gynecologist Archives - Eva Hospital

How can you deal with infertility as a couple

July 29, 2020March 30, 2024
by Eva Hospital

How does Infertility add to Stress in a Couple’s Relationship and Ways to Deal with it?

“Nervous breakdown and depression were just at the doorsteps after three consecutive failed IVFs and prolonged infertility,” shivers Natalie (name changed), thinking about the toughest five years when she had to deal with the marital pressure, infertility, and the agony of not being able to conceive. Each day would bring hope and would end up adding stress to the insurmountable woes. Childbearing and pregnancy are the two most important stepping stones for a happy married life.

Dr. Shivani Bhutani, a leading gynecologist in Punjab at EVA Hospital, addresses her patients asking her the mental and psychological issues they face as they experience the challenging times of infertility. Natalie admits what was once pleasure (sex) had become so timed and mechanical and neither she nor her husband would enjoy it anymore. The zeal to be parents had taken a major chunk of their happiness and was testing their relationship.

Do you Experience Stress and Tension during Infertility?

“A new life, a baby, and the joy of being parents may not be easy for some,” says the infertility expert, Dr. Shivani Bhutani. Infertility or constant failed pregnancy attempts can hover like dark clouds over the couple. While a baby can make your couple bond stronger, infertility can test the relationship to bits and check the strength of the couple bond.

Dr. Shivani says the following are a few reasons why a couple can go through strained relationships during infertility:

Who will take the Onus?

This question as to who is infertile can actually create stress among the couple. Neither the male nor the woman would want the label of being ‘infertile’ and this can delay the procedure of seeking medical help and tests. It takes no time for casual one-to-one talks to become heated arguments, blame-game, and fights which can turn into violent brawls in the worst case. ‘How to bell the cat’ is a stressful question.

Financial Strain

The incessant medical check-ups, the frequent visits to doctors, infertility treatment, expenses on trying various drugs, and hitting the right medical treatment can cause a financial dent in your pocket. Most of the expenses may not be covered under insurance and can further cause a financial burden. Various decisions like how and where to arrange money from, whether to involve family, or whether to utilize old-age savings can further aggravate the financial burden.

Emotional and Mental Stress

Enduring infertility and the effort of trying to conceive is seen as a struggle by many. The relationship of the couple can be on a standstill as they see their beautiful dreams being shattered. You may be on the verge of a breakdown with the continuous litigations and arguments of when to seek medical help, when to step up to next level infertility treatments, and whether or not to disclose the problem to friends and family.

The infertile partner may be embarrassed or maybe feeling ashamed to talk out or reach out for help. This could further add fuel to the fire. Isolation, depression, and self-rejection may become ways of life for you.

Also, read- How many times is IVF possible.

Societal and Family Pressure

The most often asked question or the fact that bothers the couple is what people will think. The judgment or ignorance of the friends and family can add to the agony and worsen it further. Sometimes half-knowledge is dangerous and the myths and tips generated by friends and family can be a bane adding to the delay in pregnancy.

Differences in Opinion

The problem ensues when one of the partners over-reacts while the other partner wants to take it easy. The differences in opinion of the choice of the doctor, when to seek help, and how to proceed with the surrogacy or infertility treatment can become the ‘touchy’ points flagging anger and stress.

How can You Mitigate the Stress of Infertility?

All you need is a baby and some comforting words of assurance from an experienced gynecologist who can guide you to the right path. Dr. Shivani says treating the patients with empathy helps in counseling them and keeping their mental health sane. Infertility can test the strength of marital strands and lead to couples fighting over trivial issues.

The best gynecologist in Punjab, Dr. Bhutani, reiterates that some ways like meditation and communication can help you keep mental health intact during the testing time. The couple must freely communicate with each other and also with the gynecologists. They must open up with any issues in their minds so that a positive solution can be dealt with. Dr. Shivani suggests the couple should ‘cool down’ and find ways to engage themselves in fun activities like dating each other or joining a mutual hobby together. Let the emotions wane off the sleeve so that the couple is relaxed.

Also, read- What are the alternative treatments to cure infertility

“Infertility is not forever and you should not leave onto the hope of having a baby,” says Dr. Shivani. The modern Assisted Reproductive Techniques (ART) like ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), IVF (in-vitro fertilization), donor eggs, and gestational carrier can go a long way in helping the couple achieve pregnancy. IVF is the most common, result-oriented ART technique. One cycle of IVF takes about three weeks and the success rate of IVF depends on the age, health status of the couple, cause of infertility, and the skill of the gynecologist. “IVF not only gave life to the baby but also gave life and spark to our married life!” adds Natalie.

Over to You

Your relationship with your spouse should remain strong under all circumstances. Infertility is not a permanent hiccup. As a couple, you should seek help from the best gynecologist like Dr. Shivani Bhutani, EVA Hospital, and move on to gear up for the new phase of life. Contact Dr. Shivani and get away with the woes and depression syndromes due to infertility. Her expertise in IVF and words infused with positivity are sure to bring rays of hope.

Eva Hospital

What should be the Diet and Nutrition Plans for…

March 19, 2020March 30, 2024
by Eva Hospital

Usually one in every ten girls suffers from irregular periods, unwanted hair growth, and acne on the face.

This is the case of the dreadful Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) which means no menstruation at all or irregular periods. PCOS causes delayed, infrequent, or prolonged menstruation.

Women with PCOS develop multiple cysts in their ovaries because of the overproduction of hormones in the body. This hormone is called androgens and is a male hormone.

Excess production of androgens can lead to hirsutism. Women of reproductive age can face serious implications because of PCOS.

Dr. Shivani Bhutani, the best gynecologist in Ludhiana, Punjab, says that women with PCOS suffer from infertility, miscarriage or premature birth, sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes, depression, eating disorders, and cancer (in the outer lining) in the worst cases. Since the exact cause of PCOS is unknown, women suffering from PCOS must consult a gynecologist at the earliest.

Can Diet help in Relieving PCOS?

Dr. Bhutani states that more than 85% of women with PCOS are obese. This additionally exposes them to risks of heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer.

The reason is that women with PCOS have a potentially higher insulin level than the normal range. The body pumps more insulin to keep the blood sugar levels normal as your body becomes insulin resistant.

As the body becomes insulin resistant, a vicious chain circle is triggered. High insulin resistance means the body pumps more insulin and this implies that any food or diet rich in carbohydrates can add to insulin resistance making weight loss difficult.

Dr. Shivani insists on incorporating the right kind of food and a few lifestyle changes to keep PCOS-related health disorders at bay.

At EVA Hospital, she guides all her patients to stay active, eat well and focus on healthy body weight. Stress affects fertility and pregnancy and Dr. Shivani advises her patients with PCOS a stress-free lifestyle.

What are the Foods to avoid in PCOS?

The best gynecologist in Punjab, Dr. Shivani Bhutani will outrightly recommend you to avoid these three categories of food strictly:

Sugary Foods and Drinks

Sugar is a carbohydrate and must be avoided. Packed juices, sugary aerated drinks, and canned fruits are high in sugar.

You must avoid any kind of drink or snack that mentions sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, and dextrose on the label.

The delicious morning cereals like frosted flakes and fruit loops are also high in sugar. While at work, mid-meal munching should also be fresh fruits and water infused with fruits (for flavor).

You must also avoid giving in to the temptations of sweet tooth and pop in a chunk of candies, cakes, and cookies. No matter what the ingredients are, sugar is always a prime component. For PCOS, you must switch to snacks with fiber-like popcorns or vegetable crackers.

Foods rich in Carbohydrates

Dr. Bhutani emphasizes understanding the role of different types of carbohydrates on your body. Carbohydrates with fiber such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are the best to lower insulin levels.

However, carbohydrates infused with sugar will make you hungry very soon and enhance insulin levels. Foods such as starchy potatoes, corn, and peas must be avoided.

Even refined carbohydrates aggravate inflammation and insulin resistance and food items like white bread, muffins, breakfast pastries, and white flour-based products must be removed from your plate.

Whole grains like whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, oats, and whole wheat bread are a must-to-be incorporated into the diet.

You must also be able to differentiate between items that are high in carbohydrates but low in fiber. Pasta made from bean or lentil flour must be preferred over pasta made from semolina or durum wheat flour. Always insist on purchasing high-fiber cereals that have at least 5gm of fiber per serving.

Inflammation-causing Foods

It is mandatory to remove food items that cause inflammation from your daily consumption. Fries, margarine, processed foods, and red meats are a strict-to-avoid food category.

What are the Foods that Must be Included in the Diet for PCOS?

For women with PCOS, a balanced diet with high fiber foods and vegetables is quite essential. Foods like high fiber vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, green and red peppers, beans, almonds, berries, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin) help in keeping insulin resistance low by slowing down digestion.
Dr. Shivani highly recommends foods that reduce inflammation like tomatoes, kale, walnuts, fruits like blueberries and strawberries, and fatty fish like salmon and sardines rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
It is also notable that sometimes patients prefer a high protein diet (like Atkin’s diet). But for women and teenagers with PCOS, this diet isn’t recommended because this type of diet is usually low in fiber content and vitamins like Vitamin B and C. You must also focus on the right diet to improve fertility.

PCOS can be frustrating and depressing at times. For the best guidance about diet and lifestyle changes, get in touch with Dr. Shivani Bhutani at EVA Hospital and seek help.

Eat healthily and be proactive in responding to the lifestyle changes so that PCOS doesn’t reflect on infertility and other diseases. Happiness is the cure to many diseases and adopts a lifestyle pattern that endorses happiness.

Tag: <span>gynecologist</span>

gynecologist

How can you deal with infertility as a couple

What should be the Diet and Nutrition Plans for…

Can Diet help in Relieving PCOS?

What are the Foods to avoid in PCOS?

Sugary Foods and Drinks

Foods rich in Carbohydrates

Inflammation-causing Foods