First Trimester Precautions You Should Take

By Author: stephaniecutter
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The first trimester of a woman’s pregnancy; the first three months calculated after her LMP (last monthly period) are perhaps the most crucial portion of her pregnancy, because some of the most significant developments occur in the fetus at this time. The risk of a miscarriage and other pregnancy complications such as an ectopic pregnancy are also highest during the first trimester.

So taking certain precautions in the first trimester of pregnancy are of vital importance because all the major organs of the body are beginning to develop at this time, and anything going wrong before the establishment of the pregnancy can have far-reaching consequences –

Substance abuse

Needless to say, all illegal or recreational drugs should be discontinued at this time and women who smoke should give up their habit because of the various complications and birth defects associated with drug use and smoking during pregnancy ...
... This can also increase risk of miscarriage.

Alcohol is also best avoided during pregnancy, since there is no amount of alcohol that is considered to be completely safe to take during pregnancy. Problems such as Fetal Alcohol syndrome characterized by mental retardation, unusual facial features and so on can result from alcohol consumption early in pregnancy.

Medications

There are very few medications that are thought to be completely safe to take in pregnancy. So, no over the counter or prescription medications should be used in early pregnancy unless they are expressly cleared by a physician. If a woman is on any kind of long term medication rather than stop them, she should consult her physician about dosage alterations of stoppage of the medication as appropriate.

Foods

Consumption of foods such as unpasteurized dairy products, including soft cheeses or cream cheeses, uncooked or partly cooked meat, including items such as sushi, deli meats, pate, meat spreads and so on should be avoided. Even handing uncooked meat should be avoided or hands should be washed very thoroughly after such handling. The risks of infections such as salmonella or Listeria are very considerable to mother and child.

Fish that are high in mercury content such as tilefish, swordfish, king mackerel also should be avoided.

Cut down on caffeine consumption to the extent possible. While a cup or two of coffee a day is not a problem it can add up to quite a lot if you are also consuming other things that contain caffeine – tea, colas, energy drinks and even chocolate contain significant amounts of caffeine. So watch your caffeine intake in its totality.

Activities to be avoided

Women should avoid handling cat litter during pregnancy, due to the risk of toxoplasmosis. If women are engaged in professions that involve X rays, radiation of other sorts, handling or inhalation of chemicals, pesticides or exposure to other harmful substances they may want to consider relocation to a different department or job description for the duration of their pregnancy.

Though there is no particular exercise that is to be avoided during the first trimester, it is best to shift focus to low intensity exercise that lowers chances of falling or injury.

Hot tubs, saunas or any activity that may raise the temperature of the body is a no-no during early pregnancy.

Author Bio:

Stephanie writes on pregnancy week by week symptoms, getting pregnant tips, signs of pregnancy, preparing for pregnancy, tests & procedures, pregnancy calendar and pregnancy stages.