A lot of women carry out different activities during the pregnancy period. However, there are a couple of things you should avoid for the well being of both you and your unborn child. Stay put, and go through the entire not to do things during pregnancy list.
{ 1 } Avoid Alcohol at All Cost
Were you drinking before you got pregnant? If yes, you should stop this habit. Medical experts state that drinking alcohol while pregnant poses numerous health factors to your unborn baby. Generally, the mother passes food and other components through the placenta. This means there is a high probability of the fetus to receive alcohol through the placenta. Your child risks developing fetal alcohol syndrome, as a result of drinking alcohol. Fetal alcohol syndrome is linked to numerous health conditions, which can affect normal development of the unborn baby. Here are some of these disorders as a result of drinking alcohol while pregnant:
- Poor growth- As we all know, there is a pattern in which a baby should grow. All together, the unborn baby should attain a specific weight. However, alcohol can affect all these.
- Development delays- Continuous alcohol abuse can delay proper development of the fetus.
- Your unborn baby can be born with physical abnormalities as a result of excessive alcohol drinking.
- Your unborn baby’s intellectual ability might be affected by alcohol.
That’s not all; drinking alcohol might also interfere with your health. These are a couple of reasons you should avoid alcohol throughout your pregnancy.
{ 2 } Avoiding Some Meals
There are some meals you should avoid if you are expectant. Some meals make pregnant women sick, whereas others have unpleasant smell. Here are some meals you should avoid for now:
- Deli meals and meat- Doctors always encourage expectant women to avoid both deli meat and meals until they give birth. A lot of these meals are rich in listeria. Listeria poses numerous risks to the inborn baby. This is one of the bacteria that can easily pass through the placenta.
- Consumption of unpasteurized dairy products and juice- There are instances where unpasteurized dairy products contain listeria that is deadly for the unborn baby. Some unpasteurized juice dairy products also contain other bacteria linked to food poisoning.
- Fish with high mercury percentage- Some fish such as mackerel and shark are known to contain high mercury percentage. Mercury isn’t good form unborn baby. It is linked to vision problems, brain damage and hearing problems.
- Raw fish or meat- Some people eat raw fish and meat. Avoid raw meat at all cost when pregnant because you risk developing foodborne condition. This condition is linked to fever and dehydration. This environment is deadly for the unborn child.
{ 3 } Don’t Try Out Hot Tubs or Saunas
Do you always relax in hot tubs and saunas? This might be tempting because of the numerous discomfort attributed to pregnancy. These discomforts range from back pain and nausea, among others. Don’t try out saunas or hot tubs when pregnant. Hot tabs or saunas can result into high body temperatures that later result into congenital abnormalities. It can also cause hyperthermia. You should also avoid sunbathing in the sun for a long period. Sunbathing for a long time can lead into dehydration due to loss of water. You should also avoid hot yoga exercises. Regularly drink plenty of water to always stay hydrated if you have to step out or get exposed to extreme heat. You can also use heat resistant products. These products minimize the amount of heat penetrating into the body.
{ 4 } Smoking
Smoking is one of the things you should avoid, especially if you are pregnant. You should also stay away from people who smoke. Passive smoking poses severe risks like active smoking. Smoking affects both the mother and the unborn child. Mothers risk developing specific health condition such as lung cancer and heart disease, among others. Smoking affects the unborn child in numerous ways. Here are some ways in which smoking affects your baby:
- You might experience premature birth- As we all know; a child should stay in the womb for nine months before being delivered. However, smoking can interfere with this pattern and result into premature birth. Premature birth is risky for the baby.
- Smoking is also linked to congenital abnormalities. There is no specific abnormality which the baby might develop. It depends on a person and the level of smoking.
- Death of the unborn child. There are situations where smoking can result into the death of the unborn child. This also poses serious health conditions to the mother.
- There might be problems with proper growth of placenta.
Women who are struggling to stop this habit should talk to their doctor for help as soon as possible to avoid risking the unborn baby’s health.
{ 5 } Avoiding Some Workout Exercises
Pregnant women are encouraged to engage in workout routines during pregnancy. However, this is a limit on the workout routines you can engage yourself in. Some exercises pose serious injuries if carried out by expectant women. On the other hand, some exercises require a lot of energy that a lot of expectant women lack. Avoid any workout routine that is linked to:
- Jumping, leaping or bouncing
- That requires you to suddenly change your body posture or the direction you are facing.
- Any workout routine that contains jerky or jarring movements.
Severe exercises are also risky for pregnant women. They can result into back pains, pain in the joint or swelling on specific areas in the body. Always consult your doctor on the activities to engage yourself in. lastly, don’t force your body to do some routines if you feel exhausted. Always listen to your body.
{ 6 } Don’t Drink Plenty of Coffee
As we all know, coffee is both a diuretic and a stimulant. This means that your blood pressure will increase if you take a few cups of coffee every day. Your heart rate will also increase. You will also find yourself regularly visiting washrooms. Well; this looks beneficial to you. However, this is quite the opposite when it comes to the unborn baby. Please note that coffee contains a large fraction of caffeine. This caffeine can reach the developing baby because it passes across the placenta and the umbilical cord. The baby receives almost everything you consume. Your baby isn’t ready to experience the effects of caffeine because its metabolism isn’t fully developed. Plenty of coffee might affect normal development of the fetus or result into serious complications. Therefore, drink coffee with moderation or at least skip a day or two.
{ 7 } Avoid Contact Sports at all Cost
Pregnant women are still full of energy during their first months of their pregnancy. This is the reason you might see some expectant ladies engaging themselves in some sports. Some sports are beneficial to the well being of both the mother and the unborn child. However; don’t engage yourself in any contact sport activity. Unexpected accidents might occur while participating in this activity. As a result, you might end up damaging the placenta. This risks the health of the baby and yours at large. You might encounter pregnancy loss, preterm birth or stillbirth. Contact sports range from boxing, football and basketball, among others. Placental abruption is one the common risks contact sports poses to you. This condition results separation of the uterine wall and the placenta before the right time arrives. Pregnant women are always vulnerable to injuries because their hormonal changes are likely to make their ligaments loose.
{ 8 } Avoid Specific Medications
Do you have a habit of taking over the counter drugs without doctor’s prescription? If yes, you should immediately stop this habit. Doctors discourage pregnant ladies from taking any herbal or over the counter drugs until they give birth. Some over the counter drugs and herbal drugs can severe harm your unborn fetus. Consult your doctor or pharmacist before purchasing any drug. Try your best and avoid the below medications if you want your unborn baby to fully develop without any complications:
- Cold and flu medications during your first and better part of the second trimester. You should also avoid some flue and cold medications with ingredients that risk the health of the fetus.
- Acne medications and inhibitors
- Any anti-inflammatory drug such as Ibuprofen, among others.
- Natural herbal remedies. Some herbs are a mixture of different plants. As a result, it can be difficult to determine if specific plant is safe for unborn babies or not.
{ 9 } Don’t Change Any Litter Box
Some women work for the first and second stages of their pregnancy. There are some instances where you are obliged to clean your litter box. Doctors discourage expectant women from coming into contact or cleaning litter boxes. As we all know, litter boxes are very dirt and contain different bacteria. Expectant women who clean dirt litter boxes are at a risk of contracting toxoplasmosis. This is a very serious condition that affects your unborn baby. A mother passes toxoplasmosis to the unborn baby through the umbilical cord. Here are some symptoms linked to toxoplasmosis:
- Eye damage – Your unborn baby might develop some eye complications. This will only be visible when the baby is born. There are some instances where the unborn baby becomes fully blind.
- Brain damage- Toxoplasmosis can seriously affect your baby to the point he/she is born with brain damage. This might be full or partial damage.
- Toxoplasmosis can also affect the intellectual capability of your unborn baby.
{ 10 } Avoid Activities That Increase Your Possibility of Falling
There are some activities that can only be carried out during the first trimester of your pregnancy. Afterwards, they should be avoided until you fully give birth. These are activities that increase your possibility of falling down. They range from ice skating, skiing, roller coasting and rock climbing, among others. During pregnancy, you are prone to minor falls. This is the reason you should avoid activities linked to sudden stops or a lot of direction changing. Such movements are linked to placental abruption. Placental abruption is linked to separation of the placenta and the uterine wall before the right time. Generally, these pose numerous risks to both the mother and the unborn baby.
{ 11 } Don’t Fast or Regularly Take Junk Food
Do you have a habit of fasting while you are pregnant? Well; this is a bad habit and it should be stopped immediately. Medical studies indicate that the unborn child is fully dependent on what the mother eats for proper growth. As a result, expectant ladies should eat plenty of healthy meals. This ensures your baby absorbs all the vital nutrients, needed for his/her growth. Ensure your meals are rich in protein, minerals, healthy fats and Vitamins, among others. Keeping yourself full all the times gives you the energy to carry out various errands. Moving on, you should avoid junk food at all cost. Junk foods are not healthy at all. In fact, they can ruin your general health. Check out healthy snacks if you must east them.
{ 12 } Don’t Abuse Drugs
Some expectant women use illegal drugs. These drugs are always dangerous. They make our health to deteriorate if taken for a long period. Abusing drugs while pregnant is very risky for both you and the child. It can make your baby go through neonatal abstinence syndrome. This is a withdrawal state, which the baby undergoes when he/she is born. That’s not all; drug abuse also increases the possibility of pregnancy loss, different types of abnormalities or even risk stillbirth.
Some pregnant ladies find it difficult to abandon some habits. You need to persevere for the well being of your unborn baby. Always contact your doctor for guidance and advice on how to avoid some habits, especially if they are linked to addiction. Some habits cannot be stopped instantly. Find support from friends and loved ones and friends. Your body is not the same before you got pregnant. It is complicated and delicate. This is the reason you should take care of yourself throughout your pregnancy.
Also check Best Exercise for Pregnant Women