remind me if all the things I need to know...

[superchick]

Just found out I'm pregnant. I'm excited but it was unplanned. DD is 3 and I seem to have forgotten everything. I've ben out and bought some pregnacare vitamins but what else do I need to do or avoid. My mind is blank

NHS health "A-Z" is super useful. :) This is the foods bit but of course they have pretty much everything: www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/foods-to-avoid-pregnant.aspx

When I was pg few years ago it was:

Tuna
Peanut butter
Alcohol
Smoking
Stress

That I think were the main things I was told to avoid...

Then was told I should have eaten peanut butter after all when kid developed allergy...

Stress - the clinically dangerous rate is if you're living in a tornado zone in unsafe temporary housing levels of stress (seriously that's the basis of the main study cited nowadays!). However it is mixed in culturally with the idea that women are weak and helpless in pregnancy etc'. Interestingly babies born to women with a history of pregnancy loss (who are almost 100% likely to be stressed/worried most of their pregnancy) have no problems caused by the stress itself.
It has also been noted that telling someone with a genuine cause for stress to 'not be stressed' because it could hurt their baby is not only useless but can make them guilty, anxious and more prone to pre/postnatal depression. Bit of a no-brainer really.

Yeah, peanuts are now allowed.
Tuna is allowed (and/or salmon) twice a week and recommended for the omegas and protein.

...no booze/no smoking is consistent. Again a bit of a no brainer.

Oh, and they recommend only 200mg caffeine (2 mugs instant coffee or one 'real' coffee or 2-3 teas, plus a choccie bar a day in real terms). Decaff Milcano is quite nice.

Avoid sword fish and liver.
Avoid unpasteurised cheese (highly unlikely to find any in uk supermarket).
Avoid hot tubs and saunas.
Midwife will cover anything else that has changed such as whooping cough jab etc.
congratulations btw!

Don't eat shark or marlin either. I've never seen shark on a menu and had never heard of marlin before getting pg.
Try to stay healthy -fruit and veg, exercise- if you're feeling well enough.
Contact GP/midwife for an appointment.

Thanks everyone. I'm starting to get my head round it all now. Going to dig out "what to expect..." from the loft this weekend!

One more thing... vitamins. I have some standard pregnacare but was wondering whether to take the more advanced ones that are like twice the price? Also I suffered really bad PND last time and I want to take or do whatever I can to protect against that again. Any advice?

One more thing... vitamins. I have some standard pregnacare but was wondering whether to take the more advanced ones that are like twice the price? Also I suffered really bad PND last time and I want to take or do whatever I can to protect against that again. Any advice?

I don't even take branded pregnacare- Tesco own or Sanatogen are the same really.

Re the PND, mention it to your MW. Many areas have a psych nurse who can counsel women with PND or anxiety, I found it helpful.