What Women Should Follow During Pregnancy?

A woman remains incomplete until she becomes a mother. So, pregnancy is the first step to the fulfillment of womanhood. An expecting mother is probably the happiest person on this earth. However, this happy moment meets a sad end when she loses her unborn child due to some complexity. To prevent such accident, a woman should know what to do and what not to do when pregnant.

What to avoid during pregnancy?

1. Foods to avoid:

a.   Raw or undercooked meat:

Consuming improperly cooked meat can be harmful for both pregnant woman and her unborn offspring because it may contain diseases like toxoplasmosis and salmonella. These bacterial diseases which are infected by eating raw meat can become the cause of serious health problems, such as miscarriage or stillbirth, abnormality, blindness, epilepsy and food poisoning.

b.   Unpasteurized milk, cheese and fruit juice:

Unpasteurized foods refer to raw or unprocessed foods that include milk, cheese, juice, canned food, and others. Unprocessed foods contain a number of bacteria, such as Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter and Escherichia coli (E. coli). So, consuming raw milk, cheese and fruit juice during pregnancy can cause bacterial infections, eventually putting the life of a baby under threat.

c.   Alcohol:

Why are pregnant women advised to completely avoid drinking alcohol? To get the answer, we should have to know the consequences of drinking alcohol at the time of pregnancy. It is harmful for both the baby and mother. Even a small amount of alcohol-contaminated liquor can lead to miscarriage or loss of a baby before or during delivery. It can have a negative impact on the development of baby’s brain and other organs. Other probable health risks are- premature birth, fetal alcohol syndrome, birth defects etc.

d.   Too much caffeine:

Addiction to too much caffeine can have several health problems. Drinking high amounts of caffeine can make women sterile. That is, they will find it difficult to become pregnant. What would happen if pregnant women take large amounts of caffeine? The answer is it obstructs the growth of fetal. More importantly, it increases the risk of miscarriage and low birth weight at delivery. Others effects that happen due to high caffeine intake are bad temper, anxiety and insomnia. Generally, caffeine is found in coffee, tea, soft drinks and cocoa. So, try to avoid these drink items.

e.   Some certain medications:

It is better to always ask your doctor which medicines you should take during pregnancy because some certain medicines can cause harm to your growing baby.

f.    Vitamin A supplements:

It can be the most debated issue whether taking vitamin A supplement is good for pregnancy health. However, in some studies, it has been shown that having too much vitamin A may be harmful to the unborn baby. While you are pregnant, avoid taking foods that contain this certain vitamin.

2. You should not smoke or be around people who do:

When you are pregnant, you should avoid smoking tobacco and you should not be around someone who is smoking because both can harm the baby directly. Tobacco smoke, which carries nicotine, carbon monoxide, and numerous other poisons, passes directly to the baby through the bloodstream. So being around a smoker means absorbing contaminants through inhalation.

3. Don’t wear stilettos or tights:

It is not wise to wear stilettos and tights during pregnancy. With the growth of the baby, the size of a woman’s abdomen gets larger, causing a deal of unease in their movement. So, they may not find wearing high heels comfortable. Even it can be dangerous for health because if a woman falls down, losing her balance, it can lead her to miscarriage. Add to it, wearing tight dresses can give the unborn baby a deformed shape.

4. Strenuous exercise:

Refrain yourself from doing strenuous exercises because it can lead to the miscarriage or deformity of a baby.

5. Things women should avoid during pregnancy:

a.   Excessive fighting with partner:

Fighting with a partner is one of the things to avoid when pregnant. During pregnancy, women frequently get involved in fighting or heated conversations with their partners over a silly or unimportant matter. Apart from physical changes, women also go through some emotional changes, causing a constant oscillation of mind as an outcome of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, the levels of which rapidly changes during pregnancy.

Women quarrelling with their partners often are not normal. This excessive conflict, which is also known as emotional disorders, can have serious effects on both the mother and fetus. It is assumed that this terrible argument will hamper the unborn baby’s brain development. Pregnant mother may develop premature labor pain because of untreated emotional conditions. If the mother is not treated well for her emotional disorders, she will probably suffer from postpartum depression.

Because excessive argument creates extreme stress on the mother, it is likely to affect the relation between husband and wife sooner or later. That means, it will be responsible for the damage of matrimonial relationship. So, it is important for expectant parents to consult with their health care specialist about this severe or intense mood changes. Partner or husband may be unaware of the changes his wife is going through. In that case, the wife can talk to her husband about the underlying mood changes and the feelings she is experiencing. Proper medication or treatment can help lessen these arguments.

b.   Cats or mammals:

Why should women stay away from domestic animals like cat during pregnancy? There is a high risk that expecting mother will get infected with toxoplasmosis through cat’s feces or soil or cat litter that might have been contaminated with this parasitic disease. Women infected with this disease in the early stages of pregnancy have the increased risk of miscarriage, being associated with blindness and brain damage in an unborn baby.

c.   Hair dye:

Coloring hair during pregnancy can be a debated issue. It is thought that coloring hair can be harmful to an unborn baby as it contains chemical substances. However, the risk is very low because it has been found only in hair, not on the scalp or bloodstream. Before doing hair dying, it is wise to talk to your hairdresser.

d.   Painting:

It has been shown in several studies that paint fumes can harm unborn baby. Though the risk is very low, it is wise not to be around when renovation work goes on because exposure to lead-based paint can be a great threat to your baby during the first trimester.

Pregnant women should also avoid

·         Taking sauna, hot tub, or taking long hot baths

·         Raising body temperature

·         Using water bed

·         Using electric blanket

·         Using microwaves

·         Herpes

·         X-rays

6. Things women should do during pregnancy:

Let us see what women should do during pregnancy-

·         They are advised to get medical exams regularly.

·         They should take vaccine in order to prevent Rubella.

·         They should take protein-rich food.

·         They are advised to take prenatal vitamins so that they get everything they need.

·         They can do some easy exercise.

By following dos and don’ts, a pregnant mother can stay away from all probable dangers and can successfully give birth to her baby.