What Not to do during Pregnancy?
It is relatively difficult to distinguish the truth from the fiction, especially with the increasing number of people giving their judgment on what not to do during pregnancy and what one is expected to do during pregnancy. However, as a pregnant you must know what are the things a pregnant must avoid during early pregnancy and during pregnancy period. Below are some of the essential elements to keep in mind regarding the pregnancy’s do’s and don’ts.
Smoking
Pregnant women who smoke risk their babies’ health because the babies end up having nonstandard amounts of toes and fingers, just as WebMD states. Webbed feet, missing fingers and extra toes all have a connection to expectant women who kept on smoking when they were pregnant.
In the same way, expectant women who smoke have a higher possibility of encountering premature births, miscarriage and stillbirths. There is also a danger of delivering a baby born with immature lungs and lower birth weight. Therefore, smoking is one of the things included in the list of what not to do during pregnancy (do yourself a favor by avoiding cigarettes – you will save your baby’s life as well).
Drinking Alcohol
Taking alcohol causes fetal alcohol syndrome, which leads to behavioral, mental and physical complications. Therefore, the bottom line is: if you love to have strawberry daiquiri when you are on holiday, there is no need for you to worry; but if your whisky consumption is on a daily basis, there is a possibility of your baby being born with a birth complication.
Eat foods that are unpasteurized
Another thing on the, what not to do during pregnancy list is unpasteurized food. Although you love feta cheese, you ought to avoid unpasteurized soft cheese during your pregnancy period. The Mayo Clinic cautions expectant women that eating anything that has unpasteurized milk leads to premature birth, miscarriage and stillbirth because of a dangerous bacterium known as Listeria monocytogenes. For the entire duration of the pasteurization procedure, the listeria is killed off; therefore, ensure that you only eat pasteurized foods to be on the safe side. Other foods rich in listeria include undercooked or raw fish (like sushi), shellfish, meat and Caesar salad dressing.
Eat heavy metals
This refers to mercury present in fish such as mackerel, tuna and swordfish. The Environmental Protection Agency and FDA caution pregnant women not to eat fish having mercury (mercury harms the nervous system of developing babies). Eat fish such as salmon at lunch, not the tuna.
Changing the litter box
Being pregnant does not mean getting rid of your cat although you need to look for someone who will change the kitty litter. Cat feces have an infection called toxoplasmosis that causes brain and eye damage, premature births and low birth weight. The scary bit in this infection is that pregnant mothers might not necessarily have any signs but there is a likelihood of them passing the symptoms to their unborn babies via the bloodstreams.
Some other guidelines are avoiding caffeine and cooking meat thoroughly. Certainly, this might sound petty but think about your child’s health – there is nothing more essential – therefore, if it means avoiding your best food for nine months, just do it. Think of the ‘what not to do during pregnancy’ and “things to avoid during early pregnancy” guidelines as the most important tips necessary in becoming an amazing mother.
