What is safe and what isn’t during pregnancy?
Every mom-to-be will worry about
what is and isn’t safe during pregnancy but it’s important to adopt a
common-sense approach to potential hazards while not worrying unnecessarily.
There are certain things that you should avoid –but often women don’t even
realize that they’re pregnant until after the fact. ??If you’ve drunk too much,
or smoked or even taken drugs, just make sure it was the last time. Your baby
is probably unaffected by these sorts of activities in very early pregnancy but
likely suffer from continued exposure to these substances.
??It’s important that you’re
honest with your OB-GYN or nurse-midwife about any drug use or medication you’ve taken since
conception, so don’t hold back out of embarrassment. ??Take a look at gurgle’s
guide to what’s safe during your pregnancy:?…
Smoking
It’s well documented that smoking
during pregnancy [SUGGEST LINK] increases your risk of pregnancy
complications as well as miscarriage and stillbirth. Premature and low-birthweight babies, SIDS
(sudden infant death syndrome),
childhood cancers, meningococcal infections, middle ear infections, mental and
intellectual deficiencies, respiratory problems such as asthma and childhood hyperactivity are listed among the
detrimental effects that your baby may suffer should you continue to smoke.
??If you manage to quit before the fourth month of pregnancy, the risk to your
baby is greatly reduced.
The reason smoking is so bad for
your baby is that he is being poisoned by carbon monoxide each time you light
up. It reduces the amount of oxygen he receives and his heart-rate increases.
It’s in your power to make sure he doesn’t suffer these effects, but
second-hand smoke is also harmful, so if your partner smokes ask him to stop or
to avoid doing it around you.
Alcohol
Experts reckon there is no safe
level of alcohol during pregnancy[SUGGEST
LINK], which means that avoiding it is the best policy. Alcohol passes
through the placenta and can potentially affect a baby’s neurological
development. In extreme cases, a baby may be born with fetal alcohol syndrome,
a dangerous condition that affects his nervous system, growth, learning and
memory skills among others.??
Caffeine
Large amounts of caffeine have
been shown to increase the risk of miscarriage and affect your baby’s growth
and heart rate, as well as worsening your mood swings and making you need to
visit the bathroom even more than you already do. ??Experts recommend a maximum
300mg per day – and bear in mind that it’s also present in energy drinks, soda
and chocolate. Wean yourself off it slowly by switching to decaf (which does
still contain some caffeine) and replacing it with nutritious fruit
smoothies.?? When working out your daily limit, remember that espresso coffee
is much stronger than regular coffee.??
X-rays and pregnancy
Doctors will generally avoid
giving you x-rays during your pregnancy although as long as the area being
x-rayed isn’t your abdomen, it should be fine. Dental x-rays are considered
safe as the rays are pointed away from your abdomen and you’ll be wearing a
lead apron.?? However, some dentists would prefer to wait until your pregnancy
is finished before x-raying you and if you think you will fret should you have
an x-ray, leave it for another time. You must inform any doctor who wants you
to have an x-ray if you’re pregnant or likely to be pregnant and let the
technician performing the x-ray know too.??
Chemicals and pregnancy
Chemicals such as those found in
household cleaning products should be used with caution when you’re pregnant.
Either, switch to a more ‘natural’ cleaning range for the duration of your
pregnancy (see green parenting: is it possible?) [SUGGEST LINK] or be sure to wear a mask and gloves when using
conventional cleaners. ?? If there’s a hard-to-miss warning about the high
toxic content of your product, it is probably best to skip it for now.
??If you’re a keen gardener,
this could be the time to go organic. Weedkillers and other pesticides aren’t a
good thing to be handling when pregnant. If you must use them, make sure you
are wearing durable work gloves and boots, and that your skin is well covered.
Wear a mask to avoid inhaling the fumes.
??Something to be aware of in
older homes is the risk of lead in any original paint on the walls and in
old-fashioned lead pipes that the water supply runs through. Get your water
tested, especially if you use a well, as lead puts babies at high risk of a
range of unpleasant conditions.
??If you’re decorating your
home, paint-stripper and heavy duty cleaning materials are also best avoided.
Bear in mind too that older houses may incorporate asbestos in their
construction. Although it’s safe if undisturbed, any damage releases
microscopic fibers that could be harmful to you and your baby if inhaled. If
you find any construction material that looks like asbestos don’t attempt to
remove it yourself – get a professional in to do it.
??Above all, exercise common
sense. It’s not worth becoming neurotic about these things. We’re all exposed
to differing levels of potentially hazardous substances on a daily basis – it’s
a fact of modern life. Your aim should be to minimize any risk while remaining
relaxed. Stressing out about things you have no control over is far more
detrimental to your health in the long run.??
You can watch gurgle videos to
get further advice on this subject by going to the guides what foods to avoid in pregnancy and 10 steps to a healthy pregnancy.
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Last Modified: 05/07/2007
Related Chat 4
Just how bad is a can a day of red bull while being pregnat?? i get moaned at all the time for drinking it, i am under 3 months pregnant???!!!
You need to limit the amount of caffeine you have each day while pregnant, but you don't need to cut it out completely. Caffeine occurs naturally in a range of foods, such as coffee, tea and chocolate, and it's also added to some soft drinks and ‘energy' drinks.
According to independent scientific advice, it's important not to have more than 200 mg of caffeine a day. This is because high levels of caffeine can result in babies having a low birth weight, or even miscarriage.
Guide to caffeine in food
*
2 mugs of instant coffee (100 mg each)
*
1 mug of brewed coffee (140 mg each)
*
2 mugs of tea (75 mg each)
*
5 cans of cola (up to 40 mg each)
*
2 cans of ‘energy' drink (up to 80 mg each)
*
4 bars of plain chocolate (up to 50 mg each)
*
8 bars of milk chocolate (up to 50 mg each)
So if you eat a bar of plain and drink 2 mugs of tea, or a can of cola and a mug of filter coffee in a day, you'll have reached your 200 mg limit.
However, while the caffeine levels do not rule energy drinks out, they do contain other ingredients like taurine. At the moment we do not know what, if any, effects these ingredients have on the short or long term health of your baby.
My midwife had a go at me for drinking lucozade because of the caffine and sugar in it, she said to avoid it as I didnt want to get gestational diabeties. So id avoid red bull at all costs if I was you, its probably 10times worse than lucozade! Just have it as a treat every now and again x x x
I admit i am a Redbull addict! I really cut down on drinking it though when i was pregnant because of the warnings. I didnt have any up until 8 months then had about 4 in the last month and my baby is fine. Avoid it if you can but the odd 1 wont hurt i dont think xx
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