During pregnancy, there are some taboos for pregnant women that must be known. This taboo can be in the form of certain foods or habits that can have a bad impact on the health of the mother and fetus. Know what are the taboos for pregnant women.
During pregnancy, every pregnant woman is required to be more careful in consuming food and drinks and always apply healthy lifestyle behaviors.
In addition, there are also some taboos for pregnant women that should be known and avoided. This is important to do to prevent bad things from happening to the mother and fetus.
Some Taboos for Pregnant Women
The following are some taboos for pregnant women that must be avoided so that the mother and fetus remain healthy:
1. Smoking
Smoking habits during pregnancy can cause babies to be born with low weight and increase the risk of various health problems in babies, such as fetal infections, IUGR, and growth and development problems.
In addition, exposure to cigarette smoke can also increase the risk of complications in pregnancy. Therefore, this taboo for pregnant women also needs to be applied to husbands who have a smoking habit.
2. Consuming Alcoholic Beverages
Consumption of alcoholic beverages during pregnancy can increase the baby’s risk of developing fetal alcohol syndrome. Babies with this syndrome usually have low birth weight, behavioral disorders, and stunted growth.
Consumption of alcoholic beverages in the first trimester of pregnancy can also increase the risk of the baby having birth defects, so pregnant women need to stop this habit early in pregnancy.
Do not hesitate to ask the closest person or doctor for help if pregnant women are addicted and find it difficult to stop consuming alcoholic beverages.
3. Consuming Uncooked Food
Uncooked eggs and meat can cause pregnant women to experience Listeria or Salmonella bacterial infections, toxoplasmosis, and food poisoning. In addition, consumption of undercooked food can also increase the risk of miscarriage or birth defects in the baby.
4. Consuming Raw Milk
Raw milk or milk that has not been pasteurized is not recommended for consumption by pregnant women. If pregnant women want to consume milk or dairy products, pay attention to the pasteurization information on the packaging label.
Unpasteurized milk is at risk of containing bacteria that can cause miscarriage or even threaten the life of the mother and fetus.
5. Take Too Long a Hot Bath or Sauna
Taking a hot bath or sauna for too long is taboo for pregnant women because it has the potential to cause overheating or body temperature is too hot, dehydration, and fainting.
However, if you want to keep soaking in hot water, pregnant women can set the water temperature to no more than 32 degrees Celsius and limit the hot bath time to 15-20 minutes.
6. Have Excess Weight
Being overweight during pregnancy can increase the risk of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, and obesity in children. Therefore, pregnant women must regulate their daily calorie intake.
In the first trimester of pregnancy, pregnant women need to add 300 calories per day from the portion of food before pregnancy. While in the third trimester, pregnant women need to add 500-700 calories per day.
7. Have a Lack of Sleep
Not a few pregnant women who experience difficulty sleeping, especially in the third trimester of pregnancy. Lack of sleep is taboo for pregnant women because it can increase the risk of developing hypertension, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and postpartum depression.
To work around this, pregnant women are encouraged to exercise regularly, establish a regular sleep schedule, create a comfortable room atmosphere, and manage stress.
8. Excessive Caffeine Consumption
Excessive caffeine consumption is one of the taboos for pregnant women because it can increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and low birth weight. The safe limit for daily caffeine consumption for pregnant women is 200 mg or the equivalent of 300 ml of instant coffee. Also keep in mind that caffeine is not only found in coffee, but also in chocolate, tea, and energy drinks.
9. Cleaning Animal Waste
Cleaning animal waste, especially cats, can increase the risk of pregnant women developing toxoplasmosis. This condition is dangerous for pregnant women because it can cause miscarriage and infant death. However, the symptoms of toxoplasmosis are often not felt and realized by pregnant women.
Toxoplasmosis can also cause babies to have seizures or suffer from mental disorders. Therefore, cleaning cat litter is taboo for pregnant women. However, if the pregnant woman has a cat, ask her husband or family member to take care of her temporarily.
Some of the taboos for pregnant women above should really be understood and avoided to prevent interference with pregnancy. Pregnant women are also recommended to drink more water, meet nutritional needs, and get enough sleep for at least 8 hours every day.
Do not forget to routinely check the condition of pregnancy to the obstetrician according to the schedule so that the health condition of pregnant women and fetuses is always monitored and pregnancy complications can be detected early.
