FemmeFocus Junction

  It truly takes a village to raise a child. Being a parent truly humbles a human. After having children life completely changes especially for working moms. There has to be a balance between work, partner, and children. It took me a while to be able to dedicate some self-care time to myself. The baby was about nine months old when I joined the gym. Despite finishing work late I would try to gym twice a week. I instantly felt the rise in mood and energy levels. On Sundays, I used to go for a five-kilometer walk, and it fell away because I felt bad not spending time with the baby. The other Sunday I decided to take her outside with me, while I exercised. She enjoyed the outing a lot. I had a chance to move my body get some fresh air, and spend quality time with her. A toddler’s world is a fascinating place! Children learn and explore their surroundings at this stage with curiosity and wonder. Play is their primary language. She thought it was a new game when I was jumping up and d...

 Looking back, It is quite mind-blowing  that I have been doing crochet for almost over 10 years. I always enjoyed doing arts and crafts such as drawing and painting from a young age. I remember at the age of 5 my uncle brought me a Lego set from Japan and I was very serious about what I was building with them and loved the end product. My brother was just a toddler and my mom would ask me to allow my brother to play and destroy my Lego construction to entertain him during feeding times. I made it to medical school and the medical curriculum, different hospital rotations and exams took most of my time. I was still doing watercolour and oil on canvas paintings. My mother and brother were already in South Africa and after spending dinner time with grandparents I would go upstairs to our old flat and do paintings and listen to music until late at night. The internship started and work became busier with the night shifts. I was either spending the 24-hour shift in the hospital o...

  Uterine fibroids are a common and yet misunderstood condition that affects many women. They are noncancerous muscle and fibrous growths in the uterus that can cause heavy bleeding, pelvic pain, and urination problems. They are more common in women over 30 and in African women. There is uncertainty as to why certain women are more prone to developing fibroids. According to the Fibroid Institute Texas, 61% of women are not aware of treatment options for fibroids! This highlights the importance of spreading awareness, especially considering that around 2 in 3 women will develop at least one fibroid at some point in their lives according to NHS. Taking a good history of women presenting to gynaecology clinics is very important. Whether they are experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, or infertility. Another category of women is the ones who find out about the uterine fibroids as an accidental finding on a pelvic ultrasound and seek gynaecology advice, in which if they a...

  The average age of menopause is about 50 years, with women having a life expectancy of about 80 years, they will spend a significant time of their lives during menopause. A lot of women forget about gynae check-ups once they have completed their families and perhaps done a tubal ligation. A lot of women may have a smooth transition to menopause with minimal hot flashes and no abnormal uterine bleeding or mood swings. That was my mother who is currently 64 years old and she experienced minimal symptoms. Premature ovarian failure is defined as cessation of menses before the age of 40. It can be idiopathic but can be seen in women who had chemotherapy or radiation, previous pelvic surgery, or hysterectomy. The perimenopausal stage is where the Estrogen levels are declining and women sense a change in their body with weight gain, decrease in libido, decrease in bone density, and mood swings. It is important to emphasize that the changes are not merely physical but many mental cha...