If you're pregnant or trying to get pregnant, get ready to hear all kinds of dire warnings, old wives’ tales and horror stories. It can be difficult to separate fact from fiction and know which advice to take and which to laugh off. Let’s take a look at some of the common Rules of Thumb surrounding pregnancy and get the facts straight, shall we?
- You should eat for two. Oh, if only this were true. I might consider spending the rest of my life pregnant! Okay, maybe not. Unfortunately, this one is false. You don’t need any additional calories in the first trimester (which is probably good since many of us spend it with our heads in the toilet). During the second trimester you only need about 300 extra calories a day and during the last trimester 450 extra calories is all that is required for baby to grow healthfully. This equates to an additional snack or small meal each day, not seven full course meals a day. Eating too much while pregnant increases your risk of developing pregnancy complications, including gestational diabetes.
- Don’t eat fish, especially sushi. Actually, eating cooked fish is very healthy for a pregnant woman. Fish is a valuable source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as DHA, which help promote healthy brain development in your baby. However, steer clear of shark, swordfish, mackerel and tilefish. Because of their lengthy life-span, they have a tendency to adsorb much higher mercury concentrations. Similarly, it would be wise to cut out tuna during your pregnancy. While the FDA asserts that no more than 12 oz. a week is safe, a report published in Consumer Reports recommends avoiding it completely to decrease your risk of mercury exposure. Mercury poisoning is a cumulative effect so don’t panic if you’ve eaten tuna recently. Just keep your tuna intake to a bare minimum. As for sushi, if it’s cooked then go for it. Most OB/GYN doctors will tell you that the minimal chance of contamination from eating raw sushi (also called sashimi) is not worth the damaging effects of a parasitic or bacterial infection. If you’re craving sushi, stick to the California rolls or the unagi.
- Don’t eat hot dogs or lunch meat. Not quite. If you’ve got a hankerin’ for a chili dog then feel free to indulge on occasion if you cook that sucker until steam is pouring out of it; same goes for lunchmeat. Hot dogs and other deli (processed) meats can harbor a deadly foodborne bacteria called listeria. It is particularly detrimental to your developing baby and can often cause premature labor and stillbirth. Thoroughly heating all processed meats will kill off any unwanted bacteria.
- Get rid of caffeine. While research has linked caffeine intake to higher miscarriage risk, don’t go cryin’ in your cup o’ Joe just yet. Studies indicate an increased risk for those who consume more than 200 mg of caffeine a day which equals approximately one 12 ounce cup of coffee or 25 ounces of tea. Stick to one cup a day and you should be fine.
- You should decrease the amount you exercise during pregnancy; take it easy. It would seem that the 9-month pregnant marathoner has sufficiently debunked that myth. This is an extreme case, to be sure, but it makes the point that, if your pregnancy is normal, a regular exercise routine is not detrimental to your health or that of your baby’s and, in fact, can provide many benefits. An exercise routine tailored to your abilities can help to reduce stress, backaches and fatigue and ward off gestational diabetes. If you haven't exercised regularly before getting pregnant then you will want to talk to your doctor about beginning a low-impact (walking, swimming, yoga) routine but, if you are no stranger to regular exercise, then you should be able to continue your routine under the supervision of your doctor as long as you are comfortable.
- Steer clear of hot tubs, heating pads and electric blankets. The danger here is in raising your core body temperature above 100-103°. In the early stages of pregnancy, this can cause malformations in your baby and in later stages it can cause fetal distress. Sitting in a hot tub, hot bathwater or under an electric blanket set on high can raise your core body temperature to levels that are dangerous for your baby. If you can control the water temperature in your tub or Jacuzzi to keep it at or below 100° then it is safe to use. Likewise, if you are using an electric blanket and it is not causing you to sweat or overheat, then it is safe. Because heating pads target only one area of the body and, therefore, do not heat up your entire body, they are safe to use during pregnancy.
- Air travel is a no-no. Wrong. As long as you have a healthy pregnancy and your doctor’s blessing, there should be no health concerns with flying. The airline, however, may have a policy against allowing women late in their pregnancies to fly. This is more out of concern for their liability than your health since you may go into labor en route. You’ll have to take that one up with the airline. If your flight is particularly long, be certain to walk around, stretch and move your legs as often as possible to ensure good circulation and decrease your risk of blood clots.
- Bye-bye, Hair Dye. Relax, you don’t have to let your roots take over. Doctors will suggest that you avoid dying your hair in the first trimester as a precautionary measure. Hair dye is made up of some pretty noxious chemicals, after all. Research on the effects of hair dyes in early human pregnancy is scant but animal studies using up to 100 times the normal amount have shown no increase in birth defects.
- Lose the laptop and the microwave. Today’s models of microwaves have more radiation shielding than older models but recent research from Kaiser Permanente showed a three-fold increase in asthma in children born to women with the most exposure to electromagnetic fields from appliances such as microwaves. To be on the safe side, reduce your use of the microwave while pregnant and, if you must use it, stand on the other side of the room while the microwave is heating up your food. Laptops, on the other hand, have not been shown to cause any abnormalities in pregnant women.
- You shouldn’t have sex while pregnant. Oh, yes, you should! In a normal pregnancy, you can get busy right up until your water breaks or you go into labor. As your body gets bigger, it might take some creativity to find a position that is comfortable but there is no reason that you should abstain from sex unless your doctor or midwife says otherwise. Orgasm may cause some slight uterine contractions but they are usually temporary and no cause for concern.
- Give Fluffy the cold shoulder. Cat-lovers will be glad to know that they can continue to cuddle their furry, feline friends. However, leave the litterbox cleaning to your partner. Cat poo can harbor a creepy, crawly parasite called toxoplasmosis which can wreak all kinds of havoc on you and your baby.
- Cocoa butter will prevent stretch marks. Sorry, but, no. There is very little you can do to prevent stretch marks if you are pre-disposed to them. Stretch marks are caused when the skin is stretched due to rapid weight gain. Keeping your skin well moisturized will help your skin stretch more easily and calm the accompanying itch but, unfortunately, there is little that can be done to keep them from showing up. The good news is that, about a year after you deliver, those ugly fault lines will have faded considerably. If your new badges of motherhood honor still bother you, make an appointment with your dermatologist. While nothing will completely remove stretch marks, there are treatments available that can help reduce their appearance. These treatments, however, are considered cosmetic and are not covered under most insurance policies.
Kim is the wife of one rockin' Worship Pastor and full-time mom to four crazy and beautiful kids. Toss in a part-time job, housework, a blog, training for a foster care license and what passes for a social life these days and she’s still wondering how she fits 32 hours into a 24 hour day.
