The Birthplace Tales: Double Lines and Double Celebrations

Gunjan and Yash’s first chapter in having twins and how it all began at the Birthplace...

Blaring TVs are suddenly replaced by cute babbles; toys and mini-sized clothes occupy almost every corner of the house. From their first smiles to their oh-so-adorable sneezes, everything they do warrants being frozen in time. Phone galleries brim with their photos and their giggles just ripple through your heart - having children is one of the most beautiful experiences and motherhood, an absolute blessing.

Suhaani and Yuvaan are now 18 months old - their laughter pierces through the silence of the room, reflecting in the eyes of their parents - Gunjan and Yash. Their lives have got a new meaning ever since these two little ones have made their way into their lives. But, having them wasn’t easy - to hold them for the first time in their arms, both Gunjan and Yash had to cross several hurdles. Yet, here they are now, happier than ever before, their life full of cute cuddles and adorable stories.

With very intense maternal instincts, Gunjan Nolkha knew for sure how much she wanted to experience the bliss of motherhood. So, at 33, when she couldn’t conceive naturally, she was determined to utilise the advancements of medicine to its optimal best. But, what’s all the medicine worth without the touch of an excellent doctor? When Gunjan had shared her desire to consult with a good doctor, one of her friends had referred her to Dr Pratibha Narayan, an experienced senior gynecologist and a high risk pregnancy expert at the Birthplace.

With a heart full of hope and eyes full of dreams, Gunjan and Yash first met Dr Pratibha to discuss their issues and understand what their next steps would be. After a thorough examination as is the standard procedure at the Birthplace, Dr Pratibha’s recommendation for Gunjan was for her to go through a couple of cycles of IUI (Intrauterine Insemination) to check the response and chart further treatment plans.

What Exactly Is An IUI?

Dr. Pratibha Narayan is a Senior Obstetrician and Gynecologist at the Birthplace. In addition to her passion for obstetrics and preventive women's health, she an expert with many years of experience in VBAC. She excels and specializes in managing and treating routine and high-risk pregnancies, and recurrent pregnancy losses. She is also an expert in Cosmetic and aesthetic gynaecology.

To know more or to meet Dr. Pratibha, please call 040-45208108.

There can be several reasons why a woman can’t conceive. It could either be because of the partner’s low sperm count or lower sperm mobility, or because of fertility issues in the woman. This could include several factors like the eggs not getting fertilised, or conditions of the uterus like having a hostile environment, endometriosis or even a scar tissue from a previous treatment or procedure. Sometimes, the causes of infertility remain undermined.

 In Gunjan’s case, Dr Pratibha wanted to initiate the process of IUI, in which sperm is placed in the uterus through a catheter. To begin the procedure, many women are asked to take ovulation inducing medicines and are then monitored to track the maturing of the eggs. As soon as the lady experiences a surge in the LH hormone, indicating that ovulation is around the corner, the procedure of IUI is then performed.

 With the goal of helping her eggs get fertilised, Dr Pratibha administered a couple of rounds of IUI to Gunjan, because this is one of the least invasive treatments for infertility and causes minimal discomfort.

What Happened Next

Even though the success rates of IUI are as much as 20% per cycle, in this case, the eggs have to get fertilised on their own. When that didn’t happen in Gunjan’s case, Dr Pratibha swiftly moved on to the next course of plan.

 The next part of the treatment procedure was to go for IVF or In-Vitro Fertilization. This is one of the most popular forms of assisted reproductive techniques that involves gathering matured eggs from the woman and sperm from the man and helping the sperm fertilise the eggs in a controlled environment inside a lab.

 Once that happens, depending on the patient, a number of these fertilised eggs are transferred to the lady’s uterus, monitoring her developments closely. If one or more of these eggs attach themselves to the lining of the uterus, the procedure is successful and the lady conceives.

Two Lines Of Joy!

Gunjan is a firm believer of will-power. She says that the processes of artificial reproduction are tiring, painful and very uncomfortable, but having the determination to become a mother, alongwith the unwavering support from Yash held her through the arduous journey. That said, she says she cannot thank Dr Pratibha enough. When Dr Pratibha realised that IUI wasn’t going to be of great help, she immediately pulled the plug at the right time and advised the couple to go for IVF, unlike many other doctors who keep dragging the process, causing inexplicable amounts of discomfort to the patient, which leaves them very disheartened.

 However, thanks to the timely suggestion by Dr Pratibha, the miracle of modern day medicine brought about two glorious lines on the home pregnancy test, something that Gunjan and Yash had been praying so hard for! But then, they were in for a bit of a surprise.

 Of the several fertilised eggs that had been implanted into Gunjan’s womb, four of them had attached themselves to her uterus! While the joys of being pregnant had been immense, yet, knowing that she had four babies inside of her was, well, slightly unexpected and quite challenging to digest. With inputs from Dr Pratibha and in the interests of the couple, Gunjan went through the process of reduction, all set to welcome a pair of twins in the next nine months.

 Ask how the feeling of having twins was and the one word in which Gunjan would describe it would be - interesting!

Onto Parenthood

Gunjan and Yash had been to several other doctors before consulting with Dr Pratibha, but it was with her that they had finally found the comfort and right medical advice. With the expertise and warmth of Dr Pratibha to guide them through the nine months of pregnancy that Gunjan says she absolutely enjoyed, the next blog will talk about all the things that Gunjan and Yash experienced during this beautiful phase and Dr Pratibha take on the case.

 Keep reading!