Guest Post: 6 Things You Didn't Know You Had to Give Up During Pregnancy

Disclosure: This is a guest post, I am not the author. All images were provided to me.

6 Things You Didn't Know You Had to Give up during Pregnancy

by Aleksandre McMenamin

If you have any questions about any of these things, please consult a doctor, and don’t take all of your medical information from the internet. For more information about drug abuse and pregnancy, check out this article here.

If you are pregnant, or trying to get that way, then there are a good deal of things that you may need to change about your lifestyle, at least for the next 9 months. While everyone knows that you can’t be getting drunk and stumbling out of bars or keep smoking two packs a day, or even drink or smoke at all, there is a variety of lesser known foods and activities that you should avoid while pregnant. Here are some of those things...

1. Cold meat

You might want to avoid stopping by the deli during your pregnancy, because there’s a good chance that you shouldn’t be eating anything there. Cold cut meats can have traces of Listeria monocytogenes, which is a dangerous bacteria that causes listeriosis. While adults have advanced immune systems that can easily manage this bacteria (you’re chances of getting listeriosis as an adult are slim to none), this infection can absolutely be fatal to the baby you are carrying around in your body. However, if you thoroughly heat up any deli meat before eating, it will eliminate the bacteria and make it safe to eat.

2. Unpasteurized cheeses

Another edible substance that has a high chance of carrying dangerous bacteria is raw milk. There is an assortment of bacterial organisms that may be found in raw milk that could cause complications in your pregnancy. While this may not seem like such a big deal, as most people don’t drink raw milk, many soft cheeses are made with unpasteurized milk. These can include brie, feta, camembert, bleu, and many different Mexican-style cheeses. If you are partaking in any dairy, take extra care to make sure it is made with pasteurized milk.

3. Hot baths

While this isn’t nearly as dangerous as others on this list, you still might want to taking hot baths or showers while pregnant. The hot water will reduce blood flow to your baby, thus stressing the child out. While it’s unlikely, this could lead to other complications if you are not careful. You can still take warm baths without any worry, but don’t over do the temperature. If you have to acclimate your foot to the water, it is too hot.

4. Too much caffeine

It may be hard to miss that cup of joe every morning, but caffeine is something that you should definitely consider cutting back on during the course of your pregnancy, as it can cause development issues with the child. During your first trimester, you want to avoid caffeine altogether, as the fetus has just begun to start developing. However, in the second or third trimesters you will be able to pick up coffee and tea, again, providing it is only a cup or two per day.

A warning: watch out for painkillers, as they often contain caffeine, as well.

5. Processed foods

Eating processed foods is never really that good for you, even in times when you don’t have another human being growing inside of you. However, when you are pregnant you should cut out as much processed foods as you can, especially processed sugar. It’s a good idea to substitute any sweets or rich desserts with fruit, instead. Too much junk food or processed sugar lead to a child being born with blood problems, and also increases the risk of the child having diabetes.

6. Lazing about

There is definitely a temptation to cut exercise out of your schedule when you become pregnant, but you might want to avoid doing that. Exercising while pregnant keeps your body in a healthy condition that will lead to a healthier baby, and also keeps you active and healthy during the course of your pregnancy. Continuously exercising during your pregnancy will also reduce the risk of your baby having diabetes when it is born. While certain strenuous activities should be discouraged (you might not want to be doing the 400m dash every morning, for example), there are a variety of ways to stay active and keep your baby from being under unnecessary stress while you are pregnant.