Can I smoke while trying for a baby?

By Dr. Shweta Goswami

We make many lifestyle changes while trying to have a baby like by limiting the coffee or alcohol intake But not all changes are equally easy to make. Caffeine, for example, is addictive, it has nicotine. If you are a smoker, you probably already know that you should stop smoking during your pregnancy, but can you smoke while trying to conceive? Many surveys and researches have been conducted in the past which says that women who smoke are 60 percent more likely to ne infertile as compare to nonsmokers.

Cigarettes smoking affects your fertility in major way. Following are the ill effects of smoking:

• smoking may affect different stages of reproduction, including hormone production and embryo transport
• smoking may affect ovarian reserve and the quality and quantity of the eggs.
• smokers may also have a lower

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.

Should I travel during my IVF treatment?

Dr. Shweta Goswami 

Many questions keep pondering us during IVF treatment. One of them would be should I travel when my IVF treatment is going on…? Many couples ask me, if they can take vacations and travel before, after, or during treatment. Actually, IVF medications and procedures can interfere dramatically with your day-to-day life. In all honesty, the bottom line is better safe than sorry. 

It would be quite difficult for one to travel during the medication phase of the IVF process. Regardless of your medication schedule, which is likely to be sturdy, you will be seeing your doctor on a regular basis for monitoring appointments that include blood work and ultrasounds. It is likely that you won’t be able to get away during this phase of your treatment. Keep in mind, you also don’t know how your body is going to react to the medications, you might want to be near your doctor just in case you have some bad side effects or concerns. 

The next part of the IVF process includes two procedures; egg retrieval and embryo transfer. You won’t be able to find here to travel at all. Some IVF patients do travel from their home quite some distance to seek treatment in a larger town or city. This type of traveling is okay, as you will need to travel back and forth between your home and treatments. Some doctors do recommend a hotel stay for a night or two immediately following each procedure. 

So you are thinking to yourself, after all that I have gone through I need a little time to get away. Dependent on your doctor, you typically will have bed rest for at least 1 day following your embryo transfer. Some doctors recommend up to 5 days, but the average is typically 2-3 days. Do to your work schedule and or planned vacations, many women wonder if it O.K to proceed with life as normal. Part of the answer is yes, you need to

Trying to conceive then quit smoking

By Dr. Shweta Goswami

If you are a chain smoker and trying to get pregnant then please stop smoking as cigarette smoking is harmful to the ovaries, and the degree of damage is dependent upon the amount and length of the time a woman smokes or is exposed to a smoked environment. Nicotine and other harmful chemicals in cigarettes interfere with the body’s ability to create estrogen, a hormone that regulates folliculogenesis and ovulation. Female smokers also have decreased rates of fertility and decreased fallopian tube function. It not only can lead to all kinds of serious problems with the baby but also reduces the chances of IVF producing a live birth by 34% and increases the risk of an IVF pregnancy miscarrying by 30%. A pregnant woman who smokes also adds a risk to pregnancy. 

If you smoke for many years or smoke many cigarettes per day, your risk for fertility problems is increased. When you smoke, more than 7000 chemicals spread throughout your entire body and all of your organs. This can lead to serious fertility problems like blocked fallopian tubes, damage to your reproductive organs, premature menopause, genetic issues etc.  Ovarian aging is thought to be a major contributor to unexplained infertility. 

Not only that but due to the toxins that released from cigarettes; smokers are more likely to suffer from miscarriage than nonsmokers. In addition, smoking increases