Covid -19: How To Breastfeed Your Baby If You’re Covid Positive

COVID-19 cases are increasing drastically and the vaccine is still not available to the masses. If you’re a COVID positive new mother then you have to take as many precautions as you can because you have to breastfeed your newborn baby.

(Get in touch with the best gynaecologist in Kolkata for clearing queries related to gynaecological health.)

According to WHO (World Health Organization), mothers can breastfeed their babies even if they have tested positive for COVID-19. We still don’t have enough evidence to point out that Coronavirus can be transmitted through breastmilk. As breastmilk is extremely important for the newborn baby’s health and development, we encourage all new mothers to breastfeed their little ones cautiously and by keeping note of the things mentioned below:

Wear a mask while breastfeeding

Never forget to wear a mask or cloth covering before breastfeeding your baby. Wear a proper face mask that covers your nose and mouth perfectly. You can also wear a face shield over your mask.

Wash your hands before and after holding your baby

Wash your hands right before and after holding your baby. Also, use a hand sanitizer once you’ve washed your hands with soap and water.

Use a breast pump

Using a breast pump is an excellent choice now as it will require contactless breastfeeding. Ensure that the breast pump is well-sanitized after each use. When you’re using a breast pump, you can ask someone else to hygienically feed your baby.

Avoid close contact with the baby

Do not let emotions drive you. Avoid touching and being in close contact with your baby while breastfeeding.

Take good care of yourself and we hope you defeat Corona soon. For any health-related supervision, visit ILS Hospitals, the best hospital in Kolkata and Agartala.

Gynecological Problems Faced By Women At Their 20 Or 30s.

There are certain gynecological issues faced by many women of all age groups during their lifetime as per the renowned gynecologist. Here we will discuss about the issues face by the women at their 20 or 30s.

In India, many women are not provided with enough information about gynecological problems. Lack of gynae health and sex education also plays a pivotal role in a woman’s life. In our society, gynecological problems and sexual health of a woman is usually neglected.

Generally, women of this age group may face many gynecological complications specially once after getting married or involve in sexual activities. So, let’s shed some light on the topic of such gynecological problems:

  • Hormonal imbalance: Imbalanced hormone in women is a common condition of all ages. Even after getting married, as the women become sexually-active and usage of certain birth-control methods can also contribute to this factor.

  • Irregular or missed periods: Hormonal, emotional, psychological and lifestyle changes can cause irregularities in your periods. In married women, birth control pills can also have a side effect on menstruation.

  • Vaginitis: It is also called vaginal inflammation where the women have symptoms like itching, swelling, burning, redness or soreness in her vaginal area. It is usually caused by a change in the normal balance of vaginal bacteria or due to an infection.

  • Dyspareunia: Painful sexual intercourse is common in married women. The pain in genitals can last hours after sexual activity. If you suffer from pain during intercourse and abnormal vaginal discharge and bleeding, it’s time for you to consult a trusted gynecologist.

  • Sexually-transmitted infection: It affect the female reproductive organs. It happens due to unprotected sex with the infected person which causes the sexually-transmitted bacteria to enter the woman’s vagina and infect the entire uterus and fallopian tubes. It can be treated well if discovered early by medical professionals or gynecologists.

  • Endometriosis: It happens when the tissues in the uterine lining grow outside the uterus resulting in painful menstruation and infertility. It’s a serious medical condition that requires you to book an appointment with the gynecologist for proper treatment.

  • Pelvic inflammatory disease: Pelvic inflammatory disease or PID is an inflammation of the female reproductive organs due to infection. Bacteria like gonorrhea and chlamydia first enter the vagina and cause an infection then this infection move into the pelvic organs causing PID. It can become xtremely harmful and lead to many complications if the infection spreads and left untreated.

So, we hope that the above information enlightens you about some gynecological health conditions. If you suffer from any of the above conditions, refer to a gynecologist in Kolkata.

Make Faster Recovery And Wear Anything Confidently After Minimally Invasive Gynecological Surgery

Being a woman is hard in many aspects. You go through many phases in life and nurture not only yourself but also the lives of your loved ones. But when it comes to your health, many women are not even aware or concerned about it unless it becomes too severe. Many illnesses loom over women, particularly that require gynecological surgery. Many gynecologists in Kolkata often find that a lot of women do not prefer to undergo surgery and look for oral medicinal treatment instead even if a surgery is vital for them. There are 2 main reasons for the same, they assume –

  1. It will be painful and need much recovery time and they will not be able to fulfill their duties in personal and professional lives.
  2. It will leave big scares in their abdominal or pelvic region and thereby will make it look unattractive.

Today we will focus on the Minimally Invasive Gynecological Surgery (MIGS) and how it overcomes the Drawbacks of Open Surgery. 

Gynecological surgery implies surgical treatment of the organs in the female reproductive system. It is done to address problems like uterine inconsistency, infertility, removing tumors (both benign and malignant) and carry out procedures like hysterectomy or tubal ligation. 

Earlier all these procedures were carried out by making a large incision across the abdomen or pelvic region. It used to leave large scares throughout life. Though certain medication can help the stitch marks to fade over time, it still remains distinguishable and thus, many women feel embarrassed to wear sarees and lehengas after surgery. 

Modern medical science has the perfect solution for the same, in the form of minimally invasive gynecological surgery. These surgeries are carried out through a few minute incisions made near the abdomen. Some special equipment, camera, and light sources are inserted inside the abdominal or pelvic cavity and the doctor carries out the surgery through the same. Once the procedure is over, the incisions are closed using stitches. 

As the surgery does not expose the internal organs, it offers multiple advantages, such as

  • Lesser risks of operation such as bleeding, infection, injury to the nearby organs
  • Much lesser need for blood transfusion (almost nill)
  • Lesser risks after the operation such as swelling and infection of the surgical site
  • Less painful
  • Early discharge from the hospital
  • Faster recovery
  • Much early resuming to daily life works
  • Better aesthetic look of the abdominal/pelvic region as the procedure is almost scarless

So, in case you too are looking forward to having any gynecological surgery, come at ILS Hospitals, as we offer MIGS for a wide range of gynecological procedure.

For more information visit us now!

Menopause and Peri Menopause – A Brief Introduction

Menopause is the natural cessation of the menstrual cycle in women. It marks the termination of reproductive age. The ovaries are reproductive glands which store eggs and release them one by one each month through the fallopian tube. It also releases the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Altogether it controls the menstrual cycle and ovulation cycle, both contributing towards natural conception. Gynecologist defines menopause as the phase when the ovaries stop producing the same.

Read more – Hormonal Issues Faced By Women After Menopause

In general, it occurs in the late 40s to early 50s and gives an indication for a few months (sometimes even years) before it. However, it can also happen promptly due to surgical removal of ovaries or uterus or due to any illness. Peri-menopause, on the other hand, is the natural phase that begins 3-4 years before the menopause, but in many cases, it can onset even from the 30s. Women can still conceive and give birth successful while being in peri-menopause.

Several women experience some mild to severe discomfort and annoying symptoms during peri-menopause and menopause.

  1. A sudden, brief sensation of warmth all over the body, more commonly known as hot flashes
  2. Vaginal dryness and discomfort during sex
  3. More frequent urination or the urge to do so
  4. Persistent insomnia or interrupting sleep cycles
  5. Mood swings, that might also include periodic or unpredictable depression
  6. Temporary memory lapse, difficulty in concentration
  7. Night sweats or sudden cold flash
  8. Much heavier or lighter, or irregular periods
  9. Breast tenderness or change in size
  10. Change in Premenstrual syndrome
  11. Weight gain along with pain in joints and muscle
  12. Losing interest in intimacy
  13. Hair loss

These systems are the indication of ovaries producing less estrogen. In case any women encounter 3 or more of these symptoms for about 3-4 months and is in her late years of childbearing age (or even during), they are highly recommended to seek a gynecologist for a detailed investigation.

Menopause is NOT a disease and cannot be avoided. It is a natural, obvious phase that will onset and eventually be over. Peer to peer talk is quite helpful for most women and so is having awareness related to the changes during menopause. However, menopause comes as a hard time for many women. It is crucial to seek treatment in case the symptoms bother. At ILS Hospitals, our expert gynecologists offer extensive treatment, help, and guidance for women going through the phases of menopause.

Most Common Gynecological Procedures

Gynecological conditions are quite common and thankfully the modern medical science can address most of them effectively. While some can be treated effectively with topical medication, some can be evaluated through non-invasive techniques, but for other condition, it becomes inevitable to use invasive techniques. Most of these procedures (both invasive and non-invasive) are carried out by expert gynecologists and obstetricians in maternity clinic and hospitals.

Here we list out some common gynecological procedures.

Dilation And Curettage

More commonly known as D & C, it is a procedure in which the doctor dilates the cervical cavity in order to remove the lining of the uterus through curettage and extract it out of the cavity through suction. It is used to diagnose any polyps or abnormal growth in the cervical cavity and it is also done to terminate any molar pregnancy and remove the fetal tissues completely after a miscarriage.

Pap Smear

This gynecological procedure should ideally be availed by every woman after the childbearing age and onwards. This procedure including extracting some tissues from the cervix using a speculum. Going for routine Pap smear can help with early detection of any malignancy in the cervix.

Breast Ultrasound

Even though breast cancer is quite common, having lumps in the breast tissue is quite common as well. Whether or not it has malignant growth, can be evaluated by ultrasonography in its original stages. A tumor that keeps growing along with warning signs like nipple discharge and pain, should be diagnosed further.

Hysteroscopy And Hysterectomy

Hysteroscopy is a non-invasive diagnostic procedure to evaluate the presence of any uterine condition. It can also offer useful insights like locating an IUD, abnormal tissue growth, evaluate reasons for repeated miscarriages.

Hysterectomy is the surgical procedure to remove the uterus if it is needed to ensure better health of the patient. Though is sound scary, it is becoming quite common these days and as per gynecologists, they are safe as well if availed form a quality healthcare provider.

Cervical Cryosurgery

Polyps and tumors in the cervix are quite common these days. Cervical cryosurgery is done for removing the tumors that do not resolve on its own. This procedure uses the cryogenic technique to freeze a section of the cervix and remove pre-cancerous cells from the lining of the cervix.

In case you need to undergo any such gynecological procedure or looking for an expert opinion to consider the same, get in touch with our highly experienced gynecologist and obstetrician at ILS Hospitals.

Gestational Diabetes And Its Consequences On Mother & Baby During Pregnancy

A successful pregnancy ends with a safe childbirth from where you take a new step to the journey of motherhood, this time, holding your child in your arms. Almost every maternity hospitals in Kolkata offers both Cesarean and natural delivery and the suitable birthing option is chosen by the help of both parents and the doctor. Several conditions during the pregnancy, sometimes leave a very little room for the choice and compel people to go for a particular procedure. Gestational diabetes is one such condition. Let’s see what it is and how it might influence birthing options.

What is Gestation Diabetes?

Gestation diabetes is a unique kind of diabetes that onsets only during pregnancy. Thankfully, it often resolves on its own after childbirth, but it complicates several aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. Unmanaged or undiagnosed diabetes often has severe consequences.

How It Affect The Fetus?

The large fetal size is one such common complication, in which the size of the fetal baby is abnormally large. In medical terms, they are referred to as Large for Gestational Age (LGA), Macrosomic infants and they can often weigh up to 12 pounds. This happens when the baby starts producing a high level of insulin as an auto response to a high level of glucose produced by the mother’s body. This exceptionally large size makes the natural birthing option a risky procedure for both the baby and the mother.

How It Complicates Childbirth?

Delivering the baby naturally, through the birth canal is challenging because of the large body structure, which might get wedged during the childbirth. In fact, ‘shoulder dystocia’ is a common complication that is found in such cases. This complication arises when the shoulder of the baby gets stuck in the mother’s pelvic bone due to large shoulder and upper body fat. It can lead to fracture and other injuries to the baby’s neck or collarbone. Moreover, due to prolonged and more strained labor, the baby often does not get enough oxygen during labor and that might lead to severe life-threatening consequences as well.

How It Is Risky For Mothers As Well?

It brings challenges to the mother as well. Delivering the large baby significantly increases the chances of having labor-related bruises, tear, pain and bleeding. Often a cesarean delivery is opted to ensure a safe childbirth, but it has risks of its own.

What Can Be Done?

Thus, as it is clearly indicated, having gestational diabetes can have several effects on both mother and the baby, it is crucial to seek consultations and care from reliable maternity hospitals to ensure a safe pregnancy and childbirth ahead. Seek consultation from experience Gynaecologist of ILS Hospitals for any such complications to ensure safe pregnancy and childbirth.

10 Facts About Breast Cancer Every Women Should Know About!

Cancer, in general, is a critical illness, but breast cancer is one very common type that claims many lives all over the world. World Health Organization identifies breast cancer as the most prevalent type of cancer among women and a leading cause of death among them. Gynaecologists advise every adult woman to have some knowledge about breast cancer in brief as it often comes handy to seek timely treatment.

Here we present a few facts about breast cancer

1. Aging is a prime risk factor of breast cancer. Though many younger women are being diagnosed with breast cancer, it is mostly found in women aging more than 55.

2. Though women have an exceptionally high risk of breast cancer, more and more cases of male breast cancer are surfacing in recent years.

3. One in every 8 women is at risk of developing breast cancer, in their lifetime.

4. Women with first family (mother, daughter or sister), with a history of breast cancer, have a higher risk of the same. It is almost twice as compared to women without it.

5. However, surprisingly about 8 out of 10 breast cancer patients have no family history of the same.

6. Having denser breast tissue, with more fibrosis and glandular tissue is more likely to have breast cancer. A routine mammogram can identify it in time and thus annual screening is advised for women above 40 years.

7. Breastfeeding for a year or so reduces the risks of breast cancer and a few other gynaecological issues in the future.

8. Overweight and obese is a major risk factor for breast cancer. Proper adequate exercise can mitigate its risk for good.

9. A proper self-breast exam can also detect an abnormality in time, leading to timely treatment of the same.

10. Many breast cancer tumours onset in the underarm and armpits as well. A timely ultrasound scan can detect them on time.

Bonus Fact-

Eating healthy and quitting smoking and alcohol can promote good health and mitigate the chances of breast cancer.

Every year, the month of October is observed as the breast cancer awareness month. During this festive season, when we bow down to the supreme female deity Durga, let us also acknowledge the empowering women, who work tirelessly for the family’s health and wellbeing. ILS Hospitals encourages every woman to avail Well Women Health Check-Up Package to address critical threats such as breast and uterus cancer along with other prevalent gynaecological discomforts.

Visit https://bit.ly/2y52uo3 to book your package now!

Bust These 5 Mammogram Related Myths Forever

Getting an annual screening of mammogram is recommended by gynecologists to ensure the earliest detection of breast cancer. It is highly advised for women with age more than 40yrs. Several myths surrounding the sensitive subject, which leads to a misconception among women make them avoid regular mammogram.

Mammogram

Let’s have a look at 5 of such myths and extract the truth out of it.

Myth 1 – Mammogram is not required until some symptoms appear

The biggest and most dangerous myth that jeopardizes the lives of many patients each year often leads patient to neglect the need for a mammogram until they experience some discomfort like pain and swelling or other symptoms like a lump or discharge. This reduces their chances of success of curing cancer entirely.

Myth 2 – Mammogram is irrelevant for women with no family/personal history of breast cancer or other breast illnesses.

As the patient keeps wasting precious moments by skipping the screening, malignant cells keep growing and make thing worse. As per statistics, about 8 in every 10 breast cancer patient has no family history of the same.

Myth 3 – Routine screening is nonessentials if nothing suspicious surfaced in the previous report

A very common belief that a previous report with no threat rules out the need to have it regularly in the future as well. However, it should be kept in mind that a mammogram is simply a diagnostic probe and not a preventive measure. Thereby, it is best to keep having those after crossing 40yrs of age.

Myth 4 – A 2D mammogram serves the same purpose as a 3D mammogram

Medical science and technology has advanced and so has the mammogram techniques. The traditional 2D mammogram is effective, but it has certain drawbacks that have overcome by 3D mammogram. The 2D mammogram might not be able to diagnose a cancer growth for patients with denser breast tissues or might misdiagnose or minor cells mimicking as cancer threats. A breast MRI or ultrasound may be additionally suggested to confirm the report.

Myth 5 – A mammogram exposes to harmful radiation to make thing worse.

It is true that a mammogram utilizes the radiation, but it closely follows the medical protocol. Getting a mammogram is absolutely safe if it is being availed at a certified facility.

Mammogram

Thus, it is advised to stay vigilant of the actual facts, rather than getting misguided by myths for a healthier future ahead.

7 Common Types of Pelvic Diseases

There are various and sometimes few fatal issues related to our pelvic organ that might affect our lives. An experienced gynecologist can solve most of these if consulted on time.

Pelvic Pain

The most common pelvis related issues are mentioned in the following points:

1. Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID): PID is a disease that occurs in the female reproductive organs such as the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and cervix. It is usually caused due to a sexually transmitted infection (STI) like gonorrhea or chlamydia. PID can also cause serious issues if remained untreated and one might have trouble in getting pregnant or may have persistent pelvic pain throughout.

2. Vulvodynia: Recently, doctors have discovered that pelvic pain may also arise due to muscle tissues and irritation in nerves, which they specifically named as Vulvodynia. It has no definite reason of cause but it might occur due to previous yeast infection, soreness, dehydration, chronic stress, and depression. Pain or burning may be around external vagina walls, G-spot and so forth.

3. Endometriosis: It is a condition where an abnormal endometrial tissue grows in a place outside the uterus. Even this disease have no specific reason for a cause but if not treated may lead to infertility. The pain will occur during intercourse, urination or bowel movements.

4. Primary dysmenorrhea/Menstrual Cramps: Commonly, we are all aware of the cramp during the menstrual periods but if it exists even after 7 days, it is possible that the pain could be also the reason of some other issues. Usually, menstrual cramps occur due to irregular bleeding or spotting.

5. Urinary Incontinence: It is one of the most common pelvic diseases that are found in women and also in men. It is especially found in women. It may happen due to many reasons such as stress incontinence, urge, and overflow, mixed, functional and sometimes gross total incontinence.

6. Pelvic Congestion Syndrome: PCS is one of the common syndrome found among the women under the age of 45 who have gone through 2 or 3 pregnancies. It is very rare in women with no pregnancy record.

7. Infections: The most common type of pelvic disease also includes vaginal infections. There a quite a number of different infections that are faced by the female at least for once in their lifetime. This includes infections such as Yeast infection, Bacterial vaginosis, Trichomonas, etc.

Therefore, these are the few common types of pelvic or vaginal related disease that might trouble a woman’s life. If you show symptoms or is suffering from any of the above-mentioned diseases, feel free consult a certified and highly experienced Gynecologists to provide you the best service with proper guidance.