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Articles by Hemali Ramchandani
How Your Delivery Experience Can Affect Your Heart Health Years Later
Pregnancy demands more from your heart than almost any other phase of life. By the time you enter labour, your blood volume has nearly doubled, and your heart works harder to maintain oxygen flow to both you and your baby. Understanding how certain delivery events may influence future heart health helps you stay alert to symptoms, especially if you had complications like pre-eclampsia, postpartum haemorrhage, or an emergency C-section.
What Your Weight Before Conception Means for Your Baby’s Health Throughout Pregnancy
Your weight before you conceive is not just about appearance or fitness. It reflects the nutritional reserves, metabolic balance, and hormonal stability your body carries into pregnancy. Once you become pregnant, your baby depends entirely on those reserves and the efficiency with which your body uses them. That is why doctors pay close attention to pre-pregnancy BMI.
Sterile Water Injections: A Low-Tech Pain Relief Method
Labour pain often radiates deep into the lower back, especially when the baby’s head presses against the mother’s spine, a condition known as “back labour.” While epidurals and opioids are common in hospitals, not everyone can or wants to use them. Sterile water injections provide an alternative that’s low-cost, minimally invasive, and surprisingly effective for many women. This method doesn’t involve drugs, pumps, or tubes.
Maternal Exhaustion: When Pushing Becomes Unsafe Original
Labour is one of the most physically demanding experiences a woman’s body can go through. Each contraction calls on deep muscle strength, stamina, and mental focus. But when the process stretches too long, especially during the pushing phase, exhaustion can set in. Unlike ordinary tiredness, maternal exhaustion is a clinical condition where the mother’s body no longer has the strength or energy to sustain effective labour.
Hypertonic vs. Hypotonic Labour: When Contractions Go Wrong Original
Each contraction in labour has a purpose: to open your cervix, move your baby lower, and prepare your body for birth. Ideally, these contractions follow a smooth pattern: they rise in intensity, peak, and fade, giving your uterus time to relax before the next one. But sometimes, that natural rhythm is disrupted. When contractions are too strong or come without pause, it’s called hypertonic labour. When they’re too weak or spaced too far apart, it’s hypotonic labour.
When a C-section Is Switched Midway from Planned to Emergency
Planned caesarean births are usually calm, methodical, and predictable. You arrive on time, the anaesthesiologist explains the procedure, and the team moves in sequence. But occasionally, a planned (or “elective”) C-section becomes an emergency C-section midway through, a situation that can feel jarring for both the mother and her family. This doesn’t necessarily mean a dangerous complication.
Why We Forget About the Pain of Labour and Delivery
Labour is often described as unforgettable, yet, as months pass, the memory of the intensity softens. Some mothers even question whether it was as painful as they once believed. Others can’t recall details at all. This phenomenon is known as pain memory modulation, the brain’s way of reprocessing a painful event once it’s over. The experience remains stored, but how it feels in hindsight changes dramatically.
Why Shaking and Nausea Happen
Your body can be calm one minute and shaking uncontrollably the next. You may feel hot, cold, nauseous, or suddenly vomit just before your doctor announces it’s time to push. This sudden loss of control often surprises women, especially in their first birth. Yet, these sensations mark one of the most crucial transitions of labour, the hormonal shift that prepares your body for delivery.
Afterpains: The Cramping No One Tells You About
After childbirth, most people talk about sleepless nights, breastfeeding struggles, or emotional changes. Few mention the deep, wave-like cramps that can take your breath away. These are afterpains, your uterus contracting to return to its normal size. They’re a sign of recovery, not a setback, but their timing often catches new mothers off guard. Afterpains can start within minutes after delivery and last for several days.
Compound Presentation: When a Hand or Arm Comes Out With the Head
When labour begins, your baby’s head normally leads the way, perfectly flexed and centred as it moves through the pelvis. But in a few births, a small limb, usually a hand or arm, finds its way alongside the head. This combination of parts entering the birth canal together gives the condition its name: compound presentation. To most mothers, the thought of a baby’s hand coming out with the head sounds alarming, but in clinical practice, it is often a temporary and manageable finding.
How to Protect Your Newborn in Delhi’s Air Pollution Original
Newborns arriving during a period of intense pollution face a challenge that most parents do not anticipate so soon after birth. Their lungs are still forming, their immune systems are inexperienced, and their airways are narrow enough that even tiny particles can trigger breathing discomfort. Pollution levels in many parts of Delhi exceed WHO recommendations several times over, particularly in the winter months when smog becomes dense, persistent, and unavoidable in daily life.
Asynclitism: When the Baby’s Head Tilts Slightly and Slows Labour Original
When your baby begins their journey through the birth canal, their head has to navigate the curve of your pelvis like a key fitting through a lock. For most births, the baby’s head flexes and rotates smoothly so that it fits the pelvic opening at just the right angle. But sometimes, the head leans to one side instead of staying straight; this sideways tilt is called asynclitism. In many labours, asynclitism corrects itself as contractions continue and the baby shifts naturally.
Umbilical Cord Cutting: Myths, Rituals, and Modern Practice in India
For centuries, Indian families have treated the cutting of the cord as more than a medical step. It marked a spiritual separation between mother and child. While grandmothers and midwives once used blades, sickles, or sacred threads, hospitals today follow protocols designed to prevent infection and optimise newborn outcomes. Between the reverence of ritual and the precision of science lies a fascinating intersection of belief and biology.
Why Some Women Tear Even After an Episiotomy Original
Childbirth puts the perineum, the area between the vagina and anus, under immense pressure. During vaginal delivery, this tissue stretches to allow the baby to pass. Doctors sometimes make a small surgical cut, called an episiotomy, to widen the vaginal opening and reduce the risk of uncontrolled tears. However, despite this preventive cut, some women still tear.
Why Some Babies Need NICU Even After a Normal Delivery Original
When a baby transitions from the womb to the outside world, several organ systems, especially the lungs, heart, and metabolism, undergo rapid adjustment. While most newborns adapt naturally, some need close monitoring to stabilise these systems in the first few hours or days of life. A normal birth does not always guarantee immediate readiness for independent breathing or temperature regulation. This is where the NICU team steps in to ensure safety, not crisis.
Is Your Baby Engaged Yet? What Foetal Station Reveals About Labour Progress Original
Once labour begins, doctors use more than contractions and dilation to judge progress. They also check how low your baby’s head has travelled through your pelvis, a key indicator of how close you are to pushing and giving birth. This measurement, known as foetal station, helps determine whether labour is moving forward smoothly or if assistance may be required.
Is it Possible to Be Pregnant Without a Baby Bump? Myths and Facts
Pregnancy is often portrayed in movies and family conversations as a time when a round belly becomes the defining symbol. In reality, the presence, size, or timing of a bump can vary greatly. For some women, this raises worry: Is it normal that I don’t look pregnant yet? Could I still be pregnant without showing at all? The truth is that a bump is only one outward sign of pregnancy. Your body undergoes countless internal changes, and visible growth depends on several individual factors.
Postpartum Fever: When It’s Normal and When It’s a Red Flag
After giving birth, your body goes through rapid physical and hormonal adjustments. The uterus contracts, breasts begin milk production, and your immune system recalibrates after delivery stress. A mild fever in the first few days is common, but one that persists beyond 24 hours, spikes above 100.4°F (38°C), or is accompanied by pain or foul-smelling discharge should never be ignored. What Is Postpartum Fever?
Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease in Toddlers: Why Cases Are Rising and How You Can Protect Your Child
In the last few months, paediatricians in the metro areas have reported a noticeable surge in Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) among children under five. The rise in cases appears to be tied to monsoon humidity, waning immunity following pandemic restrictions, and crowded childcare settings. Understanding early warning signs, knowing when professional care is needed, and adopting strict hygiene measures become crucial now, especially when even in India, HFMD is not always on the public radar.
Types of Pregnancy Exercises: From Prenatal Yoga to Strength Training
Pregnancy transforms your body in remarkable ways. Your blood volume increases, your heart works harder, and hormones like relaxin soften your joints to prepare for birth. These changes can make everyday movement (bending, walking, or even sitting) feel different. But unless your doctor advises otherwise, regular exercise can help you adapt better to these shifts. Medical bodies recommend about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week during pregnancy.
Are Taller Women More Likely to Have Twins? Original
Every pregnancy begins with a single egg, except when it doesn’t. In fraternal twinning, two eggs are released and fertilised in the same cycle. In identical twinning, one fertilised egg splits. The second type happens randomly, but the first depends on your body’s biology. That’s where height enters the conversation. Studies over the years have noticed that women who have twins tend to be slightly taller than those who don’t. Researchers suspect that this difference isn’t coincidental.
When Labour Doesn’t Go as Expected: Understanding Emotional Recovery After Birth Original
Birth is rarely a straight line. You may have visualised a calm vaginal delivery, dim lights, and your partner’s hand in yours. Instead, you might find yourself under bright theatre lights, surrounded by monitors, unable to hold your baby right away. While everyone reassures you that “the baby is healthy, that’s what matters,” you may still feel something heavy in your chest, grief for the birth you hoped for. That quiet sadness is more common than most people realise.
Your Baby’s Growth Week by Week: What’s Happening Inside Your Belly Original
Pregnancy may feel slow some days, but biologically, it’s a race of incredible speed. Within weeks, a fertilised egg turns into a beating heart, a functioning brain, and a baby who can hear your voice. Knowing how your baby grows each week helps you make sense of the changes you feel, from fatigue and nausea to the first kicks and growing belly. Doctors divide this journey into three trimesters, but let’s look closer, week by week, to see how quickly life unfolds.
Breathing Techniques for Labour: Lamaze, Patterned, Alternate Nostril, and Deep Belly Breathing
Labour is as much a mental process as it is physical. Every contraction challenges your body, but how you breathe can influence how your body responds to pain, oxygen levels, and even your baby’s heart rate. Shallow, panicked breathing increases tension and makes contractions feel sharper. Controlled, mindful breathing does the opposite. It calms your nervous system and supports steady oxygen flow to your baby.
Your Guide to Labour Induction: Medical Procedures and Ayurvedic Support Original
Pregnancy doesn’t always follow a perfect timeline. For some, labour begins naturally. For others, it needs a little help. Induction is one of the most frequently discussed topics in maternity wards because it blends medical science with timing, safety, and patience. When doctors suggest induction, it isn’t because your body has failed; it’s because modern medicine offers safe ways to protect both mother and baby when waiting becomes risky.
From Baby Blues to Psychosis Original
Pregnancy and birth are often portrayed as joyful milestones. Yet, for many new mothers, the days and weeks after delivery bring unexpected tears, exhaustion, or a sense of disconnection. These feelings aren’t rare. They’re part of a biological, emotional, and social upheaval that follows childbirth. For some, it’s temporary: mood changes fade within two weeks. For others, they evolve into something more serious, affecting sleep, self-esteem, and the ability to care for the baby.
Types of Ayurvedic Practices in Pregnancy: Abhyanga, Garbh Sanskar, Rasayanas, and the Sattvic Diet
The Ayurvedic View of Pregnancy Pregnancy, in Ayurveda, is seen as a time when Vata dosha (the energy governing movement and change) naturally increases. This leads to heightened sensitivity in the body and mind. Gentle, grounding rituals become important to balance this energy, support digestion, stabilise emotions, and nourish both mother and child.
Pain Relief Options in Labour: A Complete Guide for Indian Women
Labour is one of the most physically demanding experiences your body will ever go through. Each woman’s pain threshold, labour length, and comfort needs differ, which is why there’s no single “right” way to manage labour pain. In India, attitudes toward pain relief are changing. Where earlier, many women delivered without medical assistance for fear of side effects, there’s now growing awareness that controlled pain relief can make childbirth safer and less traumatic.
Can You Get Pregnant After Prolapsed Uterus Surgery?
A uterine prolapse happens when weakened pelvic floor muscles allow the uterus to descend into or outside the vaginal canal. Surgery aims to restore normal anatomy and function. Depending on severity and age, doctors may perform one of the following: Uterine-sparing repair (hysteropexy): The uterus is repositioned and supported using the patient’s ligaments or surgical mesh. This option preserves fertility.
IVF vs Natural Conception: Key Differences Explained
Trying for a baby is rarely a simple journey. Some couples conceive within a few cycles of trying naturally, while others face delay and uncertainty. The longer it takes, the more questions arise: Is something wrong? Do we need medical help? Should we wait, or move straight to IVF? These aren’t just medical questions. They carry emotional and cultural weight, especially in India, where family expectations can feel pressing.
What Medical Science Says Original
Pregnancy is biologically dependent on the uterus. Once it’s removed, natural conception and gestation are considered impossible. Still, reports of “pregnancy after hysterectomy” surface occasionally; some medical, some misunderstood. Understanding what’s biologically possible, what’s rare but real, and what’s completely unsafe can help you navigate this sensitive topic with clarity and medical accuracy.
Managing a Herniated Disc During Pregnancy: What You Can Do Safely
A herniated disc can turn even simple movements, bending, getting out of bed, or sitting for long periods, into sharp pain. When you’re pregnant, this condition can feel amplified. The body’s centre of gravity shifts, ligaments soften due to hormonal changes, and spinal load increases. These changes make back pain common, but for those with an existing disc issue, the challenge is managing pain safely without harming the baby.
Wearing Your Own Clothes During Delivery: What Hospitals Allow
Clothes are never “just clothes” when you’re about to give birth. They affect how comfortable you feel in your skin, how you move through contractions, and how exposed you are in front of staff and relatives. In India, where open-backed gowns may feel alien or immodest, many mothers ask: Can you wear your own outfit instead? Why Hospitals Prefer Gowns Labour is unpredictable. Doctors and nurses may need to act in seconds, and gowns are built for this urgency.
Stopping Breastfeeding Before Six Months: What It Means for You and Your Baby Original
Breastfeeding often begins with high expectations. Family, doctors, and social media all emphasise “six months exclusive.” But not every journey unfolds that way. For some, supply dips within weeks. Others face nipple pain, mastitis, or mental health struggles. And many working mothers in India return to demanding jobs far earlier than maternity leave policies allow.
Keeping a Cat During Pregnancy: Safety Guidelines Every Pet Owner Should Know
Pregnancy brings a heightened sense of caution about everything from food to physical activity. When you share your home with a cat, friends and relatives may warn you about “toxoplasmosis”, a word that sounds more alarming than it often is. Toxoplasmosis is a real infection, but one that is entirely preventable.
How Male Fertility Declines With Age: What the Science Really Shows
Time has long been seen as a female fertility enemy. But men are not immune to biology. While sperm production continues throughout life, it does not stay constant in quality. After the age of 35, measurable changes begin in hormone balance, sperm movement, and genetic stability.
Weight Gain During Pregnancy: What’s Normal and How Much You Can Control
You may feel a mix of emotions every time you step on the weighing scale at your antenatal visit. Relatives might urge you to “eat for two”, while others warn you not to gain “too much.” In India, where food is often equated with care, these messages can become overwhelming. It helps to know that weight gain is not random. It follows a natural pattern that supports your baby’s development and your own health.
Communicating With Your Partner During Pregnancy: How It Affects the Baby
From the first trimester, you may notice your emotions feel amplified. Small misunderstandings with your partner might feel heavier, and moments of care might feel more precious than before. These shifts aren’t in your imagination. Hormonal changes heighten your sensitivity to stress, and your brain is actively reshaping in preparation for parenthood. In this context, your partner’s words and presence carry greater weight.Healthy communication acts like an emotional cushion.
Back Pain During Pregnancy: 15 Tips for Relief Original
Almost 50–70% of pregnant women experience backache, particularly in the lower back. It usually starts in the second trimester, when your belly begins to grow, but for some women, it may appear earlier or become more intense closer to delivery. While back pain during pregnancy is considered normal, that does not mean you must simply put up with it.
How the Second Pregnancy Differs From the First
Pregnancy never feels exactly the same twice. With your first, everything is new: the flutter of an early kick, the constant check-ins on whether each twinge is normal, the nervous anticipation of labour. By the second, you’re no longer starting from scratch. Yet this familiarity doesn’t mean it’s easier, just different. You may find your body responds faster, your emotions evolve in unexpected ways, and your medical care reflects lessons learned from your first pregnancy.
Pregnancy Dreams and Nightmares
Waking up from a dream where your baby is lost, your partner leaves, or you’re in impossible situations can leave you shaken, even when you know it isn’t real. For many expectant mothers, these vivid or unsettling dreams are a recurring part of pregnancy. They may echo your daytime worries, magnify subconscious fears, or simply reflect the physical changes your body is going through.
Do You Really Need a Car Seat for Your Baby in India?
Car rides with a newborn can feel daunting. Many parents in India still rely on tradition: holding the baby in the mother’s arms or having a family member cradle the infant in the backseat. But crashes and sudden brakes don’t wait for precautions. In fact, a properly installed car seat can be the difference between life and death for a child in an accident. Let’s unpack why this matters, the Indian realities, and how to make safer choices. What Is a Car Seat and How Does It Work?
Is Babywearing Safe for Newborns in Hot Indian Weather?
When summer temperatures soar past 40°C and humidity clings to your skin, even adults struggle to stay cool. Now imagine holding a newborn against your chest: tiny, sensitive, and unable to regulate body heat efficiently. Babywearing has long been practised across India, from cloth wraps in villages to modern ergonomic carriers in cities. It keeps your baby close, supports bonding, and frees your hands for daily chores.
When Anaesthesia Doesn’t Work in a C-Section: What to Expect
Pregnancy brings many uncertainties, but few scenarios feel as unsettling as the thought of being cut open while still able to feel pain. For most parents, a C-section is safe, routine, and well-managed. Anaesthesia is a cornerstone of that safety. But sometimes, despite correct placement, dosage, and monitoring, the numbing effect doesn’t take hold as expected.If you’ve ever wondered what happens if the anaesthesia doesn’t work during a C-section, you’re not alone.
Can You Sleep on the Floor During Pregnancy or Should You Use a Bed?
Pregnancy transforms your relationship with rest. A mattress that once felt soft might suddenly feel too hot or uneven. On the other hand, lying on the floor may seem appealing, especially in Indian homes where it’s culturally normal to sit, stretch, or even nap on mats. But the choice between bed and floor isn’t just about habit. It’s about comfort, spinal support, circulation, and avoiding risks as your pregnancy progresses.
Is Zumba or Aerobics Safe During Pregnancy?
Pregnancy is a time when the familiar becomes unfamiliar. Climbing stairs feels heavier, your breath runs out sooner, and your once-trusty gym shoes may now feel tight. If you’ve loved Zumba or aerobics before, you might be eager to keep dancing through your pregnancy. Or maybe you’ve never tried these workouts but are drawn to their music and energy as a way to stay active.
Mosquito Coils and Repellents in Pregnancy: Are They Safe? Original
Your sense of smell sharpens in pregnancy, and suddenly the smoke from a mosquito coil that you never noticed before can make your chest feel tight or your stomach churn. Add to that the worry of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, chikungunya, or dengue, which are not only common in India but also linked with complications like anaemia, preterm birth, and low birth weight.
Do You Really Need a Pregnancy Pillow? Original
Pregnancy changes the way you sleep. Your belly grows heavier, your joints loosen under the effect of relaxin, and suddenly lying on your back or stomach feels impossible. Doctors often recommend side sleeping, especially on the left, for better blood circulation. But side sleeping without support can strain your hips and shoulders, leading to backache and interrupted sleep. This is why pregnancy pillows have gained popularity: they’re designed to cradle your body and relieve pressure points.
Can I Refuse an Episiotomy in India?
Childbirth is unpredictable, but it should never mean giving up your right to decide what happens to your body. One of the most debated practices in Indian delivery rooms is the episiotomy, a surgical cut at the vaginal opening, often done “just in case.” Many mothers learn about it only after it has already been performed, leaving them with physical pain and emotional resentment. But here is the truth: unless it is a medical emergency, you can refuse an episiotomy in India.
Laser Hair Removal During Pregnancy: Safety Considerations
Pregnancy reshapes more than just your belly. Hormonal shifts often trigger new hair growth on the face, abdomen, or breasts, which can feel distressing when you already have enough to manage.
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