Vit D supplements in Pregnancy

Folic Acid in first trimester and Iron and calcium in second and third trimester is recommended by National Institute for Health and clinical excellence (NICE)Guidelines for antenatal South east Asian Ladies.The new supplement which is strongly recommended is Vit D3 10 microgms or 400 IU of vit D, orally once a day throughout the pregnancy.I hope you find this information of some help.Please follow the following details to know further,Regarding Omega 3 I don't know of any reliable guideline to quote.If I find any such information will surely get back to you
http://www.nice.org.uk/CG62

Doctors Pretend to be busy

Doctors pretend to be busy while they are not..........I think this a knid of mindset which has set in amongst quite a large number of Gurgaon patients.Recently I found a positive review about a very good paediatrician and friend Siddharth Gogia.The blog writer loved the fact that he is attends the phone calls of anxious mothers day and night ,24 x7.So far so good!!
Then there was comment from the same writer which gave an impression that doctors say that they are busy and not attend to the phone calls when actually they aren't busy.I felt like leaving my comment on that.Then I counted till 10,played an arcade game and clicked away from that web page.
Few days later, two of my pregnant patients became fully dilated and started pushing side by side in adjacent labour rooms.The atmosphere was charged with emotion,action ,drama and what not.One of the patient actually found it totally filmy,as she told me very happily later.Now You can imagine a single me with two Ladies under my care ,in action together and both wished me and not any of my assistants to handle the delivery.On top of it my mobile was constantly ringing for appointments.To make the surcharged working atmosphere lighter I asked husband of one of the lady to work as my temporary secretary.He agreed gladly but was tired after a while answering the calls and in the mean time I conducted two deliveries myself.One of them wasn't a very easy delivery and needed a lot of effort like manual rotation of head,Ventouse,Patient not being able to push at all due to epidural but still complaining of labour pain.
Then Mr Singh came to me and accepted that from outside as a lay person they can't imagine the kind of work we are doing in hospitals.they don't appreciate the serious and sensitive nature of our job,our team work and why I always requested him to send me a text whenever he used to call me,
So next time when your doctor says that he or she is busy give him a benefit of doubt,as you will know the real truth only when any of your near or dear one is under the gentle care of these doctors that how busy they can be.

Your Feedback

I have seen many obnoxious online feed backs about doctors,hospitals and health care by a number of patients.

Now it is my turn to leave some not so positive feed backs about you.You might not like me for this but if you are unbiased person,may be you will be able to appreciate a doctors perspective as a human being.

How many of you will be comfortable about talking an abortion which you are planning on your dinning table in front of maybe your parents,10 year old son or a young nephew or a niece.I am sure not many of you can cross your heart and say 'bindas........I will be'!!!!!!!At 9.30 pm in the night what do you expect any normal human being including a gynaecologist  doing?May be having a dinner with the family.OK......you have missed your periods,you don't wish to continue with the pregnancy and you have tested it post dinner or pre dinner .So what should you do?Maybe take the next possible appointment and like a normal patient come to the OPD.You are too anxious and call me at 9.30 or 10 PM.At these hours I do pick the calls as I expect a patient to be in a real emergency.And hey......here you are,who wish to discuss with me the finest possible details of hows and whys of a termination of your pregnancy.I hold my disgust and try to answer you calmly but that isn't enough.You wish to know further details.And finally I have to tell you in a curt tone that I am sitting with my son on the dinning table.So Deepti and Deepali .........please forgive me for that curt tone but you pushed me to do that just an hour back.

If you have an appointment for 4.45 PM and you turn up at 6.10 PM what am I supposed to do?In a normal days,I would accommodate you.But what if at reception you have been told that today I won't be able to see any patient after 6 pm,what is expected from you?Maybe to come tomorrow if it is not an emergency or if it is an emergency to either see another doctor or get examined in the Max emergency.But no.......you force yourself in.Front desk staff is always very scared of your negative feedback.Their job  might be in danger because of your one small complaint.Then the OPD nurse also informed you the same.......my inability but still you don't have any consideration and you are inside my OPD.Not something which I would do as a patient . so Neha.........Please......

Now I am already delayed by the time I am off my OPD chamber......It is already 6.30PM and I should be at my son's school to pick him up(not an evening school,rehearsals for form evening).I am waiting at the hospital gate  for my driver to get the car from the parking.And ' M'(Your name is uncommon so to protect your confidentiality I won't write the complete name) you spot me on your way to get a Tetanus vaccination which I had prescribed 10 days back.My face reminds you of the forgotten prescription at home.Would you reach a movie hall without your tickets.Then why so much callousness for your health and your attitude towards doctors?You wish me to write it afresh while still standing at the hospital entrance.I tell you the real rush I am in.You disappear for a fraction of second,reappear waving a piece of blank paper and pen in front of me.I just wonder........I am not yet a celebrity enough for you to have my autograph .Then you tell me....Sorry doctor ,please prescribe it for me.Sorry once again.In the meantime my driver has arrived and waiting.I can actually see no regret for your behaviour on your face.I don't see any evidence of  you being sorry.You don't mean it.I know you husband does.........he is quite embarrassed.And I did blurt out...........yes you ought to be sorry ,as I can imagine my son standing in school in dark thinking of his irresponsible mother who is by now already 30 minutes late. You guys don't value doctors time........for you we are just scribbling few lines and minting money.Who sees the hard work.These were two other sentences which followed.

All this happened in a single day from 6.10PM to 10.12 PM, 4 of you educated sensible ladies,behaving in not so sensible manner...............

All of you are hard pressed for time but if you can take that essential time to go for you time bound facilities like a bank or school or a frivilous movie,why do you take your doctor or your own health fore granted?

Pineapple during Pregnancy

Yet another favourite 'no no ' stuff in the list of Pregnant Ladies and their doctors.
Tried very sincerely,as if it was my dissertation topic to find out the answer.Remember........don't wish to misguide you as I know you have shown a lot of faith and belief in the R and Ds which I Post on this blog.
Here ,I didn't get any scientific study/paper on this topic............not even a study conducted on any possible animal.
Some not so reliable sites ,mentioned of bromelain,a chemical being present in the Pineapple,which can ripen the cervix and induce labour if taken in such a great dose as to induce diarrhoea......phew!!Confusing!!

I just wonder if all the babies are born preterm in Hawaii?Again no scientific paper to state any additional risk of miscarriage or preterm labour in Hawaiian Pregnant ladies.
My advice would be,have pineapple in moderation.   

Papaya in Pregnancy

Whether to have or not to have Papaya during pregnancy is a question ,which looms large over the head of every pregnant lady.
I have also seen many a qualified gynaecologists blacklisting Papaya in the items of eatables which a pregnant lady can have.
The fact is that there is no harm in eating ripe papaya.Raw Payaya contains latex and it has been found to increase the risk of miscarriage in pregnant mice in a random study.
No need to avoid Papaya if you wish to have it.

Can I eat 'Chinese ' during my Pregnancy?

Can I eat 'Chinese'  during my Pregnancy?This is one question which I have been asked countless times .By Chinese , here we mean Chinese dishes.Till now my answer has been avoid 'ajinomoto' or MSG(mono sodium glutamate).
Just recently I tried to update my knowledge on this very commonly asked question.
I found that FDA approves it as a safe food ingredient.There is no clear association between short attention span in babies and Ajinomoto.The research on monkeys didn't show passage of MSG or ajinomoto through the placenta.Only animals who have been affected are, the rats, that too in whom the MSG or Ajinomoto was injected.
So FDA approves it as GRAS substance (Generally recognized as safe).
you can follow the link for any further queries.
  http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/GenerallyRecognizedasSafeGRAS/GRASSubstancesSCOGSDatabase/ucm260903.htm

So ,perhaps you can occasionally indulge in 'Chinese' at your favourite restaurant after all while you are pregnant.

Happy New year 2012

                                  A very Happy and prosperous New year to all my blog readers

Going on a short winter break.Will meet soon................Love and hope you have a healthy and happy 2012!!