FAQs

There are things you and your partner can do to increase the chances of getting pregnant.

• • Have sex every 2 to 3 days without using contraception — make sure sperm enters the vagina.
• • Try to have sex around the time you are ovulating — this is usually 12 to 16 days before your period starts.
• • Try to maintain a healthy weight, cut down or stop drinking alcohol and do not smoke — it can help if your partner does this too.
• • It’s important to take folic acid every day, eat a healthy diet. This will help your baby develop healthily.

• • You have been trying to get pregnant for over 1 year.
  
• • You have a long term condition such as diabetes and want advice about pregnancy.
• • There is a risk of passing on a condition such as sickle cell disease to your baby.
• • You regularly take medicines and want to get pregnant — some medicines can affect a pregnancy.
• • You are aged 36 and over and want to get pregnant.

If you have missed a period and recently had unprotected sex, you may be pregnant. Pregnancy tests are most reliable from the first day of your missed period.

Most pregnancy tests come in a box that contains 1 stick. You pee on the stick and the result appears on the stick after a few minutes. Two pink lines suggest that you are pregnant. If there is no line after peeing ,it means kit is faulty.

A positive test result is almost certainly correct. However, a negative test result is less reliable.

This is the care you have while you're pregnant to make sure you and your baby are as well as possible.

Shreenath hospital will offer you :

10 pregnancy appointments to check the health and development of you and your baby screening tests to find out the chance of your baby having certain conditions, such as Down's syndrome blood tests to check for syphilis, HIV and hepatitis B screening for inherited blood disorders (sickle cell and thalassaemia).

You'll be offered more appointments if you or your baby need them.

It's important not to miss any of your antenatal appointments. Some of the tests and measurements that can find possible problems have to be done at specific times.

There are also things you can do to keep you and your baby as healthy as possible in pregnancy, including:

• • Not smoking.
• • Not drinking alcohol.
• • Getting some exercise that's safe in pregnancy.
• • Having a healthy pregnancy diet.
• • Knowing which foods to avoid in pregnancy.
• • Taking a folic acid supplement and vitamin D supplement.
• • Knowing how to avoid infections that may harm your unborn baby, and symptoms to look out for.
• • Knowing which vaccinations you should get.
• • Knowing about baby movements in pregnancy.

Stay organised throughout your pregnancy.

You can print the list on this page to keep track of things you need to do during your pregnancy, such as book antenatal classes, tell your work you're pregnant and think about where you'd like to have your baby.

• • Take a pregnancy test
• • Learn about the benefits you are entitled to: maternity and paternity benefits and leave.
• • Stay active, start exercising.
• • Take folic acid: vitamins, supplements and nutrition in pregnancy.
• • If you smoke, get help to quit.
• • Make an appointment to see your doctor.
• • Book antenatal classes.
• • Make sure you've been offered all your screening tests.
• • Make an appointment to see a dentist.
• • Ask to hear your baby's heartbeat.
• • Visit the maternity unit you plan to give birth in.
• • Start buying the things you'll need for your baby.
• • Start making your birth plan.
• • Claim Maternity Allowance after week 26 .
• • Make sure you know the signs of labour.
• • Pack a bag ready for labour and birth.
• • For birth partners, prepare for the birth.
• • When in labour, phone the maternity unit before leaving Home.

Breast feeding is nature's very own way to nurture a new born under the warm protection of a mother and no other joy could be compared to the bliss a mother feels when she breastfeeds her baby for the very first time.

For a child

Breast milk is a perfect mixture of vitamins and nutrients for a healthy child.

• • Breast milk contains anti-bodies that help develop a strong immune system for a child and helps fight viruses and bacteria.
• • Reduces the risk of asthma, allergies and ear infections.
• • Improves brain development and increases IQ during later stages of childhood.
• • Children who are breast fed also gain the right amount of weight as they grow.
• • Certain studies show that breast milk also prevents SID (Sudden Death Syndrome) among infants.
• • In some studies, breast milk has also shown a reduction to diseases like diabetes, obesity and certain cancers however, more research is required on these subjects.

For a mother

• • Breastfeeding burns calories which help new mothers lose pregnancy weight faster.
• • It also helps lower the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. While breast feeding, a hormone called oxytocin is released that helps the uterus return to its pre- pregnancy size.
• • Helps to save time and money rather than buying supplements and using other expensive alternatives.
• • Creates a strong bond between a mother and her child.

Laparoscopy as a surgery has become widely popular in recent years. It takes a revolutionary approach to conducting the procedure wherein several smaller cuts are made instead of the traditional approach of making one large incision to access the site to be operated. The procedure uses a device called the laparoscope, a narrow tube with a tiny video camera and a bright light at the tip. The doctor inserts this tube through a small cut of width of about 1 cm to take a clear look at the internal organs.

A few more incisions are made in other regions in and around the site through which a few other tools are inserted to perform the surgery. Laparoscopy is also known as ‘minimally invasive’ surgery.

Benefits of laparoscopic surgeries

• • The patient can get discharged from the hospital quicker.
• • There will be less scars post-surgery.
• • The patient experiences less discomfort as the scars heal, and they heal quicker.
• • The patient can resume normal activities quicker.

It's a screening test used to detect potentially pre-cancerous and cancerous processes in the endocervical canal. The doctor takes out a cluster of cells from a person's cervix using a spatula-like instrument to look for changes in the cervix's cells. A pap smear helps in diagnosing cellular changes resulting from cancer, precancer, human papillomavirus (HPV), inflammation, or an infection.

Here are the following recommended testing schedules based on a person's age : From 30 to 65 years

In this age, the person can either have a Pap test, or a combined Pap and HPV test after consulting with the doctor. In case of single Pap test, then the doctor would ask to come after three years if the tests are normal. When the person opt for the combined test, and both results are normal, the doctor would ask to wait for 5 years for the next screening test.

If a person is having her periods at the time of their scheduled appointment, they should check with their clinician whether they should go ahead with the test. In most of the cases, the test happens if you are menstruating.

Doctors can suggest a person to avoid only the following before a Pap smear:

• • Having sex.
• • Douching the vagina.
• • Using tampons or vaginal lubrication.
• • Vaginal creams, suppositories, or medications.
• • Using birth control foam, cream, or jelly.

HPV vaccine can be given to appropriate girls and women, and boys and men who are 9 through 45 years of age.

Yes, women should continue to receive a PAP test as part of routine cervical cancer screening. Cervical cancer screening will continue to help play a key role in protecting your health since HPV vaccine does not protect against all HPV-related cervical cancers.

HPV vaccine does not remove the need for screening for cervical, vulvar, vaginal, anal, and certain head and neck cancers, such as throat and back of mouth cancers as recommended by a health care professional.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is a common metabolic condition in women. Some women struggle to get pregnant and are at high risk of developing certain complications during pregnancy. However, by managing the symptoms, many women with PCOS can get pregnant and have a healthy baby. PCOS in pregnancy is a condition where ovaries produce higher levels of androgens (male hormones). This can affect women’s menstrual cycle, fertility, and appearance. Symptoms include:

• • Cysts in ovaries.
• • Infertility.
• • Weight gain.
• • Insulin resistance.

Diagnosis often takes a while as the condition can mimic other problems. Sometimes, women having trouble getting pregnant find that they have PCOS. If a woman faces symptoms of PCOS, it is important that she sees a gynaecologist to find the cause of the symptoms. With early diagnosis, the symptoms can be treated early. This reduces the risk of complications, if the woman decides to get pregnant.

At her appointment, the important things to do are:

• • Talk to her about the condition and examine her.
• • Suggest a blood test in order to check for male hormones.
• • Arrange ultrasound scans to look for cysts in the ovaries.

If a woman has PCOS, she might also struggle to get pregnant. This is because of male hormones, which prevent the release of eggs, called ‘ovulation’. Losing as little as 5Oó of excess weight can help women ovulate better and lessen other effects of PCOS. Woman can increase the chances of getting pregnant by :

• • Healthy diet.
• • Regular exercise.
• • Maintaining a healthy body weight.
• • Monitoring the ovulation and timing sexual intercourse around ovulation.

If the woman has made some changes and that still hasn’t worked, we might suggest her to go for fertility tests and medications to help her ovulate. Another option is IVF, which offers the best chance of ovulation. However, we understand this can be expensive and is usually considered when all options have been unsuccessful. Fortunately, with lifestyle changes or infertility treatment, a majority of women get pregnant.

Having PCOS increases some complications during pregnancy like:

• • Miscarriage.
• • High BP induced by pregnancy.
• • Premature birth.
• • Gestational diabetes.
• • Higher likelihood of needing a C-section delivery because babies might be larger than expected, in case of gestational diabetes.

The risks of these complications can be reduced by monitoring PCOS symptoms, taking care of diet, and doing exercises during pregnancy.