10 Pregnancy Don'ts

1. Avoid Toxoplasmosis. Do not eat undercooked meat or unwashed fruits and vegetables. Do not come into contact with cat feces. These could put you at risk for an infection called toxoplasmosis, which is caused by a parasite that can cause blindness, hearing loss and learning disability, or stillbirth.
2. Avoid Listeriosis and Salmonellosis. Do not eat unpasteurized dairy products, imported soft cheeses such as brie, blue cheese, feta, and Mexican-style cheese, raw fish, cold cuts or deli meats. Salmonellosis is caused by Salmonella bacteria, which can cause severe food poisoning. Listeriosis is caused by Listeria bacteria, which can cause premature delivery, miscarriage, stillbirth, and meningitis in newborns.
3. Avoid Mercury toxicity. Mercury is a metal found in fish that may cause brain damage, learning disabilities and hearing loss in your unborn baby. Avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, fresh tuna, or tile fish. Limit your intake of low mercury level fish, such as canned tuna, shrimp, Pollock, salmon, cod, catfish, clams, crabs, and scallops, to two meals or 12 ounces per week. Avoid raw fish.
4. Avoid chemicals. Avoid herbicides, pesticides, paints, and stains. If you need to use these chemicals, make sure to wear gloves and a mask and work in a well-ventilated area.
5. Avoid or control caffeine intake. Pregnant women should have no more than two servings of caffeine per day. Teas, sodas, and chocolate may contain caffeine.
6. Avoid alcohol, smoking, and illicit drugs. Alcohol can cause Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which includes mental retardation. Smoking and second hand smoke raises your baby's risk of low birth weight, premature birth and stillbirth. Marijuana, cocaine and amphetamine can cause intrauterine growth problems, preterm labor, placental separation from the uterus, birth defects, learning and behavioral problems as well as withdrawal symptoms in the newborn.
7. Avoid hot baths, hot tubs, or saunas. High body temperature in the first trimester can increase risk of birth defects in babies. Overheating can also cause you to faint.
8. Avoid scented feminine hygiene products. Douches, scented sprays, sanitary napkins, and bubble bath may irritate your vaginal area and increase your risk of a urinary tract infection or yeast infection.
9. Avoid contact and high impact sports. Kickboxing, soccer and basketball may cause trauma to the abdomen that can cause separation of the placenta from the uterus and cause bleeding. Gymnastics, horseback riding, and downhill skiing carry a high risk of falling. Avoid scuba diving, which may cause miscarriage and preterm labor.
10. Avoid putting off dental work. Decaying teeth and gum disease can cause infection that could harm your baby. Avoid sweets, which can contribute to periodontal disease.