chatwithketch

Q: Good day Doctor, please I have three questions: (1) I had an operation in 2006 vertical cut and now I am pregnant. Will I be able to push the baby freely without C-section? (2) I weighed 84.5kg at 32weeks. I want to know if the weight increase is as a result of a big baby and is there any risk? (3) What kind of diet or food should I take to avoid the baby getting big?

A: Hi ya, thanks for writing in. Can you have a a vaginal delivery after a C-section? Yes, you can. It’s called VBAC. Virginal Birth After C-section. However, your doctor will need to assess your specific medical history to take the best decision for you.

For more on this, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/11/06/daily-health-tips-how-soon-after-a-c-section-can-i-try-for-a-new-baby/

Is your weight gain due to your pregnancy? Well, if you’re pregnant for one baby, weight gain in pregnancy is within the range of 8 to 16kg. If it’s multiple pregnancy, then the range is higher, of course. However, I cannot comment on your weight because I will need to know your weight before pregnancy and of course, your height. Be sure to discuss this with your doctor the next time you go to the hospital. He will be in the best position to know whether you’re overweight or not.

For more on weight gain during pregnancy, please click on these links:

Daily Health Tips: Help! I’m Pregnant And My Doctor Says My Baby Is Too Big!

What sort of food to eat in pregnancy?

Basically the same thing you ate before…that’s if you were eating healthy. Fruits, veggies, complex carbs. Ensure that you take your prenatal vitamins (antenatal drugs) faithfully too.

For more on what to eat and how much during pregnancy, please click on this link.

Daily Health Tips: Eating for two!

I hope this helps.

Have a good evening, y’all 😀

Q: Are eggs healthy to eat?

A: Over the years, we have heard many things about eggs…all of them bad! 😀 And really, no one is to blame for this because it was found that egg yolks contain a lot of cholesterol. Whaat?! The bad stuff that clogs up our blood?! And so, nobody wanted any part of it. However, recent studies have suggested that the amount of cholesterol in eggs plays a smaller role in increasing our total blood cholesterol than saturated fats present in cookies, pastries, cakes etc. In essence, this means that saturated fats in our cookies et al stand a better chance of increasing blood cholesterol than eggs. That is certainly cheery news.

However, I would say, that just like for seafood, which also has a high amount of cholesterol, if you have high cholesterol levels, it may be wise to limit your egg intake to occasional treats or speak with your doctor before embarking on a binge 😀

Generally, one egg per day should be fine for other people.

Eggs are chock full of proteins, vitamins and minerals and have only 85 calories in one. So this is a great idea for people watching their weight to have for breakfast as they also feel full for a longer period. However, it may be a wise idea to switch this up on different days of the week and ensure that we also have fibre at breakfast (like oats) to increase our intake of fibre which helps reduce blood cholesterol. Another option is a boiled egg on a piece of whole wheat toast.

Be sure that your eggs are well cooked. In fact, pregnant women, children, old people and generally, people who are unwell should have eggs that have their yolks and egg whites solid….after cooking, of course 😉 Also, store the eggs in their boxes in the fridge and be sure to finish egg dishes as soon as possible.

Have an egg-celent day 😀

Q: What about hides and skin (Ponmo)? Nutritious or not?

Q: Please what about eating Ponmo (skin) instead of the red meat?

A: I will start by saying that I know that we all love our ponmo and the delicious succulent texture it has in our mouths, when it has been well boiled and seasoned! It literally melts in your mouth! There’s just nothing like it! Should I be eating it though?

For the details of these diet tips and more, get a copy of the book, Just For The Health Of It.

1) Jumia.com. Just click on this link http://www.jumia.com.ng/jumia-books-just-for-the-health-of-it-with-dr-ketch-179486.html and get a copy. You have the option of paying when the book is delivered to you or paying online. This service is available all over Nigeria.

2) Another option for those in Lagos is Laterna Bookshop on 13, Oko-Awo Close, Off Adetokunbo Ademola Street,. Victoria Island.

3) If you’re outside the country, please visit Amazon through this link http://www.amazon.com/Just-Health-Ketch-Pregnancy-Parenting/dp/9789398026/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426246647&sr=1-1&keywords=just+for+the+health+of+it+with+dr+ketch+olalere+nkechi

When was the last time you fumigated your home???
I remember the last time an estate-wide fumigation was done where I live. Some very harsh, very aggressive chemical was used and most children in the estate ended up with rashes, itching and pain! And that ended it. To your tents, Oh Israel. Everyone decided to start sourcing their own fumigation vendors themselves. So, be careful who you use for your fumigation and enquire what chemicals they will use 🙂

And so, it is yet another World Malaria Day! Did you just hide a giggle? Well, if you did, you’re not alone. Most people can’t understand why days are ‘dedicated’ to diseases…that’s just morbid, right? Well, maybe not! Let’s reel out some stats to make it real. Did you know that :

Federal Ministry Of Health in Nigeria estimates that malaria is responsible for
60% of outpatient visits to hospitals.
30% of deaths in childhood
25% of deaths in children under 1 year
11% of maternal deaths
Malaria is responsible for
Work and school absences
Low productivity
Poverty

Have you ever thought about it in that sense…the fact that people actually get poor from constantly treating malaria?! It is a fact, especially in resource-poor countries like Nigeria. Human Resource Managers will easily attest to the fact that work absences and low productivity are mainly due to malaria. And so, we’ve got a problem.

In recent years a lot of efforts have been focused on ensuring that proper diagnosis and treatment of malaria is done. That’s for the medics. But how do you join the fight? Let’s give you some tips:

I’m sure you know about insecticide –treated nets…and probably still don’t use them because of the heat 😀 Well, if you have nets on your windows too and have a good fan (praying that you’ve got electricity to power it), it is not really so bad. Some people react to the chemicals in the insecticide and so for these ones you may want to air the net outside for a couple of days before you start use. To encourage your children to use them, you could work it into the décor of the room and make them look like nice, funky four poster beds!

Be sure to fumigate your house to rid them of mosquitoes and other creepy crawlies. Ensure the vendor tells you what chemicals will be used, how long you need to be away and whether it’s compatible with artwork etc. Cover up foodstuff and take off beddings etc. and then do a major clean up afterwards.
Did you know that the buckets of water used to store water in areas where pipe-borne water is not constant, can be a huge source of mosquitoes? Have you observed them rising from these buckets of water when you approach in the evening? If you have to store water, get covers for them and ensure they are closed all the time.

Did you know that if your bathroom drain is blocked, apart from the fact that it’s unhygienic, the water there also acts as a comfortable home for mosquitoes? So, ensure that your drains are free-flowing with no stagnant water. Keeping it smelling nice and fresh is also a good touch ;D

Did you know that your flower pots with lots of water also serve as a breeding place for mosquitoes? The water used on the flowers should be completely absorbed by the soil with none left on top. Watch out for lazy helps who want to do a month’s watering in a day 😀

Did you know that the unwashed drains and gutters outside, bushy lawns, potholes and broken concrete slabs serve as lovely homes for mosquitoes? So, irrespective of the outcome of the of the outcome of the suit as to whether environmental sanitation days are legal or not (for Lagosians), y’all be sure to clean up your environment often.

Did you know that in pregnancy, you should receive, at least, 3 malaria preventive treatments before delivery? Did you know that malaria in pregnancy can lead to low birth weight and increases the risk of death in the baby within the first 4 weeks of life?

For more on this, please click on these links https://chatwithdrketch.com/2014/04/25/daily-hesalth-tips-world-malaria-day/ and https://chatwithdrketch.com/2015/03/30/daily-health-tips-is-it-safe-for-me-to-take-fansidar-in-pregnancy/

Be sure to join the fight to eliminate malaria from the world.

Hygiene during menstruation

Have you ever had that moment when you happen to catch a whiff of yourself during your period and almost throw up? You’re not alone. It is interesting though that the blood in menstrual flow actually doesn’t smell bad. It is the bacteria in the menstrual flow that actually raise the stench. So how do you deal with this? Here are five top tips to maintain personal hygiene and smell fresh during your period.

• Take a bath regularly. Twice a day would be great or failing that at least once a day. If your flow is heavier than normal, you just may have to increase the frequency. Remember that to wash your delicate inner self where you’re bleeding from, you usually do not require more than water and your hands.

• Change your sanitary towels often. As soon as you notice they are significantly stained, please change them. This should be every 4-6 hours at the very maximum. Aim for the lower limit 🙂

• Deodorize. Carry a spare pack of deodorant and use that liberally whenever you have a pad change. Be sure not to attempt to smell like you soaked yourself in a bottle of perfume. It might also be a pointer that perhaps you’ve got something to hide.

• Scrub your hands thoroughly after a pad change. Observe all the rules of proper hand washing. This ensures that you get rid of all the bacteria and may have got on your hands and ensures that you keep the odour level down.

• Dispose of your sanitary towels properly. Do not flush them down the drain and if there is no trash can in the bathroom you are using to dispose of it, have a disposable ziplock bag to put it in and dispose it appropriately as soon as you can. Make sure that this is kept in a zipped up compartment of your bag.

Be confident and enjoy having your period. Remember that you can smell your genitals oftentimes because they are well, practically south of your nose…it doesn’t necessarily mean other people can smell them provided you’re obeying the rules of simple hygiene. And be sure to use an air freshener in the bathroom where you just changed. We don’t want to leave any tell-tale signs or smells now, do we?

For more hygiene info, please visit https://www.facebook.com/SafeguardNG

I hope y’all have had a great day? 😀

What fruits are good for you? Well, citrus fruits like lemons, limes etc can worsen ulcer symptoms. Fruits with low citric acid levels may be okay eg bananas and avocadoes. Start off small and see if that works for you.

In terms of drinks, water would be your best bet 😀 By the way, I mean plain water, not the flavoured variety 😉 If you must, you have to read labels and avoid drinks with citric acid (a lot of drinks have them), avoid carbonated and caffeinated drinks etc.
Your diet should really focus on foods with a lot of fibre and less refinement. That list would include veggies, complex carbs, healthy oils and lots of water.

For more information on heart burn and peptic ulcer, please click on the links below:

Daily Health Tips: What Foods Should I Avoid If I Have Peptic Ulcer?

Daily Health Tips: Why Do I Always Have Heart Burn?

Have a good night, people 😀

Q. Hello Dr. My question is when I eat I feel like something is hooking me in my chest. A week ago I suffered chest pain but I used tetracycline and Amoxicilin together with Gestid. For now I am feeling okay but it’s only the hooking in my chest. Ii need help on that.

A: Thanks for writing in. As every regular visitor to this page is aware, I always advice that chest pain be checked out in the hospital. Better safe than sorry. It could be nothing (perhaps just muscle pain) or perhaps an anxiety attack or it could be a heart attack!

Your question didn’t give much details. Who prescribed the antibiotics? For how long and at what does did you take them? Do you experience shortness of breath? Did you get any relief with the antacid you took? If you did, it may be related to acid reflux as can happen to people with GERD or even peptic ulcer. In both an acid reflux and a heart-related event, the pain appears to be behind the breast bone. Do you feel better when you change positions? Muscle pain and acid reflux may get better if you change positions but not a heart related ache.

So, as you can see, more questions than answers. Please go and see your doctor immediately.

I must address the issue of antibiotic abuse. If you prescribed this for yourself, I worry that you may not have taken the appropriate dose and for the right number of days. I’ve heard people say things like, I took a capsule in the morning and then in the evening and I was fine! This is wrong and indeed leads to antibiotic resistance such that when there is an actual infection needing these same antibiotics, they just don’t work.

For more on how not to be a pocket doctor and antibiotic abuse, please click on these links:

Daily Health Tips: Are You A Pocket Doctor?

Daily Health Tips: How Do I Cleanse My Kidneys?

Have a good night, people 😀

Q: Good day doc, please what causes the colour of urine to change in pregnancy? Is it as a result of the baby’s gender? And what is the cause of morning vomiting most especially while brushing in pregnancy?

A: Hallos! I assume congratulations are in order! I hope you enjoy this beautiful new state 😀

Urine colour doesn’t necessarily change in pregnancy. What colour are we talking about here? If it’s darker, be sure that you’re getting enough fluids. You’re likely to urinate more during pregnancy though. Any colour change should be discussed with your doctor. And trust me, the urine colour says ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about the sex of your baby! Where did that come from? 😀

Morning sickness in pregnancy is due to the cocktail of hormones that your body is producing for your singular pleasure 😀

For more on pregnancy, what’s normal and what’s not, please click on this link: https://chatwithdrketch.com/2013/10/26/baby-in-the-tummy-its-all-up-to-mummy-is-it/

You can also get other details of what to expect during the whole period of pregnancy and afterwards in the book, Just For The Health Of It.

Have a good night y’all 😀