Activities And Foods To Avoid While Pregnant!
Pregnancy is a miraculous time filled with so much joy and excitement. It is also a time to take extra precautions and adjust your lifestyle to cater to your growing baby. While most women can continue with everyday activities during pregnancy, there are a few minor lifestyle changes that will need to be made. After all, the health and well-being of your developing fetus are of the utmost importance. It is best to avoid consuming certain types of foods and engaging in what can be potentially risky activities.
Avoid Alcohol
During pregnancy, alcohol is completely off-limits. Say goodbye to that nightly glass of wine and know that you’re doing what’s best for your baby. Studies show that when a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, the alcohol actually crosses the placenta and can affect the growing fetus. Consuming alcohol during pregnancy may also result in fetal alcohol syndrome.
It is best to avoid consuming certain types of foods and engaging in what can be potentially risky activities.
Avoid Certain Foods
During pregnancy, it is totally common for a woman to both crave certain foods and want to avoid certain foods. This is often due to fluctuating hormones and a changing sense of smell. No matter what you crave or feel averse to, there are a few foods that all pregnant women need to avoid eating. Foods to avoid during pregnancy include:
Lunch meats or deli meats. Deli meats and foods, such as a premade chicken salad, can potentially contain listeria. Listeria is a bacteria that can easily cross the placenta and may be deadly for the fetus. If you desperately want a sandwich, experts recommend heating up your deli meat until it is steaming. Otherwise, avoid deli and luncheon meats entirely.
Unpasteurized juice or dairy. Just like with deli meats, unpasteurized dairy and juice products can contain deadly listeria bacteria or other harmful bacteria that may cause food poisoning.
Most soft cheeses. Certain soft cheeses are known to contain unpasteurized dairy. Typically, experts recommend avoiding brie, feta, and queso blanco.
Fish high in mercury. Avoid any type of fish that is high in mercury. Swordfish, shark, mackerel and some types of tuna can have high mercury levels. Studies show that exposing the fetus to mercury can cause brain damage and hearing or vision problems.
Raw meat, fish, and eggs. Avoid sushi and raw oysters, each can contain both salmonella and toxoplasmosis. Pregnant women are at a higher risk for foodborne illnesses. Raw eggs can also contain salmonella. Pregnant women should always avoid foods that contain raw eggs, including unbaked cookie dough or homemade caesar salad dressing.
Changing a Litter Box
You don’t have to avoid your feline friend while pregnant, but you will need to find someone else to clean the litter box. Pregnant women should avoid changing a litter box as it can put them at risk of developing toxoplasmosis. Toxoplasmosis can cause blindness, intellectual disabilities, brain damage, and eye damage to a developing baby.
Contact Sports and Amusement Parks
During pregnancy, avoid all contact sports and amusement park rides. Football and boxing can increase the risk of placental abruption, which is the premature separation of the placenta from the uterine wall. Similarly, the jarring motion of an amusement park ride can also cause placental abruption which can result in preterm birth or pregnancy loss.
Saunas, Hot Tubs, and Overheating
While relaxing in hot water may seem like the ideal way to soothe pregnancy-related stresses, doctors recommend avoiding hot tubs and saunas. You may also want to avoid hot baths, especially during the early stages of pregnancy.
Studies show that hot tubs and saunas can lead to hyperthermia or very high body temperature, this can lead to congenital abnormalities. Additionally, you should avoid activities such as hot yoga, sunbathing for too long, strenuous exercise, and dehydration.
Stay clear of these foods and activities and you’ll enjoy smooth sailing during pregnancy!
