I am currently 5 months pregnant with twins. During my last check up, the doctor mentioned my cervix is getting weaker. Do you have any advice on what I can do to prevent a miscarriage?
I have blockage in both of my tubes. Besides IVF, is there any way for me to get pregnant? I am 42 years old.
Unfortunately, if both the tubes are blocked, then it means that the eggs and sperm are unable to meet and therefore there is no embryo formed. The couple would then have to rely on IVF which retrieves eggs and sperm for fertilization outside the body. The embryo is then placed back into the uterus for possible implantation.
Doctor, my wife had an ectopic pregnancy. Fortunately, it was treated at the right time so she is now fine. She is now quite traumatised by the experience. Medically, is there any chance for a woman to have repeated ectopic pregnancies? What can we do to prevent it in the near future?
The baseline risk for an ectopic is about 1 in 200. Once a woman had an ectopic, the risk for a future ectopic rises to about 10-15%. This is because the factors (infection, inflammation, scarring etc) that have possibly contributed to the occurrence of the ectopic in the first place will also possibly affect the opposite tube as well.
For natural conception, it is not possible to control or predict how the embryo will travel down the Fallopian tube into the uterus. Therefore, it is not quite possible to prevent a second ectopic from recurring.
If both tubes have been clipped or removed, then IVF does avoid the potential problem of an ectopic in the Fallopian tubes.
My sister experienced a molar pregnancy in October last year. She has gone for dilation and curettage. How long should she wait before she plans her next pregnancy?
She will have to continue to see her gynaecologist and have her HCG blood levels trended until it reaches less than 1. Once the HCG is not detected, she should wait 6 months before she tries to get pregnant again. This allows her to be monitored for the more serious sequelae of molar pregnancy which is gestational trophoblastic neoplasia which can occur in about 10% of women with molar pregnancies.
I had an eating disorder when I was 18 and my period did not come for close to 3 years. Now that I am better, my period has returned to normal. I'm worried that the 3 year absence will affect my chances of getting pregnant in future. Will it?
Rapid weight change, severe stress, extreme physical training are some factors that can affect menstruation. This is because the body recognizes the body change and will try to conserve energy as much as possible. So some non essential function such as ovulation may shut down temporarily. However once these factors are reversed, the normal body functions will resume once more. This should not affect your ovarian reserve in any significant manner.
I am 35 years old. 6 months ago, I had a miscarriage. I am healthy but I do exercise intensively, etc spinning, kickboxing etc. Could such intensive exercises cause a miscarriage? Should I stop exercising if I get pregnant again?
My daughter is currently 16 years old. We noticed her period patterns are very abnormal. She will get her period once every 3 months and the flow is extremely heavy. Do I wait for her period to regularise? Will it? Or should i take her to see an obgyn?
It would be a good idea to see a gynaecologist, especially if she had already started her menstruation for a few years. This allows an assessment for conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and correction if necessary. Sometimes some women with PCO can have very irregular cycles such as once in 6 months and this may not be healthy.
I am 25. This is my first pregnancy. During my fifth month, I felt some changes that worry me. I seem to respond to stimuli slower than usual. Everything feels too bright, to the point I get dizzy. And the upper part of my stomach hurts almost daily. Are these a normal part of pregnancy, doctor?
I am 52 years old. I thought I started my menopause last year. However, suddenly, this month, I experienced bleeding for five days. Afterwards, I felt a pressure in my lower abdomen. The pressure feels even stronger these days. Is there something wrong with my body?
I am 32, married with no children. It has been six months since I have irregular menstruation. Sometimes it only lasts two or three days, and sometimes I can have it twice a month. Sexual intercouse is also painful. What test should I do to check my condition?