Bengaluru: Hampered by hypothyroidism and excess weight, 36-year-old Pranitha (name changed) had suffered three miscarriages earlier. Married for eight years, she longed for her own bundle of joy. But having already gone through three miscarriages and with multiple health issues, her journey to motherhood was arduous.
So when Pranitha discovered she was pregnant again, she and her husband decided that they would do all they could to bring this baby into the world.
“Since I had miscarried over three pregnancies, I was extremely anxious about this one. We wanted to get the best possible care so that there was a fighting chance that this time there would not be complications,” said the 36-year-old, who is now – finally -- a happy mother.
She was already overweight and had earlier been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Coupled with this, were her repeated miscarriages, which made the pregnancy high risk.
The loss of multiple pregnancies and the disappointment of not being able to have a child for the last eight years had made the young woman psychologically vulnerable.
“When she came to us, Pranitha was overweight and during the pregnancy her weight kept steadily increasing up to about 110 kgs. She and the baby were closely monitored as she had hypothyroidism and miscarriages. We put her on medications to ensure the problem was well-controlled. We also started her on Heparin injections, as it assists in proper placental formation and helps in ensuring that the baby gets good nutrition,” informed Dr Anita K. Mohan, consultant gynaecologist at Fortis Hospitals, who was her doctor.
Everything seemed to be going well for the mother-to-be and her unborn baby, when a routine test done to check Down’s Syndrome (a developmental disorder) in the baby turned out to be positive.
“She was shattered. Even we were shocked at the result. Normally, to confirm the diagnosis, a second test, Amniocentesis (a prenatal test in which a small amount of amniotic fluid is removed from the sac surrounding the fetus to test for chromosomal abnormalities or infections in the baby) is done. But the pregnant woman firmly refused, saying whatever happens, the baby was a gift of God and she would keep it. So we also decided to give the baby our best shot and hope for the best,” adds Dr Anita.
Pranitha went through the pregnancy without any problems and the little one was also growing well. The baby boy was delivered through Caesarean section and turned out to be a healthy normal child.
“Despite the initial screening test being positive of a developmental problem, my baby was absolutely normal. It was a dream come true for me and my husband,” says an elated Pranitha.
