Don'ts! In Pregnancy

[snkatha]

Since becoming pregnant, i've started doing research on what i should and shouldn't eat. I've cut out alcohol (LOVE my coctails but hey), i've cut out un pasteurised cheese, cut out deli meats. But recently read that am not allowed sushi! That's a tough one to be honest. The literature seems to talk about parasites, food handling and all that. However i sometimes get the feeling that if there's a risk no matter how tiny, then it's a no go! Funny but i read that the risk is actually raw molluscs like clams and oysters not sushi. And did you know that your risk is 1 in 2 million servings for sushi as opposed to 1 in 25000 servings for chicken?! I think pregnancy should be a fun, enjoyable time instead you feel like there are so many restrictions coming up it gets annoying :-( am i the only one who feels that medical guidelines during pregnancy are a bit OCD?!

 

[Simply Elegant]

I think you should take it easy and avoid all the big no nos like drinking and smoking. Try not to stress too much, eat lots of healthy food and try to relax.

 

[snkatha]

I also read somewhere that you're not allowed to tan i can understand this when it's a tanning bed but surely a fake tan is good?, no manicures, no dyeing hair, no adding chemical, no coffee and cafeinated drinks. No! No! No! Am actually suprised at this rate am allowed anything! I thought pregnancy is a normal occurence and you're not a delicate piece of china! This to be honest is making me paranoid. The last thing i want to do is harm my baby, but at the same time what advice should i take and what should i ignore? It all seems so contradictory! I thought fish was good for you, cheese too?

 

[Meisje]

Anything you absorb can travel to the baby to some degree.

Fish and cheese are good for you, listeriosis is not --- that's what you may contract from certain types of food.

Listeriosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quote:

The main route of acquisition of Listeria is through the ingestion of contaminated food products. Listeria has been isolated from raw meat, dairy products, vegetables, and seafood. Soft cheeses, unpasteurized milk and unpasteurised pâté are potential dangers; however, some outbreaks involving post-pasteurized milk have been reported.

(sorry, Wikipeida put in those links)

Wash everything well, cook everything thoroughly and avoid raw things and certain kinds of cheeses and you should be fine.

 

[xxManBeaterxx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by snkatha I also read somewhere that you're not allowed to tan i can understand this when it's a tanning bed but surely a fake tan is good?, no manicures, no dyeing hair, no adding chemical, no coffee and cafeinated drinks. No! No! No! Am actually suprised at this rate am allowed anything! I thought pregnancy is a normal occurence and you're not a delicate piece of china! This to be honest is making me paranoid. The last thing i want to do is harm my baby, but at the same time what advice should i take and what should i ignore? It all seems so contradictory! I thought fish was good for you, cheese too?

Cheese is fine to eat but i was told not to eat fish, i practically died since i love sushi and salmon. Fish has a lot of mercury in it which is known to cause birth defects in unborn babies

Tanning beds are def a no no since it raises the body temperature and the bright light is not good for the babies eye (i read somewhere) and i think fake tans are okay after the 1st trimester. Also I learned not to take Advil (ibuprofen) since it's a blood thinner and anti inflammatory but instead take Tylenol. I think moderate amounts of caffine is okay but you still should cut back on it. Large amounts of caffeine is known to cause pregnancy complications for you and your baby.

The same rules apply when your breastfeeding too! Since your baby eats what you eats.

 

[LC]

I'm in my final weeks of my second pregnancy so I can speak with confidence about this

seriously don't worry about most of the stuff you read. True, you're not supposed to have sushi, but only the raw stuff.

Tanning beds are also a big deal. The problems lie in the fact that 1.) it raises your core tempurature which is bad for baby. 2) it contributes to dehydration, which can send you into pre-term labor (I landed in the hospital last week because of being dehydrated and it caused me to go into labor).
Feel free to get in your bikini and go lay out in the sun, but stay cool and stay hydrated. Fake tans are FINE.

no drinking, no smoking, obviously. I drink like a glass of wine maybe once a month, but better to wait til you're in your 2nd and 3rd trimester if you're going to do that.

manicures and hair dye is FINE. I can't tell you how many times i've dyed my hair during this pregnancy or gotten my nails done. The important thing is to make sure it's well ventilated so that you're not getting high off of the fumes. It's so annoying when people would ask me "arent you not supposed to dye your hair while pregnant?"...omg SHUT UP. it's fine as long as you're not breathing in a ton of it.

Caffeine is also fine. you're allowed to have up to the equivalent of 2 cups of coffee per day. So basically unless you drink 10 sodas or coffees per day, you're fine.

Stop reading so much on the internet, people are crazy and put stuff on there being overly cautious.

it's easy. don't drink, don't smoke, don't go in a tanning bed, and don't eat raw meats.

 

[Meisje]

Quote:

Originally Posted by baci manicures and hair dye is FINE. I can't tell you how many times i've dyed my hair during this pregnancy or gotten my nails done. The important thing is to make sure it's well ventilated so that you're not getting high off of the fumes. It's so annoying when people would ask me "arent you not supposed to dye your hair while pregnant?"...omg SHUT UP. it's fine as long as you're not breathing in a ton of it.

Breathing it is not the issue --- dye is absorbed through the skin (as are fake tans). There hasn't been a definitive medial answer as to whether dye is safe.
Most doctors caution against hair-dyeing while pregnant.

 

[marusia]

I second what Baci said. I just had a baby girl 2 months ago, and I ate sushi all the time. Granted, it was all cooked, but fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which is really good for baby. You just have to be careful and not eat too much. It's like 6 oz. per week of certain types of fish you're allowed.

 

[purrtykitty]

I've never been pregnant, but from what I understand regarding mercury, the problem fish are those that are high up on the food chain (i.e. fish that eat other fish that eat other fish, etc...).

I don't know what I'm going to do when DH and I decide to have children. I love fish and sushi (especially the raw variety!). And DH is verrrry paranoid about health issues, so I think I'm going to be a miserably pregnant lady.

 

[pdtb050606]

I agree with everything Baci said too, exactly what I would have said. My Dr. said dying your hair is perfectly fine, and I have continued to do so. I'm also in my last weeks and I just cut down on caffiene, eat healthy and be cautious about what I am taking in.

 

[marusia]

It reminds me of an argument I got into with my fiance. He tried telling me that I shouldn't be taking baths, especially in my last weeks. I just said one thing that shut him up realllly quick:

"The day I have to stop taking baths is the day I'll stop having sex!"

(Baths were the only relief I had while pregnant. I gained 25 lbs. just in fluid in the last month, and it was HELL!)

 

[LC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by pdtb050606 I agree with everything Baci said too, exactly what I would have said. My Dr. said dying your hair is perfectly fine, and I have continued to do so. I'm also in my last weeks and I just cut down on caffiene, eat healthy and be cautious about what I am taking in.

I'm due may 14th what about you? I'll probably have her within the next two weeks though because i've already been in labor twice ;x fine with me though, i'm done being pregnant!

 

[marusia]

Where I live, the Docs are induction happy...and C-section happy. I guess that's not a national thing?

 

[LC]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marusia Where I live, the Docs are induction happy...and C-section happy. I guess that's not a national thing?

?? not sure. I was induced with my last, and I told my doc I wanted to be induced with this one 4 days before I'm due if I haven't had her already and he was fine with it

 

[marusia]

My doctor tried to induce when I was 3 1/2 weeks away. She would have been a premmie. I was so mad that I switched Doctors...and then he said I had to have a c-section 1 1/2 early because she was too big. She was 7lb 7oz. when she was born. LOL Our doctors around here like you to work around THEIR schedule, not the babies.

 

[FiestyFemme]

Quote:

Originally Posted by baci Caffeine is also fine. you're allowed to have up to the equivalent of 2 cups of coffee per day. So basically unless you drink 10 sodas or coffees per day, you're fine. it's easy. don't drink, don't smoke, don't go in a tanning bed, and don't eat raw meats.

I've heard the same thing about caffeine. My friend just recently had a baby, and she had one can soft drink a day, which was fine by her doctor. I don't drink much caffeine, so I'm not to worried about it. Glad I can still have my one cup of coffee in the mornings! Makes the day easier, haha!

I agree with you though, avoid the major no no's, and don't worry about the rest.

 

[marusia]

Here's another piece of advice I can't stress enough...if you feel like sleeping 20 hours a day, then sleep 20 hours a day. Some people may say you shouldn't be sleeping too much, but once that baby gets here...sheesh, you'll be lucky to 3 hours of sleep at a time!

 

[RandomnessWithK]

Quote:

Originally Posted by marusia Here's another piece of advice I can't stress enough...if you feel like sleeping 20 hours a day, then sleep 20 hours a day. Some people may say you shouldn't be sleeping too much, but once that baby gets here...sheesh, you'll be lucky to 3 hours of sleep at a time!

that is so very true! trust me i have 2 toddlers 2 and 3 years old.. and i STILL don't get any sleep! i also work full time and am a student in the evenings while i'm at home.. and on top i have my own website.. but i love my girls!!

 

[snkatha]

Hi everyone,
Thank you all so much for the advice. I've decided to take it easy and i've been feeling MUCH better. My morning sickness has started to get FIERCE and i think the last thing i need is to stress myself. I've cut out alcohol, am not a smoker so that's good and am having pasteurised cheese instead of the unpasteurised stuff.

 

[marusia]

Quote:

Originally Posted by snkatha Hi everyone, Thank you all so much for the advice. I've decided to take it easy and i've been feeling MUCH better. My morning sickness has started to get FIERCE and i think the last thing i need is to stress myself. I've cut out alcohol, am not a smoker so that's good and am having pasteurised cheese instead of the unpasteurised stuff.

I'm calling a GIRL!! They say morning sickness is worse when having a girl. I used to projectile vomit from 6-16 weeks. I don't know if they have these in your country, but try "Preggie pops". They really helped me. Or just bitter candy. I used to take a prescription (phenergan) to help with nausea, but it will knock you out all day.