Most common topics I get asked about?
What foods do I need to avoid?
Stay away from undercooked meats, unpasteurized foods, and lunchmeats that have not been heated.
Tuna, tile, mackerel and swordfish have a lot of mercury, which is not good for the fetal brain, so limit to 12 ounces per week. Always try to buy wild caught fish as opposed to farm raised.
Stay away from alcohol, I know this is not the case in Europe, but here in the US, we recommend staying away from even small amounts.
You don’t have to give up your caffeine; you can still have it, limit to one beverage a day.
Food with a lot of nitrites, like salami and hotdogs are not a good choice for pregnant women.
Medications?
For pain, Tylenol is best. Avoid Motrin, Ibuprofen and any aspirin containing products. You can take most allergy medicine and Sudafed for congestion if you don’t suffer from high blood pressure. Imodium is fine for an upset stomach. All other medications should be cleared by your health care professional.
Skincare
Retin-A cannot be used in pregnancy. Face creams that have salicylic acid have not been proven safe in pregnancy.
Hair dye?
Once again, not proven safe or unsafe. So it is up to you. I tell my patients that maybe they want to wait until 1st trimester is over or avoid it all together if they can. I personally had gray hairs in pregnancy; I just did not want to take any chances.
Sex:
As long as there are no problems with the pregnancy or the placenta. Sex does not hurt the pregnancy, the baby, or the mother. It may be uncomfortable due to the enlarged uterus, or “feel different” and that is ok. My patients ask if it will go back to normal after delivery and I tell them YES YES YES.
What book did you read, what website do you trust?
What to expect, when you are expecting. BabyCenter.com
