Pregnancy Precautions

Cut Down on Caffeine

Limit coffee, colas, tea, cocoa, chocolate and over-the-counter medications that include caffeine.

Danger to Your Baby: In research studies, pregnant animals given high doses of caffeine showed a higher incidence of malformations and miscarriages and their offspring had a higher incidence of low birth weights.

Mom-to-Be Tip: If you miss coffee, try heating caffeine-free drinks that you usually like, such as hot apple juice with cinnamon or hot lemonade.

Cool it!

Avoid hot baths, spas and saunas with temperatures of 102° F or higher. Also avoid exercising in hot, humid weather for more than 30 minutes. Studies have not found a correlation between the use of electric blankets and fetal malformations.

Danger to Your Baby – Excessive heat poses an increased risk of spinal cord defects.

Avoid Environmental Hazards

Avoid a substance called terotagen, commonly found in bug sprays, household cleaners and many building materials.

Danger to Your Baby – These chemicals have been found to cause birth defects, especially if exposure occurs during the first two weeks after conception.

Danger Kitty!

Don’t go near the litter box. Some cats carry the parasite toxoplasmosis, which – in rare cases – can be transmitted from cat feces through a pregnant woman’s placenta and infect the developing fetus. If you have a cat, get someone else to change the litter box or wear disposable plastic gloves when handling the box. Wear the gloves when working in the garden – cats may have deposited feces there, too.

Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.

Avoid smoking cigarettes or exposure to smoke from other people’s cigarettes.

Danger to Your Baby – Maternal, fetal and placental blood flow change when pregnant women smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke. This may cause placental abruption, the separation of the placenta from the uterus, resulting in stillbirth. Smoking or exposure to secondhand smoke has also been linked to lower-birth-weight babies, increased frequency and severity of childhood asthma and decreased lung efficiency.

Don’t drink alcohol

Alcohol can depress the central nervous system and affect nearly every organ of the body.

Danger to Your Baby – Alcohol crosses the placenta to the fetus and may cause “fetal alcohol syndrome” (FAS), low birth weight and a greater risk of miscarriage or stillborn birth.

Mom-to-Be Tip – In social situations, try drinks mixed without alcohol, such as a “Virgin Mary” (a Bloody Mary without vodka), or lemonade and club soda.

Refrain from illicit drug use

Avoid marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine and other illicit drugs.

Danger to Your Baby – Babies of pregnant women addicted to drugs often suffer withdrawal symptoms. Illicit drug use can also cause stillbirth, miscarriage, reduced birth weight, mental retardation, prematurity and increased risk of SIDS.