Doctor Dixie Costantini Obstetrician & Gynecologist

08/06/2025

Have a beautiful Sunday

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Having Sickle cell disease and being pregnant

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🔴 Sickle cell disease increases your risk of the following:

💥preeclampsia during pregnancy

💥 crisis during pregnancy

💥Blood clot formation during pregnancy

💥 Multiple miscarriages

💥Having a baby that’s very small

💥Stillbirth or baby passing shortly after birth

🔴 If there is no need for a cesarean section, you should opt for a spontaneous delivery as that is a safer option for you. A cesarean delivery for you comes with a higher risk of blood clot formation and infection.

🔴 Find a skilled obgyn to walk you through your journey . Very important.

🔴 Stay hydrated and take your folic acid . This is very important.

🔴 Don’t skip any antenatal appointments

🔴. Discuss with your obgyn before you begin making any pregnancy plans .

🔴 If not ready to get pregnant, discuss with your obgyn to put you on specific contraception types as some can significantly reduce the number of crisis episodes you have .

Share this so someone with sickle cell disease can read it.

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Together we can make things better

07/06/2025

My next video will be on Urinary tract infections when not pregnant, during pregnancy and during menopause as requested. Don’t forget to subscribe to receive alerts when videos are posted

07/06/2025

Please read and share for someone else to read too.
Subscribe to my channel on YouTube: Doc Karen Renee Zu
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Interesting things about the Vag during pregnancy

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🔴 Your vag becomes bigger and longer to accommodate for the drop of your baby’s head into your pelvis at the end of your pregnancy.

🔴 The wall of the vag becomes thicker , with more blo od supply and a bit more swollen that when not pregnant.

🔴 The wall of the vag tends to shed its cells more often than when you are not pregnant . This you might notice as a heavy discharge.

🔴 The vag is more acidic during pregnancy with a pH of around 4. This prevents bacteria from growing in this environment. It however can support the growth of candida and this is why candida infections are more common when you’re pregnant.

❤️ Your body is made to go through such amazing changes when you are growing a new human.

🔴 Do you know any other interesting things that happen to your body during pregnancy?

By Doc Dixie Costantini
Subscribe to my YouTube channel- Doc Karen Renee Zu Obstetrician and gynecologist. Help us grow

07/06/2025

30/05/2025

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Basic information about contraceptives

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🔴 Contraceptives are basically mechanisms ( drugs or devices) used in the prevention of pregnancy.

🔴 There are many types of contraceptives. One does not fit all.

🔴 Some contraceptives contain hormones, others do not.

🔴 Contraceptives can be grouped as follows :

🔴 Based on how long they work :

💥 Short acting ( they work just for a short time)

💥long acting ( they work for a long time )

💥Permanent ( usually cannot be reversed)

🔴 Based on their constitution

💥Natural methods ( based on how the body functions

💥 Hormonal methods ( contain hormones)

💥 Non hormonal methods ( don't contain hormones)

🔴 Based on how effective they are :

💥 Most effective

💥 Very effective

💥 Effective

💥 Least effective

🔴 Before you choose a contraceptive type, or go in for a contraceptive :

💥 you should know your health history and family history ( if there are certain diseases like hypertension, Epilepsy, breast cancer, cervical cancer, liver disease, sickle cell disease, heart attack, stroke, blood clotting issues, migraines etc in your family or if you have any of these disease

💥 You should have a birth plan. Know when you plan on having your next birth as some contraceptive types can prolong your trying period.

💥 Know yourself and how good you are when it comes to keeping schedules, how much you are willing to invest and what type of contraceptive method you'd prefer.

💥 Write down all the questions you might have, ask all of them before making a decision

🔴 Before a contraceptive type is prescribed for you, its important for you

💥 To have your blood pressure checked - some contraceptive types can cause you problems with your blood pressure

💥 To check if you are at risk of having blood clotting problems or not ( through lab works ). General Blood works are important too.

💥 Make sure you at least have done a cerv ical can cer screening recently , that is within the last year ( pap smear ). You need to check your bre asts as well before you begin using contraceptives

💥 Have a Gynecological ultrasound done. This helps to identify any problems you might have with your womb.

By Doc Dixie Costantini / Dr. Zu
Together we can make things better

23/05/2025

What is one thing about women’s health you’ve really been hoping that I talk about someday ?
Dr. Dixie

23/05/2025

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Causes of infertility

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🔴 Infertility is the inability to get pregnant after 12 months of unprotected sexual in*******se below 35 years or 6 months when above 35 years old.

🔴 Many couples however do get pregnant by the end of the second year of trying.

🔴 Infertility can be caused by many factors.

🔴 It can be difficult to tell the exact cause of one's fertility issues if examinations aren't performed.

🔴 Some factors that can cause fertility problems are listed below :

💥 A woman's age. The older you are, the more difficult it gets to get pregnant. Pregnancy becomes more difficult after 35.

💥 Male (s***m) factor - your partner might have low s***m count or other problems with his s***m.

💥 Ovulation disorders - you might not be ovulating

💥 Tubal disease - your tubes might be blocked

💥 Endometriosis

💥Anatomical factors such as fibroids , polyps and other uterine abnormalities ( can change the shape of the inner surface of the womb. This can make pregnancy difficult)

💥 Your body can see your partner's s***m as an enemy and destroy them whenever they are available

💥 Combination of male and female factors - Both of you might have a problem.

💥 Abnormal cervical mucus - This will prevent the passage of s***m to the womb and fallopian tubes

💥 Sometimes, no factors are found and the reason for one's Infertility is considered unknown.

🔴 If you are having fertility problems, seek help from the right source. If not , you might end up wasting lots of money and getting no where.

By Dr. Dixie Costantini

💥 Don't forget to keep adding people to our group and telling people about us. Together we can make things better.

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22/05/2025

Please read this and share for someone else to read too
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Bonding with your newborn postpartum

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🔴 Bonding with your newborn after birth can be a bit challenging, especially if you happen to have a cesarean section and skin to skin contact doesn’t happen right after birth.

🔴 This in no way means you’re not a good enough mum. Don’t be too hard on yourself.

🔴 Ask for help if you feel you need help, and try to spend as much quality time with your newborn. This helps a lot .

🔴 And if you notice nothing is working, kindly seek professional help. You would not be judged for doing so.

Did you have any issues with accepting that your baby was yours postpartum? How long did it take you to get used to you having a baby?

By Doc Dixie ( Dr. Zu )
Together we can make things better

Ps : we still offer psychological help to women in distress if you need help

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18/05/2025

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Menstrual Migraines

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🔴 During your menstrual cycle, changes in estrogen levels can give you pretty bad headaches.

🔴 This is what we call menstrual or period headaches.

🔴 These headaches can occur during each cycle , are usually on one side of the head and are worse than normal headaches.

🔴 They can start a day or 2 before your period and last for a few hours or continue till about the third day of your cycle

🔴 Menstrual migraines can come with nausea , being sensitive to light , sounds and some smells, dizziness, diarrhoea ,

🔴 If you experience them, let your obgyn know to confirm that really is what you are experiencing and not anything else. They will let you know what treatment options you have or refer you to another specialist for further evaluation and treatment.

By Doc Dixie.
Together we can make things better

13/05/2025

Are you pregnant and in your first trimester? Please stay away from extreme heat as it it will cause your baby to form wrongly - no saunas / very hot baths or baking of bread or frying of kelewele or working around very hot fire.
Dr. Dixie

05/05/2025

Just a kind reminder that snail slime/ mucus should not be used as a lubricant during int imacy. It is not safe. Please Invest in a good water based lubricant if you feel you need one and leave the snails alone.
Dr. Dixie

04/05/2025

🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴The postpartum journey can be a very difficult one. Please be kind to new mums out there . The fact that you went through something traumatic doesn’t mean someone else should too. Life is too short not to be beautiful. If you are a new mum needing help, please reach out, seek help. Don’t go through this alone. You might never recover from the trauma. Dr. Dixie There is an anonymous link in comment for people who want to share their stories 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴