Now to the things to avoid, we know it’s hard, but bear in mind it is only 9 months or a bit longer for some things
if you breast feed, then you can do as you please and a few sacrifices are worth making if you can have a healthy baby!
1. Alcohol
The latest government advice on alcohol is that it should be avoided. The reason for avoiding alcohol is that it is easily
passed along to the baby, who is less equipped to eliminate alcohol than the mother. That means an unborn baby tends to develop
a high concentration of alcohol, which stays in the baby's system for longer periods than it would in the mother's. Avoid
moderate alcohol intake, as well as periodic binge drinking, can damage a baby's developing nervous system.
If you had a drink or two before you even knew you were pregnant (as many women do), don't worry too much about it. But
your best bet is to not drink any alcohol at all for the rest of your pregnancy.
2. Recreational Drugs
Pregnant women who use drugs may be placing their unborn babies at risk for premature birth, poor growth, birth defects,
and behaviour and learning problems. The other risk is that your baby could also be born addicted to the drugs you take themselves.
Being pregnant may help to give you the incentive to come off drugs, if it does you don't have to do it alone there is lots
of help and support out there go to your G.P. or your midwife and ask for help. But remember if you've used any drugs at any
time during your pregnancy, it's important to inform your doctor. Even if you've successfully quit, the baby still needs closer
monitoring.
3. Nicotine
Its a fact if you smoke so does your baby, you wouldn't dream of lighting a cigarette and put it in your baby's mouth
and encourage your little one to puff away but that is what you are doing. The smoking mother passes nicotine and carbon monoxide
to her growing baby.
The risks of smoking to the foetus include:
- Stillbirth
- Baby being premature
- Low birth weight
- Asthma and other respiratory problems
So if you smoke, having a baby may be the motivation you need to quit. Talk to your G.P. about the many options for stopping
your smoking.
4. Caffeine
It is suggested that high levels of caffeine consumption have been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage, so it's
probably wise to limit or avoid caffeine altogether if you can. Recently it has been suggested that drinking as little as
two cups of coffee a day while pregnant doubles the risk of miscarriage. There are many alternatives which are caffeine
free but boiled water served hot in a mug is a great alternative (sounds boring but it’s so good for you and you get
used to it really quickly and you may even enjoy it!)
5. Foods
It is recommended that pregnant women avoid
- Soft, unpasteurized cheeses such as feta, goat, Brie, Camembert, and blue cheese
- Pate of all types
- Unpasteurised, goats,sheeps and cow's milk
- Raw eggs or foods containing raw eggs, including mousse, tiramisu, raw cookie dough, homemade ice cream, and Caesar dressing
- Raw or undercooked meats,poultry, fish (sushi), or shellfish
- Nuts (this is being debated at the moment but the jury is still out so the choice as always is yours)
- Unwashed fruit or vegtables
- Liver and food containing liver eg sausage
We know it sounds harsh but there are very good reasons for not being allowed these foods, liver may contain too high levels
of vitamin A which can be harmful to unborn babies. Smelly cheeses rarely but may contain listeria which can lead to
miscarriage. Raw egg may contain salmonella, and raw meat and fish may cause toxoplasmosis. As with everything in pregnancy
the choice is yours these are the governments guidelines. Tip: if you are worried about not being able to have mayo
and cheese cake then the shop bought ones are ok! They usually contain pasteurised egg
6. Cat's Litter tray
Pregnancy is the prime time to get out of cleaning the cats litter tray. This is due to an infection called toxoplasmosis
that can be spread through soiled cat litter trays and can cause serious problems, including prematurity, poor growth, and
severe eye and brain damage. A pregnant woman who becomes infected often has no symptoms but can still pass the infection
on to her developing baby.
7. Medications
It is imperative that when you become pregnant you read the label of any medication that you take, even common over-the-counter
medications that are generally safe may be considered off-limits during pregnancy because of their potential effects on the
baby. And certain prescription medications may also cause harm to the developing foetus. The same applies to herbal preparations.
8. Essential Oils
Many essential oils are unsuitable for use during pregnancy for example commonly used oils like rosemary, lemon, jasmine,
cinnamon can be harmful, before using any oils be sure to check that they are suitable. To make sure you don't take anything
that could be harmful to your baby:
- Ask your chemist which over-the-counter medicines are safe to take during pregnancy (there are not many).
- Talk to your G.P. about any prescription drugs you're taking or if you feel you desperately need an over the counter medication.
- Discuss any questions about natural remedies, supplements, and vitamins before using them.
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