Things to Avoid During Pregnancy
1. Alcohol
The effects of alcohol on a person can vary from person to person. Any alcohol going into a pregnant woman’s bloodstream also goes into her baby’s system. Research shows that when you are thinking of getting pregnant, during your pregnancy and while you are breastfeeding, the best advice is “no alcohol leads to no risk”. Therefore, we recommend that you should not drink any alcohol during this time.
2. Smoking
If you smoke and you are trying to get pregnant or you are pregnant already, you should try to give up. Smoking during pregnancy can seriously affect both your own health and your baby’s development. If you smoke when pregnant you have an increased risk of miscarriage and a higher risk of the placenta coming away from your womb before the baby is born, which can cause premature birth or stillbirth. Babies born to women who smoke have a lower birth weight and more of these babies die from cot death. The sooner you stop smoking the better and it is never too late. Even stopping in the last few weeks of pregnancy can still benefit you and your baby. There are lots of groups and organisations that can help support you to stop smoking.
3. Medications and other drugs
Some medicines, including painkillers, can harm your baby’s health.
As a general rule you should:
- assume that all medicines are dangerous until a doctor or pharmacist can tell you they are safe;
- make sure your doctor or dentist knows you are pregnant before they prescribe anything or give you any treatment; and
- if you take regular medication speak to your doctor once you find out you are pregnant.
However, remember that it is far safer to take many medicines, for example, if you have epilepsy, HIV or diabetes, than to leave the illness untreated.
All illegal drugs, such as heroin, cannabis and cocaine, are dangerous for a pregnant woman. For your own health and the health of your baby, you should not take these from the time you first plan to become pregnant or learn that you are pregnant. For a pregnant woman, there are more risks linked to illegal drug taking. Firstly, drugs may harm your own health, and can affect your ability to support the pregnancy. Secondly, some drugs can directly affect the development of your baby in the womb.
These drugs go through the placenta and reach the baby. The baby becomes addicted along with the mother. At birth, the baby is still dependent on the drug. Because the baby is no longer getting the drug after birth, they can have symptoms of withdrawal such as tremors, sleeplessness, muscle spasms, and sucking difficulties. You can prevent this condition by not taking any drugs during your pregnancy. Talk about all drug use with your midwife and doctor as we can offer additional support to women with drug addiction.
Work and Travel
4. Coping at work
You may get very tired, particularly in the first and last weeks of your pregnancy. Try to use your lunch break to eat and rest. If you work with chemicals, lead or x-rays, or you are in a job with a lot of lifting, you may be risking your health and the health of your baby. If you have any specific concerns, please talk about them with your doctor, midwife or employer.
5. Travel by air
Some airline companies ask for a letter from your doctor or healthcare staff to say that it is safe for you to travel. Research shows that if you travel by air during your pregnancy it can increase the risk of you developing a blood clot. If you do travel it is important to drink lots of water during the flight so that you do not become dehydrated. You should wear ‘flight socks’ and it is important to keep active during a long flight.
6. Car safety
Road accidents are one of the most common causes of injury in pregnant women. To protect both you and your unborn baby, always wear a seatbelt with the diagonal strap across your body between your breasts and the lap belt over your upper thighs. The strap should lie above and below your bump, not over it.