It’s a wonderful time for a women when she has a life inside her and there cannot be any beautiful feeling in the world than feeling it move inside you. Any women will surely feel like the happiest and luckiest person in this world. However , despite of your happiness and excitement , you need to take care of some very important things during these 9 months of pregnancy. Whatever you do during this period , not only affects you but also your baby. So each task you do , you need to stop and think about it whether it is fine for you both or not. Even the slightest mistake can make you face dire consequences. But there are a few things that you may find all right but they aren’t. We enlist you 20 such things that you may be doing and that can cause unintentional harm to both the mother and the baby.
1. Smoking
Smoking is injurious to health , but it is even hazardous when you have a life inside you. The smoke can not only harm you but can also damage vital organs of your baby. And you don’t want to do that for sure. So quit smoking and stay away from smokers too.
2. Working out
You’re pregnant , not ill . It’s not a sickness but another life inside you. So you have to exercise a bit daily taking care of the baby too. Don’t do any strenuous exercise. Consult your gynaecologist about what kind of exercise you should do.
3. Sexual activities
Sexual activities are fine until you don’t have a very sensitive pregnancy case or until you don’t get too wild during it. Do not hesitate to consult your doctor.
4. Avoid sitting in hot bath tub or sauna
These are warm areas that can be harmful at times. You can feel suffocation or dizziness. So it’s better avoiding it.
5. Seat belts
Seat belts are a safety measure and you don’t have to avoid it. You just have to know the right way to wear it during pregnancy so you don’t pressurise your belly even a little.
6. Coffee consumption
Don’t drink too much coffee during pregnancy. Caffeine is a stimulant and can travel through the placenta to your baby and increasing its heartbeat.
7. Eating for two
Well you don’t have to do this. You need to gain weight smartly and overeating is not how to do it. You need to plan it strategically or see a dietician.
8. Cleaning a cat’s litter box
You can surely play around with your cat, but cleaning its litter box is surely not your task at this time period. It’s because you can get infected by some microbes that can harm you and your baby both.
9. Visit your dentist
This is a step to avoid any kind of infection coming towards you.
10. Yoga
Practicing yoga can provide you with good mental health during your pregnancy. It also reduces pregnancy pain. But do consult your doctor as these are things to be taken care of by specialists.
11. Milk intake
Avoid unpasteurised milk at any condition. Raw milk may contain a bacteria named listeria which can lead to illness, miscarriage, or even life-threatening consequences.
12. Deli meat
Deli meat includes hot dogs, sausages, smoked salmon, and other cured meats. And we suggest you to avoid it completely as this can cause food-borne illnesses such as listeriosis and toxoplasmosis.
13. Seafoods
Grab them as they are always a good diet. Seafood contains omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and iron which are very healthy for the mother and the baby. But make sure that the seafood is well-cooked because the bacteria is removed after thoroughly cooking it. Also, pregnant women should avoid raw fish and fish that may contain high levels of mercury,such as shark, swordfish, tilefish, and king mackerel.
14. Raw meat
Raw meat ? Well not an option . It has so many bacterias and can already be life threatening.
15. Alcohol
Even small amount of alcohol is harmful for your baby’s health. The baby may have a low birth weight, learning disabilities, and behavioural problems.
16. Have a sound sleep
The constant anxiety and the changing hormone levels make sleep elusive during those nine months. It is a demanding condition and must be given full importance to it, aim for at least seven to nine hours of sound sleep each day.
17. Multivitamins
If needed , you must consult a doctor before taking multivitamin tablets. Because sometimes , a healthy and nutritious diet is not enough during pregnancy.
18. Discuss and educate yourself
Being pregnant is not a very easy thing. You can discuss about it with other pregnant ladies that may share their experiences and you will be getting prepared for delivery in no time.
19. Watch your shoes
As the baby bump grows, your feet may swell and put pressure on your tootsies. So, look out for comfy shoes that do not ache your feet.
20. Fruits
It’s obvious that you should eat fruits after washing them properly. It can boost up your energy levels and provide you with essential nutrients.
