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Breast Cancer During Pregnancy
You can be diagnosed with cancer at any point in your life, even when you are pregnant. Breast cancer during pregnancy has to be dealt with extra care as you have to be given the best treatment to eradicate cancer while also protecting your baby from the side-effects of any such treatment.
What Causes Breast Cancer in Pregnancy
While all the natural causes of cancer could be the reason for the occurrence of the disease, there are certain factors related to pregnancy that could cause breast cancer. Here are a few causes of the disease
Pregnancy is associated with a spike in hormones like oestrogen and progesterone. These hormones enable the cancer cells to grow and multiply to other tissues.
Some women have a genetic predisposition for breast cancer and pregnancy that gets triggered during pregnancy when the reproductive organs are at their peak.
It has been observed that instances of cancer usually accompany late pregnancies.
A family history of cancer.
Possible Breast Cancer Signs & Symptoms
The signs of breast cancer can be easily mistaken for other symptoms that are common during pregnancy. You can ask your doctor to keep an eye out for the following signs that could be indicative of breast cancer.
Lumps or thickening of the flesh below the underarm or breast.
Changes in the shape of the breast.
The skin on the breast could exhibit signs of puckering or dimpling.
Inverted nipple
Any discharge from the nipple mainly if it has blood in it.
If the skin on the breast, nipple or areola displays red, scaly or swollen tissue.
The dimples on the skin resemble that of an orange peel. This condition is known as peau d’orange.
Is It Difficult To Diagnose Breast Cancer in Early Pregnancy?
In most cases, cancer is not detected in the early stages of the pregnancy as the various hormonal changes in pregnancy will cause the breast to look different in any case. As the body prepares itself for the pregnancy, the tissue in the breast becomes denser. This makes it harder to detect and diagnose any small tumours.
Doctors are usually aware of a problem only when the cancerous tissue becomes big enough to notice. A regular mammogram is not recommended as the radiation could cause harm to the developing foetus. Only after the mother-to-be crosses the first trimester is a diagnostic mammogram allowed along with a shield to protect the baby.
How to Check for Breast Cancer When Pregnant?
You might be wondering what you can do to catch the onset of cancer early enough to give you a good chance of beating cancer without endangering the health of your baby.
The best approach is to check your breasts and surrounding regions, particularly the underarms, daily. You can do this yourself or ask your partner to help you with hard-to-reach areas. If you see any signs of lumps in the tissue, then do not hesitate to bring it to your doctor’s attention.
Diagnosis
If your doctor finds that there is reason enough or signs of breast cancer, then he/she will either recommend a mammogram based on how far your pregnancy has progressed or suggest other imaging tests. Once the lump has been located, it then has to be identified as a benign or malignant one.
One of the first things that will be done is that a sample of the tissue from the lump will be sent for a biopsy. This can be done in two ways – an inpatient procedure where the sample is taken through a simple surgical incision or an outpatient procedure where the sample is taken via a needle.
Do not be worried about this procedure as the area around the lump will be adequately anesthetised and you will feel almost no pain.
The biopsy is conducted to determine the nature of the lump. Most of the time, these lumps are tumours that are either benign, that is non-cancerous, or malignant, which means that it is cancerous.
Understanding the Stages of Breast Cancer
If the lump is deemed cancerous then knowing what stage of breast cancer you have will affect the method or line of treatment greatly. One of the major factors in determining what stage the cancer is in is how far the cancerous cells have spread to the lymph if at all. The other factors include the size of the tumour, if the cancer is invasive or not, and if cancer has spread beyond the breast.
Stage 0: This stage is usually used to describe cancer where the cancerous cells haven’t broken away to invade or spread to tissues outside of the breast. This is known as non-invasive breast cancer.
Stage 1: This is an invasive type of cancer where the cancerous cells are invading only normal breast tissue. The tumour measures up to 2 centimetres or absence of a singular large tumour but a collection of small cancer cells that range between the sizes of 0.2mm and 2mm. This small collection of cancerous cells could also be found in the lymph nodes.
Stage 2: Here the cancerous cells will either have affected up to three lymph nodes, or the tumour is larger than 5 centimetres, or both.
Stage 3: Here the cancerous cells would’ve spread up to 9 auxiliary lymph nodes or will be larger than 5 centimetres and swelling, or an ulcer might be observed, or it could have spread to the areas around the breast such as the chest wall or skin of the breast.
Stage 4: In this stage, cancer would’ve spread beyond the breasts and will affect the other organs of the body such as the lungs, skin, bones, or even the brain.
Is Surgery The Best Option?
If the breast cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the first option most oncologists will recommend is surgery, whether the patient is pregnant or not. This surgery poses no risk to the developing baby, though if the surgery is planned in the last trimester, then the OB/GYN will be present to monitor the health of the baby.
Please note that surgery is only recommended if the cancer is detected in its early stages and is located within the breast or the lymph nodes in the underarm.
Is Anaesthesia Safe For Breast Cancer Treatment In Pregnancy?
Anaesthesia has been known to cross the placenta and to the foetus. This does not appear to cause any birth defects to the baby or any other type of pregnancy issues. You can discuss this concern with your surgeon and gynaecologist to allay any other fears you might have. Since you are pregnant, the surgeons will move quickly on the operating table to ensure that you and your baby are not under anaesthesia for too long.
Treatment
The treatment for breast cancer will depend entirely upon the stage of cancer you have been diagnosed with. Usually, if the cancer is detected early enough, the first line of treatment is surgery.
Surgery: Here the cancerous tissue from the breast and surrounding areas is removed surgically. There are two types of surgical options in this case – BCS, or breast-conserving surgery or mastectomy. In the former, only the cancerous tissue is removed from the body. The latter involves the removal of the entire breast that has cancer. BCS requires further radiation, and this is not recommended to pregnant women as it could harm the developing baby.
Chemotherapy: This treatment will most likely be recommended to you based on the spread and stage of cancer and the stage of pregnancy. It is not recommended to women in their first trimester as it could affect the development of the baby. The radiation is also not recommended after the 35th week of pregnancy and up to 3 weeks after delivery as it lowers the mother’s blood count.
Sometimes the best treatment plan for the mother might not be the healthiest option for the foetus. Since there are many variable factors with such a medical condition, you will need the expert advice of your gynaecologist, surgeon, medical oncologist and radiation oncologist to zero in on a treatment plan that will help you the most.
Does Breast Cancer Affect The Unborn Baby?
One of the most worrisome concerns most mothers-to-be with breast cancer have is that the breast cancer and pregnancy could affect one another; specifically, that cancer could harm the baby adversely. There has been no known instance of breast cancer spreading to the developing baby. However, in some rare cases, the cancer cells could spread to the placenta as well.
While a pregnancy on its own can be fraught with anxieties and worries, a pregnancy with breast cancer (pregnancy breast cancer) can make things much more complicated. Remember to check yourself for lumps and tell your doctor about your concerns, so that you can work together to come up with a treatment plan that keeps the stage of cancer, stage of pregnancy, and your personal medical history in mind.
Also Read: Mastitis - Causes, Symptoms and Remedies Read more
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Coconut Ice Cream
This ice-cream recipe is a Thai treat made with just three ingredients readily available in our kitchens. Very easy to make, this recipe also packs the goodness of coconut. You can add flavors and toppings of your choice, but the plain ice cream tastes just as great!
Serves
Preparation Time
Cooking Time
5 People
10-15 Minutes
2 Hours
Ingredients
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk.
1 cup powdered sugar.
1/2 tsp salt.
Method
Step 1
Extract coconut milk.
Step 2
In a heavy bottomed pan mix together the coconut milk, sugar and salt and bring to a boil.
Step 3
Refrigerate the mixture in the freezer for about 2 hours or until solid.
Step 4
Serve immediately.
Nutritional Information
Calories
425 K cal
Proteins
3.3 g
Fats
34.4 g
Carbohydrates
31.9 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
254 mg
Potassium
379 mg
Read more
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Your Child Needs You - Don't Try to Substitute Yourself With Toys As Company
In the era of two working parents, most of us have enough money to cater to the wishes of our children. Every family has a different living style. Some save more and consume less, and others live life to the fullest and spend a lot.
There should be a balance in spending. Saving all the time may make your child feel that he or she doesn't have anything - he or she needs at least a few toys to play with, and their parents to teach them how to play and to be a partner in play. Parents must give their children company even in the absence of toys. For example, if we are talking about indoor games, it could be hide-and-seek, antakshari, the dictionary game - these games do not require you to spend money but invest your precious time with your child.
For outdoor games, parents should go out for walks with their kid, go running or jogging, play pakdan pakdai, etc. Parents should teach their kids how to play - children these days don't have a habit of playing these games because the culture of playing on the streets has disappeared owing to traffic and parents being busy. Please don't let this happen to your child's golden days. Your kid should never grow up to say that he has not played games like pakdan pakdai or hide-and-seek.
My story of expensive toys:
I will share my case with you - I admit that saying things is easier than implementing them. My husband and I both work. My child is 5+ years of age. Since day one, I've lived with the guilt of not giving him enough time. I always feel like I should go to school to pick him up, get his homework done, and accompany him to the park and play with him. Yes, there is a big difference a parent can create in a child's life with their company.
Due to this guilt, I used to get many things for my child. I never allowed him to demand things - I would bring it to him without question. So what ultimately happened was that he stopped having the craze for those things. He started taking things for granted and not pay attention to the value of those things. A child is unaware of the cost of items like games and toys, so their feelings are different.
On the other hand, we as parents are always away, so my child is being raised by my in-laws. And in the process of keeping the child happy, they also end up getting more and more things and overspending on the child - something he never got the chance to demand.
Now, he has a habit of buying things. He is not aware of the cost of those things, but he needs and desires everything, and gets fussy when he doesn't get it. He has so many new and latest toys at home, but he doesn't have the patience to play with them because he is always looking to buy something else, something new. He asks where his red bat is - he has so many to play with that he has to choose one. If he doesn't find it, he cries. There's less playing, more crying.
When kids get multiple options to look around, they get confused about what to do. It's not like he doesn't play at all - he plays with blocks and with other games, but it is just better to have fewer options as they will be happier. We tried a lot to control this. With time, he is also growing so things are improving, but at a slow pace.
So, dear friends and new mommies especially, do not overspend on your kids. It doesn't reflect your financial status. Give them healthy food and play with them. Stress more on outdoor games. Take your child to the park. Make him run, play, and help improve his motor skills. It will actually help him to be mentally and physically fit.
Do not price your guilt with the cost of toys. Just replace it with your company. That will keep your baby happy.
Happy mommying!
Disclaimer: The views, opinions and positions (including content in any form) expressed within this post are those of the author alone. The accuracy, completeness and validity of any statements made within this article are not guaranteed. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions or representations. The responsibility for intellectual property rights of this content rests with the author and any liability with regards to infringement of intellectual property rights remains with him/her. Read more
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5 Ways Your Fellow Mommy Loves to Compete
Have you come across competitive mothers who stress you out with their irritating games? Dealing with such moms doesn't have to be a daunting task if you only learn to spot them beforehand!
Are you tired of hearing questions like “Doesn't she do this yet?” or “Why don’t you do it this way?” You probably know a competitive mommy who makes you flinch at the thought of a get-together. Her children are the "best" and she’s the "best" mom. Fret not. Find yourself the "best" way to deal with such moms and put them in their place!
Effective Ways to Spot a Competitive Mother
1. She’s Very Nosy
“How long does she sleep?”, “Is she potty trained?”, “Does she eat well?” and many more queries like these are free giveaways whenever you meet. Competitive mommies are always ready with questionnaires. They do this for two reasons—first, because of their over-anxious nature, and second, because they probably know the answers but want to narrate their own success stories of bringing up children.
2. The One-Upmanship
Did you recently arrange a birthday party for your little one? Well, a mom who’s over competitive will tell you (whether you want to listen or not) what a grand party she organised for her child. Although it’s foolish to give ear to such talk, you may get trapped into the “Who’s the better mother” game. After spotting a competitive mom, don’t get dismayed feeling that you aren’t doing the job right. Trust yourself.
3. She Can’t Help But Question You
Although not harmful, she may prove to be irritating when she starts asking too many questions that aren’t really her business. Dealing with a competitive mother who nurtures deep doubts about her kid’s well-being, while wanting to know more about yours, will throw you off gear very soon. Try to understand why she’s behaving the way she is. Maybe she’s insecure and secretly wants pointers. Or maybe she seeks approval from others.
4. She’s The Mommy Police
“Hasn’t she started talking yet? I think you should mention this to her doctor.” “Why hasn’t she begun walking? My daughter started at only a year.” You’ve realised by now that all your children’s actions are being keenly observed and you get feedback on your parenting skills. Be careful of a competitive mother who seeks the opportunity to sympathise if your child is late to master a skill. She’s not worth your attention and just wants to brag about her mommy skills!
5. She’s The Bad-Eyed One
There are mommies who compare your children with theirs and then put yours down. Let’s be honest; not all moms are considerate about others! Some make particular effort to get in the way of another child just to make theirs ‘win’. It’s best to keep women like these out of your life. They’ll only try to drag you down.
It’s important to prevent competitive mommies from involving themselves in your decisions as a parent and making you feel low about your children. Take charge by gauging such moms from far away and steering clear of them. You’ll be happier and so will your kids! Read more
Santu has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due this month
12 hours ago
Q. #asktheexpert
1) till how many days after delivery baby needs to keep on uterus temperatures/warm temperature?
2) Can baby & mother both take bath after 24 hours of delivery?
Santu
Mom of 2 children
12 hours ago
A. It depends on moms and babys health I feel and suggest It's better to check with your doctor and follow their advise. That would be one of the best and safest option for your baby as of now. Take care.
shilpi Bhandari has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
11 hours ago
Q. dual marker test is for what purpose??
shilpi Bhandari
Mom of 2 children
11 hours ago
A. The double marker test helps determine whether the unborn baby has any risk of developing neurological abnormalities or mental disorders
Dr Sameer awadhiya has added a new answer
Mom of a 7 m old child
6 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts
How to cure constipation in Babies
Dr Sameer awadhiya
Paediatrician
6 hours ago
A. Constipation in Babies less than 1 year is very common and more in formula fed babies and also when initially the semi solid food has been started after 6 months .
you can give bonnisan drops and some enzyme preparations in proper dose suggested by doctor angyd cow's milk should be avoided before 1 year of age . Medications are required but it shobuld be given only in medical supervision .
Rashmi has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
6 hours ago
Q. Hello, I'm a hypothyroidism patients consumes 25mg tab,
can I take apple cider vinegar?
Rashmi
Mom of a 9 yr 8 m old girl
6 hours ago
A. I don’t think so ACv is going to be a problem but it would be better that you check with your doctor because Apple cider vinegar has couple of side-effects also also which a lot of people are not aware about so do not take it without your doctors advice and consent
Mohammad amin has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
5 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts can i go for long trips with my 7 months old baby
Mohammad amin
Guardian of a 3 yr old boy
26 mins ago
A. if you are comfortable then go
Dr Sameer awadhiya has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 4 months
3 hours ago
Q. #asktheexperts plz suggest me medicine for toothache
Dr Sameer awadhiya
Paediatrician
1 hour ago
A. A proper assessment is required here so regarding this it is vmore favourable to contact your local doctor and accordingly he will guide in a proper manner.
If any more queries you can tgake online consultation on the platform for a detailed discussion .
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