Alcohol and pregnancy

In the news today there is more advice from the government about the amount of alcohol we should drink. They say have two alcohol-free days, how about if you are pregnant though? The rules seem to change on this frequently, so how much are we really allowed to drink?

Do the quotas change depending on how pregnant you are? Does drinking while pregnant really affect the baby growing inside? So many questions, here’s our advice…

Is is really worth risking your baby’s health for the sake of a drink?

What happens when you drink when you are pregnant?

The placenta connects you to your baby, and you pass nutrients and oxygen to you baby via your bloodstream into the placenta. This means that if you drink alcohol when you are pregnant you are passing alcohol from your bloodstream into your baby’s blood.

Heavy drinking can damage your baby’s nervous system as it develops and prevent the correct development of it’s organs.

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Drinking alcohol when you are pregnant puts your baby at risk of developing foetal alcohol syndrome. This syndrome can be serious and is lifelong. You can not ‘put it right’ once your baby is born. There are many symptoms associated with babies born with fatal alcohol syndrome.

• low birth weight
• facial abnormalities
• learning difficulties
• behavioural problems

At Online Mum we are not doctors or health experts but our advice is – if you possibly can – don’t drink alcohol at all when you are pregnant.

Never feel pressured to drink while you are pregnant – if people don’t know you are pregnant yet, they may encourage you to drink. Just say no, tell then you are driving, you are on a health kick, or diet, or that you just don’t fancy a drink.

Decoys are a great way of hiding the fact that you are not drinking alcohol. Mocktails look like any other drink, taste great, are healthy and provide a great decoy! Have a look at the examples below:

Increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Some women fall pregnant very easily if they are trying for a baby, others wait months. Unfortunately, some women no matter what methods they try, find it hard or almost impossible to fall pregnant.

If trying to get pregnant is new to you, this article will give you some helpful advice:

I want to get pregnant – Should I have sex when I am ovulating?

You will be most fertile when you are ovulating – when an egg is released from your ovaries. There are two schools of thought on trying to get pregnant during your most fertile days:

1. sex when you are ovulating will increase your chance of getting pregnant,
2. stress decreases your chance of getting pregnant and planning sex to your cycle can be very stressful for you and your partner. Sex on demand is not necessarily sexy!

Regular sex (every 2 to 3 days) is often cited as giving you the best chance of getting pregnant.

Your menstrual cycle
You ovulate approximately halfway through your menstrual cycle. This means that if your cycle is 28 days long, you will ovulate between days 13 to 19. (Day 1 being the 1st day of your period.)

Signs of ovulation
Signs that you are ovulating can include

• tender breasts
• abdominal pain
• watery stretchy and slippery vaginal discharge
• an increased temperature
• increased sex drive

If you have unprotected sex when you are ovulating, you are more likely to get pregnant than at other times of the month. Predicting ovulation is not an exact science, but the following calculator can help.

Simply enter the date of the first day of your LAST period, and how many days you usually have in your cycle.

Ovulation predictors are not guaranteed. The above calculator relies on a regular menstrual cycle, if your cycle is irregular, it is much more difficult to predict ovulation dates.

Also, it may sound silly, but never use an ovulation calculator as a method of birth control!

Now that is a strange title for any post!

It starts off a bit like a horror movie, but it’s not really that complicated.

Let me start at the beginning…

A friend is pregnant, which is wonderful. However, she has a degenerative illness, which didn’t worry her TOO MUCH, until she got pregnant. Though she won’t pass her illness directly onto her baby, there is a risk.

Being a whizz at internet research I said I would help her on her quest for information. I looked up all the information I could, I weighed up the risks, I looked at every avenue of her helping her future off-spring. I knew nothing about storing newborn baby’s stem cells (or cord blood). It was so interesting I thought I would share it with you…

Stem cell storage and the treatments using them get both good and bad press. Cases hit the headlines and politicians debate the ethics, but many people (certainly me) did not know that Stem Cells have been used to treat illnesses like leukaemia for decades. Stem cells are the basis of bone-marrow transplants – now that’s a phrase I am much more familiar with!

In some countries stem cell storage is commonplace, in others it is much more difficult to convince the powers-that-be to store cord blood at birth and therefore store stem cells for the future.

The problem seems to be that only a few illnesses can be treated with stem cells, so stem cell DONATION appears to be more of an option in some countries. Once a mother has donated cord blood after birth, the stem cells can be used to treat children with some forms of cancer and leukemia.

OK, so what are stem cells and what is this ‘cord blood’?

‘Cord blood’ is ‘Umbilical cord blood’. It is the blood that is left in the placenta and in the umbilical cord after childbirth. (While the umbilical cord is still attached) This blood is jam packed with stem cells. In the right conditions these stem cells can transform into other cells and be used to treat some conditions.

The issue seems to be that while uses are limited now, they could be huge in the future (due to continuous research), but for what and how we just don’t know. The question is – Is it therefore sensible to store cord blood as a precaution that it will be useful in the future? Once it’s gone, it’s gone, you can never go back and get it.

Research has shown good results in the using stem cells to treat some medical conditions:

• ischemic heart disease,
• cancer,
• spinal cord lesions,
• bone fractures,
• burns,
• strokes,
• multiple sclerosis,
• Alzheimer’s disease,
• Parkinson’s disease,
• Huntington’s disease
• Diabetes.

…and the research continues
Other research is looking into using stem cells for:

• regenerating organs,
• repairing damaged muscle tissue
• repairing damaged tendons
• creating skin grafts for burns

Stem cells can be used to replace damaged or abnormal blood cells. This happens in treatment for some malignant blood disorders.

At the moment it is extremely unlikely that a baby will ever use their own stem cells, collected in this way. However, it is the chance that cord blood stem cells can be used to treat or cure conditions in the future that convinces many people to have cord blood stored.

So can I advice my friend to store her baby’s cord blood? I really don’t know, but the subject is fascinating.

Online Mum chats to first time dad Dan. He has a young son and lives with his partner. I wanted to know how he felt about becoming a dad for the first time. Was he scared or happy did he worry or just breeze through his partners pregnancy?

Are you a Dad?

How did you feel when your partner was pregnant?

Let us know…

Transcript of the chat with Dan about his partner being pregnant

Jane: Hi thanks for listening in today. Today we are going to be chatting to a first time Dad  about pregnancy.

So, hi Dan, I’d like to first ask you about when you first found out you were going to become a  Dad, from that pregnancy test moment, and finding out your partner was going to have a baby.  What was going though your head,how did you feel?

Dan: I was the person who suggested that she took the pregnancy test, so we were both quite  excited. I remember after the pregnancy test, we got this very faint blue line, very faint,  fainter than what I expected it to look like. And even then, even though it showed a faint line,  I didn’t know 100% that it was definately, that she was definately pregnant.So we needed it  confirming by a Doctor a couple of days later.

Jane: And I presume she confirmed it.

Dan: She did, she confirmed it. we got a sample sent off to the hospital, and then they rang us  up a couple of days later and told us the news.

Jane: Briliant. So would you say your strongest emotion was excitement?

Dan: I was excited, because we were trying for a baby.But at the same time I was still scared.  Its a bit like, when that thing happens that you want, and you realise that it is true, you  become full of different feelings. Anxiety, nerves and then I was thinking “Im not ready to be a Dad” “Can I cope with being a Dad”

Jane: Did you go to books or the internet, or other Dads that you knew and talk to them?

Dan: Yes, one Dad’s advice was “Prepare for your house to be full of primary coloured plastic”  Which I think is very good advice. But on the internet, I think that sometimes, looking into  things too much gave me too many things to worry about.

Because there are a lot of complications  during pregnancy that I had never even thought about, and I would read these on the internet,  and it would scare me, and then I wouldn’t be able to tell my other half, the things that were  going on inside my head that I had just read on the internet.

Jane: That’s interesting, that finding out too much was making you more nervous. You would think  it would reassure you.

Dan: No, I didn’t realise all the things that could go wrong.I wish now, I hadn’t looked at all  different pregnancy websites, and I wish that I’d have just looked at good advice on good  websites (such as your own)

Jane: Thank you. My next question is about, as the pregnancy was getting further along, did you  feel pushed out? Because your partner was getting all the attention and it was all happening to  her. Did you feel that you weren’t part of the pregnancy anymore?

Dan: Yes, but I didn’t say anything! Yes, I did but, I know that pregnancy totally revolves  around the woman. But I felt as if I wanted to do the right balance. I didn’t want to do too  much that I was suffocating her and covering her in cotton wool. But at the same time, I needed  her to know that I was there for her every step of the way, and that I was happy to do anything  that she needed doing during the pregnancy.

Jane: Did you feel that you needed a more defined role as the future parent, and there were  certain tasks that you had to do, as potential father, well father to be.

Dan: Yeah, I think that, there are no books out there, that basically say “This is how to behave  when your other half is pregnant. I don’t think I would have read it if there was such a book.

I  think it depends on the persons individual relationship, how they are together and how they work  together. Like we worked quite well together, as a team.

I remember, when she started getting  big, she needed a hand putting her socks on. So that was something that I could do to help. And  her back was getting sore, so sometimes I’d massage her back because she’d get back pains. So it  helped that she was able to ask me for little things that she needed help with, but I was  willing to do anything.

Jane: Great, one final quick question. Did everything work out fine in the end?

Dan: It did thank you.

Jane: And you ended up with, was it a boy or girl?

Dan: We ended uo with a beautiful little baby boy.

Jane: Fantastic! Thanks for your time Dan.

Dan: Thank you.

There is no reason why you shouldn’t still have your holiday just because you are pregnant. However you do need to check out some extra things, and take more precautions. In ALL cases, take advice from your doctor or midwife. It is ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry.

Flying when pregnant

• The safest time to fly is after 12 and before 25 weeks. (The 2nd second trimester)
• After 25 weeks (third trimester) there is a risk of an increase in blood pressure as well as the chance of giving birth prematurely. Every pregnancy is different so please discuss any concern you have with your doctor.

Tips for while you are in the air

• Wear DVT socks. This is good advice for everyone not just pregnant women. Wearing DVT socks can help prevent blood clots which can be life threatening if they reach your lungs.
• Keep well-hydrated, pregnant women are very susceptible to dehydration. Make sure you have a bottle of water with you.
• On long hauls get up and walk around at least every hour to help your circulation.
• Wear sandals or shoes with adjustable straps in case your feet swell.
• Wear loose, comfortable clothing.
• Rest as much as possible.
• Avoid tea and coffee, which may increase the risk of DVT.

Remember – plane seats are narrow so you may be uncomfortable.

Where should I go on holiday?

If you choose to go abroad:

• Avoid destinations located over 2000 metres of altitude, especially during the three first months; your baby could lack oxygen.
• Avoid destinations where malaria or yellow fever is common
• Avoid countries with inadequate health services.

On your holiday

• Take a list of names and numbers of people who should be contacted in case of emergency.
• Keep a list handy of the local hospitals (you can get this from the local embassy, tourist board, or your hotel).
• Keep out of the sun at the hottest times of the day between 12pm and 3pm. Your skin is more sensitive during pregnancy, so wear a higher factor of sunscreen than you usually need.
• Avoid diving and water sports while pregnant.
• Take a copy of your notes and take them with you – they contain valuable information that will be needed by doctors, in case you go into premature labour.
• Know your blood group in case of an emergency.
• Check with your airline and insurance company that they will allow you to travel when pregnant. Some insurers will not cover pregnant women or will impose conditions which you need to be aware of. Different airlines have different rules, but after 24 weeks, the airline may request a letter from your GP stating your expected delivery date.

Immunizations and diseases

• Make sure your immunizations are up to date, some immunisations are not safe to receive if you are pregnant.
• Infectious diseases are serious not only for you but also for your unborn baby.
• Malaria is particularly serious, it is important to avoid infected areas. These include India, Africa and parts of South America, among others.
• Travel in hygienic conditions.
• Be very careful with all of your food and water.
• Never take  any unknown medication.

Local health services

• Choose a country where local health services are good.
• Avoid destinations where malaria is common.
• Avoid mosquito repellents containing DEET. (Look for a natural alternative such as citronella oil or use nets to protect yourself from mosquitoes.)

Other related articles
Tell me about driving and travelling by train when pregnant
Health and beauty in pregnancy – what should I avoid?
Exercising, sports and other activities while pregnant – what should I avoid and why?

Yet again eating cheese when you are pregnant has hit the headlines.

“Sainsbury’s shopworker refuses to sell pregnant woman Cheddar cheese” *

But can you eat cheese when you are pregnant?  

The confusion seems to arise because there are so many different kinds of cheese and only some of them should be avoided when you are pregnant.

WHY?

Listeria can harm your unborn child. Some cheese, like soft cheeses and mould ripened cheeses are more prone than others to allow the growth of the listeria bacteria.  This is because they are moister and less acidic than other cheeses. Most healthy adults can fend off listeria infection. Pregnant women are more at risk. A pregnant woman herself is unlikely to be seriously harmed by listeriosis, but it could do serious harm to her unborn baby.

Can cheese be good in pregnancy?

Calcium and protein are essential in pregnancy and cheese is an important (and tasty) source of these. Some women report cheese cravings when they are pregnant. Is this because their bodies are craving this calcium and protein? The jury still seems to be out on this one!

Good Cheese and Bad Cheese

This is a list of which cheese pregnant women can eat without worrying and those which she should avoid. Of course every woman is different. If you ate cheese before you were pregnant, it makes sense that it will be OK once you are pregnant – if you follow the following:

Bad cheese in pregnancy

Mould ripened soft cheeses (like Brie, not like cream cheese or cottage cheese) Pasteurised or unpasteurised these type of cheeses should be avoided when pregnant

Including:

• Brie,
• Blue Brie,
• Cambozola,
• Camembert,
• Chaumes,
• Chèvre (goats cheese with a white rind),
• Pont L’Eveque,
• Taleggio,
• Vacherin-Fribourgeois

Blue veined cheese

Including:

• Blue Wensleydale,
• Cabreles,
• Danablu,
• Shropshire Blue,
• Danish Blue,
• Dolcelatte,
• Gorgonzola,
• Maytag blue cheese,
• Point Reyes blue,
• Roncal,
• Roquefort,
• Stilton,
• Tomme,
• Wensleydale (blue).

Soft, unpasteurised cheese,

• These include goat and sheep’s cheeses:

Good cheese in pregnancy

Hard cheese

Hard cheeses are generally considered safe to eat. The Food Standards Agency (www.eatwell.gov.uk) states that “listeria is present in very low numbers (less than 1 bacterium per gram of cheese) in these types of cheeses and they are therefore not considered a risk to health during pregnancy.”

This is an indication only – there are SO MANY HARD CHEESES! (in alphabetical order)

• Austrian smoked,
• Babybel,
• Caerphilly,
• Cheddar,
• Cheshire,
• Derby,
• Double Gloucester,
• Edam, Emmental,
• English goat’s cheddar,
• Feta, (in the UK, Feta is deemed safe to eat when pregnant, but in the US, pregnant women are advised to avoid it)
• Gouda,
• Gruyere,
• Halloumi,
• Havarti,
• Jarlsberg,
• Lancashire,
• Paneer,
• Parmesan,
• Red Leicester.

Soft and processed cheeses:

• boursin,
• cheese spread (also called processed cheese),
• cottage cheese,
• cream cheese,
• feta,
• goat’s cheese without a white rind,
• mascarpone,
• mozzarella,
• Philadelphia,
• Quark,
• ricotta.

Yoghurts

• all varieties including natural, flavoured and biologically active,
• probiotic drinks,
• fromage frais,
• soured cream
• crème fraîche

As with any other dairy food, keep it the fridge and eat it within the use by date.

What to Eat When You’re Pregnant: Including the A-Z of What’s Safe and What’s Not

Other related articles

What food and drink should I avoid when pregnant?

* The Sainsbury’s article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1218197

When I was pregnant, I worried a  lot about what I should and shouldn’t be eating and drinking. I wanted to give my baby the best possible chance and not eat anything that might harm him or her. The advice seemed to be the same wherever I looked. Basically, that if you eat sensibly during pregnancy and eat a balanced nutritious diet, most foods are safe. However some foods are safer than others, and some should be avoided.

Here are some guidelines:

Remember though, always ask your midwife or GP if you are unsure about anything. Everybody is different, we cannot say this is safe to eat or not – it is just a guideline.

Foods that are generally OK when you are pregnant

• Cooked food – always remembr that freshly and thoroughly cooked foods are the safest.
• Milk – Fresh, pasteurised and UHT milk and yoghurt (always eat/drink them before their use by date.
• Fresh fruit and vegetables – thoroughly wash them though.
  
• Tinned and pickled foods
• Canned meat and fish – once opened always store them  in the fridge and use them up or throw them away within 12 hours.
• Home cooked meats – make sure they are cooked thoroughly. Use immediately or store in the fridge and again use them within 12  hours.
• Home-made salads – wash all salad items thoroughly. Store them in the fridge and use them within 12 hours.
• Some cheese - Hard cheeses, semi-soft cheeses such as mozzarella, pasteurized processed cheese slices and spreads, cream cheese and cottage cheese are OK.
• Fromage frais, creme fraiche, sour cream.
• Mayonnaise, ice cream, salad dressing – as long as they haven’t been made using raw egg.
• Spicy food – but watch out for your baby kicking if you eat spicy food later in pregnancy – mine did!
  
• Honey – this is OK for pregnant women but is NOT suitable for babies under a year old.

Foods to avoid when you are pregnant

• ‘Ready to eat’ foods. In the modern world this can be harder than you 1st think. It includes pasteurised dairy products, pates, meat products (including pre-sliced chicken), cooked diced chicken (as used in sandwich shops),  uncooked smoked seafood, smoked shellfish, previously prepared coleslaw and salads.
• Pâté (including vegetable). This is because pâté can contain listeria.
• Ready made salads -they look healthy – but what have they been washed in? They are not freshly washed and therefore should be avoided.
  
• Raw seafood (oysters, sashimi or sushi) or smoked seafood (frozen or chilled)
• Shellfish.
• Cheeses such as Camembert, Brie or chevre (a type of goats’ cheese), or others that have  a similar rind. You should also avoid soft blue cheeses – cheeses are made with mould can contain listeria.
• Dips and salad dressings – which have been previously exposed to raw vegetables, even if they have been kept refrigerated
• Raw or partially cooked eggs – avoid eating raw eggs and food containing raw or partially-cooked eggs. If y9ou are pregnanct, only eat eggs when both the white and yolk are solid. This is to avoid the risk of salmonella
• Raw or undercooked meat – make sure you only eat meat that has been well cooked. This is especially important with poultry and products made from minced meat, such as sausages and burgers. Make sure these are  cooked until they are piping hot all the way through and no pink meat is left.
• Anything with a lot of vitamin A - This is because you only need a small amount of vitamin A to keep healthy and large amounts can harm an unborn baby
  Food with Vitamin A for example are:
  • liver and liver products such as liver pâté and cod liver oil supplements
  • vitamin tablets or supplements which contain vitamin A
• Avoid foods which may have high levels of listeria - Pregnant women are more likely to become infected with listeria than non pregnant people. Sometimes a listeria infection causes miscarriage, stillbirth, or infections in the baby after birth.
  Foods  most at risk of carrying listeria:
  • soft cheeses (such as brie)
  • undercooked meats and eggs
  • pate
  • shellfish
  • raw fish
  • unpasteurised milk

• Fish – Avoid eating any shark, swordfish and marlin. Limit the amount of tuna you eat. This is because of the levels of mercury in these fish. At high levels, mercury can harm a baby’s developing nervous system.
• Avoid eating more than two portions of oily fish a week.
  Oily fish includes fresh tuna (not canned tuna, which does not count as oily fish), mackerel, sardines and trout.
• Peanuts - More research is being carried out on whether pregnant women should eat peanuts or not. The theory is that the risk of your baby developing a peanut allergy is increased if you eat them while you are pregnant.  Also, your baby is at higher risk if you or a close blood relative of you or the baby’s father has a peanut allergy, asthma or eczema.

It just makes sense to be cautious and avoid peanuts if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Things to remember

1. Ensure packaging is intact, throw away any food if you see the packet is damaged
2. Always cook fish and meat all the way through
3. Always wash your hands before eating
4. Always wash your hands after handling raw meat or fish
5. Always make sure knives, cooking utensils, chopping boards etc are washed well with hot soapy water
6. Avoid food if you are unsure how it has been prepared or stored
7. Make sure any leftovers are well heated all the way through. Microwaves can unevenly heat food, this is why they always tell you to leave food to stand after heating it in a microwave. This helps the food to heat all the way through.
8. Prepare and store foods safely. When dealing with raw meat keep it separate from other  foods. Make sure the raw meat is not stored in the fridge where juices may drip onto other  foods.
9. Keep all stored food in the fridge individually wrapped or covered.
10. Thoroughly wash all raw fruit and vegetables before eating them.
11. Always check the ‘Use by’ and ‘Best before labels and don’t go over them
12. If you are unsure about any food when eating out, choose something else or ask the staff about the ingredients or how it is cooked.

Have a look at What to Eat When You’re Pregnant: Including the A-Z of What’s Safe and What’s Not for more advice.

Alcohol and caffeine

We have all seen TV programmes or news articles with pregnant women drinking heavily – most of us ar sickened by the sight. When you’re pregnant, it’s best to stop drinking alcohol altogether. But if you do drink, have no more than 1 or 2 units of alcohol, once or twice a week and don’t get drunk.

• A unit is half a pint of standard strength beer, lager or cider, or a pub measure of spirit.
• A glass of wine is about 2 units
• Alcopops are about 1.5 units.

You should limit the amount of caffeine you have each day. Caffeine occurs naturally in a range of foods, such as coffee, tea and chocolate, and it’s also added to some soft drinks and ‘energy’ drinks.

It’s important not to have more than 300mg a day. This is because high levels of caffeine can result in babies having a low birth weight, or even in miscarriage.

Each of these contains roughly 300mg of caffeine:

3 mugs of instant coffee (100mg each mug)
4 cups of instant coffee (75mg each cup)
3 cups of brewed coffee (100mg each cup)
6 cups of tea (50mg each cup)
8 cans of cola (up to 40mg each can)
4 cans of ‘energy’ drink (up to 80mg each can)
6 (50g) bars of plain chocolate (up to 50 mg per bar)
Caffeine in milk chocolate is about half that of plain chocolate

(caffeine amounts  from www.eatwell.gov.uk)

Caffeine is also found in some cold and flu remedies. Check with  your GP or midwife before taking any.

Have a look at What to Eat When You’re Pregnant: Including the A-Z of What’s Safe and What’s Not for more advice.

Other related articles

Cheese and Pregnancy
Heath and beauty in pregnancy – what should I avoid?
Exercising, sports and other activities while pregnant – what should I avoid and why?

Questions and answers.

Can I drink alcohol if I’m pregnant?

• We have all seen TV footage of women drinking while they are pregnant, but are small amounts safe??  The Department of Health recommends that you avoid drinking alcohol if you are pregnant.
• It makes sense also if you  also avoid drinking alcohol if you’re trying for a baby.

Can I use hair dye when I am pregnant or breastfeeding?

• I tried to find out about this when I was pregnant, as I had heard that pregnant women shouldn’t dye their hair. On researching on the internet, I still did not find out much info. I thought it better to be safe than sorry so just let my hair go un-dyed.
• There seems to be more information today and most research seems to point to it being safe. This is due to the chemicals in permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes being not highly toxic.
• Information seems to suggest that the chemicals themselves can cause harm but not in the doses used to dye your hair.

How do I reduce the risk in colouring my hair while I’m pregnant.

• Wait until after the first trimester (12 weeks), after this the risk of harming the baby is much lower.
• While home colouring – make sure that you wear gloves, leave the dye on for the minimum time, and use in a well-ventilated room.
• Highlight your hair instead of dying all of it. This is safer because the chemicals used are only absorbed by the hair itself, and not by the scalp and into your bloodstream.
• Use semi-permanent pure vegetable dyes, such as henna

Things to remember

Watch out for your hair going a funny colour! Your hair may react differently to colouring or perming  - your hair’s condition may alter during pregnancy and therefore the way it reacts to colour.

I‘m pregnant – can paint fumes affect my unborn baby?

• One of the things many pregnant women do, is decorate the new baby’s nursery, but is it safe?? Ok so climbing up on ladders is not a good idea when you are pregnant, but the risk from modern household paint is very low.
• If you are stripping old paintwork or using solvent-based paints – beware! Old paintwork might contain traces of lead – you need to avoid this when you are pregnant.
• Standing on ladders and stretching can be dangerous though – be very careful.

Is it safe to use a sauna or jacuzzi if I’m pregnant?

• It sounds relaxing and calming to use a sauna or Jacuzzi when pregnant, but becoming dehydrated or overheating is not a good idea when you are pregnant.
• So while a sauna or Jacuzzi itself is not necessarily a bad thing, the risk of overheating or dehydration is, therefore while there is not much research out there it would be wise to avoid them.

Is it safe to use fake tan during pregnancy?

• Fake tanning lotions and sprays are a popular and safer alternative to spending time in the sun to get a tan.
• The active ingredient in fake tan is Dihydroxyacetone (DHA). It is a non-toxic substance that reacts with cells in the outermost layer of the skin and produces a brown pigment (colour) called melanoidin. The outer skin cells are already dead, and are shed as the skin constantly renews itself. This is why fake tan needs to be regularly re-applied to maintain the colour. The DHA doesn’t go beyond the outer layer of skin and therefore isn’t absorbed into the body.

• Although there are no known dangers of using tanning lotions, they can sometimes cause an allergic reaction. For this reason, it’s advisable not to use fake tan during pregnancy, as changes in hormone levels can make the skin more sensitive than normal. If you do use fake tan, always test the product on a small area of skin first to see if you have a reaction.

Other related articles

Tell me about driving and travelling by train when pregnant
Exercising, sports and other activities while pregnant – what should I avoid and why?
Can I fly and go abroad when I’m pregnant?

Driving

• Even when pregnant, you are required by law to wear your seat belt.
• Wear your seatbelt with the diagonal strap across your body between your breasts and the lap belt over your upper thighs. The straps should lie above and below your ‘bump’, not over it. The belt will protect you and your baby.
• Avoid long trips and avoid jolts (travelling in old cars, or over bumpy ground etc).

• Have lots of breaks
• Airbags. Safety experts recommend that you should move your seat as far away from the steering wheel as possible as this will allow room for the airbag to inflate correctly.
• Be prepared! In case of breakdown, take food, water, blankets, warm clothes and a torch in the car.
• Carry a mobile phone with you at all times.
• Have details of your breakdown recovery service, (or join one if you aren’t a member already)
• Don’t drive yourself to hospital when you are in labour. If you know there won’t be anyone to drive you to hospital when you go into labour, discuss this with your midwife in advance. If you find when the big moment comes, that your partner cannot be there to drive you, use a taxi or call the hospital if it seems that an emergency ambulance is needed.

Travelling by train

The least tiring mode of transport! (in theory, I reckon they are very stressful when really full at rush hour!)

Tips when travelling by train

• Travel with your back to the direction of travel, so any sudden stops will not send you into the table – unless of course travelling this way round makes you feel sick!
• Make sure loos are easily gotten to – when pregnant you will probably make more trips there!
• Check to see if a porter can help you on and off with your luggage
• Make sure you have booked a seat, sit back, sip some bottled water and relax.

Other related articles
Health and beauty in pregnancy – what should I avoid?
Exercising, sports and other activities while pregnant – what should I avoid and why?
Can I fly and go abroad when I’m pregnant?

This article outlines sporting and other activity issues you should be aware of when you are pregnant.

In a normal, healthy pregnancy, some exercise is good. However, you should check with your GP, or midwife, that exercising won’t be a risk for you, also ask them about the particular exercise that you want to do.

Recommended sports.

• cycling (but not after the second trimester – after 26 weeks – due to the risk of falls)
• exercise bike
• walking
• swimming
• yoga

Avoid dangerous and strenuous activities

Most of us would not consider the following at the best of times, least of all when pregnant – but some people can’t get enough of them. Knowing you have to stop must be hard!! Nevertheless due to the risk of miscarriage or premature labour, some activities should be avoided.

Basically, avoid activities that involve high altitudes due to the changes in oxygen levels that might trigger a premature labour or those which can involve a decrease in oxygen:

• mountaineering
• hot air ballooning
• hiking
• scuba diving
• alpine skiing

Avoid activities where there is a risk of hard falls, or where you might be thrown off balance:

• horse riding
• gymnastics
• water skiing
• hang-gliding
• skydiving
• hockey
• skiing
• bungee jumping

This is not an exhaustive list (just exhausting!) always consult your GP or midwife if you are pregnant and want to exercise.

Complications – always seek immediate medical advice if any of the following happen if you are exercising and are pregnant:

• dizziness or headaches,
• chest pains or heart palpitations (when you notice an irregular heartbeat),
• severe or rapid swelling or your hands, feet or face,
• vaginal pains, bleeding, or contractions, or
• having difficulty walking.

If any of the above happen – stop exercising and seek medical advice immediately.

What activities should I avoid during pregnancy?

Fairground rides

Fairground rides such as roller coasters, can be dangerous if you’re pregnant because the rapid stops and starts may cause damage to your womb (uterus). Most rides at theme parks and funfairs have signs that advise pregnant women not to go on them.

Work hazards

If you work in an environment that exposes you to chemicals, radiation, X-rays or lead you may be putting your baby at risk. The same is true if you have a job that involves a lot of heavy lifting.

If you have concerns you should discuss them with your GP, midwife, occupational health nurse, union representative or Human Resources department.

If your work involves a known and recognised risk it may be illegal for you continue, and your employer must offer you suitable alternative work on terms and conditions that are not substantially less favourable than your original job. If no safe alternative is available, your employer should suspend you on full pay for as long as necessary to avoid any risk.

If you are working during pregnancy you may find that you get very tired during the first and last weeks of pregnancy. Try to use any break to rest, relax and eat.

If you are currently working 9 to 5 it may be a good idea to ask your employer to modify your hours so you do not have to travel during the rush hour, which can prove stressful and tiring for some women.

Some women are worried that exposure to VDUs (Visual Display Units on computers) may affect their baby. The latest research shows no evidence of any risk.

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Can I fly and go abroad when I’m pregnant?