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Long work days, the food you eat, lack of physical activity and improper sleep can harm you and your baby. Dr Poornima Ramakrishna, Consultant Gynecologist, Apollo Cradle tells you 10 common mistakes that every mom-to-be should avoid for healthy pregnancy and baby.
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Long gaps between meals: Be it rushing for office in the morning or trying to complete your project on time, many pregnant woman skip their breakfast or meals which is not right. You should eat three to five meals a day and have nutritious snacks like fruits, sprouts, egg products and raw vegetables during the day.
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Snacking mindlessly: Did you know munching chips or snacking on a burger or a slice of pizza at work can lead to weight gain and water retention in pregnant women? Snack wisely and keep yourself well hydrated by drinking iced water or lemon juice. You can also eat fresh fruits, popcorn or hard boiled eggs.
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Being unorganised/unplanned: Yes, most women tend to miss out important details like project deadlines or doctor’s appointments and medications. In such cases, you end up either stressed and worried trying to complete your task or being excessively tired at the end of the day. So always keep a notepad handy and list important tasks and plan in advance.
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Improper hydration: During pregnancy, inadequate hydration might lead to pregnancy complications. Emma Derbyshire, author of Nutrition in the Childbearing Years, says women should increase their total water intake by an extra 300 ml/day during pregnancy and 700 ml/day during breastfeeding.
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Inadequate sleep: If you fail to clock in extra hours of sleep during pregnancy, it might affect your ability to continue with your day-to-day activities. It is important to get 10 – 11 hours of sleep every night as it will ensure proper growth of fetus. Also, resting on either side will ensure proper flow of blood and prevent swelling.
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Being physically inactive: Your busy professional life might prevent you from working out but walking around your work place can lower your risk of blood clots, varicose veins and swelling of legs. You don’t have to perform strenuous exercises or heavy weights or lifting, but simple exercises and yoga might help.
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Exposure to second hand smoke: Smoking is a strict no-no during pregnancy but exposure to passive smoking can also lead to miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight and infant death. So stay away from people who smoke to prevent complications during pregnancy.
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Drinking alcohol: Every mom-to-be should keep in mind that there is no safe limit of alcohol and it better to stay away from it during pregnancy. Contrary to popular belief, fetal alcohol syndrome can be caused even by drinking small amount of alcohol and might lead to birth defects and mental retardation.
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Self medication: Be it herbal medicines or over the counter drugs, avoid any self medication, especially during the first three weeks of pregnancy. Always consult your doctor before popping any pill as exposure to wrong drugs may cause cleft lip palate, heart problems or damage the nervous system.
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Working without a break: Yes, most women tend to work without a break with an aim to complete their work beforehand and leave early. However, this puts them under lot of stress leaving them no space to relax. Hence, schedule some portion of your time for relaxation and fun with small, frequent breaks.
