The Fertility Motherhood and Wellness Show -True Stories with Dr Rajeev

Ectopic pregnancy happens when the embryo implants in a site other than the womb. Most commonly it happens inside the fallopian tube. Wherever it may happen, the result is always the same. The pregnancy will always result in a miscarriage but unlike other reasons for a pregnancy loss, ectopic pregnancy can be life-threatening. Why does it happen? Who are the women who are more likely to have one? What are the signs that one should look out for? How do we doctors diagnose it? Why is ectopic pregnancy so dangerous? What is the correct management for ectopic pregnancy? What is the way forward to get pregnant the next time? So many questions and one podcast that answers it all !!!

The first 3 months in pregnancy or the 1st trimester are the most vital as the chances of miscarriage are the maximum during this period. Why do some women experience more miscarriages? What is the most common reason for recurrent miscarriages or pregnancy losses that keep happening again and again? How does the body try to ensure that abnormal babies are not born into the world? How do we go about evaluating such a case in a stepwise methodically manner so as to be able to come to a diagnosis? Miscarriage is never an easy event to go through, a recurrent one, even more so. It requires us to medically AND emotionally ensure that the mother is safe and ready for her next pregnancy in the shortest possible time. This podcast deals with every aspect of this difficult situation and gives you an insight into things that can go wrong and what we as doctors can and should do for you. 

In about 2 to 3 % of pregnancies, there is a possibility that all may not be right with the baby. sometimes there is a past history which is suggestive, other times there might be some abnormal reports during the pregnancy which might give us a lead. Prenatal diagnosis is the attempt to unearth all such problems during pregnancy by one means or another. It requires close collaboration between the Obstetrician, The Geneticist as well as the Foetal Medicine Expert. 

In this podcast, Dr Dipanajana Dutta, Medical Geneticist and West Bengal State Coordinator for Organization of Rare Disease India spoke extensively about the role of prenatal diagnosis and who are the likely couples who might need this service. She can be reached at [email protected]

Mrs Shikha Methermani, Founder and Director of Indian Prader Willi Syndrome Association has spoken about her own personal journey as well as the importance of preconception counselling. She can be reached at [email protected]

Mr Prasanna Shirol is the Co-Founder and Executive Director, Organization for Rare Diseases and an Ashok Fellow. He spoke about the difficulties he faced as the father of a child with Pompe's disease and the need for creating awareness amongst the masses and doctors alike for all the rare diseases that might affect newborn children. He can be reached at [email protected]

The most physiological and fundamental aspects of motherhood is breastfeeding. Amazing how nature has given the power to a woman not only to give life but to also nurture that life. Obviously the practice of breastfeeding one's baby has been around from the time the first human life came to this planet, yet the importance of it still doesn't seem to have percolated into our minds sufficiently. The World Health Organization still struggles with only 40% of babies being breastfed around the world. Why is there this gap? How does one prepare for feeding even while she is pregnant? When to start feeding, how much, how often and many more such questions are answered in this podcast by Mrs Ankita Malik. She is a Certified Lactation Educator having had her training from CAPPA, a US-based childbirth and lactation training institution. She is only the 2nd such Consultant we have in this city and in the past 2 years that she has been around, she has helped many a mother who has struggled with the woes of breastfeeding. For more details about her look up her website www.ankitamalik.com

Pre Menstrual Syndrome or PMS as it is commonly called is a disturbing and recurring problem which instead of being seriously addressed, has become a subject of jokes and memes. Its high time, we try and understand this complex problem and work towards controlling or solving the issue. Is every anxiety, every symptom, every problem around the time of periods due to PMS ? How common is PMS ? How do we diagnose the problem ? Listen to all the above as well as a 10 Step Approach to solving PMS.