Q: I am 28yrs old (Ht: 5'5", current weight: 69kgs). This is my first pregnancy and I am in my seventh month. For last 2-3 days I am having pain in the labius majora and in its vicinity, which aggravates on walking and doing other chores. While resting or sitting or even touching I feel no pain. It seems that I have no pain in abdomen also. Till now I had no problem and I continue to work even though my haemoglobin is 8.9 g/dl.

A:You have not mentioned your latest blood pressure(BP) and whether or not you have swelling over the feet or on the labia majora. If your BP is normal and you do not have swelling over feet and on the labia, this could be due to: a) pain in the pubic bones and pain due to softening of ligaments in the pubic area as a result of changes during pregnancy which is interpreted as pain in the area you have mentioned. This pain would obviously be aggravated by walking and doing other chores. Be sure to take sufficient calcium - in the form of milk and milk products supplemented by 1gm of elemental calcium per day (e.g Tablet of Ostocalcium 500mg twice daily). b)local infection, which can be diagnosed by your obstetrician. Your haemoglobin level is of concern. You must have complete blood counts done, including a peripheral smear, to diagnose the type and cause of anaemia. You must have your obstetrician correct your anemia immediately, and she will be able to tell you whether or not you need to be screened for thalassemia. A check up by your obstetrician will clear all your doubts.