Things You Shouldn’t Do Now That You Are Pregnant

So you’ve just found out you’re pregnant.

You schedule a doctor’s appointment to confirm.

The doctor comes in, asks a couple of questions, tests your urine, comes back and congratulates you because you are indeed pregnant.

He also takes some blood for routine tests, schedules another appointment for next month, and sends you home with a prescription for prenatal vitamins.

“That’s it?” You ask yourself.

Well, in most cases that is pretty much it.

Unless you arrive at the doctor’s office with a series of questions, chances are that the doctor is not going to spend a lot of time with you. So how are you supposed to know if there is anything that you shouldn’t eat now that you are pregnant? Or if you should stop playing tennis? Or if you should continue using Retin-A on your face?

These and many other questions remain unanswered, especially during your first visit with the doctor. Later on, you might start writing all your questions down for your next visit, but unfortunately, some of these do’s and dont’s should be implemented as soon as possible, and not after the “next” doctor’s appointment.

So, if your doctor has not told you so already, make sure you:

1. Don’t smoke. It goes without saying that even one cigarette a day is harmful to you, so imagine what it can do to a developing baby.

2. Don’t drink alcohol. Some people think they can get away with a few drinks here and there, but it is better to completely give up alcohol for the whole nine months. The risk of fetal alcohol syndrome is too high.

3. Don’t use illegal drugs. If I have to explain to you why you shouldn’t use illegal drugs while pregnant, then maybe you shouldn’t have any kids to begin with.

4. Stop cleaning the cat litter. You don’t have to throw out your cat, but ask someone else to clean the litter for you. Cat’s feces could carry toxoplasmosis which can harm your developing baby.

5. Don’t take super hot baths. It’s not good for you to raise your body temperature too high. You can take warm baths, though.

6. Don’t eat deli meats nor hot dogs. I have broken this rule but I’ve taken special precautions: they say don’t eat these meats because they can cause listeriosis. Listeriosis is caused by the listeria bacteria, found in uncooked meats, uncooked vegetables, unpasteurized milk, and processed foods. Because listeria is killed by pasteurization and cooking, I make sure that if I want to have a ham and cheese sandwich, I microwave the ham, and if I want to have a hot dog, I never buy it from a hot dog stand, and I cook it for a very long time at home. 

7. Don’t take laxatives. The effect they have on the body is too harsh during pregnancy. This sucks because if there will ever be a time in your life that you will need a laxative it is now that you are pregnant. Your chances of being constipated are, in fact, pretty high. You can take a stool softner and/or eat prunes safely.

8. Don’t expose yourself to X-Rays. While the risks from a very short exposure are not that high, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

9. Don’t eat baking soda nor drink tonic water. These two were funny to figure out, but at least I checked before taking baking soda for upset stomach.

10. Don’t take over the counter drugs without checking with your doctor first. Medicines that are safe to take while not pregnant, can be very dangerous for the developing fetus. Always check with your doctor.

11. Don’t expose yourself to paint fumes. Paint fumes are highly toxic, and if you paint a room in your house while pregnant you will find yourself exposed and breathing fumes that are going to be harmful to you and especially to the developing baby. If you can’t postpone painting, look for safer alternatives like VOC free paint. 

12. Don’t drink too much caffeine. I won’t tell you to completely avoid caffeine, but if you can that’s preferable. In case you still need some daily caffeine in your system, remember to keep it at a minumum. Opinions differ on what’s consider safe, but it looks like the general consensus is that under 200 mgs of caffeine daily should be ok. Read this article from American Pregnancy for more information and this one from March of Dimes.

13. Don’t take vitamin A supplements. Who knew that taking too much vitamin A while pregnant could cause birth defects? That is one of the reasons why there are prenatal vitamins, and why most of them don’t have any vitamin A in them.

So consider this your starting point, and understand that you should always question things now that you’re pregnant, just to be on the safe side. Also, remember that, for the most part, the baby is more vulnerable in the beginning, during the first trimester, so that’s when you need to be extra careful.