chatwithketch

A: Thanks for writing in. Congratulations on your new baby! 😀 Well, my first question is whether you are practicing any form of contraception? Not just now but before you resumed sexual relations with hubby after your baby? Well, if you were not on any contraceptive, then you could very well be pregnant…and hey, indeed you are, as the pregnancy test has shown 😀

So, how can I help you out? Some advice: go see your doctor and let him carry out a pregnancy test in the hospital…just to confirm your result. He will also examine your scar to see if there are any problems. Barring that, I suggest you start getting ready for the next baby, physically, emotionally and otherwise.

It’s important for every woman who’s had a baby or is going to have one to know that pregnancy soon after having a baby is most definitely possible whether your period has…

Q: Hello ,doctor..is it ok to eat spicy foods when pregnant?

A: I love spicy foods! When pregnant, I crave it even more. Most people find it difficult to eat with me when I’m preggie…because the food is just that spicy! Unfortunately, this has a challenge associated with it. Eating spicy foods in pregnancy can cause your esophageal sphincter to stay open for prolonged periods leading to heartburn.

Heartburn really has nothing to do with the heart…I bet all of you knew that, aye? It is usually felt as a burning sensation in the chest which feels worse on bending down or lying down. Okay, why and how does this happen? You know that the stomach produces acid to help with food digestion, right? Have you ever wondered, how come this acid isn’t all up in your mouth all the time? Well, that’s because there’s a ‘lock’ or control at…

Q: Morning Doc, my daughter of 1 month 3 weeks releases a lot of gas. What could be the problem or is it normal? Thanks Doc…

A: 😀 Is this your first baby? I can imagine your embarrassment the first time this happened! 😉

If you’re breastfeeding your baby, your diet could affect your baby making her gassy. Foods that contain milk, peanuts, corn or wheat are easy culprits. If you suspect any of them are causing your baby to be gassy, you may consider stopping the particular food for about a week to see if symptoms improve.

Other tips to help you deal with this and indeed reduce your baby’s flatulence include:

Ensure the baby is latched on properly to your breast while feeding. This ensures that baby does not suck in loads of air while getting her meal. If you’re bottle feeding, ensure you tilt the bottle such…

Q: Hi doc please assist. My belly keeps on getting bigger and I’m not pregnant

A: Usually, there are five Fs associated with abdomens getting bigger 😀 Want to guess? I’ll tell you 😀

• Fat: It could very well be that your abdominal distension is due to fat: visceral fat which is located all around your organs. This places one at risk of heart diseases.
• Faeces: If one is constipated, then the abdomen could get distended. So, make a habit of ‘emptying’ out daily 😀 If you keep to my often-repeated advice of eating lots of fruits and veggies, you won’t need to make an effort. It will happen naturally 😀
• Flatus: If you feel very gassy, you will feel uncomfortable and your tummy may also be out there 😀
• Fetus: Pregnancy is the most common cause of abdominal distension in a woman of reproductive age. So, you might want to check this out.
• Fluid: Fluid…

Q: Please I do feel some pain when I piss (urinate) and the piss (urine) is somehow yellow. What’s the cause please?

A: Generally, pain when urinating could be due to:

§  Injury: This could be a straddle injury (falling astride a pole, for example), car accidents etc

§  Infections of the urinary tract

§  Infections of the prostate (in males)

§  Sexually transmitted infections

§  Cancer etc

Treatment depends on the cause. If it’s due to infections, appropriate antibiotics will take care of the problem. Surgery may be used for cancer etc.

Urinary tract infections are quite common and occur anywhere in the urinary tract (Genius me, right? :D) and include infections of the kidneys, the ureters (the tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder), the bladder (the reservoir or store house for the urine) and the urethra (the tube that transports the…

Q: I gave birth on the 8^th of October. After some months, I saw my period between the end of January and February, and now I have not seen it again. I ran some tests and it shows I’m not pregnant. Could it be irregular menstruation?

A: Hello and Congratulations on your new baby!

Different women report different changes with their menstrual periods after child birth. Some report longer periods. Others report shorter periods; some others report less pain and others observe absolutely no change at all:D So, it’s not strange, but where in doubt, please discuss this with your doctor

A very common question I get asked is if breastfeeding mums can get pregnant. The answer is yes. If you’re exclusively breastfeeding, feeding your baby on demand (every 4 hours), you’re within 6 months of your baby’s birth and your menstrual period has not returned after the birth…

Today is World Diabetes Day.

The theme for this year is ‘Eyes on Diabetes’. It focuses on promoting screening such that Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus can be discovered early and treatment to reduce the risk of having complications. The International Diabetes Federation states that one in two adults with Diabetes remain undiagnosed. This is worrisome.

Diabetes used to be a disease for older people but with increasing physical inactivity of children and poor diet, there is an increasing trend of type 2 Diabetes in children. This number is expected to continue rising until 2040 when it is believed that the number of cases of Diabetes in Africa will double.

So, get screened today for Diabetes Mellitus!

Find below, an old post I had made on Diabetes:

Usually starchy foods we eat are converted to glucose. The body, in response to the presence of glucose in the blood, releases insulin from…

Q: Good day Dr Ketch. While I was bathing, water got stuck in my ear and when I went to the hospital the doctor, he said I had ear infection. He prescribed some medications. Then he asked me to be doing Valsalva Maneuver. I have done everything and the pain has reduced but I still feel the ear is blocked because air doesn’t pass through when I exercise and when I clean the ear, the discharge has a funny smell. I went back to the doctor and he still prescribed the same medications. It’s been over 3 months now and I still feel the same way. Please, what do I do?

A: Water that remains in your ear for a while can create the sort of moist and warm environment that germs require to grow and multiply. This is very common in people with allergies, swimmers, people who stick their…