual problems. The treatments include:

1. Medications
2. Surgery
3. Change in lifestyle
4. Sperm retrieval

Even though it is possible to restore fertility in women using only one or two therapies, a number of treatments might be required before conception is possible. Some of these treatments include:

1. Intrauterine insemination (IUI)
2. Stimulation of ovulation with fertility drugs
3. Surgery to restore fertility

In situations where pregnancy does not happen spontaneously, Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) can be used by couples to achieve pregnancy. It is a form of fertility treatment which involves the handling of sperm and egg. The entire ART team consists of psychologists, physicians, embryologists, nurses and lab technicians.

One common ART technique is In vitro fertilization (IVF). It is a process where an egg and sperms are manually combined in a laboratory dish, followed by transfer of embryo to the uterus. Some aspects involved in an IVF cycle are:

1. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)
2. Assisted hatching
3. Donor eggs or sperm
4. Gestational carrier

Some complications that may occur during the treatment of infertility are:

1. Multiple pregnancy
2. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)

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