Knowing What To Avoid In Pregnancy
You will find when you are pregnant well meaning people will try to offer you tips and advice concerning your pregnancy and what you can and cannot do. Some of this information will be outdated and could potentially cause harm to your baby, so if you are given any advice you are unsure about, always check with your midwife first.
Grandmothers and mothers are very keen on saying things like 'we were never told to avoid certain foods and drinks when i was pregnant and no harm came to you!' This is because when they were pregnant doctors simply did not know what they now know due to medical intervention and research. Miscarriages occurred in their day due to what we now know to be preventable incidents such as avoiding foods that cause salmonella in the expectant mother.
The most reliable form of information will come from your midwife or doctor. Tattoo designs for women are best avoided when pregnant and you will be hard pressed to find a tattooist that is wiling to tattoo you when you are pregnant. There is a high risk of you fainting which obviously is dangerous in case you hurt yourself if you fell when fainting. Some tattooists are reticent also because there is the possibility of going into labour if the pain gets too much for you once the tattooist has started.
A early pregnancy guide will most likely inform you that drinking coffee whilst pregnant has been shown to have an increased risk of miscarriage. There have been numerous studies on this and the advice is still unclear to some extent. Some recommend that no caffeine is the best approach, particularly during the first trimester, whilst other research has shown that it can be drunk in moderation with no harm apparent. If in doubt consult your midwife, but you may find mother nature will be at work and the slightest whiff of coffee will have you running to the bathroom!
You may find that the pregnancy hormones cause you to break out in acne. Should this happen do not use products that contain salicylic acid or retinoid as these are unsafe to use in pregnancy.
A glycolic acid skin care treatment is a safe option whilst pregnant and is usually very effective. If this does not work for you then a prescription of a topical skin care cream can be obtained from your doctor.
It is also important that you eat well and get all the additional nutrients that you need. You will be made aware of which foods to avoid and the best ones to eat by your midwife. It is important to get enough iron as it is very common to become anaemic during pregnancy, if this does occur your doctor or midwife can prescribe iron tablet supplements to get your energy levels back to normal.
