Pregnancy 102: Controversial Facts Every Pregnant Woman Should Know

"Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I have to stop having fun!" Right. "I can do the same things I did pre-pregnancy and be fine." Wrong. When a woman becomes pregnant she now has to not only eat for two, but she has to think for two. Many things, in the volume that were done before are not acceptable during pregnancy. Find out some little known controversial facts about pregnancy and great places to get more info.

According to Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg, and Sandee Hathaway's What to Expect When You're Expecting,

Alcohol
Many women do not find out they're pregnant the second it happens. Odds are that they've participated in a little drinking prior to finding out. "There's no evidence that a few drinks on a couple of occasions early in pregnancy will prove harmful to a developing embryo". However, the authors do say that continuing to drink throughout the pregnancy can in fact prove harmful to a growing embryo.

Cigarette and Marijuana Smoking
Pregnant women should not smoke. Murkoff, Eisenberg, and Hathaway state that, "it is well documented (as well as plastered on cigarette packs) that smoking during pregnancy, particularly beyond the third month, is hazardous". However, they also state that any smoking done prior to pregnancy is not proven to be any harm to the embryo.

Marijuana should also not be used during pregnancy. "Some, though not all, studies show that women who use marijuana even as infrequently as once a month throughout pregnancy are more likely to gain inadequate weight; to suffer from hypermesis (severe and chronic vomiting), which can interfere seriously with prenatal nutrition if not treated; to have dangerously rapid labor, prolonged or arrested labor, or a cesarean section; to show meconium in the amniotic fluid (a sign of possible fetal distress; and/or to have a baby that needs resuscitation after delivery" the authors state. It could also damage genes and cause birth defects or cancer.

Prenatal Care
The authors state that women should schedule regular prenatal visits with an obstetrician for maximum safety for mom and baby during their nine months of pregnancy.

Sex
As long as your obstetrician says sexual activity and stimulation is okay, sex adds no risks to a developing embryo.

Fish Consumption
Pregnant women can't just eat anything, or as much of anything as they'd like. The mercury in fish is something that pregnant women must definitely be aware of. "According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines, you should avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish" which contain high levels of mercury and can harm the fetus's nervous system. However, don't worry if it has already been consumed, "this is true of regular consumption". Also, the main fish to monitor your consumption since most people actually consume these are tuna; freshwater fish caught by family and friends, and commercially caught fish. This should be limited to 6 ounces a week. Tropical fish like grouper, amberjack, and mahimahi often times contain toxins. Great fish to enjoy however (12 ounces safely) are "salmon, sole, flounder, haddock, tilapia, halibut, ocean perch, pollack, cod, and trout".

Remember, all meat and fish should be cooked well done.

Caffeine
"While there is evidence to suggest that getting your get-up-and-go from caffeine isn't the best idea when you're pregnant, light coffee drinking doesn't seem to be a problem" the authors say. They state that two to three cups a day have not proven harmful however, five or six cups a day increases the chances of miscarriage.

Though these facts can be commonly found, lots of pregnant women are not familiar with them and if not educated, put their unborn children in harms way. Great resources to find much more information like this are whattoexpect.com and babycenter.com.