- Alcohol, the latest government advice on alcohol is that it should be avoided completely. 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. And moderate alcohol intake, as well as periodic binge drinking, can damage a baby's developing nervous system.
- 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 drugs your 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.
- Nicotine, its a fact if you smoke so is you baby you wouldn't light a cigarette, 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
- prematurity
- 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. - Caffeine
It is suggested that high levels of caffeine consumption has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage, so it's probably wise to limit or avoid caffeine altogether if you can. 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) - Foods - It is recommended that pregnant woman avoid
soft, unpasteurized cheeses such as feta, goat, Brie, Camembert, and blue cheese
unpasteurized milk, juices, and apple cider
raw eggs or foods containing raw eggs, including mousse, tiramisu, raw cookie dough, homemade ice cream, and Caesar dressing
raw or undercooked meats, fish (sushi), or shellfish - 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. - Medications
It is imperative that when you become pregnant that 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.
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.
There you go as promised a list of some of the things to avoid during pregnancy now the choice is yours!
