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As we explored in the last newsletter, we saw how much a woman’s own personal health can affect the risk of a birth defect developing and complications during pregnancy. Most of these were chronic health issues that you should aim to have under control and well managed prior to becoming pregnant, but there are still important health choices for a woman to make during her pregnancy too.
Some of the most common recommendations for a pregnant woman are very important to help prevent a birth defect from developing, especially in the first few months of your baby’s development. These include not drinking alcohol and not smoking. Both of these substances are thought to increase the risk factors for birth defects to occur and can cause harm to your growing baby.
Along with these commonly thought of substances also comes hazardous substances like chemicals. Some chemicals, like those found in household cleaning supplies, can be dangerous for you to use and inhale while pregnant, and this also includes those found in cat litter. If you’re unsure if a product or ingredient could be hazardous, you should talk with your doctor or try using a “green” alternative. Your doctor should be able to provide you with an idea of what chemicals could be hazardous or not and what to avoid.
Some other things you should avoid while pregnant include tanning beds, hot baths and hot tubs, excessive amounts of caffeine, some dietary items (ex: raw or undercooked meat, fish, or eggs and unpasteurized dairy products), strenuous exercise like heavy lifting, and increased stress. While all of these things aren’t directly known to be risk factors for birth defects, they can be potentially harmful to the development of your baby and could cause pregnancy complications, so they should be avoided.
Apart from talking with your doctor about things to avoid and concerns specifically related to your pregnancy, you should also keep up with the rest of your care team as well. Just because you’ve started seeing your OB/GYN during your pregnancy doesn’t mean you should stop seeing your other providers. You should still follow up with them, especially any specialists you see, as recommended. Let them know you’re pregnant so they can help you manage your health and conditions while your body and health changes with pregnancy and they can make any recommendations regarding your current medications. Many medications are safe to take while pregnant so you should never stop your medication before talking with your doctor first. And even better, talk with your doctor and/or specialist if you plan to become pregnant so you can have a plan to monitor and maintain your health going into pregnancy.
It’s also important to talk with your doctor about any over the counter medications and vitamins you are taking or plan to take. Some over the counter medications are safe and preferred for pregnant women to take. This can be especially important to talk with your doctor about if you become sick. Infections, especially if accompanied by a fever of 101° F or higher, can increase the risk of birth defects according to the CDC. Your doctor may recommend a medication, either prescription or over the counter, to help lower your fever that’s safe for you and your baby to prevent your fever from lasting a long time and potentially causing harm to your baby. Your doctor may also talk with you about keeping up to date with vaccinations like the flu to prevent infections. Talking with your doctor and understanding the recommendations and risks will help you make an informed choice about what’s best for you and your baby.
There are a lot of recommendations about what you should do and what you shouldn’t do for your health and the health of your baby. And as mentioned before, we don’t know the cause of all birth defects, but you can help to reduce the risk of one developing through your health. The best way to plan and understand how to do so is by talking with your care team.
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