One of the life’s best experiences, pregnancy can be an overwhelming experience not just emotionally, but also physically. It is one of the most challenging times for your body but at the same time magical and beautiful. Although a lot of women go through this entire journey of nine months with not many problems, it is best if you avoid some lifestyle habits to have a smooth sailing pregnancy. We have made a list of things you should not do during pregnancy, this will help you be ahead in the motherhood game and help you achieve perfect health for your baby.
1. Avoid Alcohol-
Alcohol is a strict no for all the expecting mothers. Not even a glass. It is extremely harmful for your baby and it will be best if avoided. Some people say it is okay to have wine but that also should not be consumed during these nine months. Your liver may be well and functional, but the growing baby’s liver cannot be grown enough to handle the alcohol that you consume and as it can pass through the placenta it will end up giving defects and deformities in unborn children. It is also elated to stillbirth, Brain damage, Birth defects and miscarriage. For the sake of your baby, avoid alcohol in any form.
2. Too much caffeine-
If you are someone who cannot live without his morning coffee, this might be bad news. While you’re pregnant too much caffeine can affect the baby’s development. Try to restrict your caffeine intake below 200mg. You can still have a few teas, a bar of chocolate or even a can of coke. But try not to over do it one single day. Try to replace your morning tea or coffee routine with herbal teas, honey lemon water or other herbal concoctions sans the caffeine.
3. Sun bathing for long-
We can’t deny that bathing in the sun can be relaxing to some extent. But for women you are carrying, sun bathing for too long is an out of bounds activity. Long hours in the sun can expose you to the risk of causing a heat stroke or sun burns. Sun burns can lead to extremely sensitive skin and also hut the baby. In a lot of cases excess sun bathing by pregnant women has led to lower IQ in children and kids born with lower birth weight. Always protect yourself when going out in the sun. Wear a hat or scarf and cover your belly well. Don’t risk your child’s life for a skin tan.
4. Do not take a hot tub bath-
With all the body aches and cramps that you may start having in this phase, do not resort to taking a hot bath for relaxing. Hot bath, even though may look really tempting, has the potential to increase your body temperature. It can end up harming the fetus and causing birth defects and improper development of your child. Instead for relaxing your body take a warm shower. To cure your back aches and foot pain use warm water bottle and ice packs. It will be a much safer option and also give you proper targeted relief.
5. Don’t travel-
Well, being pregnant does not mean you should lock your self up like Rapunzel in a tower. It just means that you should avoid any travel unless it is just necessary. Reason is very simple. You decide to travel and to have to move around work hard to pack your as well as husband and other kids bags. You finish the packing and cram up in a car or a flight seat where you cannot find a comfortable position for the next few hours. Don’t forget taking multiple pee stops and using restrooms that are not built for your big belly. Even when you reach the hotel you don’t have 25 support pillows that you need around you, for sleeping. You end up having a stressful travel and a sleepless night. It can be like accomplishing a feat. But far from fun. So better thing would be if you could just stay home and relax in a place that has your comfort and needs right where you need them.
6. Don’t start Dieting-
Pregnancy can be a stressful time. For young women to see their bodies grow like an inflated balloon and have stretch marks or swollen breasts can be really depressing. It can be a trying time, esp. for women who are really conscious of their weight and love to workout and diet. But remember more important than your weight is the fact that your baby gets all the nutrition that he requires at this point. All the essential minerals, vitamins and proteins etc can only be derived from the food that the mother eats. So, avoiding these foods in the fear of gaining weight will be unhealthy and dieting can prove really harmful for the fetus. You can start to eat healthy and stay fit after you have delivered your baby.
7. Avoid these foods-
One of the most important concerns of women when they conceive for the first time is to know what to eat and what all to avoid. This is even more crucial for women in the first trimester when the baby is very small in size. We made a list of all foods you should avoid during your pregnancy.
- Sea foods and raw meat
- Papaya
- Sesame seeds
- Eggplant
- Fenugreek seeds
- Pineapple
- Fish
- Unpasteurized dairy
8. Do not paint-
It can be exciting to plan for the coming baby and it is more than normal that you end up shopping and creating a small space for him in your house. But a lot of people also end up painting the nursery before the baby arrives, This however should be avoided. Painting the nursery can cause the pregnant lady to inhale toxic fumes of the paint and cause complications. Painting the nursery can expose you to whatever chemical solvents are present in the paint, this is not dsafe for the baby as well as the mother.
9. Don’t wear heels-
Always wear comfortable footwear during pregnancy. With changing body size, and expanding belly. The center of mass of your body will change and wearing high heels can make you to feel wobbly. To avoid any mishaps and accidents it is best if heels are kept away for these nine months. Additionally, heels can give you bruises or swollen feet, this will be hard to deal with since your belly will prevent you from reaching out to you feet. Take help from husband whenever you can or soak your feet in warm salty water to reduce the swelling.
10. Stay away from smoking zones-
You may not be a smoker in general, Or even if you are, you may have quit smoking during pregnancy. But, inhaling second hand smoke from near by smokers can also affect your body. This smoke is extremely harmful for your baby and you both. It is a no brainer that Cigarettes are associated to cancer, for best health and zero complications avoid standing by smoking zones or someone who is smoking as passive smoke can easily find way to your system.
11. Don’t sit for too long-
During pregnancy sitting or lying down in the same position for too long can be problematic. In a lot of cases women have swollen ankles, veins problem and even sleeping toes. To avoid such uncomfortable feelings, Always keep changing your position after some time. Also keep going for a walk and also keep taking sitting breaks in between. If you have swollen feet because of standing for too long, Sit with your feet raised high and the water retention will reduce.
12. Do not stress-
Antenatal Stress is really common in pregnant women, The fluctuating levels of hormones are known to give you not just great mood swings but also make you depressed and stressed. In such cases do whatever you like the most, Avoid stressful situations, Keep doing things that make you smile. Take a good 8 to 9 hours sleep totally and try to focus more on the positives. Work related stress should best be avoided with bringing down the work load. Try to indulge in soul cleansing activities like meditation, Yoga and walking. It will help you be happy and also keep your child healthy.
Things You Should Do Instead-
While a lot of elder women in an Indian Household tell you what you shouldn’t do, very little information is shared on what you should do instead. Here are some things we thought you should definitely do while you are pregnant and Not just have a great time but also some healthy dividends.
- Wear comfortable maternity clothes. It wont just look really cute but also make you feel comfortable.
- Do not stress over every detail anyone gives. A lot of times those are just pregnancy myths they have heard somewhere. Instead consult your doctor to know what is right.
- Continue going for walks throughout your pregnancy. It will keep your legs and hips healthy and free.
- Start doing some maternity yoga poses that will help you in childbirth and recovery.
- Enjoy the little things. Maintain a journal, buy cute clothes and prepare for a baby.
- Whatever the situation be keep smiling, it is the best way to self reinforce. It will give you the confidence and make you a happy mother.
