When you're pregnant there is a list a mile long of foods your not supposed to eat, things you're not supposed to do and substances you're not supposed to take.
For the most part I'm being a good girl and adhering to the pregnant girl rules, after all it took forever for us to be in this position the least I can do is not indulge in harmful foods/behaviors.
That being said there are certain things that I just cannot be bothered with and honestly there is no good data supporting the avoidance of these.
So, I still indulge in:
Coffee - I still have a cup of coffee every single morning - the data that says you should avoid caffeine is done with woman that have somewhere in the 5 cups of coffee a day range, yes that much caffeine is likely to stress your tiny baby. But there is NOTHING out there that can support a cup of coffee a day as being a danger to your baby. Some midwives and Dr.'s even suggest a caffeinated beverage to help with headaches that can sometimes plague pregnant women because most painkillers are off-limits.
Wine - Ok, I'm avoiding wine this first 13 weeks but in all honesty it's because the smell of wine makes me want to gag, not because I believe a small glass of wine once in awhile will hurt my baby. Tomorrow night I'm going out with friends and you can bet your ass I'm ordering a glass of wine, no I probably won't drink the whole thing since the smell is gagging me, but I will definitely TRY to drink it. Again NO data to support a glass of wine once a week or so is harmful to your baby specifically after the first trimester when baby is done developing and starts the growing phase.
Deli meat - I try, but every once in awhile a turkey sandwich just hits the spot.
Soft cheese - This rule is for UNpasteurized soft cheeses but for some reason a lot of women just quit all soft cheeses altogether. Here in the good old US you can't sell cheese in supermarkets that are unpasteurized, so it's not much of an issue if you're buying cheese for consumption at home BUT check the label and if you're in a restaurant, ask someone if the buffalo mozzarella is pasteurized, the answer is almost always YES, so soft cheeses have stayed on the menu for me.
Fish - Ugh, so many rules! I am not a huge fish eater anyway, but I do love me some tuna fish, so I keep my tuna sandwiches down to once a week and only eat fish at restaurants if I'm really craving some fish. Recently my midwife recommend I put MORE fish on the menu because fish has some great benefits for pregnant women. And here I was thinking I was being a good girl.
Sex - Really? People really abstain for 9 months? Seems silly and yet everytime I have a Dr. or midwife appt they make it a point to mention that sex is ok...as though people think generally it is NOT ok and they have to reassure them. I have to admit though the weird "mini-contractions" that happen afterward are unpleasant and a bit of a deterrent for me.
Nail polish - Again, really? Sorry, my nails will continue to be painted. And I can't be bothered to buy special organic nail polish when I have so much already.
Dye my hair - I'm still getting highlights, though I'm careful to mention that I'm pregnant so they keep away from my scalp.
Kitty litter - My husband is gone for several days at a a time there is no way I can NOT clean the kitty litter. I make sure not to touch anything and wash my hands immediately after and this is husband's chore when he's home, but when he's gone I take over and really don't worry about it.
Baths - I take a bath Every. Single. Day. and I never check the temperature. As long as I'm not sweating I don't worry about hard boiling my baby.
In general I really believe babies are heartier than we (specifically the infertiles who have waited and struggled longer than most to get to this point) believe them to be. All the drinking and smoking during pregnancy in the 50's did little to deter birth rates, if babies couldn't survive all these small things I just mentioned our population would be in TROUBLE.
What else am I missing? And since there are SO many of you lately who just got your BFP's there is an assload of you who can join in this convo! What have/do you guys indulge in (or plan to indulge in if your BFP is new or if you haven't go yours yet) that "they" recommend you stay away from?
You can eat deli meat - just nuke it in the micro to kill any bacteria. My doc told me that a cup of coffee is fine if you really need it. And most cheese in the U.S. is pasteurized anyway. You can't quit living!
ReplyDeleteIt's still too new for me to do anything that 'they' tell me I shouldn't do. I'm just so nervous that something will go wrong, and I need to know that I did everything possible. That being said, I do realize that moderation is key and I don't really think any of the things you mentioned are going to harm your baby. So once I hit 12 weeks I will totally have a glass of wine here and there. Okay, maybe more than just here and there! I used to pretty much have a glass (or two.....) of wine each night to relax. In my opinion, a glass of wine and being stress free is way better for my growing baby than having anxiety and being stressed all the time!
ReplyDeleteI like this post because I feel the same way about the majority of them! I too believe one cup of coffee a day is fine. Sometimes instead of my one cup of half-calf coffee, I'll drink a *gasp* diet soda instead. They say you aren't suppose to have artificial sweeteners, but I don't see the harm in an occassional diet drink. And I still eat sushi, but get something that is cooked.
ReplyDeleteI just wrote about this topic not long ago myself.
ReplyDeleteI've eaten deli meat recently, because I totally didn't even think about it being on the 'no' list. Oh well, live and learn.
I still clean the litter box everyday, wearing rubber gloves (thinking about a face mask) and washing both gloves and hands after. It just saves hassle and arguments (for now) in our household.
I drink mostly green tea, but still love the occasional black tea. But, at the same time, one tea bag lasts for several cups for me, so it isn't like I'm drinking tons of caffeine. Moderation.
No alcohol for me. I don't care for it anyway, but that is one thing hubby is not willing to 'let' me do while pregnant. No skin of my back.
Sex?! As soon as the progesterone suppositories and yeast infection were gone, we were fine. :) I don't have a high sex drive, but enough of one that I'm keeping hubby happy-ish.
We don't have a bathtub, but oh how I would love one! I do go to sauna though. It is totally normal for Finnish women to go all throughout pregnancy and even for delivery at times (or at least more often in olden days).
I also eat sushi, but no raw fish. I like my sushi with veggies and I was given the ok for that. I just make sure to watch my soy sauce intake.
There are so many things one can worry about and stress over. But you know, if something is going to happen, most likely it won't be something we can control anyway. Plus, I believe worrying about it is worse than just living and being happy, in moderation.
I've thought about it a lot but I don't know what I would/will keep and what I would/will abstain from. I think caffeine is one I am going to have to keep, but since I only ever drink a cup or two of black tea a day it's not much anyway. Today I only had green tea and I could barely get off the couch. I just need caffeine, sadly!
ReplyDeleteActually my main concern with drinking tea is the other herbs that are mixed in for flavor. I am kind of obsessing over that (and have been through this 2ww / today's BFP!). Some herbs cause uterine contractions which can cause miscarriage, especially early on - apparently. One of my favorites I have is an apricot/pear/hibiscus herbal and hibiscus is bad. Another one is licorice mint and licorice is bad. It's going to be a challenge finding "safe" tea!
While there are definitely things like licorice root that are on the no-no list during pregnancy, the same rule as the coffee applies. One cup of herbal tea with licorice root or hibiscus is not going to be sufficient to be dangerous. Five cups of it on the other hand is bad. I had to ask my midwife about this because i noticed the "claiming" tea I was drinking at the beginning of my pregnancy had a DO NOT drink while pregnant or nursing on it! I freaked out because I'd been drinking a cup at night for the first few weeks of pregnancy, after listing all the ingredients for her she told me there were a few bad things like the licorice root but not to worry about it as the amount in tea is really not sufficient to do damage. Moderation is key!
DeleteI play the "lets be sensible" card.
ReplyDeleteFor example I don't eat from a Chinese Take Away shop in the mall in the bain marie but from our local bakery that makes fresh sandwiches every day, well yes I do indulge.
Sex - well that is a tricky one, it's not so much about abstaining than about no desire whatsoever. We did it once and I bled a bit and we tried the other night and I was so tense that it didn't work. I feel awful but I literally have no desire whatsoever. Weird and attributing it to pregnancy.
Baths - I have a tenandency towards hot so I limit them besides it is summer now and too hot for a bath. Just quietly Melbourne summer is rocking out this year.
Booze - I work at a winery with a wine allowance and I have no interesting in drinking. It is so sad!! I tried at xmas but felt so guilty I didn't have any and now I just think why bother. It has almost been 24 months since I had a glass of wine. Occasionally I will put soda in a wine glass to feel normal!!
I think that you just have to be sensible. If you get a chance read this article from a French lady who has written a book. It is very interesting (and divisive!)
http://www.essentialbaby.com.au/life-style/nutrition-and-wellbeing/the-child-king-20120130-1qoqf.html#utm_source=FD&utm_medium=lifeandstylepuff&utm_campaign=childking
Thank you for that link! Such an interesting article!
DeleteI'm still pretty much terrified to do anything on the NO list. However, the whole caffeine thing obviously didn't bother me much today as I sat down and ate an entire HUGE chocolate muffin. I'm pretty sure the babies LOVED it!
ReplyDeleteThis post and these comments scare me. I have a special needs child already, and who knows if what happened to her was due to something I ate/did during pregnancy...I'll never know (and quite honestly, I don't ever really think about it). But the thought of having another kid with special needs FREAKS.ME.THEHELL.OUT. If you-all can do things on the "no list" and feel like moderation is okay, that's between you and God...hell, I know unhealthy people have healthy babies all the time. But as for me and my pregnancy, we we follow the rules!!!
ReplyDeleteIm still a little scared of what I should and shouldnt eat. The other day I did have subway and enjoyed every bite!! The book Im reading has the first tri ending at week 13. But my OB told me once I got past 11 weeks I was in a "safe zone" as safe a zone as you can be in with twins.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting discussion. Although I'm not pregnant yet, I've been told that in order to conceive, I should be eating and drinking as if I'm already pregnant. I've tried to do this, but I end up feeling constantly miserable because I have to obsess about everything I put into my body. I may not need my one cup of coffee in the morning, but it's a comforting ritual for me, and I end up feeling stressed when I deprive myself of it. The same goes for the occasional glass of wine or beer. Will I drink alcohol while pregnant (if I get to that point)? Probably not. But I'm not going to be a slave to the no coffee rule.
ReplyDeleteThe article that Chon linked to is very interesting and I have to say that, to some extent, I agree with the view that women are made to feel too much guilt when it comes to pregnancy and motherhood.
My doctor said I could absolutely take baths when pregnant. Enjoy!
ReplyDeletemy Dr. was really relax about things... he told me all the above were fine, plus gave me the green light to eat sushi.
ReplyDeleteI dyed my hair, got manis and pedis, had coffee or tea everyday, and had a half a beer more than once... oh, and definitely still ate soft cheese. there isn't much unpasteurized soft cheese around... I agree with you can't stop living!!!