5 reasons why your period may have stopped

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

Missing out on your period doesn’t mean that you're pregnant. Also, people take it for granted that we'll have periods from puberty until middle age. But what happens when your periods suddenly stop? It's fairly common to experience irregular periods from time to time – lifestyle changes and environmental factors such as shift work can make you late but absent periods (amenorrhea) especially at the early age should always be checked out. 

If you are a young woman and has regular periods but you missed out one for three months, but you are not pregnant then you should see your gynecologist as it could be more serious. Below, we look at some of the most common reasons your periods might have stopped. 

1. You're stressed Severe stress can have a major affect on your periods. High levels of stress hormones such as cortisol in your body interfere with menstrual hormones surges, resulting in a cycle that's delayed or that just stops.

When to go for fertility treatment?

By Dr. Shweta Goswami   

Infertility or unable to conceive is a common problem in today’s modernized society. Today, fertility treatment is a gift of modern science which has helped millions of couples across the globe to conceive.   

Often the question arises when should we seek for fertility treatment? Consider following points if:   

• You haven’t conceived even after having one-year of regular unprotected sex, see a fertility specialist  
• You are under 35 who find it difficult getting pregnant after having regular unprotected intercourse for a year must seek medical help.   
• You are over 35 and having difficulty conceiving after having six months of regular unprotected sex must opt for fertility treatments.   
• You are having irregular menstrual and ovulation patterns poses a high risk for infertility. If you are going through these issues, then it is highly recommended to see a fertility specialist to increase your chances of getting pregnant.  
• Either of the partners has been

Some Do’s and Don’ts during IVF treatment

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

In Vitreo fertilization (IVF) is a blessing for infertile couples and indeed IVF trend has picked up in India from quite a while now.  When a couple chooses IVF for conception, it affects both the partners physically and emotionally.  There are a few things that you need to keep in mind to improve your chances of conception. 

1. First of all de-stress yourself; be calm and composed think positive.  Also avoid making major life changes such as moving to a new house or starting a new job the same time you’re going through the IVF process. As High stress levels are known to reduce fertility in both men and women and compromise the outcome of an IVF cycle. 

2. Take good care of yourself; It’s very hard to combine your job with an IVF treatment. Don’t stop living. Don’t put everything on hold for your big dream. The impact will be massive. 

3. Eat good amount of nutrients; before your IVF begin start eating fertility diet. Getting nutritious foods is vital for producing healthy eggs and promoting implantation of the embryo. Your diet should consist of 4-6 small meals each day and each should consist of some complex carbohydrate (such as brown rice or quinoa) interspread with fresh fruits and vegetables. For a fertility diet read here. 

4. Drink lots of fluids; Some women during IVF process suffer from OHSS (Ovarian hyper stimulation syndrome) so drink lots of fluids during this time. Drinking 3-5 liters of water per day can prevent OHSS in some cases. 

5. Stop consuming alcohol; Alcohol consumption, even in small amounts, can reduce a woman's chance of conceiving by more than 50%, so why take a chance. 

6. Communication

Eat right to enhance fertility

By Dr. Shweta Goswami 

What you eat is directly affects your overall well being. It is very important for a woman to eat a healthy holistic diet to enhance the fertility. If you are planning for baby then your diet plays a very special role if you eat specialized fertility diet then it would enhance the egg and sperm quality and supports a healthy pregnancy.  

There are particular foods that may increase your fertility thereby enhancing the pregnancy success rates.  For example: Bananas are a great source of potassium, vitamin C, Vitamin B-6, Manganese, fiber and a range of other nutrients, which men need in order to maintain a strong sexual vitality. Also many studies have proved that bananas provide nutrients that can influence male fertility. Bananas are rich in Protein, Vitamins, Iron, Magnesium and Manganese which are essential for healthy sperm count in men. 

Apart from that starting your day with a bowl of oatmeal might be a course to successful conception because it has great cholesterol-lowering powers & regulates your blood pressure as well. It is well known that both high cholesterol & hypertension could affect fertility. Oats are a great source of many vital minerals and essential nutrients which are very good for a healthy fertility. They are rich in soluble fiber, protein, manganese, magnesium, zinc etc. which play a vital role in fertility enhancement. 

Diet is important for men too. Various studies have shown adverse effect of dairy products, especially those with high fat content and high carbohydrates