How to get Pregnant » Activities To Avoid During Pregnancy
Activities To Avoid During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is something to look forward to as a positive aspect in your life as a woman. The wonderful chance of being a mother is a very rewarding experience. You feel elated and able to overcome all challenges. You suddenly become a superwoman. You become excited, and are bustling with many activities to do while you are pregnant.
However, in as much as we encourage you to maintain your activities of daily living while you are pregnant, there are still some activities which you have to avoid while you are in this memorable stage in your life. These activities may pose danger to you and to your baby's health and they should be avoided, and if not, kept to a minimum.
What are some of these activities? Read on and find out
Things to avoid while pregnant
Caffeine and Alcohol
It is said that caffeine increases your risk for congenital defects and miscarriages. Alcohol is also a no-no, aside from drugs such as marijuana or weed. Even occasionally use of any drugs or alcohol can cause long-term effects on your child. Using drugs or alcohol when pregnant can result in fetal alcohol syndrome, pre-term labor, miscarriage, stillbirth, problems with brain development resulting in retardation, low birth weight, effects on the immune system which can result in frequent health problems throughout the child's life and much more.
Hot baths
The trouble with these baths is the very hot temperature associated with them. If you are pregnant, you should avoid taking very hot baths or Jacuzzis during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. The hot water in baths or hot tubs can raise the body temperature of not only the mother, but the baby as well, to dangerously high levels that can have an effect on the placenta. Bathing in water that is too hot can also cause the mother to become dizzy or feel sick if in it for too long, which may result in passing out while in the tub or falling while trying to get out.
Certain Medications
When you are pregnant, you have to be careful in taking over the counter medications. Some medicines can be harmful to the fetus, so it's best to avoid them. Those meds include Aleve, Advil, Aspirin, Ibuprofen and many others. You should talk to your doctor or midwife before consuming any over the counter medications while pregnant to find out which are harmful to you and which are safe to take. He or she will probably recommend regular Tylenol for pain relief as this is generally safe to take during pregnancy.
Avoid pollution
Smog and particulate matter in the atmosphere brought about by traffic, bad weather conditions or even cat fur and garbage can bring about detriment to you and your baby. You should have fresh air around you so that you can manage to have a healthy pregnancy.
Stress
Stress is bad for your health, especially if you are pregnant! Too much stress can be bad for a pregnancy and can lead to premature labor, so it's best to try and stay as relaxed and comfortable as possible. Finding things that help you relieve stress safely, such as a warm bath or prenatal Yoga, can help keep your stress levels under control and at a healthy level for you and baby.
Cigarette Smoking
Cigarette smoke increases your risk of miscarriage. It increases the risk of sudden infant death when the baby is born. It can affect brain development in the fetus and can lead to your baby being underweight at birth. If you are smoking, it's best to try and quit as soon as you find out you're pregnant. If you're not able to quit, you should at least cut back as much as you possibly can. Second-hand smoke is just as harmful as first-hand smoke, so try to avoid being around others who smoke. If you live with someone who is a smoker, make it a rule that they smoke outside of your home.
During Pregnancy