I am two months pregnant and have been getting a thick white discharge from my vagina. Is this normal? Do I need to speak to the doctor about this?
It’s quite common to have more vaginal discharge during pregnancy. There is increased production of the oestrogen hormone in pregnancy, which accounts for breast tenderness and other changes. One of these changes is an increased vaginal secretion. Provided there is no irritation, itching or burning, there is nothing to worry about. However, having any of these symptoms might suggest an infection, so speak to your doctor. To keep your genital area healthy, keep it clean. Always wipe from front to back and wear cotton panties. Avoid tight pants, nylon undergarments and fragrant toilet paper. Don’t douche – douching can upset the normal balance of vaginal flora and increase your risk of a vaginal infection.

What exactly are ovulation kits? I have read that there is a choice between urine ovulation kits and saliva ovulation predictor tests. Which one is better? Or should I just give up on these kits and start charting Basal Body Temperature (BBT) and conduct cervical mucus examination? I know that ultrasonography (USG) is the best way to determine ovulation, but one cannot do it month-to-month. Can you throw more light on the ovulation kits available in the market?
You have already stated that the USG is the best way to determine ovulation; but you do not like the idea of doing it every month. But believe me; you have to go for a USG only 4 -5 times in a month. Ovulation kits available in the market are very expensive and not always accurate. Out of the kits described, the urine ovulation predictor kit is the best, which detects the LH surge. Usually, after 24 – 36 hours of the LH surge, an egg is released from the ovary and there is a high chance of pregnancy during this period. Basal Body Temperature (BBT) is the temperature of your body at rest. To take your BBT, you need a digital thermometer. Taking your temperature first thing in the morning, before you get out of bed, eat, drink or go to the bathroom will give you the most accurate temperature. Use a notebook or a BBT chart to record your temperature. During the first part of your menstrual cycle, the BBT will be lower. Right before ovulation, you will have a slight drop in temperature followed by a sharp rise in temperature. Also, for pregnancy to occur, the mucus should be slippery and copious.

My obstetrician wants me to have a scan to check on the size of my baby. I am only 4 months pregnant. Are these scans safe in pregnancy?
YES! There is absolutely no doubt that an ultrasound scan is safe in pregnancy. Thousands of experiments into its safety have been carried out, and millions of women have had the procedure during pregnancy with no evidence of problems.
Ultrasound is not an X-ray, but actual waves of sound, rather like the dog whistle that animals can hear but which humans cannot.
A greasy substance is rubbed onto your abdomen, and an instrument that contains a miniature high-frequency sound-producing element is then rubbed across your tummy. The sound waves pass through your body, but are reflected and distorted in different ways by different types of tissue, fluid and bone. These distortions can be picked up and measured to give a detailed picture of the growing baby.
The size, shape, position, development and sometimes the sex of the child can all be determined, so it is a very useful tool for measuring the progress of a pregnancy, and making pregnancy safer for both mother and child.

I am 66 years old and the report on a recent X-ray of my chest says that ‘the aorta is unfolded’. Could you please explain in a good old-fashioned way what takes place with this complaint, and are there any exercises that could help?
There is absolutely no reason for you to be concerned about this problem, and there is no need to undertake any specific exercises, as I will explain.
The aorta is the main artery of the body and is about 2 cm across. It starts from the top of the heart, bends (or folds) over, and then runs down the back of the chest and belly along the inside of the backbone. It looks like an upside down ‘J’. Just below your umbilicus (tummy button) it splits into two slightly smaller arteries that continue through the pelvis and down each leg.
In an X-ray of the chest, the heart and aorta can be seen quite clearly. As you age, the bend in the aorta as it curls around from the top of the heart to run down the back of the chest becomes a less sharp bend. The aorta does not fold over on itself as much as it did before, and so in medical jargon, the aorta is said to be ‘unfolded’.
In your case it is a sign that you are no longer 21, and nothing more. In some people the aorta is unfolded and dilated by an aneurysm, which is quite a serious condition, but this can usually be seen on the X-ray and there is no sign that this was the case with you.