Being pregnant is a life changing event. This is an opportunity that you should really embrace. During this time around, you will learn many things about your body, which you were previously unaware of. There are plenty of things unknown to you. Also the risks are paramount since you don’t want to cause any harm to your lovely fetus, growing inside your womb.

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Considering the complexity associated with getting pregnant you should consider yourself lucky. For that reason you must do everything to make sure that you and your child remains safe. There are certain things you can and cannot do whilst you are pregnant. This article will solve some of the myths. Also it will help you answer some of the questions regarding pregnancy Check out this exhaustive list of ‘don’ts’.

15 Things Not To Do While Pregnant

Consuming Alcohol

Consumption of alcohol is a strict no-no during pregnancy. Some people might suggest that a glass or two of wine is fine. Especially since wine is good for your heart. But research shows that it is better if you stop drinking alcohol completely during pregnancy. Whilst wine posses no challenge for your developed liver, but as the alcohol crosses the placenta, it might damage your baby’s developing liver. This is something you should avoid at any cost. There are also other studies that confirm that consumption of alcohol can cause many physical and behavioral disorders for the fetus in your womb.

Smoking

Smoking is quite harmful even when you are not pregnant. Being pregnant just doubles that risk. Smoking exposes your child to many sorts of problems. Miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weights are to name a few. Too much smoking can even cause your child to die. There are many cases of smoking mothers linked to infant death.

Drugs

Drugs have dangerous side effect on your unborn child. Any sort of drugs, including prescription drugs can cross the placenta. So, there is always a risk of harming your child. Illegal drugs which have the capacity of harming you can also harm you fetus by a great deal. That is why it is always better to avoid such addiction, during pregnancy.

Too Much Sun Bathing

It is nice be out on the sun after a cold and long winter. And sun rays are normally good for your skin and your body. However, prolonged exposure to sun might cause harm to you and the fetus inside you. Exposure to high temperature can result in a baby born with low IQ, lower birth weight and other sorts of behavioral problems. That is why it is advisable that you don’t spend too much time under the sun, whilst you are pregnant. Stay in a cool and dry place, as much as possible and don’t dehydrate yourself.

Drinking Coffee

We are not telling you to stop drinking coffee completely, but the prescribed limit is 200mg per day. If you are a caffeine addict then try and cut down on the intake, gradually. Try some healthier alternatives like herbal teas or other decaffeinated drinks. High intake of caffeine, during pregnancy can cause serious problems for your child. So, in order to cut down on the risks, the consumption of caffeine should be restricted.

Imposing No Restrictions on Your Diet

Whilst eating more is a good thing to do when you are pregnant, but the choice of food you consume is also a concern. Unlooked foods like certain raw cheese, rarely grilled steaks and fish, oysters are some of the examples of bad food choices during pregnancy. It triggers the possibility of a bacterial contamination. Any kind of infection in your body is likely to harm your baby in more than one ways. The bacteria will cause infection that can itself harm your baby. Moreover, your body’s reaction to the infection can also be dangerous. Sometimes the mother’s immune system causes brain damage to the unborn fetus. So, be careful and selective about what you eat during pregnancy.

Stay Away from the Roads

We understand that it is a challenging thing to ask. However, the less time you spend staying exposed to the pollution, the better it is for you and your baby. All the noise and the hustle of the street are likely to affect your baby’s tender eardrums. Also the threat of the air pollutants is also pretty high. So, avoid being on the streets for long. Try and reach your destinations in the quickest and safest means possible.

Stressing Yourself

Too much thinking often puts additional stress on you. You tend to read too much from the internet (in fact that is what you are doing right now) and tend to freak out. Do not burden yourself with too many bad thoughts. It can lead you into serious depression. Now that is something you should do well to avoid. Because that will hamper the entire cycle of your body and will affect the growth and development of your child.

Going on a Diet

Feeling bloated during pregnancy? Trust us! It is normal. Do not go on a diet to trim yourself down. That is a bad idea to start with. Both you and your child need nutrition and your diet plan can be a big obstacle to that. Your body needs the fat making preparation for the breast milk. For that reason it is foolish to deprive your body from getting the required nutrition. Do not deprive your body from the nutrition it needs. This might cause your fetus to suffer from malnutrition.

Say No to Steam Bath and Sauna

Like sun bathing steam bath, hot tubs and sauna are also very risky. It can raise your body’s temperature to a dangerous level which might affect your baby and you, both. Rise in temperature causes dehydration and it is harmful for the fetus, inside you. It is risky in all the three trimester but avoid any exposure to the heat during the first.

Ignoring Danger Signs

Taking things casually can be really dangerous. There are some prominent danger signs which will be foolish to ignore. Pains, aches, cramps or bleeding should not be considered as normal. Contact your doctor on an immediate basis in case, any such things happen. Do not dig things under the carpet and report any kind of minor problems you face.

Partying too Much

Going out with friends and families on occasion is not a problem. But too much partying is also very bad for you. It puts unnecessary pressure on your body and mind. Staying up late and not getting enough rest is harmful for your pregnancy. Balance out your fun time carefully so that you do not challenge your body beyond the limits.

Too Much Exercising

Even though working out is good for your body, things change a bit when you are pregnant. Regular freehand exercises are fine, but do not push yourself beyond limits. This will take its toll on both you and your baby. The risk of injury increases and also it decreases the blood flow to the placenta. This can harm your fetus by a great deal.

Cleaning your Pet’s Litter

If you have a pet, especially a cat then you should do well to stay away from its litter box. Cuddling and playing with your pet is all fine. But the litter is likely to contain Toxoplasma gondii, a dangerous parasite which can infect your body. This parasite is known to cause permanent damage to your baby’s nervous system. Birth defects are very common side effects to this bacterial infestation. Take care of your pet but ask someone else to clean-up the faeces, for the time being.

Too Much Vitamin A Supplements

Might come as a surprise, but yes! Too much Vitamin A supplements, above the mentioned level can potentially harm your unborn child. The Vitamin A supplements tend to produce toxic acids which can negatively affect the fetus. We always tend to believe that more Vitamin A is good for us, but conversely excess of nothing is actually good.

This is a very generic list of don’ts during pregnancy. Take all the advice you can, from your doctor, to enjoy a problem free and risk free pregnancy.

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