Alcoholism
The main purpose of this page is to provide information on pregnancy.
Pregnancy Do's
- Do go to your obstetrician as soon as you find out that you are pregnant. Be sure to get started on your prenatal vitamins right away as most prenatal vitamins have folic acid in them to prevent birth defects. Most birth defects begin in the early months of pregnancy.
- Do take it easy!
- Do enjoy every aspect of your pregnancy!
- Do buy a new crib (or cradle). It's not worth the chance that your baby could slip through the rails if you buy a used one. It can be difficult to track down recalls that are more than a few years old.
- Do make sure that the crib sheet fits securely and doesn't pull off. Oversized sheets can slip off and suffocate your baby. Crib sheets that are too small won't stay on the bed and can slip off putting your baby at risk.
- Do make sure that all the meat you eat is cooked well. Under-cooked pork can lead to toxoplasmosis. Other meat if not cooked thoroughly can cause food poisoning which can hurt your baby. Avoid shellfish as it is a leading cause of food poisoning. Food poisoning can cause miscarriage.
Pregnancy Don'ts
- Don't get into hot tubs, it's not worth it. If you overheat your body, you overheat your baby!
- Don't use drugs. If you use drugs, your baby uses drugs which can cause birth defects. In the least, your baby could be born addicted!
- Don't smoke cigarettes. Cigarette smoking has been linked to low weight babies.
- Don't drink more than 2 cups of coffee a day. Your baby may be at risk of birth defects as caffeine is a drug.
- Don't travel the last month of pregnancy. There is always the possibility of premature labor.
- Don't change the litter box if you have a cat. You could get toxoplasmosis (a very serious illness!). Don't give up your cat, just have someone else change the litter box.
