Question: Are Aspirin and Panadol safe in pregnancy?
Generally speaking—yes. There has never been any evidence to link these medications with any form of birth defect.
Specifically, it is probably better not to use any medication in the first three months of pregnancy unless it is essential. Aspirin should be avoided in the last month of pregnancy because it reduces the ability of the blood to clot, and if you come into labor, it is possible for you to bleed more heavily if you have been taking aspirin. You can use Paracetamol (Panadol, Dymadon, Panamax, Tylenol etc.) quite safely in that last month for your backache and headaches.

Question: What are dieureticks (sic)? My doctor has said that is what I am taking.
Diuretics are tablets that remove excess fluid from the tissues by making the kidneys work harder. They are used in heart and kidney failure, high blood pressure and to relieve premenstrual tension. There are many different brands including Dyazide, Hydrene, Moduretic, Lasix and Navidrex.
They are available only on prescription and some types may cause loss of potassium from the body. For this reason, potassium tablets or mixtures, or diets high in potassium, are often prescribed with them. If your doctor uses a term such as ‘diuretics’ that you do not understand, never feel embarrassed to ask him/her what it means. The more you know and understand the better!

Question: I am desperate to fall pregnant, but I am 18 stone and only 5ft 5in tall. The doctor says I can’t fall pregnant until I lose weight, but I can’t seem to stop eating. I want to lose weight very badly, and to have a baby.
There are lots of expensive ways to lose weight, there are lots of different diets, every woman’s magazine ever printed contains weight loss diets, and there are lots of promoters with quick loss schemes. None of these are more successful than a simple low-calorie diet, and in the long run, any weight loss depends upon the ‘won’t power’ of the patient. My simple, cheap, and effective (if followed) diet plan is as follows:
— EAT ONLY THREE TIMES A DAY. Never eat between, before or after your normal meals. Drink only water, black tea/coffee or diet drinks if thirsty.
— EAT THE RIGHT FOODS. Lists of the correct low-calorie foods are readily available from doctors and chemists. Eat a well-balanced diet with foods of all types, but in small quantities.
— EXERCISE DAILY. Exercise to the point where you are hot, sweaty and breathless at least once a day. The exercise can be anything from running up and down stairs, to using an exercise bike or swimming, but preferably should be something that is enjoyable and easily accessible.
— IF NECESSARY, EAT LESS. If you are not losing weight at the rate of one kilogram (2 lbs) per week, you need to eat less. Weigh yourself at the same time each week, and not every day.
— KEEP GOING until you reaches your target weight, and continues dieting to maintain that weight. Any relapse in the diet can see you balloon back to your old self. A weight loss diet is for years, not months.
You will need lots of determination, but there is no other more effective way of achieving your aim.
If you cannot control your desire for food, your doctor may consider a brief course of an appetite-reducing drug. Group therapy such as weight watchers may also give encouragement to weight loss.