Risks to Avoid during Early Pregnancy

Week by week your pregnant body will be changing and working extra hard to cope, so it makes sense to take extra care of yourself and avoid unnecessary risks especially in the first trimester. But don’t be alarmed by the multitude of scare stories you mat hear. In reality, there is no reason why, with a bit of extra care and some common sense lifestyle changes, you can’t sail through your pregnancy without putting either your baby or yourself in danger. Here are some of the risks to avoid:- Smoking It’s preferable for you and your partner to give up smoking before getting pregnant, but it should certainly be done as soon as pregnancy is confirmed. Smoking in pregnancy has been linked to premature birth and low-birth weight babies and to babies developing respiratory illnesses and it increases the risk of cot death. Alcohol Drinking alcohol can harm your baby. There is no safe limit, so it really is best to stop drinking altogether. If you do drink alcohol during pregnancy the Department of Health advice is to limit yourself to one or two standard units of alcohol once or twice a week (one standard pub measure of wine, half pint of cider, beer or lager) and NEVER binge drink (more than five standard measures). Caffeine Drinking over 200mg of caffeine a day can increase the risk of low birth weight babies and miscarriage. Certain foods Pâté, peanuts, under-cooked eggs and blue-vein or mould-ripened crust cheeses can be hazardous to your baby. Toxoplasmosis This is a parasite that lives in unpasteurised milk and cheeses, under-cooked meat, soil grown vegetables and cat faeces. It can also be caught through contact with lambing. It’s only a problem if you become infected with it for the first time while you are pregnant and can cause miscarriage, birth defects and stillbirth. Avoid the foods listed above, wear gloves to change cat litter, do the gardening or if lambing. Always cook meat thoroughly and wash all fruit and vegetables. Prescription and over-the-counter medicines It is best to avoid all drugs during the first 3 months, unless they are for a pre-existing medical condition, such as asthma, and have been prescribed by your GP. Abdominal x-rays All x-rays use radiation, which can harm your baby so they must only be used in situations where your condition is life-threatening. Dental x-rays are considered safe, but you must always tell your dentist you are pregnant. Chickenpox and other viral diseases Most adults have had chickenpox in childhood and are therefore immune to the disease. If chickenpox is caught in pregnancy there is a risk to both mother and baby. Viral diseases such as measles and slap cheek syndrome may affect your pregnancy and your unborn baby so always seek immediate medical advice if you have had contact with these.