pregnancy dos and don'ts - cant seem to get it right.

[superchick]

So I got my BFP last week, this is my first pregnancy. We have been thinking about TTC for quite a while but it happened much quicker than we expected so although I have been taking pregnacare religiously and have read up a bit about food and activities to avoid I haven't really planned anything. I managed to give up smoking aboout 2 months ago which I'm really chuffed about but am panicking about the harm I've been doing to the baby.

Before I got the BFP I:

1. Took diclofenac painkillers for a bout of back pain that I get occasionally (not often). i took them for about 3 days.
2. Had 2 smallish drinking "sessions" of about 4 large glasses of wine each.
3. Used a tens machine on my back which clearly says on the box NOT FOR USE DURING PREGNANCY

And since I got my BFP I have:

1. Cleaned the bathroom in our new house with strong smelling chemicals (the last owners left it in a filthy condition). I didn't think of the potential risk until DP mentioned it.
2. Melted and scraped old paint off skirting boards for a few minutes until again DP suggested it probably wasn't the best idea. I was light headed afterwards.
3. Gone to my usual Pilates class.
4. Eaten a very rare lamb chop for tea
5. cycled to work (I do this every day) sucking in bus fumes and god knows what else.

So have I been massively negligent? What sort of damage have I done and how bad should I feel? It seems that every day I kick myself for something else and it feels like I have quite a few months of worry and guilt ahead of me.

Forgot to say, I fully intend to see my doctor and bother him with my paranoia and general idiocy. Would just like your opinions as well.

Please try not to worry

I wouldn't be worried about anything on your list... I'd maybe try and avoid rare meat from now on and limit the wine to 1 at a time

I really doubt that anything you've done would have harmed your baby

Congratulations

You've done no damage.

Before you go the BFP you did some fairly minor things that wouldn't have affected a barely implanted embryo anyway. Since then you've done bugger all really.

Go easy on yourself. Check out the info on the Food Standards Agency website and on the NHS website and then don't listen to people who tell you you can't eat or shouldn't so other weird and wonderful things.

Incidentally, unfortunately there is no prohibition on cleaning (with or without chemicals) in pregnancy, but you don't need to tell your DP that.

I wouldn't worry about any of those for a second.

In descending order.

8. My colleague cycled to work in London until she couldn't physically get on the bike anymore. You are not going to escape traffic fumes, you have to go outside at some point. Even in the car, air from outside is getting in.

9. My NHS pregnancy book says rare meat is fine if it is a whole cut (chop/joint/steak) and the outside is seared properly.

10. You might want to let your Pilates teacher know you're pregnant, your joints, ligaments, muscles, etc get looser in pregnancy so you could overstretch something, but there's no reason to stop.

11. If you start getting pregnancy sickness then stuff like that will probably make you puke. But it's not going to harm your baby. Maybe don't do it every day for hour on end.

12. See no 5.

13. Lots of things say do not use in pregnancy, this is often because they can't actually test stuff on pregnant women so they just go cautious instead.

14. Every day, women are finding out their pregnant after some wild weeks of drunken debauchery. Many of the babies I have met were conceived on drunken nights. They're fine. Don't drink 4 large glasses of wine every day, 1-2 units, once or twice a week is fine.

15. See first line of no 2. Only substitute "after taking painkillers they shouldn't have". Don't take them again, stick to paracetamol.

Thanks everyone

The panic is subsiding and I can try and get a good night sleep now. I guess I just want everything to be perfect and that isn't really an option if you live in the real world and have other things to think about than just cooking a baby 24/7.

Aaaand relax.

You'll be fine. Just think of all the lovely things you're already doing for your baby: giving up smoking, doing research, getting good healthcare and seeking support.

These things are FAR more valuable than a lamb chop is damaging :)

I had a stinking cold a few days before I found out I was pregnant and had dosed myself up to my ears with day&night nurse, as well as eating unwashed radishes because I couldn't be bothered and cleaned the cat loo. Everything is fine!

But you do worry about these things at the beginning (esp if it's the first time!), so you're right there with the rest of us!

Please do not worry! I am sure most of us have done at least 1 to 4 things off your list during early pregnancy!

It is great you quit smoking! I'd say that is the most important thing from your list. Try to not use any toxic chemicals for cleaning going forward and not perform any heavy duty tasks. If you did not get sick from eating lamb, I am sure was totally fine!

In terms of pilates, if you are a regular practitioner, it is totally fine to do this excercise with some modifications in pregnancy (one session surely did not do you any harm!). Most places tell you not to, because they are afraid of legal liability (eg if a pregnant woman miscarries and sues them). I was doing regular yoga classes 5-6 times per week until 8 weeks when I told one instructors I was pregnant and got kicked out of the class -- she told me I would miscarry if I do not stop immediately... Nice? I was soooo worried!! However, an experienced teacher took me back, and I have been carrying on with a regular, albeit slightly modified for pregnancy practice. If you feel well (I did), it is unreasonble to not do any excercise. Just excercise with caution and listen to your body. In terms of cycling, a friend of mine was cycling until 7 months during both pregnancies, I think it depends on how you feel about it and where you cycle. Remember, statiscally most miscarriges during the fist trimester are attributed to chromosomal abnormalities rather than other factors. Try to not worry and enjoy this special time. Wishing you a good pregnancy!

weve all done at least 10 things we should have - sometimes without realising it, and sometimes without thinking.
There's not a lot will pass through to the baby anyway. I sprayed our small garden and driveway with weedkiller regularly, before thinking this might be a bad idea...

I ate soft eggs regularly, without really thinking.

Most people who are not really TTC will have been very very drunk before they took their pg test. I had a few heavy nights with DS1 before I knew.

A lot of what you've done would simply have caused you to be sick or nauseous.

NOTE: with my first DS, I remember being worried about these sorts of things. The doctor said to me that it is very rare for a MC to happen because of something you have done, BUT it is even less likely for them to harm the baby, giving it future problems.
The main thing is that you dont knowingly do anything daft from now on. Good luck
x

Hello Muser - please please please tell me where you read that it is ok to eat rare meat - I definitely need a copy! I will be over the moon if thats the case because everything I've read says nothing undercooked.

I am 8 wks pregnant and was dreading the prospect of having to either not eat steak at all or (worse as far as I'm concerned), order it well done in a restaurant somewhere for another 7 months, besides which, great source of iron!

blimey it was in the big NHS book the midwife gave me at my first appointment. Said meat should be cooked thoroughly, but it was fine to have whole pieces of meat (like a steak or joint) pink if the outside was properly cooked. Chicken, pork, sausages, mince etc should all be properly cooked. And no steak tartare.

Interestingly, I cannot find that distinction on the NHS website. But I know that the book they give you in Scotland says something different because we were discussing it on another thread.