To think it a a bit shit that pregnant women can't buy Castor Oil?

[BlueButTrue]

Yes, I’m aware some people use it to induce labour. But some people also seriously abuse alcohol or whatever have you and are still sold it You wouldn’t even know they’re an alcoholic half the time!

Castor Oil is brilliant for the hair and eyebrows.

Boots won’t sell me anyway.

Holland and Barrett won’t sell me any.

Local chemist say they don’t think it suitable so won’t sell it.

Superdrug won’t sell me anyway.

Apparently they cannot sell to those who’re pregnant. And I’m very clearly about to drop.

AIBU to say this is a bit shitty towards pregnant customers?

I know it gets misused but so does a lot of things sold in chemists etc... And yet those are on shelves!

Being pregnant makes you thick obviously op

Yet if someone used it to induce labour and something went wrong no doubt they'd sue the person for selling it to them hmm

Did you get lost on your way to the Daily Mail comments section?

What you have written makes no sense at all.

When I was heavily pregnant I bought some beer for DP, the woman serving me said "I hope these are for the daddy" while looking at my massive bump.

What does castor oil do? Lube them up so they slide out? (Asking for a friend)

In the rat fancy (and I'm sure others) it's common to give kiddie meds to animals.
As long as you don't tell the pharmacist...

When I went through a time of not being able to swallow tablets, the GP unofficially told me how many spoons of calpol I should be taking (as he wasn't prescribing it he wasn't officially meant to tell me... or something along those lines...)

Was also in the co-op buying a can of Coke - cashier asked if I should really be drinking it? I replied ‘well I need something to mix with my vodka’

I hate this, its why I send my OH to the pharmacy to get omeprazole for me but not every pregnant woman can send someone else to buy for them, it's ridiculous.

At the height of the Atkins popularity, Boots refused to sell me (in my 20s) or my mother (in her 50s) urine sticks as we admitted that's what we wanted them for (to test for ketones)

Had to go in a different branch and claim to be diabetic.

Yes, Amazon solves these problems!

Well paracetamol kills cats but it's into the cat owner to see or ask a vet or inform themselves online.

Wouldn't be the pharmacists fault for selling it to the cat owner.

Technically you could beat someome to death with a frozen chicken but no questions are asked when buying frozen chickens...

BrioAmio It gives you the serious trots and can cause the uterus to contract and bring on labour...

There are ladies who say they never got the trots at all though, and it just worked by causing contractions.

Doesn’t sound too since, raging poops and trying to push out a baby don’t sound very pleasant to me... Horses for courses and all that though, I suppose

I hadn't realised what castor oil actually did when pregnant but a friend had suggested I use it years ago, when I was overdue - I spent the whole of millennium eve on the toilet and just about everything came out except the baby - ended up going in the next day and was induced ... anyone could go to buy it for a pregnant woman in any case, so I think refusing it is a bit ridiculous - obviously explain how it's not good (not at all!) but refusal is silly when there are other ways to get it if needs be

I was refused a glass of wine when I was pregnant. I hadn’t even wanted or ordered one. My friend who I was eating with did and as I was about to order my lunch and drink the waiter said he was sorry but he coukdnt let me have wine in my condition.

I spoke to the manager. Told them that i understood if that was their policy. But I can make up my own mind. And didn’t want the wine anyway. And didn’t like my decisions being made for me. Manager apologised. Definetly not their policy. Brought me a glass o wine (which I did drink) and gave us our food for free. Win.

My friend is a pharmacist and would get in a world of trouble if she sold certain items to pregnant women and it's not worth her licence to risk it

I simply don't believe this, sorry. Can you please post a link to the section of their ethics code which says this.

NEWSFLASH: people buy things for other people. For example, family members, friends, neighbours.

If a pregnant woman bought an item from a pharmacy and it was sold against guidelines and something happened to that baby, there would be questions asked. Like the poster above who had castor oil recommended to her and didn't know it's not a good idea to take it while pregnant. What if her baby ended up in severe distress? Or worse? There would be questions asked and repercussions for the pharmacy

No there wouldn't.

You know those ‘single capsule’ thrush treatments (fluconazole?). Every time I ask for one the pharmacist gives me the full 10 minute interrogation, emphasizing how dangerous it would be to take if I was preggers or breastfeeding.

Only time I’ve had occasion to take more than one, it was on doctor’s orders. When I was breastfeeding and had boob/baby thrush issues. A course of 5 days of them. Sorted me out and meant I could avoid switching to formula, and keep going for more months on the boob. Very helpful.

The research that leads to that warning guff is out of date (I’m a researcher by trade and checked). I have a perfectly competent gp, and can read research, so now I’m that annoying woman ahead of you in the queue making my point. Grrrrr.

There are warnings about being pregnant or breastfeeding on medications, not because they are necessarily dangerous, but because we don't know. Because it would unethical to do tests to find out. So the best thing is to avoid if possible but the chances are they are actually ok in moderation.

There are obviously medications that are/could be dangerous, but presumably they would not be available OTC anyway - to anyone .

Anything else is up to the individual, in the same way as eating something that may be dodgy (soft cheeses) or drinking alcohol is. Or indeed smoking. Pregnant women do not need to be policed, by pharmacists, supermarket staff or waiting staff in restaurants.

I was refused Nytol once when 22 weeks pregnant and unable to sleep.
The assistant didn't ask if I was pregnant just looked at my stomach, went into the back, talked to the pharmacist who also looked at my stomach then refused it saying it interacted with my other medication, it didn't.

I wasn't sleeping as my baby had died and I was waiting to be induced but they just made decisions without involving or informing me. I was too upset to speak and just sent DH to get it later.

When I was heavily pregnant I bought some beer for DP, the woman serving me said "I hope these are for the daddy" while looking at my massive bump.

I would have had to say ‘no they’re all for me, I don’t know who the daddy is’.

Persephone Good God, how very dare they. I am so sorry you were put in that position it’s outrageous.

And they didn’t even check if you were pregnant, just assumed. You could have had a hernia or anything.

Not to mention the one tiny thing... IT REALLY SHOULD NOT BE THEIR BUSINESS TO SUCH AN EXTENT OF NOT SELLIG AND MAKING UP A LIE TO YOU

When I was very heavily pregnant my dm asked me to buy her some nurofen plus (she'd had her front teeth kicked out by a horse and there was no way she was being seen in public!). I didn't realise it was a restricted product and didn't mention the weren't for me. I just couldn't cotton on to what the very embarrassed teenager behind the counter was going on about until I realised he didn't want to ask me if I was pregnant in case I wasn't. He happily sold them to me when I explained though.

Wow, I'm so glad I reached 38 weeks without any of this crap from anyone.
Well, apart from the odd 'I thought you're not supposed to have too much caffiene' comment from my family

juddy I really wanted to say something like that, but I just gave her my best Paddington bear stare

Doesn’t sound too since, raging poops and trying to push out a baby don’t sound very pleasant to me... Horses for courses and all that though, I suppose

Was given an enema when I went into labour so can confirm its not very pleasant having raging poops during labour!

I couldn't buy Gavsiscon Advanced. I'd run out (couldn't wait!!!) and as I knew it can be bought otc I went to the pharmacy. Despite the fact I was being prescribed and the label even says it's fine for pregnant women I wasn't permitted to buy it.

I had that as well - Boots - went down the road to another chemist who had no issue.