Pregnancy Dos And Don’ts For A Healthy Baby

Pregnancy is an overwhelming time for soon-to-be mothers. The endless stream of information coming from doctors, family and friends, and finding time to sort out facts from fables can be tricky. New moms may feel an immense amount of stress to do things the right way. Your unborn baby becomes your first priority and you spend a great deal of time preparing to welcome them into the world. This is necessary as many things that you do or don’t do have a great impact on your child’s wellbeing. Knowing that your habits and behaviors have a long term impact on your child can cause anxiety and stress. But this does not have to be the case. Being mindful of your actions and lifestyle choices will ensure that your baby is happy and healthy.

Here are a couple of pregnancy do’s and don’ts to help you along the way:

In This Article

1. Don’t Eat Raw Seafood And Meat

Don't Eat Raw Seafood And Meat
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Eating a balanced diet should be the first thing on your mind when you are pregnant. After all, everything you eat has a direct effect on the health and development of your baby. Sampling a variety of foods will benefit both parties, especially in the fourth trimester when your baby starts to taste food and pick preferences (1). But be careful not to eat everything as some foods are harmful to the fetus. Eating undercooked or raw meat and seafood may cause food poisoning which can cause further health complications. Complications may arise with their heart or kidney. They may be susceptible to infections in the brain and it may also lead to miscarriages or premature labor in worse cases (2). Eating raw fish may expose your baby to high levels of mercury which may result in vision problems, hearing issues or brain damage (3).

2. Do Expose Your Belly To Sunshine

Do Expose Your Belly To Sunshine
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You need Vitamin D and so does your baby. Sitting out in the sun for a couple of minutes will help you feel refreshed and help you get the Vitamin D boost you need. This can be great for strengthening both you and your baby. Moreover, along the 27th week your baby will first open their eyes and blink. This will continue throughout your pregnancy. Although their vision is not developed and is mostly blurry, they respond well to light. Exposing your stomach to the sun is good as long as you are careful. Make sure to be safe so as to not get overheated or dehydrated as you lay out in the sun. The most suitable times to go out and get some light is before 10 am and after 3 pm, that is, not when the sun is directly overhead. In addition to this, make sure to take your Vitamin D tablets that your doctor has prescribed to you. Vitamin D deficiency leads to reduced bone density in the fetus (4).

3. Do Stay Fit

Do Stay Fit
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There are numerous health benefits to having a consistent workout routine and this doesn’t stop when you are pregnant. In fact, the benefits of exercise are even more apparent as it has a direct effect on your baby. Now we’re not asking you to run 5 kilometers or take an upbeat zumba class. But doing some stretching, yoga or simply staying active can do wonders for you and your baby. There are several cognitive benefits that the newborn enjoys if their mother is active. For example, it increases the production of neurons responsible for memory and learning (5). Who ever knew that a 15 minute meditation could amount to this much? Moreover, moms who worked out while pregnant have children who have better motor skills (6). How cool is that!

4. Don’t Clean The Litter Box

Don’t Clean The Litter Box
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If you have a feline companion at home you might want to take percussion while pregnant. While cuddling with your kitty is perfectly safe, cleaning out their litter box is a big no-no for pregnant women. It is full of parasites and bacteria which are harmful for you and your baby and could lead to serious pregnancy complications or a miscarraige. You can get infected by Toxoplasma which causes eye and brain damage at birth (7). Your baby will be more susceptible to mental disabilities or seizures. So, put your partner on litter cleaning duty instead.

5. Don’t Expose Yourself To Loud Noise

Don’t Expose Yourself To Loud Noise
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You and your unborn child may love listening to music but be careful about how loud you blast it at home. There’s nothing wrong with grooving to your favorite tune. Music is actually great for your baby. It increases their concentration and serotonin levels (the happy hormone). But exposing them to loud noises for prolonged periods can affect your baby’s development and even damage their hearing (8).

Pregnancy is a long journey with lots of ups and downs. And although it might seem overwhelming, you will soon learn to lock out the noise and focus on you and your baby. This is the beginning of your journey together. And with these Dos and Don’ts in mind you’ll be sure to do what’s best for your baby. Are there some things missing on our list? Let us know in the comments section!

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