Nov 30 2009
How To Keep Safe In Pregnancy.
Pregnancy is a very exciting time. It can also be a very confusing time when everyone seems to want to give you advice and a lot of it can be conflicting. The older generation of woman will not always understand why you have been advised by midwives to avoid certain foods for example.
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!
Acne very commonly occurs during pregnancy due to hormones raging around your body. Be careful about what you use and always read the labels to ensure it is safe to use in pregnancy.
Instead try using a glycolic acid skin care regime that you can buy over the counter. If this fails to work you may need to go and see your doctor and they can prescribe a topical skin treatment which should do the trick.
It is essential to your babies and your health that you eat well and healthily. Read about the foods that are best avoided and bear this in mind when cooking and eating out. In general do not eat shellfish such as prawns, unpasteurised dairy products such as soft cheese like brie, all types of pate and raw or undercooked meats.
