Her relatives withheld vital information
A real life account as witnessed by a maternity nurse Mary was rushed into the hospital at around nine o’clock that night while I was on night duty. Her two relatives said it was an emergency and insisted she must be admitted at once. This surprised me as no diagnosis had been carried out. I asked what…
Read MoreSex during pregnancy
IF you are pregnant or planning to be you have probably found a lot of information about sex before pregnancy and sex after childbirth. But probably much less about sex during pregnancy. This may be attributed to some cultural tendencies or other factors that seem to dissociate expectant mothers from sexuality. This is a topic…
Read MoreEclampsia
Eclampsia                                 CAN IT KILL AN EXPECTANT WOMAN? PRE-ECLAMPSIA is the name given to a duster of symptoms which can appear from the 20th…
Read MoreMultiple births pregnancies
1. Premature/preterm labour or birth Multiple pregnancies often end earlier than single birth pregnancies. The result is that the babies are born before all their organs are fully developed. They usually have low birth weight and on many occasions require aided breathing and feeding. Such babies need additional care after delivery but unless they have…
Read MoreShy Moments 5
Now that I am pregnant it’s been tough balancing the family responsibilities with my office work. My husband sometimes puts me off—not entirely his fault—as I have serious mood sings. During such unguarded moments I have regrettably called him names. Recently a visitor asked my five-year-old boy what he wants to be when he grows…
Read MoreSperm allergy
Allergic reaction to sperm, known as sperm allergy, semen allergy or human seminal plasma hypersensitivity, sounds like a bad dream, but it is real – though rare. What is sperm allergy? It is a condition where either the man or woman, develops an immune reaction to sperm. The cause is a rare allergic reaction to…
Read MorePregnancy complications – alarm signs revealed
During pregnancy one may experience discomfort in varying degrees. It is important to differentiate between normal discomfort, and alarm signs of pregnancy complications. Normal discomfort includes fatigue, excessive salivation, cravings and pica (urge to eat nonfood items). Others are vomiting early in the morning, heartburn, a need to urinate frequently, and backache. But there are…
Read MorePost-natal Depression-The way in and the way out
Dr. Edmond Wamwana examines this important but much-neglected subject of pregnancy. One woman narrates: ‘EVEN though I attended all my antenatal clinics at a reputable hospital, no one told me about post-natal depression. I had also heard of baby blues but I thought it meant an irritable baby. A few days after the birth of…
Read MoreBaby stuck during birth – causes and solutions
As I watched the 22-year-old first-time mum go through the motions of delivery, it dawned on me that the baby’s passage was not clear. My suspicion? Baby stuck during birth. The pregnant mum had arrived at the hospital at around seven in the evening, in labour. I was on night duty. After admitting her immediately, I called…
Read MoreCONSTIPATION During Pregnancy
ARE you pregnant and cringing at the thought of visiting a toilet for a long call because you have hard stool? Passing such stool can be a trying and painful experience. You sit there and push with all your mind and might but alas! Nothing comes out and when it does, it is slow, scant…
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