Things to avoid during pregnancy

cookiecakes

I've literally stopped having anything that it is not recommended. I'm a total cautious carol so just decided to go for it. Some things are harder than others (I'd love a big bowl of mussels with garlic and chillies!) but I can wait it out. I don't drink or smoke so I didn't have to worry about those but otherwise I'm following things to the T! I won't even paint my nails lest the nail polish not be 5-free (and I love painting my nails!!) It'll be worth it in the end and come February I am going to eat all the shellfish..There'll be no prawns for anyone else in the country!!

shesty

I agree.Pate, wine, shellfish, speciality cheeses are all daily foods in the likes of France.I can"t imagine too many French women forgoing all of those things.But then they eat them in moderation so maybe that's really it...

Millem

Just to echo what other poster said about eggs...,you can have them runny if they have red individual stamp on them......it basically means they are salmonella free and fully traceable.

On the gel nails......so I have posted before about getting mine done last week (which I did)! Anyway unexpectedly had the baby 2 days after I had them done! The clip thing worked on my finger nail no problem. In fact got compliments on my nails from everyone during my stay!! I thought I would of been given out too! I get gel on my own nail....CDC French.
I have gotten my nails refilled throughout both of my pregnancies

spottybananas

Millem I don't think it's the clip thing that's the problem with nail varnish/Shellac etc, it's that they want to see your nail beds because the colour of them can indicate lack of oxygen?

Millem

spottybananas wrote: »

Millem I don't think it's the clip thing that's the problem with nail varnish/Shellac etc, it's that they want to see your nail beds because the colour of them can indicate lack of oxygen?

I don't know...I went in with nothing on my toes. Was actually trying to hand my hands in case they said anything!!! Anyway no one batted an eyelid I had even rang on the Tuesday to ask if I should get them done and the midwife was like yeah grand sure if needs be we can remove one....I said no I don't think you can't remove one tbh!!!
On my first son I left my toenails empty and left my gel nails grow so you could see tops of my nails.
Anyway for me if I have another one I won't give it a second thought

tea_and_cake

Millem wrote: »

Just to echo what other poster said about eggs...,you can have them runny if they have red individual stamp on them......it basically means they are salmonella free and fully traceable.

Where in Ireland do I get eggs with a red label. I really miss half cooked eggs.

I had to go to a nutrition talk cause my BMI is over 30 (30.5 cause of meds, cried when told that) and the nutritionist said even pasteurised soft cheese was out.

bee06

I think the red label is an English thing. For me if the eggs are from a good trustworthy source then I'll have them runny (just less runny than before). I've been buying the same brand of eggs for years and never got salmonella before so I consider it a calculated risk. Pregnancy doesn't increase your risk of salmonella. I won't eat eggs from my father in laws chickens for example even though I'm sure they're fine.

Millem

tea_and_cake wrote: »

Where in Ireland do I get eggs with a red label. I really miss half cooked eggs.

I had to go to a nutrition talk cause my BMI is over 30 (30.5 cause of meds, cried when told that) and the nutritionist said even pasteurised soft cheese was out.

Pretty much All eggs sold in shops should have individual red stamp on each egg! It's part of a quality assurance scheme. Like "from farm to fork". The code on each egg gets traced directly back to the animal on each farm. The animals have been tested as salmonella free.
So tesco, dunnes etc.
If you buy eggs from a farmer I wouldn't say they have stamp on them.

The Niece

I've been eating some of the banned foods in moderation (baked Brie, prawns, alcohol) but haven't had a runny egg yet more so because I couldn't stomach it!

Someone mentioned Vitamin A and retinal are no-nos so just thought I'd throw in that any beauty products with salicylic acid should also be avoided but that anything with glycolic acid is ok

tea_and_cake

The Niece wrote: »

Someone mentioned Vitamin A and retinal are no-nos so just thought I'd throw in that any beauty products with salicylic acid should also be avoided but that anything with glycolic acid is ok

I've been told the opposite. Salicylic is OK but not glycolic. Two beauticians won't use glycolic on me and said I can't use it.

bee06

Millem wrote: »

Pretty much All eggs sold in shops should have individual red stamp on each egg! It's part of a quality assurance scheme. Like "from farm to fork". The code on each egg gets traced directly back to the animal on each farm. The animals have been tested as salmonella free.
So tesco, dunnes etc.
If you buy eggs from a farmer I wouldn't say they have stamp on them.

Never knew that! Thanks Millem

jadie

tea_and_cake wrote: »

I've been told the opposite. Salicylic is OK but not glycolic. Two beauticians won't use glycolic on me and said I can't use it.

No it's glycolic which is totally fine.Salicylic is classed in "c" category and shown to cause birth defects in animals when given HIGH amounts. Again in regular cosmetics the amounts would be low and once a week use would be fine I'd imagine

tea_and_cake

jadie wrote: »

No it's glycolic which is totally fine.Salicylic is classed in "c" category and shown to cause birth defects in animals when given HIGH amounts. Again in regular cosmetics the amounts would be low and once a week use would be fine I'd imagine

I normally get masks as part of a facial and can't get the exfoliating one because it has glycolic acid in it. Weird the different advice.

bytheglass

I would add opioids to the avoid list, i.e. Pethidine which is routinely given here:
Here's a link to the manufacturers leaflet which states 'may cause breathing problems in newborns'
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emcmobile/PIL.22985.latest.pdf
It crosses the placenta resulting in a 'sleepy baby' making the initiation of breastfeeding difficult.

Also an epidural as you are most like to require synthetic oxytocin.
The oxytocin manufacturers leaflet here;
https://www.hpra.ie/img/uploaded/swedocuments/ie-mockup-leaflet-2152745-12042016153959-635960724007673750.pdf
states a possible side effect to the baby as 'shortage of oxygen, suffocation and death'.

I am just gobsmacked that we are we given so much literature and advised to be so vigilant about what we eat / drink for 9 months only to be offered pain relief options which will have a far greater impact on our babies health.

Ms. Chanandler Bong

bytheglass wrote: »

I would add opioids to the avoid list, i.e. Pethidine which is routinely given here:
Here's a link to the manufacturers leaflet which states 'may cause breathing problems in newborns'
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emcmobile/PIL.22985.latest.pdf
It crosses the placenta resulting in a 'sleepy baby' making the initiation of breastfeeding difficult.

Also an epidural as you are most like to require synthetic oxytocin.
The oxytocin manufacturers leaflet here;
https://www.hpra.ie/img/uploaded/swedocuments/ie-mockup-leaflet-2152745-12042016153959-635960724007673750.pdf
states a possible side effect to the baby as 'shortage of oxygen, suffocation and death'.

I am just gobsmacked that we are we given so much literature and advised to be so vigilant about what we eat / drink for 9 months only to be offered pain relief options which will have a far greater impact on our babies health.

That's why it's given to you by medical professionals who monitor you and the baby constantly while you're taking it. It's not the same as you walking into a pharmacy, buying it over the counter and dosing yourself.
Oxytocin is also naturally occurring in the body and you can make your body produce it by stimulating your nipples, thereby potentially inducing labour!

bytheglass

Yes there is a massive difference between natural oxytocin and the synthetic kind which is why I made the distinction but good to highlight for those who may not be aware.

By the way, I am not recommending people avoid these drugs / interventions, just answering the OP and providing the manufacturers leaflets here as people may find them helpful.
It's not like you'd have time to read them during the main event! And I doubt overworked medical professionals would be able to list off every possible risk of every medication.

Ultimately the responsibility is ours to research what is going into our bodies and our babies bodies.

s4uv3

Things to avoid during pregnancy:

Bump touchers.
Gender guessers.
The "are you sure it's not twins in there?" crowd.
The "you're very big, aren't you?" crowd.
Labour horror stories.

All people who say the following:
"Sleep now while you have the chance"
"You won't know what's ahead of you"
"In my day...."
"You should...."
"You shouldn't..."
"You need to...."
"Can you eat that?"

Basically avoid anybody who makes you second guess yourself or doesn't tell you that you look great and you're doing a good job

Dial Hard

Toots wrote:

My GP said no shellfish Devastated, cos we went on holidays when I was 10 weeks pregnant and one of the restaurants there does an amazing lobster. Also had to forgo paella this year too.

It's valve shellfish that's the problem but somewhere along the line that got conflated with *all* shellfish. Same with soft cheese - the issue is unpasteurised or unwashed rind cheeses but again, this somehow became all soft cheeses. I know women who wouldn't eat Philadelphia while they were pregnant.

There was a really interesting article on all this from the master of one of the maternity hospitals a while back, I'll see if I can dig it up.

jlm29

I have a friend who wouldn't take gaviscon whilst pregnant. I used practically wash my dinner down with a bottle of the stuff.

Toots

jlm29 wrote: »

I have a friend who wouldn't take gaviscon whilst pregnant. I used practically wash my dinner down with a bottle of the stuff.

I was the same first time around - I'd have taken my daily allowance of it by 11am! Gaviscon is grand and so are rennies. There are a couple that you can't take during pregnancy but any time I went to the chemist I'd just say "what's the strongest heartburn medicine I can get that's safe during pregnancy?" (Often while quaffing a 2 litre of milk :pac:)

Moonbeam

very opinionated people is probably the most important thing.

Pasteurised soft cheeses are fine.
Irish eggs are perfectly safe but Uk eggs are not.

noble00

On my second child I had emergency section and the nurse had to remove nail polish from my toes for hygiene reasons , this may be the reason they don't want nail varnish, my hand nails were fine

Neyite

noble00 wrote: »

On my second child I had emergency section and the nurse had to remove nail polish from my toes for hygiene reasons , this may be the reason they don't want nail varnish, my hand nails were fine

I remember being prepped in a BIG hurry for my EMCS and the nurse attempting to take off my toenail varnish - which was 2 coats of purple, 2 coats of glitter polish and a top coat, and remember her breezily saying "oh this is too nice to remove, we'll just leave it on, and me being chuffed that she thought I did a lovely pedicure. :pac: I must have been high

In reality looking back, they had no time to take off all that - glitter layer is a bugger to remove and they had to get me to theatre right away. My fingernails were unvarnished though so I suppose they used that instead.

Ms. Chanandler Bong

Just had my LO and when the midwife was going through the checklist of things not allowed in case they had to administer a general anaesthetic, a new one on the list was fake eyelashes! Because they have to tape your eyes closed apparently...
She said it would probably include semi-permanent ones as well.

Digs

Moonbeam wrote: »

very opinionated people is probably the most important thing.

Pasteurised soft cheeses are fine.
Irish eggs are perfectly safe but Uk eggs are not.

Agreed. Anyone dying to throw unwarranted advice at you should be avoided like the plague!!

Toots

Ms. Chanandler Bong wrote: »

Just had my LO and when the midwife was going through the checklist of things not allowed in case they had to administer a general anaesthetic, a new one on the list was fake eyelashes! Because they have to tape your eyes closed apparently...
She said it would probably include semi-permanent ones as well.

Jaysus! So even if you weren't wearing fake eyelashes before, you'd probably need them for after if the tape basically waxed all the natural ones out :pac:

Gatica

I followed the general guidelines:

• No unpasteurised milk products
• No mould-rind/blue cheeses (this is different from unpasteurised cheese, as the mould can carry listeria)
• Fully cooked through meat (didn't bother even having steak as didn't fancy chewing on something that was like a rubber sole)
• No runny eggs
• Fully cooked through seafood (I had shellfish when I ate out, as I never prepare it at home anyway. Didn't hear about it from any of my doctors, only from other pregnant women)
• limited caffeine to 1 cup of coffee and 2 teas a day (until morning sickness ruled out coffee for most of the pregnancy)
• No booze in general but had a small glass of wine at a few special occasions (weddings and holiday with my mum)
• tried not to have soft ice-cream cones too often but when we had the van come to work, I got served after a few dozen people and recon the dispenser must've been well cleaned through by then. (first time heard about the soft ice-cream listeria issue at booking hospital appt, no mention in any of the booklets)