The Indian Gemini

It never occurred to me that it can be this complicated, I thought its simple I can handle it and within no time it just caught me and I was completely into it and was not able to explain that to my folks and they do not belong to that population who would understand and help to make this a better situation.

I’m talking about the PCOS Blues I was caught up in and I’m still struggling with it. As I have heard that it starts at puberty and I never knew that until yesterday when I took it serious to write about this coz I know that I’m not the only one. According to surveys held by Medical boards say that every   1 out of 10 women are suffering from PCOS.

It   was Jan 2006 when I finally spoke to my loving husband and decided that we wanted a baby I was only 22 and I knew 22 is a real early to plan for a baby but I had issues I was always afraid that I have very rare chances of conceiving a baby as I had irregular periods as a teenager. I took advice from many my Mil my friends and everyone was saying it’s too early and I heard nothing which I wanted to and I talked to my husband and he said whatever happens he is with me and he was the only one I could trust and we decided we wanted to have a baby. I was on birth control pills for almost one and half year not continuously on and off,coz no other contraceptive methods were working for us.   So as part of “conceiving the baby Plan” the first thing I did was stopped the pills. I had gained a lot of wait in this 1 and a half year and I didn’t know that it was caused by the contraceptive pills and the moment I stopped them there was a evident weight loss within a week my gynac said it can’t be happening and when you read the instructions provided with the strip of the pills it says that there are very less chances but there are chances of weight gain.So.I was happy about theweight loss and feeling good and I waited for one month and then. As we expected I skipped my period and I was so happy I told my husband. We decided that we take a Home Pregnancy Test before going to the Gynac.  But I was having double thoughts about it, this is the hidden stage of depression where you have a lot of anxiety about many things and you don’t realize and if no one notices it persists and comes out in a very bad way. So, now my Hubby came home with a home pregnancy testing kit and he wanted me to wait till next morning since it says the results are more accurate when taken the first urine sample of the day. We both were excited waiting for the sun to rise and finally when I took the test I could not see the second line. two lines positive and single line is a negative …we both were not upset because gynac said that there may a delay coz I was on pills so we cannot expect an instant result the very next month.

We tried and from Jan,feb,March we didn’t see the ball moving and The thoughts came lingering when I was 13 and I saw my mom going to the  doc having the test having Ultrasounds and Doc told her that every time you miss a period it doesn’t mean that you are pregnant. My mom never spoke to me about what’s going on but since I was the only child and no one at home to take care of me I always accompanied her to the doc and I was old enough to know that she was a Gynac and my mom is having some menstrual problems and that’s why she visits her. Now I realize how desperate she was to have a second child but she couldn’t and she passed away when I was 15 and I never got a chance to discuss all this or take advice what to do when such thing occurs.

It was driving me crazy and my gynac after she heard my medical/Gynecological history she made me go through an Ultra sound and as she suspected I had cystic ovary.To my Relief   she gave me an easy option and told me that it may or may not work to get pregnant(but chances  are there) but its good for my left cystic ovary. She asked me to go through a procedure called DNC.DNC( dilatation and curettage) .It is a fairly minor surgical procedure. The procedure may be performed in the hospital or in a clinic using general or local anesthesia.and the samples are sent for test to find out whats  the reason for not conceiving.

DNC proved to be a good decision for me I had DNC in the month of April and conceived the very next month, but we didn’t  knew that till june,coz when I skipped period in May I  didn’t wanted to believe and fix it in my mind and get disappointed the next moth so I waited. but I noticed that My breasts were growing I had no regular pregnancy symptoms, Exhaustion and drowsiness was the only things I had noticed and blood vessels visible on my mammary glands and that’s when I started to believe that there may be a chance. We bought a HPT and I remember it was 7th June, 2010…the strip showed two lines….YES…two lines…OMG…I couldn’t believe my own eyes, but it was true I was pregnant couple of days later I had an ultrasound it was all good, there was a heart beat and that’s the essential part during that period.

It doesn’t end there you have those insecurities, you are nervous till the baby comes out. and that nervousness can sometimes be dangerous it may cause pre-eclampsia just like it happened to me, of course in my case anxiety alone was not the cause the umbilical cord was tied up to my baby’s neck and his growth was stopped after his 7th month, gynac said that the weight of the baby isn’t what it is supposed to be and all and it was a mess I grew fat because of the Pre-eclampsia extra water weight. And I was told that we had to take the baby out before it gets complicated.and I had a c-sec.

I always tell about “how I got pregnancy story” in all most every post of  mine (sorry about that)

Now my baby is 2 yrs and 10 months old and we don’t use any contraception and I haven’t conceived my baby yet. Am 26 and once again I convinced my hubby and this time I was able to convince my MIL as well. I went to the Gynac and rediscovered that still have the cyst and that’s obvious hormonal imbalance since Teenage is one big symptom to diagnose the Cyst without any test. My gynac said treatment and pills. and I asked is there any possibility that I have a DNC and try my luck for the second time and she said ok.And we are still waiting for the right time and keeping my fingers crossed hoping that it should work for one last time and so that I don’t end up like my Mom waiting for the second pregnancy which never occurred.

and this whole process is really upsetting,sometimes you feel that its very abnormal,why me and many things crop up and finally pushing into a phase of depression.which we’ll talk about in our upcoming posts.

Has the child previously suffered febrile convulsions?

• If the child has a history of febrile convulsions, parents are sometimes advised to have the medicine diazepam (like we were  given frisium tab. which is suposed to be given immidiately after the child records a temp.)ready in case an attack takes place. It can be given into the rectum from a specific rectal tube and takes effect in a few minutes.
• If the attack goes on for more than five minutes treatment can be repeated, but medical advice should always be sought in any prolonged fit. Dosage instructions must be carefully adhered to.

Does the child have a temperature?

• Make sure the child is not too hot by removing extra clothing or bedclothes. If the room temperature seems high, open a window, but bear in mind that the child should not get too cold either. Give the child plenty of cold drinks.
• Some doctors advise parents to give the child mild painkillers such asparacetamol (eg Calpol) in my case meftal -p  or ibuprofen (eg Nurofen for children). This lowers the temperature by between 1 and 1.5ºC. It is important to give the recommended dose only.

Although febrile convulsions look like epileptic fits, they rarely have anything in common with this illness. Ninety-nine per cent of children who have had a febrile convulsion have no more fits after they reach school age.

Future prospects

Although febrile convulsion often seems frightening, it rarely results in any permanent injuries. If, however, the convulsions last a long time or the child suffers several attacks in quick succession, slight disturbances in the brain function may occur.

• If your child has had a febrile convulsion, consult your GP on the best way to deal with them.
• Half of all sufferers will have another attack the next time they have a temperature. But the risk lessens with time and attacks should not occur after the age of about five.

Is it possible to prevent febrile convulsion?

Temperature-lowering medicines, such as paracetamol, can help lower body temperature but need to be repeated. If not, the temperature will rise rapidly again.

If your child has suffered febrile convulsion in the past, your doctor may advise you to have special enemas containing diazepam on standby.

we thought it was just a normal fever ,i have never been around a toddler mush so literally i didn’t know what to do,we gave him fever drops,and stayed at home because it would take another 5 to 6 hours,the condition was getting worse,we tried sponging but it didn’t work.all my boy did was cling to me i felt so help less finally when we went to hospital it was cluttered with kids and my boy had always been scared of his paediatrician i don’t know why ,so when we entered his cabin and make my boy lay down he cried for jut two second and started jerking,eyes rolling backwards,he clenched the doctors stethoscope,we all got scared to death what is happening it never happened before,he was immediately given some medicine and hospitalized  for 5 days,he is fine now.

but i wish the doctor should have given some more information ,like symptoms and causes,treatment,preventive  measures.what if there is no hospital nearby and no medication available when convulsions occur,what is to be done..?

is it fatal..?

oh my god…

i was told to give 5ml of mefthal-p syrup and frisium-5 tablet dissolved in water whenever i feel there is raise in temperature.they ran some general blood tests in which we learned that ,he had a bacterial infection,stomach infection actually and low wbc count,low hb as well.

we were all so worried..then i thought of doing a little research.

Febrile convulsions occur in young children when there is a rapid increase in their body temperature. It affects up to 1 in 20 children between the ages of one and four but can affect children between six months and about five years old.

Children who are at risk may naturally have a lower resistance to febrile convulsion than others.

What is the risk of suffering a febrile convulsion?

Children may inherit the tendency to suffer febrile convulsion from their parents.

• If either parent suffered a febrile convulsion as a child, the risk of the child getting it rises 10 to 20 per cent.
• If both parents and their child have at some point suffered a febrile convulsion, the risk of another child getting it rises 20 to 30 per cent.

Nevertheless, the child’s susceptibility also depends on whether the child frequently gets infections. About 4 out of 10 children who have had febrile convulsions will get them again at some stage, although the risk differs greatly from child to child. The child’s risk of febrile convulsion rises if:

• they are genetically predisposed to it
• they suffer frequent illnesses, which include high temperatures
• the first attack of febrile convulsion was accompanied by a relatively low body temperature – below 39ºC.

What are the symptoms?

• The attack often begins with the child losing consciousness, and shortly afterwards the body, legs and arms go stiff.
• The head is thrown backwards and the legs and arms begins to jerk.
• The skin goes pale and may even turn blue briefly.
• The attack ends after a few minutes and the shaking stops. The child goes limp, and then normal colour and consciousness slowly return.
• Some children regain consciousness faster than others.

What to do if your child suffers an attack of febrile convulsion

Do not intervene while the attack is taking place except in the circumstance outlined below.

Carefully turn the child’s head to one side to prevent choking. In the past, it was common to place a stick in the child’s mouth to prevent bites to the tongue or lips. This should never be attempted, as it may result in lasting damage to the teeth.

When the fit subsides, keep the child in the recovery position, ie lying on its side. If fits are prolonged or follow each other rapidly, call an ambulance.

The first time a child suffers febrile convulsions they should be admitted to hospital. If the child has suffered attacks on earlier occasions, hospitalisation is not always necessary. However, it is always important, for example, to determine whether the convulsions are only due to a harmless viral infection. For this reason, a doctor should always be consulted following an attack.

the most important this is iron,you must  increase the iron and zinc levels,your hb count is very important.so you give priority to food which is a good source of iron and zinc.

ou can find zinc in the following foods:
Meat -liver, red meat, veal, beef, pork, chicken, lamb, turkey
Seafood -fish, clams, shrimp, crabs, oysters, tuna
Legumes -lima beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, navy beans, baked beans, black beans, chickpeas, garbanzo beans
Vegetables -spinach, green peas, corn, cow peas, black eyed peas
Eggs

You can find iron in the following foods:

Meats -lean red meats, beef, pork, lamb, liver, chicken, ham, turkey
Eggs
Seafood -fish, shrimp, clams, oysters, tuna, salmon
Legumes-lima beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, navy beans, baked beans, black beans, chickpeas, garbanzo beans
Grains -enriched bread, barley, iron fortified hot cereals (cream of wheat, oatmeal) and cold cereals (Total, Bran Flakes, Corn Flakes), brown rice, enriched white rice, flour and corn tortillas)
fruits -raisins, dates, prunes, dried apricots, peaches, prune juice, watermelon, bananas

those for whom rice is main dish then make sure ,you take a small bowl full of the water..when the rice is cooking from the cooking dish.and add a little salt and drink it at lukewarm temperature,this will help in the baby o come out smoothly and also it cleanses the unwanted deposit of food or whatever while the baby is inside you.drink as much liquids as possible  it helps in increasing your amniotic fluid and the baby moves easily with no struggle and grows healthy.

and also we must avoid food which may cause  heat production which may certainly  lead to abortions..or at least blood spotting,our elders used to always keep us away from papaya.

and i suggest always take advice from ur elders and gynac before taking anyherbs and medication.

happy pregnancy.

• First pregnancies
• Twin or other multiple pregnancies
• Women with high blood pressure before 20 weeks of pregnancy
• Teenage pregnancies
• Women with diabetes
• Women who have had preeclampsia during a previous pregnancy

Symptoms of preeclampsia include a rise in blood pressure, protein in your urine and rapid weight gain due to fluid retention. If left untreated, preeclampsia can cause many problems that could be life threatening to you and your baby. Early preeclampsia can be diagnosed during a routine visit with your health care provider. Call your health care provider immediately if you experience blurred vision, headache, upper abdominal pain, rapid weight gain or increased swelling.

happy pregnancy

avoid caffeine,alcohol,cigarettes

Alcohol

No one knows how much alcohol is safe to drink during pregnancy.

The danger of alcohol use during pregnancy is that it may cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Babies born with FAS may:

• Grow more slowly
• Have learning problems
• Have abnormal facial features

There is no cure for these problems caused by FAS.

Alcohol is an ingredient in many over-the-counter medications. For example, some cough medicines are 25 percent alcohol. Ask your health care provider if you should use such products during pregnancy. Always read the label before taking any medication.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a stimulant that affects people differently. Caffeine can cause nervousness, irritability, anxiety, irregular heartbeats and problems sleeping. How caffeine affects an unborn baby is still under investigation. Some scientists believe caffeine can cause premature or smaller than normal babies or possible birth defects.

Precautions

• Cut down or eliminate food and drinks that contain caffeine such as coffee, tea, colas and other soft drinks, cocoa and chocolate.
• Caffeine is an ingredient in many non-prescription medicines such as headache, cold, allergy, and pills made to combat drowsiness.
• If you have been consuming caffeine in large quantities, gradually decrease your intake. Stopping all at once can cause severe headaches, nausea, fatigue and other symptoms. Check with your health care provider for more information.

Cigarettes

Cigarette smoking may lead to serious health problems. Women who smoke during pregnancy usually give birth to babies that weigh less than those of women who don’t smoke. Low birth weight babies are more likely to have health problems, such as:

• Infections
• Trouble keeping warm
• Feeding problems
• Breathing problems
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

New research shows that exposure to second hand smoke is also linked to SIDS and can cause major health problems to your baby.

Precautions

• Stop smoking or cut down your smoking when pregnant.
  
• Avoid smokers and smoking areas whenever possible.

so i was diagnosed with PCOD(Polycystic ovaries disease)

The ovaries also produce a variety of hormones including the main female hormone, known as oestrogen. The ovaries also produce small amounts of androgens, such as testosterone, which are sometimes called male hormones.

When a person has poly cystic ovary syndrome the ovaries are affected in at least two of the three following ways:

1. Each month at least 12 follicles develop on the surface of the ovary. This is more than usually. The follicles are also known as cysts, and this how the disease gets its name: Poly (means many) Cystic (referring to the follicles) Ovary Syndrome. The cysts on the ovaries in PCOS are fluid sacs and are completely benign (they are not related to cancer).

1. Although there are many follicles, they do not mature fully so no ovum is released. When ovulation does not occur, the woman will not have a period. In some people this happens every month meaning that they never ovulate. In some women ovulation occurs sometimes, leading to irregular periods.

1. The balance of hormones released by the ovaries gets affected. Usually the ovaries produce higher levels of testosterone that normal.

out of 100 woman 10 are prone to have this problem,and nothing to worry about,i personally have seen many of my friend,friend’s friends,relatives worrying about it.it will take some time and medical help to conceive.

but i think every woman who has these following symptoms must consult a gynac before its late

• Absent or irregular periods
• Weight gain
• Acne (spotty skin)
• Hirsutism (excessive hair growth on the face and body)
• Difficulties getting pregnant
• Thinning of scalp hair

causes

The actual cause of polycystic ovary syndrome is unknown; however current knowledge about the disease suggests that there are many factors that are important.

There is a tendency for polycystic ovary syndrome to be more common in people who have a close relative with the condition. The fact that the condition can run in families suggests that there is a genetic component to the disease.

There seems to be evidence linking polycystic ovary syndrome with higher than normal levels of a hormone known as insulin.

every woman dreams of and yearns for motherhood.our life is too short and complicated,busy life,complicated relationships,home,work and family a woman has got so many liabilities.and the biggest amongst that is being a mom.i know its a tough job,but every woman is born with motherhood,inside every woman there is a desire to have a baby and its a long,fun and adventurous trip from conceiving till birth and meanwhile we may have many queries,doubts  and  we cannot run to our gynac for every little doubt.