5 things to avoid when you’re pregnant

Posted in Pregnancy Health.
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There’s so much to look forward to when you find out you’ve got a bun in the oven, but for most of us, there are also a few things that need to take a holiday while we nurture a tiny human being. From foods to radiation from everyday devices – here are some of the main things to avoid when pregnant.

There’s no need to feel the world is out to get you when you’re pregnant, but research over many years has uncovered there are a few things to steer clear of over these crucial nine months. From the minute we find out we’re pregnant, our instinct is to protect our child – so here are some things to sidestep while expecting.

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1. Foods

It can seem like a bit of a minefield when trying to decide what to cut out of your diet while pregnant. Here’s what authorities recommend you avoid:

  • Processed meats, like ham and salami
  • Raw meat
  • Cold chicken
  • Pate
  • Raw seafood
  • Sushi with raw seafood or meat
  • Soft and semi-soft cheese like camembert and feta
  • Soft serve ice-cream
  • Raw eggs (which can be in mayonnaise and mousse)
  • Pre-prepared or packaged salads
  • Uncooked sprouts (like alfalfa)

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2. Hot baths

When you’re lugging around a little human in your belly, there’s nothing more relaxing at the end of the day than soaking in a tub. In the early stages of pregnancy, your growing baby is highly sensitive to your body temperature, so it’s crucial to avoid really hot baths, spas and saunas.

3. Cats

There’s no need to give away the family feline while pregnant, but you should offload kitty litter duty to someone else. Cat faeces can carry a parasite which is responsible for an infection called toxoplasmosis, which while having only mild implications for an infected adult, can cause some fairly serious birth defects if the parasite crosses the placenta to the unborn child.

4. Second-hand smoke

While we’re all aware of the harm smoking can do to unborn babies, it’s also best to try and avoid second-hand smoke. There are many places which now enforce smoke-free zones, so stick to those. And if you’re booking a room in a hotel, make sure you ask for a smoke-free room.

5. Environmental hazards

More and more it seems like we’re surrounded by things that can harm us – modern-world hazards. Some of the ones you should try to avoid while pregnant are paint fumes and harsh cleaning chemicals, and also limit x-rays.

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