Ramadan Kareem 🌙✨
Ramadan is more than a month of fasting.
It is a month of reflection… discipline… mercy… and quiet strength.
As an obstetrician, I witness new beginnings every day.
And Ramadan always reminds me that renewal is possible
for the body, the heart, and the soul.
May this blessed month bring peace to your homes,
clarity to your decisions,
and barakah to your work and families.
Wishing you a meaningful and gentle Ramadan.
Dr Rabab Cares
#DrRababCares
#Ramadan
#RamadanKareem
❤Physiological vs Pathological Cardiac Symptoms in Pregnancy
Pregnancy places significant demands on the cardiovascular system.
Many symptoms are expected.
Some are not.
Understanding the difference is essential.
✅ Physiological (Expected) Symptoms
These are usually related to increased blood volume and cardiac output:
• Mild shortness of breath on exertion
• Slight increase in resting heart rate
• Mild ankle edema (worse by evening)
• Occasional brief palpitations
• Soft systolic flow murmur.
These symptoms are generally well tolerated in a healthy heart.
⚠️ Pathological (Concerning) Symptoms
These require prompt medical evaluation:
• Shortness of breath at rest
• Orthopnea (difficulty breathing while lying flat)
• Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
• Syncope or near-syncope
• Persistent chest pain
• Rapidly worsening or severe edema
• Cyanosis
• Sustained tachycardia
These are NOT normal pregnancy symptoms.
Pregnancy does not create heart disease.
It may unmask previously silent conditions.
Early recognition, risk stratification, and multidisciplinary management significantly reduce maternal morbidity.
Because protecting the mother’s heart
means protecting two lives.
Dr Rabab Cares
#DrRababCares
#HeartDiseaseInPregnancy
#MaternalHealth
#SafePregnancy
#CardioObstetrics
❤Heart Disease in Pregnancy
Two Hearts. One Responsibility.
Pregnancy is a natural physiological process
but it is also a cardiovascular stress test.
😥During pregnancy:
• Blood volume increases by up to 50%
• Cardiac output rises significantly
• Heart rate accelerates
• Systemic vascular resistance decreases.
For a healthy heart, these changes are well tolerated.
But for women with underlying or undiagnosed cardiac conditions, pregnancy may unmask serious risks.
💥Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity worldwide.
👍And yet with early assessment, proper monitoring, and multidisciplinary care many cardiac conditions can be safely managed.
In this awareness series, we will explore:
✔ Physiological vs pathological symptoms
✔ When shortness of breath is not “normal”
✔ Common cardiac conditions in pregnancy
✔ Risk stratification before conception
✔ Labor planning and postpartum monitoring
Because protecting the mother’s heart
means protecting two lives.
Dr Rabab cares
#DrRababCares
#HeartDiseaseInPregnancy
#MaternalHealth
#SafePregnancy
In Islam, your health and your baby’s safety come first.
Medically, some women may fast safely others should not.
If you are pregnant this Ramadan, speak to your doctor before deciding.
#DrRababCares
Valentine’s Reflection ❤
Love is not only flowers and gifts.
Sometimes, love is a mother choosing a safe delivery.
A couple waiting patiently for a heartbeat.
A woman showing up for her health despite fear.
As an OB/GYN, I see love in its bravest form every day.
Today, may we celebrate not only romance
but care, responsibility, and the quiet strength of women.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Dr Rabab Cares
#DrRababCares
🧠The Rhythm of the Menstrual Cycle
In the rush of modern life, we often overlook the natural rhythms that quietly guide our bodies.
The menstrual cycle is often reduced to “just a period.”
But in reality, it is a carefully orchestrated dialogue between the brain and the ovaries led by FSH and LH, shaped by estrogen and progesterone, and expressed through the uterus.
🤔Each phase has intention.
Each hormonal shift has meaning.
Ovulation is not random.
Bleeding is not meaningless.
😥Even PMS is not “just moodiness.”
Hormonal changes influence energy, focus, sleep, appetite, emotional sensitivity, and resilience.
The cycle affects the whole woman not just her reproductive organs.
🤐And yet, in many cultures, it remains something whispered about.
Minimized.
Sometimes even dismissed.
But the menstrual cycle is often called the “fifth vital sign” for a reason.
Irregularity may reflect stress.
Pain may reflect inflammation.
Absence may signal deeper endocrine imbalance.
When we listen to the cycle, we listen to the body’s intelligence.
🤗As we enter the stillness of the weekend, let’s shift the narrative
from inconvenience
to insight
from stigma
to understanding.
Because women deserve not only care
but awareness, respect, and informed support.
💭 What is one thing about your cycle that you wish had been explained to you earlier in life?
Dr Rabab Cares
#DrRababCares
#WomenHealth
#MenstrualHealth
#HormonalBalance
#WomenEmpowerment
🤗Final Perspective: Beyond the Diagnosis
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are not defined by fear.
They are defined by physiology, risk assessment, and clinical judgment.
👍Throughout this series, we discussed:
• Risk factors and placental dysfunction
• The role of uterine artery Doppler
• When to monitor and when to intervene
• Timing of delivery
The central message remains consistent:
Pregnancy is dynamic.
Risk evolves.
Management requires continuous reassessment not static labels.
💥Gestational hypertension and preeclampsia are not managed by one number, one test, or one decision.
💥They are managed through:
• Structured surveillance
• Timely escalation
• Context-based decisions
• And individualized care
👁Most pregnancies remain safe.
Good outcomes are not accidental they are the result of systematic follow-up and clinical preparedness.
Medicine does not promise certainty.
It provides structured protection.
Dr Rabab Cares
#DrRababCares
#HypertensiveDisordersOfPregnancy
#GestationalHypertension
#Preeclampsia
#HighRiskPregnancy
#MaternalFetalMedicine
#AntenatalCare
