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On this page we have
included some general pregnancy-related questions that many
mums-to-be ask Tommy's. These answers are not meant to provide a
specific response to your individual situation or concern, but you
may find a related question or some information that is of interest
or help.
1. What foods should I avoid in pregnancy?There are some foods that are thought to pose a risk to pregnant
women because they can contain infections, chemicals or vitamins
that can pass from mother to baby and cause harm. These include:
- Liver and liver products
- Soft, mould-ripened cheeses, such as Camembert, Brie and
blue-veined cheese
- Pâté (including vegetable pâté)
- Uncooked or undercooked ready-prepared meals
- Raw or undercooked meat, including cured-only or smoked-only meat,
such as salami or Parma ham
- Raw shellfish, such as oysters
- Fish containing relatively high levels of mercury, such as shark,
swordfish and marlin
- Unpasteurised milk or dairy products made from it
- Raw or undercooked eggs or products made from them such as fresh
mayonnaise.
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Tommy's, the baby charity, runs a
pregnancy information service for mums-to-be, their families and
friends and health professionals.
Tommy's provides a non-urgent pregnancy information line on 0870 777
30 60 from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, run by midwives to
answer any pregnancy questions and concerns – providing individuals
with access to medical experts in a confidential setting. If you
have an urgent pregnancy concern please always contact your local
labour ward for advice. Tommy's aims to respond to all enquiries
within 5 working days; however during very busy periods, this may
take a little longer.
In addition Tommy's also provides free publications written with the
help of medial experts, containing practical tips and advice on
maximising your chances of having a healthy pregnancy. |
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Some other foods that should be limited during pregnancy are:-
Tuna – to no more than four medium-sized tins or two fresh tuna
steaks per week
- Oily fish – to no more than two portions per week. Oily fish
includes fresh tuna (but not tinned tuna), sardines, trout and
mackerel
- Caffeine – to 300 milligrams per day. Caffeine is found in
coffee, tea, cola drinks and products, chocolate and some ‘energy'
drinks
- Alcohol – to 1 or 2 units once or twice per week. There is no
proven safe level of alcohol to drink during pregnancy because any
amount can pass through the placenta to the baby. So although one or
two units once or twice a week is thought to be safe, no alcohol
equals no risk. One unit of alcohol is equal to half a pint of
normal strength beer, a small glass of wine or a single measure of
spirits.
2. Is it safe to fly abroad in pregnancy?Commercial flights are thought to be safe for pregnant women. Like
all people who fly, particularly those flying long distance,
pregnant women should try to reduce the risk of developing blood
clots (known as deep vein thrombosis, or DVT for short) – the
following are some useful tips:-
Wear below the knee elasticated flight socks
- Don't sit in one position for too long – move your feet up and
down regularly and get up to walk around the aircraft whenever you
can
-
Avoid getting dehydrated – drink lots of water and avoid caffeine
and alcohol.
You will need to check with the individual airline when buying the
ticket to find out what their policy is on flying in pregnancy.
Usually, if you want to fly after 28 weeks of pregnancy you will
need a letter from your GP confirming your due date and that you are
in good health, but some airlines may require this letter when
travelling earlier in pregnancy. The limit for flying, set by the
airlines, is usually 36 weeks of pregnancy but you will need to
check this with the individual airline.
Check with you GP or practice nurse to find out if any vaccinations
are required for your destination. You must tell the doctor or nurse
that you are pregnant as they will need to check if the vaccinations
are safe to use in pregnancy.
If you are travelling to an area with a malaria risk it is worth
remembering that malaria is more dangerous to the health of a
pregnant woman and her baby. You should take precautions to avoid
insect bites by minimising skin exposure and using bed nets.
Pregnant women appear to attract twice as many malaria-carrying
mosquitoes as women who are not pregnant, but you should not exceed
the recommended dosage of insect repellents.
It is important to check that your travel and medical insurance is
adequate once you are pregnant. Read all of your policy if you have
an existing insurance policy and, if you are taking out a new
policy, ensure that it fully covers pregnancy and any possible
complications and care of mother and baby should the baby arrive
prematurely whilst abroad.
3. How can I ease nausea in pregnancy?Nausea and sickness are very common symptoms in early pregnancy and
nearly half of all pregnant women report some signs of them. For
most women the first 12 weeks of pregnancy are the worst for nausea,
and it gradually goes away from 12 weeks onwards. However, during
this time it can have a huge affect on your daily life. Feeling sick
and actually being sick isn't restricted to mornings – it can happen
at any time of the day. It occurs because your body is reacting to
higher levels of pregnancy hormones and some people say it is a sign
of a strong pregnancy and shows that your body is adapting to the
changed nature of pregnancy.
Different remedies work for different people, but some things that
can be helpful include:
- Eating a biscuit or snack in bed before getting up in the
morning to raise your blood sugar
- Having snacks and drinks regularly throughout the day
- Ginger – for example ginger biscuits, ginger ale or ginger tea
- Travel sickness acupressure wrist bands – these are elasticated
bracelets that have a plastic button that presses on a particular
place on your wrist.
If the nausea is accompanied by severe vomiting so you cannot keep
food or drink down, then you need to contact your GP or midwife as
soon as possible.
4. What will happen at my antenatal appointments?At your antenatal appointments the midwife will check your blood
pressure and take a sample of your urine. The midwife will be
looking for changes in your blood pressure from your first ‘booking'
appointment (at about 8-12 weeks of pregnancy). In your urine, the
midwife will be checking that there is no protein or sugar. Protein
could be a sign of an infection or later in the pregnancy it could
be a sign of pre-eclampsia [For more information on pre-eclampsia
check out Tommy's website at www.tommys.org]. Sugar is quite often
found in urine during pregnancy and is usually not a problem.
However, this will be monitored by the midwife as it could be a sign
of diabetes in pregnancy.
The midwife will measure the height of your womb and, later in the
pregnancy, they will feel your bump which tells them the size of the
baby and which way round it is. They will probably also listen to
the baby's heartbeat.
Take a list of the questions that you want to ask with you as it can
be easy to forget in the heat of the moment! You can take a partner
or friend along with you but remember that you may be asked some
personal questions, so it should be someone who you feel you can be
honest in front of.
It is very important that you attend all appointments scheduled for
you – these are opportunities for your doctor or midwife to check on
the progress of your pregnancy, to monitor your health and your
baby's development and wellbeing, to look out for any early signs of
complications, plus they are an excellent opportunity for you to
discuss your pregnancy care and plans for the birth.
5. Is it safe to exercise in pregnancy?Starting or continuing a moderate level of exercise is not thought
to cause any harm in pregnancy and may help you to feel good during
the pregnancy. However, pregnancy is not the time to start a heavy
exercise regime. Exercise is not recommended for a minority of
pregnant women if the pregnancy is complicated by other medical
problems – your doctor or midwife would advise you if exercise was
not advisable for you.
There are a few sports that are best avoided in pregnancy. These
include contact sports, high impact sports and vigorous racquet
sports that may risk bumps to your abdomen, excessive stress on your
joints or if there is a risk of you falling. Scuba diving should
definitely be avoided during pregnancy
Gentle exercise such as walking, swimming and yoga are all excellent
ways of improving your stamina and toning your body without heavy
impact. If you attend an exercise class it is important that the
teacher/instructor knows you are pregnant. A good rule of thumb to
remember is that you should always be able to hold a normal
conversation during exercise, if you can't you are probably working
too hard and need to slow down. Always ensure you drink plenty of
water during and after exercising and warm up, stretch and cool down
fully.
6. Is it safe to have sex in pregnancy?Having sex is not thought to cause any harm during pregnancy. You
should be fine to continue with sexual intercourse unless your
doctor or midwife has told you not to because of a complication or
risk in your pregnancy, such as bleeding.
Different women experience different feelings about sex during their
pregnancy. Some women find they want it more than they did before
they were pregnant, and some want it less – neither reaction is
unusual. The important thing is to talk with your partner about your
feelings towards sex, how these have changed during pregnancy and
discuss any impact this is having on your relationship.
7. Do I need to take iron tablets?Providing you have a healthy, balanced diet and your iron levels are
not low then there is no need for you to take additional supplements
of iron. Iron levels do fall in pregnancy so one of the blood tests
that will be taken measures the iron level in your blood; is this is
low then you may be diagnosed as being anaemic and be given iron
tablets. If your GP or midwife prescribes iron tablets for you it is
important that you take the tablets as prescribed.
If you are worried about your iron levels in pregnancy it is a good
idea to eat foods that are rich in iron such as fortified cereals,
red meat and green leafy vegetables. Some women do experience
side-effects of the tablets such as diarrhoea and constipation. To
avoid this always take the tablets with a meal and drink some orange
juice with the meal as this helps the iron to be absorbed into your
system.
8. Do I need to take folic acid supplements?Although folic acid is found in foods such as green leafy vegetables
and nuts, it is unlikely that you could get as much as you need
through a normal diet. All pregnant women, and those planning a
pregnancy, are advised to take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid
per day as an additional supplement to their diet from before
conception until the 12th week of pregnancy.
Folic acid is essential for blood formation and the formation of the
central nervous system; lack of folic acid can lead to neural tube
defects in the baby, such as spina bifida.
Folic acid tablets can either be bought from a chemist or given on
prescription by your GP. If you pay full price for your
prescriptions then it may be cheaper to buy the tables direct from a
chemist, but if you are already pregnant then your prescriptions
will be free.
9. Why was I offered an HIV test?All pregnant women are offered a test for HIV (human
immunodeficiency virus), the virus that can lead to AIDS
(auto-immune deficiency virus). This is because if the result is
positive not only can the mother begin to receive appropriate care
but also the right treatment during pregnancy can reduce the risk of
the baby contracting HIV.
10. How can I get rid of heartburn?Heartburn is a common condition during pregnancy – it can feel like
a burning sensation in the chest and can occur because stomach acids
leak up out of your stomach. The following are a few tips that may
help alleviate heartburn:
- Eat smaller more frequent meals, avoid fatty foods, and caffeine
- Avoid spicy foods
- Try drinking a milky drink
- Think about your posture – sit up straight after meals to help
your food digest
- Prop yourself up on pillows at night.
If heartburn continues to be troublesome after trying these things,
talk to your doctor or midwife and they may be able to prescribe you
something, like antacids, to help alleviate symptoms.
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Disclaimer
Information from Tommy's should not replace the advice of your GP or
other health professional. If you are concerned about your pregnancy
or health in any way, please seek advice at the earliest opportunity
from your GP or other health professional. |
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