| FAQ - Frequently
Asked Questions |
| In this section we deal with
the common questions that relate to women's health. We will
attempt to give a comprehensive yet uncomplicated explanation
to these questions below. |
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| I am
pregnant . When should I see a doctor ? |
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What should I eat if I want a healthy baby ?
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| I
have had 2 miscarriages . What is the chances of having
another miscarriage? |
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I am 35 years old . What is the risk of me having a baby with
Downs syndrome? |
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We have been trying to get a baby
for 2 years but I am only 26 . Should I see a doctor ? |
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I am 25 years old . I have been
having painful periods since I was young . It is getting worse
recently. What shall I do? |
| My
gynae has told me that I have fibroids . Is there a medication
I can take to get rid of it ? |
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I am pregnant . My friends tell me
there is a pill I can take to abort the pregnancy. Is it true? |
| I
have been on hormones since my operation to remove the womb .
I am scared now that I read reports of these hormones causing
cancer . What shall I do? |
| I had
an abortion recently. After one week I am still bleeding
heavily . What shall I do? |
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I am breastfeeding . Can I
still get pregnant? |
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| I
am pregnant . When should I see a doctor ? |
| You should see a doctor as
soon as possible . This is to confirm the pregnancy and to
accurately date the pregnancy . An early ultrasound scan will
show at the earliest 6 weeks a viable pregnancy . The other
reason is to detect an ectopic pregnancy i.e. when the
pregnancy is outside the womb. |
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What should I eat if I want a healthy baby ?
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| You should have a balanced
diet with either milk or vitamin supplements . A blood test
done early will determine if you need iron therapy . Blood
tests will also screen for thallesemia a genetic blood disease
which can be fatal . However if you are a smoker or drinker ,
you have to cut down on alcohol and cigarettes . |
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I have 2 miscarriages . What is the chances of having
another miscarriage? |
| You have a 20% chance . Some
doctors will do a barrage of tests but some will only
investigate if you have 3 recurrent miscarriages . In the end
in the great majority of cases no cause can be found . In such
cases it is wise to see the doctor early because hormone pills
and injections may help in a number of cases . |
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I am 35 years old . What is the risk of me having a baby
with Downs syndrome? |
| The cut off age for
amniocentesis used to be 37 but now it is recommended for women
35 years and above. The risk at 35 is about 1 in 300 but it
rises significantly every year . Amniocentesis is a procedure
by which amniotic fluid is aspirated from the water bag . It
is done at 16 weeks is relatively painless and the result is
ready about 2 to 3 weeks later . The rate of miscarriage after
the procedure is about 1 in 200 . |
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We have been trying to get a
baby for 2 years but I am only 26 . Should I see a doctor ? |
| Any couple who have been
married for 2 years and have not been using any birth control
should see a doctor . We can do tests to ascertain if there is
indeed a reason why you are not pregnant and can start
treatment . Please ask your husband to accompany you on your
first visit so that he can see what we are trying to do . |
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I am 25 years old . I have been
having painful periods since I was young . It is getting worse
recently. What shall I do? |
| You should see a gynae as we
can rule out more serious causes of period pain . A simple
ultrasound will determine if you have fibroids or cyst which
nowadays can be removed in the majority of cases using keyhole
surgery . If no abnormality is found on ultrasound you may
need laparoscopy or minor surgery to find out the cause . |
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| My
gynae has told me that I have fibroids . Is there a medication
I can take to get rid of it ? |
| At present there is no
medication to remove fibroids. Since they are hormone
dependent fibroids will shrink after menopause . Surgery or
operation is the only way to remove fibroids . Whether we
remove the fibroids only or the whole womb will depend on a
number of factors which your doctor will discuss with you . In
general we operate on fibroids if they are causing symptoms
i.e. heavy or painful periods and if they are more than 5 cm
in diameter. |
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I am pregnant . My friends tell me there is a pill I can
take to abort the pregnancy. Is it true? |
| In Singapore at present the
abortion pill RU486 is not allowed . What your friends told
you is of a pill that is not specifically used for abortion
but causes miscarriage. This pill frequently causes incomplete
abortion and the patient frequently will need to see a doctor
to get it washed out . To do self abortion is illegal in
Singapore so it is better to see a qualified doctor and get it
done by trained people . It pays to be safe than sorry . |
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| I
have been on hormones since my operation to remove the womb .
I am scared now that I read reports of these hormones causing
cancer . What shall I do? |
| You should see your doctor
and discuss the pros and cons of hormone therapy . Suffice to
say there are many types of medication to prevent osteoprosis. |
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| I
had an abortion recently. After one week I am still bleeding
heavily . What shall I do? |
| You should see your gynae as
soon as possible because you may have an incomplete abortion
which may require you to have the procedure repeated . It is a
relatively common complication so please do not be too upset
about it . |
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I am breastfeeding . Can
I still get pregnant? |
| Yes you can get pregnant
even while breastfeeding . Yor doctor will be able to
recommend you a suitable form of contraception if you do not
desire to get pregnant while breastfeeding |
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| Send in more question you
may want to see featured in this FAQ list. Please email us
here. |
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