Pregnancy Dos and Don'ts

The research-based recommendations discussed here will help mothers-to-be have healthy, comfortable pregnancies, and protect their growing babies. The recommendations are categorized into pregnancy dos and pregnancy don'ts. In addition to following them, a pregnant woman should attend her prenatal medical visits as prescribed by her doctor.

What To Do While Pregnant

1. Take prenatal vitamins

In addition to eating a balanced diet, an expectant mother needs to take prenatal vitamins. They assist with the healthy development of the fetus and help prevent birth defects. Expectant mothers require higher doses of folic acid, calcium, vitamin D, and iron. Folic acid reduces the baby's risk of neural tube defects to almost zero. A woman should start taking folic acid three months before conception, and until the end of the first trimester of her pregnancy. Vitamin D helps the baby develop healthy muscles, teeth and bones, and keeps the mother's bones and teeth healthy. In the absence of anemia, and with an adequate uptake of dietary iron (30 mg/day), taking supplemental iron is not necessary. However, due to the risk of maternal anemia at birth, iron supplementation is usually prescribed. Calcium supplementation is necessary for women with low calcium intake. It reduces the incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

2. Work out.

Exercise is good for an expectant mother and her baby. Being sedentary on the other hand is harmful for mother and baby. Women who exercised before becoming pregnant should keep with their routine, modifying where necessary (especially in the second and third trimesters). Women who did not exercise before becoming pregnant should start following a gentle fitness routine. Regular exercise during pregnancy combats issues such as muscle pain, mood swings, insomnia and excessive weight gain. Prenatal yoga classes are recommended as they are soothing. Exercises that carry a higher risk of injury such as contact sports should however be avoided.

3. Visit your dentist.

Hormonal changes during pregnancy increase the risk of developing gum disease, a condition known as "pregnancy gingivitis". Pregnancy gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums that can cause swelling and tenderness. Untreated gingivitis could lead to a more serious form of gum disease. This can affect your developing baby's health as well. Medical research has found a link between gum disease in pregnant women and premature birth with low birth weight.

4. Get lots of sleep.

Sleeping well during pregnancy is very important as it regulates growth hormone levels. The amount of sleep a woman gets during your pregnancy affects her health, that of her baby, and the processes of labor and delivery. Women who get less than five hours of sleep in the first trimester of pregnancy are nearly 10 times more likely to develop preeclampsia late in pregnancy. Pre-eclampsia is associated with pregnancy-related high blood pressure, protein in urine and swelling of hands and feet.

5. Sleep on your side in the third trimester 

This allows for maximum blood flow and nutrients to the placenta (which means less pressure on the vena cava) and enhances kidney function. This leads to better and faster elimination of waste products. It also reduces the swelling in a pregnant woman's hands, ankles and feet. Women should avoid sleeping on their backs in the third trimester. Sleeping on the back in the last trimester could result in still births. It also decreases circulation to your heart and to your baby.

6. Have sex 

Sex during pregnancy is beneficial for mother-to-be and baby as it makes the mother sleep better, lowers blood pressure, eases pregnancy discomfort, and lowers stress hormones likes cortisol. When the baby is exposed to fewer stress hormones, it develops better. Only women with certain high-risk pregnancies should abstain from sex while pregnant. These include:

• Women who are at risk for miscarriage
• Women who are at risk for preterm labor
• A cervix that opened too early in pregnancy
• A placenta that's too low in the uterus (placenta previa)
• Having vaginal bleeding, discharge or cramping with unknown cause
• Having a ruptured amniotic sac.

7. Eat a balanced diet

During pregnancy, a woman needs additional vitamins, nutrients and minerals which she must be able to obtain from her diet. It is therefore important that she eats a balanced diet. Pregnant women should eat the following: dried fruits, whole grains, berries, lean meat, dark, leafy greens, eggs, salmon, legumes like lentils, beans, chickpeas, soybeans, peanuts, dairy products and fresh fruits. She should also drink lots of water.

What Not To Do While Pregnant

1. Do not smoke or breathe secondhand smoke.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of health problems for developing babies, such as low birth weight, preterm birth, and birth defects of the mouth and lip. Smoking also increases the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). It's best for women to quit smoking before getting pregnant.

2. Do not drink alcohol.

A woman who regularly consumes alcohol while pregnant could deliver a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). FAS causes brain damage and growth issues in children. Even in small amounts, alcohol consumption during pregnancy is not safe. It is worth noting that the defects caused by FAS are irreversible. The following are FAS symptoms listed by Mayo Clinic:

• Small head circumference and brain size
• Vision difficulties or hearing problems.
• Slow physical growth before and after birth
• Deformities of joints, limbs and fingers
• Heart defects and problems with kidneys and bones
• Distinctive facial features, including small eyes, an exceptionally thin upper lip, a short, upturned nose, and a smooth skin surface between the nose and upper lip.

3. Do not sit or stand for too long.

A study from The Netherlands suggests that standing for long hours during pregnancy may slow a baby's growth. The following are other consequences that could result from standing for too long during pregnancy:

• It will cause lower back pain. 
• It may lead to high blood pressure.
• It may aggravate edema (fluid retention which causes swelling).
• It may cause pain in the public area. It may lead to a condition called Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) or aggravate it if already present.

Researchers have uncovered a link between depression during pregnancy and sitting down for long periods during the second trimester. There is also an increased risk for weight gain and gestational diabetes in pregnant women who sit too much. Spending long hours seated in one place also leads to poor venous return; venous return being the flow of blood back to the heart.

4. Do not take certain medications.

Women are advised to avoid medicines as much as possible during pregnancy, especially during the first three months when a baby's organs form. However, avoiding medicines completely may be impossible especially if the mother-to-be has underlying health issues such as hormonal disorders, high blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma. The following are some of the medicines to be avoided during pregnancy:

• Chloramphenicol - an antibiotic - It can cause gray baby syndrome.
• Ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin - fluoroquinolone antibiotics - They can cause joint pain and potential nerve damage in the mother. They could also cause problems with the baby's muscle and skeletal development.
• Codeine - a pain reliever - It can lead to withdrawal symptoms in newborns.
• Ibuprofen - a pain reliever - It should be completely avoided in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, It can cause a number of issues including miscarriage, jaundice, delayed onset of labor, low levels of amniotic fluid, brain damage in the baby, and hemorrhaging for both mother and baby.
• Soriatane (acitretin) - used in treating severe psoriasis - must not be used by women who are pregnant, or who intend to become pregnant during therapy, or for three years following the discontinuation of therapy. Women of reproductive age should use contraception while taking this drug.
• Isotretinoin, lipitor, arthrotec, warfarin, danazol and tazarotene should not be used as well as they have a high potential of harming the fetus.

5. Do not use recreational drugs.

Cocaine, cannabis, meta-amphetamines, psychoactive substances (legal highs such as) should not be used during pregnancy. Amphetamines increase the risk of low birth weight, birth defects and premature birth. Heroin increases the risk of low birth weight, fetal distress, prematurity, stillbirth, infant withdrawal after birth, and blood-borne viral diseases such as hepatitis.

Cannabis/marijuana is the most common illicit substance used during pregnancy. Although marijuana does not appear to increase the risk of birth defects, current recommendations are to avoid its use while pregnant as a result of concerns regarding fetal neurodevelopment.

6. Do not eat certain foods

A pregnant woman should not eat the following foods: unpasteurized diary, soft cheeses, deli meat, raw meat and shellfish, fish with high levels of mercury, and raw eggs. These carry a small risk of infections, including listeriosis and toxoplasmosis. Some of the foods listed above can cause food poisoning, while others contain too much mercury or vitamin A, which can harm the developing fetus.

7. Do not sit in a hot tub or sauna.

Pregnant women ought to avoid Jacuzzis, saunas and hot tubs as these high-heat environments have the potential to increase maternal body temperature, which increases a mother's risk for miscarriage and birth defects for her baby. Research suggests that using any of those in the first trimester of pregnancy doubles a woman's risk of miscarriage.

8. Do not 'eat for two'.

Women need to be strategic about what and how much they eat while pregnant. A lot of weight gain during pregnancy does more harm than good to both mother and baby. In the first trimester of pregnancy, a woman only needs 100 extra calories. In the second trimester, only about 150-200 extra calories are needed. In the third trimester, this number rises to about 250-350 calories.