subfertility - Pregnancy Doctor Penang

Conceived Naturally After Losing Weight

When Subashini Arumugan came to me, she was 31 years old and had been married for 4 years. She lived in Kota Kinabalu. Yes, she came to me all the way from Sabah.

I diagnosed her as a case of sub-fertility as her menstrual cycles were irregular and she also had a history of excessive weight gain. I advised her to modify her diet and try exercising so that she could lose some excess weight.

I was happy to say that she was diligent and 6 months into our sessions, Subashini conceived naturally!

She came to me for her antenatal care and pregnancy check-ups. Except for developing pregnancy-induced hypertension, she had a very good and stable pregnancy.

She opted to deliver her baby using a Caesarean section and successfully delivered a baby boy weighing a healthy 3.1 kg.

How To Conceive a “Horse” Baby

The year of the Horse starts in February 2014 and it takes seven days and nine months to produce a baby. So NOW is the time to conceive if you a thinking of having a “Horse” baby.

“Horses are trustworthy, friendly and open-minded. They are good friends to have and will always be honest with you.”

“Horse people are extemporaneous and quick-witted. They are quite intelligent and use their practicality to their advantage in their business and personal lives. Their sharpness makes them quick to pick up new skills and are able to handle many tasks at one time.”

So the time has come to try and get that “hard working, intelligent Horse!”

Most doctors would recommend seeking help for fertility if…

you’re 35 years old or younger and you’ve been unable to get pregnant after unprotected intercourse for at least one year.
you’re over 35 years of age, and you have not been able to get pregnant after six months (because as we know, the chances for successful treatment rapidly decline after 35).

Before you start thinking about getting pregnant, you should do what you can to get healthier.

Not only will a healthier person increase the chances of getting pregnant, it’ll also increase the possibility of you having a healthy baby.

Things you can do to get healthier include (this implies to both the partners):

Losing extra weight
Choosing a healthier diet
Cutting back on caffeine
Starting a fertility-friendly exercise routine
Quitting smoking
Cutting back on excess alcohol.

The first step in the management of a couple trying to conceive naturally is to investigate if there are any factors that are preventing natural conception.

Some of the common reasons, why couples do not conceive naturally after trying for a year or so:

Male factor – inability for the male to produce sufficient number of sperms of suitable quality.
Female factor – inability to ovulate monthly
Tubal factor – tubal blockage/adhesions that prevents the sperm from meeting the eggs.

Do not forget to take Folic Acid, as it has proven to be beneficial in reducing the incidence of neural defects in babies. Folic acid should be taken about 2 weeks before getting pregnant!

Do not hesitate to seek help early!

Bahasa Indonesia version of this page available here.

Pregnant with Twins Despite Sub Fertility Problem

I first met Puan Nur Hasliza and her husband in 2009.

They were investigated and found to have a history of subfertility. Before coming to see me, they had consulted a couple of GPs.

When they came to me, I did some baseline investigations and put her on a cycle of fertility drugs.

I also advised them that they needed to watch their diet with some diet modifications.

A couple of months later, Nur Hasliza visited me and said she had missed her period. She wanted to test and I gave her a urine test. The test came back positive!

After many long months, she was finally pregnant. You should have seen the look on her face! She and her husband were thrilled.

But pregnancies can be challenging too.

A week later, she was admitted into Gleneagles Medical Centre after she complained of severe and sudden lower abdominal pain. I suspected an ectopic pregnancy.

When I performed an emergency diagnostic laparoscopy on her, I first assessed her Fallopian tubes. They were normal but the laparascopy uncovered a large ovarian cyst which I removed immediately.

Two weeks later, I assessed her again and was happy to tell her that she was indeed pregnant – with twins!

Like any good mother, she came in regularly for her antenatal check-ups and in April 2010, she decided to undergo a Caesarean section.

Nur Hasliza finally made her dream come true – she gave birth to a baby boy weighing 2.3kg and a girl weighing 1.8kg.

She and her babies were discharged on the 3rd day.