Things to Avoid During Pregnancy

Nothing is more important for a mother than the health and safety of her unborn baby. You can protect your baby from pregnancy complications and risks by eliminating certain risks from your life.

Here are some things to avoid during pregnancy:

Eliminate Stress from Your Life:

Especially when you are constantly under stress, your body secretes cortisol and stress hormones. Your body goes into “fight or flight mode.” This can lead to increased heart rate and muscle tension in your body. As a result, backaches and constipation may increase.

Continuous exposure to stress in the mother triggers low birth weight and preterm births.

Continuous exposure to stress in the mother can create subtle differences in brain development in the baby, leading to behavioral disorders later in life.

Do Not Smoke:

Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals, including cyanide and lead. It is shown to be the cause of 60 types of cancer worldwide. If you smoke throughout your pregnancy, toxins enter your bloodstream. Your bloodstream is the only source of oxygen and nutrients for your baby. Especially nicotine and carbon monoxide work together to reduce the amount of oxygen going to the baby. As a result, serious complications such as stillbirth, preterm birth, and low birth weight are observed in mothers who smoke.

The likelihood of sudden infant death syndrome is higher in infants of smoking mothers. It is known that smoking increases the incidence of congenital heart anomalies and asthma in babies. Babies of smoking mothers are likely to have learning difficulties, behavioral problems, and relatively low IQ.

“Smoking mothers! During pregnancy, we control many bad conditions with medication. If you smoke, no medication can protect your baby from dangers!”

Stay Away from Alcoholic Beverages:

It is not known how much alcohol is safe during pregnancy. Therefore, alcohol consumption during pregnancy is not recommended. Alcohol consumed in the first three months can cause miscarriages, while alcohol consumed throughout pregnancy can cause preterm births. When you consume alcohol during pregnancy, your baby may:

• premature,
• have vision and hearing problems,
• have attention disorders,
• have behavioral problems,
• may need medical care throughout life.

One of the most common questions I am asked during pregnancy is “Can I drink alcohol during pregnancy?” The answer is “No!” Think about it; you are drinking everything you drink for your baby. No kind of alcohol should be consumed during pregnancy. Based on this information, a glass of wine can be harmful. “But I drank during my first child.” Every pregnancy is different. Drinking alcohol may affect this baby more than our other baby.

If you are planning a pregnancy or have found out that you are pregnant, quitting alcohol will protect your baby from many dangers.

Avoid Excessive Fish Consumption:
Fish is not only a good source of protein but also rich in vitamin D, B, selenium, iron, and especially omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for brain and nerve development. Fish consumption during pregnancy should not exceed 340 grams per week. Because due to increasing environmental pollution, fish contains mercury. Mercury is toxic to the central nervous system, liver, skin, and bone structure, especially when it is present in excess.

Excessive vitamin A intake, especially during pregnancy, can cause congenital abnormalities in the baby. Pregnant women do not need extra vitamins if they eat a normal and healthy diet. Today, fat-soluble vitamins are antioxidants when consumed in appropriate amounts and have a positive effect on the development of the baby and the mother’s health. However, when these vitamins are consumed excessively, especially when they accumulate in the body, they can show toxic effects. Especially excessive intake of vitamin A has a toxic effect on the central nervous system, liver, skin, and bone structure.

Again, excessive vitamin intake during pregnancy is associated with increased rates of obesity, asthma, and diabetes in babies later in life. If you want to use vitamins, be sure to consult your doctor. The important thing here is to replace the missing vitamins.

Avoid Long Durations in Hot Baths, Saunas, and Steam Baths:
Staying for a long time in hot water baths causes the body temperature to rise, endangering the potential baby. In addition, dehydration (dehydration of the body) increases the effect on the baby even more.

Excessive Caffeine Intake:
The amount of caffeine consumed daily should not exceed 200 mg. This is approximately one cup. Excessive caffeine intake can cause low birth weight in the baby.

Medication Use:
While many drugs can be used during pregnancy, many drugs pose a potential risk. Be sure to consult your doctor.

Electric Blanket Use:
Especially by creating an electromagnetic field, it causes cancer in the future.

Over-the-counter drugs, as they have not passed any control, should not be used during pregnancy.