There aren’t many hard and fast rules about what not to do during your pregnancy, beyond abstaining from alcohol and drugs, of course. For the most part, you can continue with most of your pre-pregnancy life. They include:
1. Raw meat and shellfish
Uncooked seafood (we’re looking at you, sushi), including oysters, mussels, and clams. Also, avoid rare or undercooked beef and poultry. These can be contaminated with toxoplasmosis or salmonella. Deli meat: Deli meats can be contaminated with listeria, bacteria that can cross the placenta and infect your developing baby.
An infection in utero could lead to blood poisoning and could be life-threatening for your baby. Fish with high levels of mercury: That includes fish such as shark, king mackerel, swordfish, and tilefish. Wondering about tuna? In general, canned, chunk light tuna has lower levels of mercury, but it’s still smart to eat it sparingly.
Smoked seafood: Avoid lox, kippered fish, jerky, or nova style salmon. There’s a risk that this refrigerated, smoked seafood could be contaminated with listeria.
Smoked seafood that’s shelf-safe or canned, however, is probably fine. Raw eggs: This includes foods that contain raw eggs, so be wary of homemade Caesar dressings, Hollandaise sauces, mayonnaise, and certain custards.
Raw eggs can pose a risk of salmonella. Soft cheeses: Some imported soft cheeses can have listeria, so steer clear of soft cheeses like Roquefort, feta, Gorgonzola, Camembert, and Brie. Mexican cheeses such as queso blanco and queso fresco should also be avoided unless they’re made from pasteurized milk.
Unpasteurized dairy: These products could contain listeria.
2. Don’t paint the nursery. There’s no way to measure toxicity from actual exposure to paint, so this recommendation is based on the likelihood of toxicity.
3. Don’t overdo it on the caffeine. It’s a stimulant and a diuretic, which means drinking your usual few cups of coffee every day will increase your blood pressure, heart rate, and the number of trips you make to the restroom. Plus, caffeine crosses the placenta.
.4. Don’t take certain medications. Some medications can be harmful to your growing baby. Before taking any over-the-counter or prescription medications and supplements, speak to your doctor.
5. Don’t hang out in the hot tub or sauna. If you’re feeling aches and pains during your pregnancy, relaxing in a hot tub may seem ideal. But an elevated body temperature during the first trimester can lead to certain birth defects. Skip the hot tub, which usually maintains a water temperature around 104°F, and tries a warm bath instead.