What To Avoid In Early Weeks Of Pregnancy

March 3, 2022

The First Trimester: Changes To Your Body

Third Month of Pregnancy Diet Foods to Eat and Avoid

During pregnancy, many changes will happen to your body to help nourish and protect your baby. Women experience these changes differently. Some symptoms of pregnancy continue for several weeks or months. Others are only experienced for a short time. Some women experience many symptoms, and other women experience only a few or none at all. The following is a list of changes and symptoms that may happen during the first trimester:

Examples Of Bottle Types

Standard: widely available, and the least expensive option.

Wide-necked: easier to clean, but take up more space.

Anti-colic: reduce the amount of air your baby takes in while they’re drinking.

Shaped: some bottles come with holes in the middle or special handles to make them easier for your baby to hold.

Heat-sensitive: change colour if the milk is too hot.

Self-sterilising: you just need a microwave to sterilise these bottles.

Disposable: sterilised bags that fit inside bottles and are thrown away after feeds.

Glass: more environmentally friendly than plastic bottles, but more breakable.

Deli Meat: Medium Risk

Cold meats, whether from the deli counter or the container of leftovers in your fridge, can cause listeriosis. Its rare, but during pregnancy your turkey sandwich could make you pretty sick .

Either skip the cold cuts or warm them up in the microwave first. If you heat them until theyre 165 degrees, theyre safe to eat.

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Can You Stop A Miscarriage Once Its Started

In most cases, you cannot stop a miscarriage once it has started, no matter the trimester you are currently in. The symptoms of a miscarriage typically indicate the pregnancy is already over.

In some cases, the symptoms may be a sign of a condition called threatened miscarriage. This can occurs in people who are less than 20 weeks pregnant. You may experience heavy bleeding and assume your pregnancy is ending.

However, if a fetal heartbeat is still present, the pregnancy can continue, despite what appears to be signs of an impending miscarriage. Its important, however, that you work with your doctor to help prevent a full miscarriage.

Treatment for a threatened miscarriage includes:

bed rest

There is no shortage of misunderstandings and myths about the unexpected end of a pregnancy. Here, learn more about several common miscarriage misconceptions and the truth behind them.

Pregnancy Glow And Acne During Early Pregnancy

Precautions To Take During the First Trimester Of ...

Many people may begin saying you have the pregnancy glow. The combination of increased blood volume and higher hormone levels pushes more blood through your vessels. This causes the bodys oil glands to work overtime.

The increased activity of your bodys oil glands gives your skin a flushed, glossy appearance. On the other hand, you may also develop acne.

in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says that taking a home pregnancy test at this point will give a more accurate result.

Home pregnancy tests are inexpensive and widely available without a prescription in pharmacies and other stores.

You can take a test earlier than this if you want, but you run the risk of getting a false negative result. This means the test may say youre not pregnant, but in fact you are.

If you take a home pregnancy test too early, there may not be enough hCG in your urine yet for the test to detect it. Home pregnancy tests work by testing the amount of hCG in your urine. This is a hormone thats only present in the blood and urine of pregnant people.

Also, every persons body chemistry is a bit different. One person may get a positive result as early as a day after their period, while another persons positive results may not show up for another week. So, early test results may not be the most accurate.

Unlike at-home urine tests, blood tests are usually done in a clinical setting. Contact your doctor if you want this type of test.

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Foods High In Unhealthy Fat

Dont race out to the closest fast-food restaurant while youre pregnant.

Those places are filled with high-fat processed foods to avoid during early pregnancy .

But that doesnt mean you should avoid fats altogether .

There plenty of healthy fats such as grass fed butter, olive oil, avocados, dark chocolate , and nuts.

These are foods that should be apart of your pregnancy diet.

Should I Have The Flu Vaccine

The flu jab is the safest way to help protect pregnant women and their babies against flu, regardless of their stage in pregnancy, or how fit and healthy they feel.

Pregnancy naturally weakens the immune system, which means it’s harder to fight off infections. As a result, flu can cause serious complications.

One of the most common flu complications is bronchitis – a chest infection that can become serious and develop into pneumonia. Read more about the flu jab in pregnancy on the NHS website.

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Botox Injections And Chemical Peels: High Risk

When you use Botox for cosmetic or medical reasons, youre essentially injecting a toxin into your bloodstream. And chemical peels literally involve applying chemical exfoliants directly to your skin.

Since you should avoid exposure to unnecessary chemicals and toxins during pregnancy, these procedures should wait until after birth.

Can Sex In The First 12 Weeks Cause Miscarriage

How to avoid pregnancy before 1 month? – Dr. Teena S Thomas

If this is your biggest fear, youre not alone. So lets get right to the good news: In a typical pregnancy, sex is safe throughout all 9 months, including the first trimester.

Unless your healthcare provider has told you not to have sex, theres no reason to avoid it regardless of how far along you are. The muscles surrounding your uterus as well as the amniotic fluid inside it help protect your baby during sex, and the mucus plug at the opening of your cervix prevents germs from passing through.

Theres a higher chance of miscarriage in general during the first trimester compared with the other trimesters. Sadly, about 10 to 15 percent of pregnancies end in miscarriage, with the majority of them happening in the first 13 weeks but its important to note that sex isnt a cause.

About one half of miscarriages happen because of chromosomal abnormalities that develop during fertilization of the embryo something that has nothing to do with anything you did. Many causes are unknown.

Per the Cleveland Clinic, miscarriages can also be caused by a variety of risk factors, including:

maternal infections and diseases

use of certain medications, like Accutane
some lifestyle choices, like smoking and drug use
reproductive disorders that interfere with fertility, like endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome

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Foods To Eat And Avoid During Pregnancy

Its well known that a mothers diet during pregnancy is very important to the health of her baby. Expecting mothers need to consume more vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are helpful for a fetus growth and development. However, there are also some foods pregnant women should avoid.

UC Davis Health registered dietitian Katherine Stone shares foods to eat and avoid during pregnancy:

How Much Does A Baby Grow In The First Trimester

During the first trimester alone your baby starts out as a single fertilized cell . After the embryo implants itself in your uterine wall, fetal development takes off, and baby develops into a peach-sized bundle of growing limbs, organs and body systems.

Here are a few of the big highlights happening in this exciting time.

Babys bones: By about week 6, baby starts to sprout arms, legs, hands and feet and fingers and toes around week 10.
Hair and nails: Skin begins forming between weeks 5 and 8, with hair follicles and nail beds forming around week 11.

Digestive system: By about week 8, babys intestines will begin forming, and your baby will have already gone through two sets of kidneys .
Sense of touch: Your baby will develop touch receptors on the face around week 8. By week 12, the receptors will have sprung up on the genitals, palms and the soles of the feet.
Eyesight: Optic nerves and lenses begin to form by week 4, with the retina beginning to form around week 8.

Heart: By week 5, the tube that will become your babys heart begins to beat spontaneously. It will become stronger and more regular and youll be able to hear it! around week 9 or 10 .
Brain: By about week 8 of pregnancy, your babys brain will be wiggling those developing limbs.
Sense of taste: Your baby will have developed taste buds that connect to the brain by about week 8. But because the taste pores are still under construction, baby wont be able to taste the surrounding amniotic fluid .

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Your First Prenatal Visit

Your first prenatal visit is the most thorough. A complete medical history is taken, a physical exam is done, and certain tests and procedures are performed to assess the health of both you and your unborn baby. Your first prenatal visit may include:

Personal medical history. This may include taking record of any of the following:
Previous and current medical conditions, like diabetes, high blood pressure , anemia and/or allergies

Current medicines
Previous surgeries

Maternal and paternal family medical history, including illnesses, intellectual or developmental disabilities, and genetic disorders, like sickle cell disease or Tay-Sachs disease

Personal gynecological and obstetrical history, including past pregnancies and menstrual history

Education, including a discussion regarding the importance of proper nutrition and expected weight gain in pregnancy regular exercise the avoidance of alcohol, drugs and tobacco during pregnancy and a discussion of any concerns about domestic violence

Pelvic exam. This exam may be done for one or all of the following reasons:

To note the size and position of the uterus

To determine the age of the fetus

To check the pelvic bone size and structure

To perform a Pap test to find the presence of abnormal cells

Lab tests, including the following:

Urine tests. These are done to screen for bacteria, glucose and protein.

Blood tests. These are done to determine your blood type.

What You Need To Know

At your first prenatal visit, you will undergo a physical exam as well as certain tests and screenings to assess the health of you and your unborn baby.

First trimester symptoms vary from woman to woman, with some experiencing all known symptoms and others only a few. Duration of symptoms can vary as well.
After eight weeks, the embryo is referred to as a fetus.
Although the fetus is only 1 to 1.5 inches long at this point, all major organs and systems have been formed.

During the first trimester, the fetus is most susceptible to damage from substances, like alcohol, drugs and certain medicines, and illnesses, like rubella .

The First Trimester: What To Expect

A healthy first trimester is crucial to the normal development of the fetus. You may not be showing much on the outside yet, but on the inside, all of the major body organs and systems of the fetus are forming.

As the embryo implants itself into the uterine wall, several developments take place, including the formation of the:

Amniotic sac. A sac filled with amniotic fluid, called the amniotic sac, surrounds the fetus throughout the pregnancy. The amniotic fluid is liquid made by the fetus and the amnion that protects the fetus from injury. It also helps to regulate the temperature of the fetus.

Placenta. The placenta is an organ shaped like a flat cake that only grows during pregnancy. It attaches to the uterine wall with tiny projections called villi. Fetal blood vessels grow from the umbilical cord into these villi, exchanging nourishment and waste products with your blood. The fetal blood vessels are separated from your blood supply by a thin membrane.
Umbilical cord. The umbilical cord is a ropelike cord connecting the fetus to the placenta. The umbilical cord contains two arteries and a vein, which carry oxygen and nutrients to the fetus and waste products away from the fetus.

It is during this first trimester that the fetus is most susceptible to damage from substances, like alcohol, drugs and certain medicines, and illnesses, like rubella .

During the first trimester, your body and your babyâs body are changing rapidly.

Certain Types Of Food Items

You may avoid eating certain types of food during your pregnancy. Let us have a look at these food items.

Fish with a high level of mercury in it. Some of the fishes like mackerel, sharks and even swordfish have high levels of mercury in them. According to a report conducted by the March of Dimes, high levels of mercury may be fatal for your foetus. It might even result in hearing problems, vision problems, and brain damage to the unborn child.

Unpasteurised Dairy and Unpasteurised dairy and juice might contain a bacteria called Listeria. Once the listeria reaches the foetus by crossing the placenta, it may cause deadly effects for the growing baby. Some of the other bacteria present in unpasteurised juice and dairy might even lead to food poisoning.

Raw eggs. Pregnant ladies should avoid eating any food that might contain raw eggs. These food items may include homemade Caesar salad dressing or unbaked cookie dough. The reason behind not eating raw eggs is because they contain salmonella.

Soft cheese. You may avoid eating soft cheese, like feta, queso Blanco, brie, etc. Some of the soft cheese might consist of unpasteurised dairy.

Deli salads and meat. Deli meats and pre-made salads like chicken salads might even be fatal for your foetus. This is because such food items might contain listeria in them. Listeria is a bacteria that may prove to be harmful to the baby if it passes through the placenta.

Here is an indepth article by food safety on pregnant women.

Is There Ever A Reason To Avoid Having Sex During The First 12 Weeks

Remember when we said sex during pregnancy was totally safe unless your doctor told you not to have it? Sex during pregnancy can lead to contractions, which are temporary and harmless in low-risk pregnancies but can lead to preterm labor or other complications if you have an existing medical condition.

Be sure to check with your doctor about whether its safe to have sex during pregnancy if you have one of the following conditions:

Why Am I Cramping After Sex In The First 12 Weeks

First Month Pregnancy Diet – Foods to Eat and Avoid

There are two reasons why you might have mild cramping after sex during early pregnancy. Orgasms, which release oxytocin, and semen, which contains prostaglandins, can both cause uterine contractions and leave you with mild cramping for a few hours after sex.

This is completely normal as long as the cramps are mild and resolve shortly after sex. Try to rest and call your provider if they dont go away.

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The First Trimester: Fetal Development

The most dramatic changes and development happen during the first trimester. During the first eight weeks, a fetus is called an embryo. The embryo develops rapidly and by the end of the first trimester, it becomes a fetus that is fully formed, weighing approximately 0.5 to 1 ounce and measuring, on average, 3 to 4 inches in length.

Is Sex Safe During Pregnancy

Sex is a natural, normal part of pregnancy — if you’re having a normal pregnancy. Penetration and intercourseâs movement won’t harm the baby, who is protected by your abdomen and the uterusâ muscular walls. Your baby is also cushioned by the amniotic sacâs fluid.

The contractions of orgasm aren’t the same as labor contractions. Still, as a general safety precaution, some doctors advise avoiding sex in the final weeks of pregnancy, believing that hormones in semen called prostaglandins can stimulate contractions. One exception may be for women who are overdue and want to induce labor. Some doctors believe that prostaglandins in semen actually induce labor in a full-term or past-due pregnancy, since the gel used to “ripen” the cervix and induce labor also contains prostaglandins. But other doctors think that this semen/labor connection is only a theory and that having sex doesn’t trigger labor.

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Explore Your Contraceptive Options

If you havent already, you may want to go on birth control. There are several hormonal and nonhormonal options to choose from. Hormonal approaches include the following:

Daily combination pills contain estrogen and progestin, two synthetic hormones similar to the ones made by your ovaries.

Your monthly birth control schedule may not be same as the calendar month. That might make it harder to remember when to get and switch your contraception on time.

But there are different options you could use to stay on schedule, including:

Auto-refill. Set up automatic refills with your pharmacy so your prescription is ready when you need it.
Auto-delivery. Auto-delivery gives you the option to have your prescription delivered to your door. You can do this through your pharmacy or by using an app such as Nurx.
Mobile apps. Apps that track your period and birth control are also an easy way to remind you when to take your pill and when you need a refill.

A Note About Supplements

Dietary supplements arent regulated by the FDA, so its best to avoid taking any extra vitamins or minerals during pregnancy unless your doctor has specifically told you to.

You can and should take a prenatal vitamin, which will be full of many of the most essential nutrients you need but may not already be getting in your diet. If youre still worried about a deficiency, try to get as many vitamins and minerals from real food sources as possible .

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