The Fertility Motherhood and Wellness Show -True Stories with Dr Rajeev

If pain wasn't bad enough for a woman to suffer, Endometriosis also causes Infertility in most of the women it affects. The questions Dr Apoorva Pallam Reddy and I have tried addressing in this podcast are:

1. How does Endometriosis cause Infertility?
2. How should a woman with Endometriosis take her fertility journey forward?
3. Is natural conception possible or advisable in a woman with endometriosis?
4. Role of Intrauterine insemination and IVF in Endometriosis
5. Should endometriotic cysts be removed or drained?
6. Should chocolate cysts be left untouched?
7. Is there a role of medical therapy in Endometriosis and Infertility?
8. Is the success of IVF the same in a woman with Endometriosis?

Some take-home messages:

• Endometriosis is a progressive disease
• Sometimes it may take up to 8 years before a diagnosis can be made
• The symptoms do not correlate with the severity of the disease
• Endometriosis causes infertility
• Fallopian tubes are usually open in endometriosis giving a false sense of complacency that pregnancy can occur naturally
• Endometriosis is bound to recure after both medical and surgical management
• Treatment will depend on the age, the symptoms, and the need for fertility
• Speak to your doctor about future plans and the pitfalls of surgery before getting a laparoscopy done.

Dr Apoorva Pallam Reddy is a Gynaecologist, IVF specialist, Laparoscopic surgeon and Aesthetic Gynaecologist from Bangalore. At a very young age, she has achieved the knowledge and expertise that’s enviable. We work together on many projects together including hosting a series called “What Women Want” on Instagram as well as an Academy for training young Gynaecologists in Infertility called International Fertility Academy. An oration at any conference is like the coveted guest lecture which is given by someone very very senior and is usually in the main hall of the conference where every delegate, Indian and foreign is listening. You could almost compare it to a lifetime achievement award. I am proud to say that Dr Apoorva is the young fertility expert in the country to have delivered this Oration at a national conference and that too 2 years ago. 

To know more about her visit:

Do you know that SKIN is our largest organ?

During and after pregnancy a woman may experience a plethora of changes in her physical appearance.

Looking after your skin before, during and after pregnancy is essential not just for a healthy and glowing complexion but it is also vital for the health of your baby.

Keeping in line with my initiative to create awareness on our podcast we have with us today Dr Jyoti Aneja, a Celebrity Dermatologist & hair transplant surgeon practising in Mumbai with over 12 years of experience.

She’s the medical director and chief at La Grace Luxury Skin Clinic in Bandra West

And a visiting consultant at Nanavati super speciality hospital.

Being an international Speaker representing India in the world of aesthetic medicine

And a trainer with Allergan medical institute and mentoring young doctors she’s also a passionate Lifecoach out to make a difference.

In the previous Podcast, we spoke about "Endometriosis - Introduction and Diagnosis" which is the first step towards identifying the problem, understand its finer nuances and making a diagnosis of the disease.

In this Podcast Dr Apoorva Pallam Reddy and I are addressing the various treatment strategies available. The two most common problems that patients with Endometriosis present with are:

1. Pain and 
2. Infertility

The subject of Infertility will be dealt with in the next Podcast.

Dr Apoorva Pallam Reddy is a Gynaecologist, IVF specialist, Laparoscopic surgeon and Aesthetic Gynaecologist from Bangalore. She is the Editor of several books, author of innumerable Chapters on Gynaecology and Infertility which serves as a teaching reference for budding young Gynaecologists. She is on the Editorial Board of Journals where other researchers send articles to get their work published. You can know moe about her by visiting

Sheetal has just delivered a baby and there were a thousand questions racing through her mind. Friends and family weren't helping either by giving tons of advice and mostly conflicting. She had to deliver by a caesarean section and that added to her woes because everyone seemed to frighten the life out of her with post-surgery scares. Don't get up, don't walk around, don't climb stairs, don't drive, don't sit on the floor, don't eat this don't eat that.......it was driving her up the wall !!!!

I would have never thought of doing this podcast if it wasn't for my friend Ritika Singh Goyal who suggested the topic and bombarded me with a long list of questions as well. If you like this podcast, it only her efforts that we all need to thank :)

So it's time for myth-busting with Dr Apoorva Pallam Reddy. We have tried as detailed an answer as possible. Keeping in line with my idea of starting podcasting, I hope none of you have to refer to any other person or website for these questions ever again.

Endometriosis is the presence of the lining of the womb or endometrium in areas outside of the uterus. It affects about 10% of women worldwide but the incidence is far higher in certain geographical areas. The internet is full of information about the disease yet one is never sure if the information is correct and relevant as per the current research available worldwide. Dr. Apoorva Pallam Reddy and I have come together to put forward a 3 part series on Endometriosis which will cover all aspects of Endometriosis.

Part1: Introduction and Diagnosis of Endometriosis

Part 2: Management of Endometriosis especially Pain Management

Part 3: Endometriosis and Infertility

One of the first things I get asked when I sit down with couples who have just discovered pregnancy are questions related to diet. Some are direct questions related to diet while others are indirectly related to nausea, acidity, constipation, weight gain etc. Then there are some for whom diet becomes very important to avoid complications especially when they are starting off pregnancy with either increased weight or diabetes or constipation.

• Is tea or coffee harmful?
• Can I have aerated drinks?
• Is Mayonnaise safe?
• Can I have cheese?
• What about papaya and pineapple?
• What do I do to take care of this nausea and acidity?
• I already have glucose intolerance, how do I keep safe in pregnancy?

These are just some of the doubts expressed by almost all women.

Someone rightly said: A healthy outside starts from the inside. Any mum that is working on losing weight and creating a healthy lifestyle can tell you it takes time, dedication and patience. With juggling between multiple roles as the primary caregiver, to being business heads, giving time to fitness becomes imperative, but difficult.  Multitasking is indeed an art and science.

In this podcast I have in conversation with me, Shivani Agarwalla, a mom to a 5-year-old, a practising Chartered Accountant by profession and India's first Woman World Champion in Kettlebell Sports to throw light on jee journey of raising a child, being a professional and chartering her journey into the world of fitness.

Let's find out her secret to success and healthy life and what fitness means to her.

In about 2 to 3 % of pregnancies, there is a possibility that all may not be right with the baby. sometimes there is a past history which is suggestive, other times there might be some abnormal reports during the pregnancy which might give us a lead. Prenatal diagnosis is the attempt to unearth all such problems during pregnancy by one means or another. It requires close collaboration between the Obstetrician, The Geneticist as well as the Foetal Medicine Expert. 

Egg freezing is about converting challenges to chances !!!. Women of today are sometimes caught between career and motherhood. This podcast deals with the problems and questions of these women. Everything that one needs to know about egg freezing. There is also a lot of taboo surrounding IVF in general and egg freezing in particular. The 18 questions and answers discussed here should clear each and every doubt in your minds. Is egg freezing for you ??

Millions of women suffer from leakage of urine which is beyond their control and in their selfless zeal to look after the family first, they ignore their own problems until it becomes severe. There is also the aversion to take medicines or to avoid surgery. What is this problem and why does it happen? Who are the women who are more susceptible to it? Is lifestyle linked to this? Will having a normal delivery increase the chances? Is there a solution or does one have to suffer with this lifelong? Listen to this podcast to answer all these and more !!!

This current pandemic has created a panic amongst the pregnant women and somewhere we felt the need to answer all relevant questions on one platform. Questions about the virus, its spread, chances and severity of affecting the pregnant woman, probability of affecting the child and whether breastfeeding is safe. On a more practical level, the podcast answers all your questions regarding antenatal checkups, scans, blood tests and how and if you should go about them. 

I discovered Podcasts when someone suggested I take up voice recording as a hobby. I explored and loved the medium. I never used it professionally because I felt when visuals are available, why would anyone just want to listen. As time passed and my experience with the medium grew, I realized how wrong I was.
I love creating information for patients. I truly believe it makes my work very easy, not to mention enjoyable. I guess the two things just came together and the idea of this podcast series was born.
This introduction would be incomplete if I don't mention the contributions of Mr Navin Daga without whose inspiration, suggestions and help, I would never have become a podcast artist, my wife Saroj and my friends and colleagues whose invaluable inputs made this day possible.
This episode is dedicated to why I felt the need to start this podcast and what to expect from me during this acoustic journey.
Cheers !! and Happy Listening :)