The minute you have a positive pregnancy test your mind shifts and you start questioning what you can and can’t do. Here are the most common questions answered by one of our midwife partners to help you:
FOODS to avoid– There are certain foods you need to be careful of when pregnant. Don’t eat any pâté in pregnancy, avoid liver and make sure all meats are cooked thoroughly; only eat uncooked eggs with the red lion symbol on to avoid any risk of salmonella; certain cheeses can grow bacteria that can harm your unborn baby, these tend to be mould ripened cheeses; always check before eating and make sure all dairy products are pasteurised.
CAFFEINE – You need to be careful in pregnancy as too much caffeine has been shown to be
linked with miscarriage and low birth weight babies. You can have a maximum of 200mg of caffeine a day but if you switch to decaf it just reduces your intake. Decaf will still have caffeine but in lower levels.
ALCOHOL – There is limited research into alcohol in pregnancy and its effect on your baby. To be safe the recommended advice is to avoid in pregnancy.
HAIR DYE – The chemicals in permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes are not highly toxic. Most research shows it is safe to colour your hair while pregnant. Some women wait until after 12 weeks to reduce any risk to baby, however others prefer highlights or may use natural hair dyes in pregnancy. Be aware pregnancy can affect your normal hair’s condition.
FLYING – So long as there are no complications in your pregnancy you should be safe to fly. You will need a ‘fit to fly’ letter if flying after 28 weeks and always check with your airline what gestation they won’t let you fly from.