Dos and Donts for a pregnant woman

The first three months as a pregnant woman is the most crucial stage in your baby's development as all organs are forming. Throughout your pregnancy, but especially during the first three months, be particularly careful about using any alcohol, drugs or medication. The information below outlines substances that require special precautions during pregnancy. Instructions are also given on how to keep track of fetal movements, an important sign of how healthy a baby is.

Sleep

Try to go to bed a little earlier a few nights before and if you can, take a nap on an afternoon. Believe it or not, this loss of one hour’s sleep can be very disruptive to children and adults alike. It is not always possible to avoid the top 10 pregnancy problems but there are some things you can do to help.

If you are a pregnant woman, you are most likely cherishing every minute of sleep you can get. During pregnancy, sleep is extremely important for you and baby. The problem is, as your pregnancy progresses, getting a good night’s sleep is often difficult; there’s indigestion, heartburn, our backs ache, we can’t find a comfortable sleeping position and we’re up running to the washroom a few times a night (the list of complaints goes on and on)!

So if you find yourself counting sheep in the middle of the night, here are a few suggestions to help you get some valuable sleep. If you really can’t sleep, read some more great tips more on sleeplessness.

Try to exercise during the day; if you can’t work out, try to take a walk Exercise will help you to reduce leg cramps and it improves your circulation During the day, drink lots of fluids but cut back on drinking in the evening (this will help you avoid those late night dashes to the washroom) Avoid eating a large heavy meal at night. This can help you to prevent heartburn. See our eating for two advice Wind down the day by taking a warm bath and then practicing some relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises (this is also great practice for labor) When you go to bed, sleep on your left side; this enables good blood flow to your fetus, to your uterus and your kidneys If you are tossing and turning, grab some pillows to support your tummy and legs or get a special pregnancy pillow And if you are exhausted from the strains of pregnancy or are tired because you’re not sleeping well, squeeze in a nap.

Alcohol
No one knows how much alcohol is safe to drink during pregnancy The danger of alcohol use during pregnancy is that it may cause fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Babies born with FAS may:
grow more slowly
have learning problems
have distorted facial features
There is no cure for these problems caused by fetal alcohol syndrome. Alcohol is an ingredient in many medicines you buy. For example, some cough medicines are 25 percent alcohol. Ask your health care provider if you should use the product during pregnancy. Always read the label before taking any medicine. Smoking
Cigarette smoking may lead to serious health problems for pregnant women. Women who smoke during pregnancy usually have smaller babies than non-smoking women. Low birth weight babies are more likely to have health problems such as:
Infections
Trouble keeping warm
Feeding problems
Breathing difficulties.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
In addition, new research has found significant health problems related to exposure to second hand smoke and a link to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (S.I.D.S.).