Doos and donts during pregnacy

[Jenny1997]

First time pregnancy and very early days (4 weeks) was wandering if someone could sum up the big doos and donts during your pregnancy! I don't smoke and barley drink (every couple of months) so that's not a problem.

Also who's do you tell and when? Worried some people are going to guess over Christmas so does anyone have any ideas how to hide not drinking at Christmas parties etc?

Far more don'ts than dos it seems

No mould ripened cheese like brie or camembert unless really cooked.

No cured meat like chorizo unless really cooked.

not too much seafood/ tuna due to mercury levels

DO DO DO take your folic acid til 12 weeks and Vit D throughout..

Do pelvic floor exercises and at least some exercise

We've told most immediate family (although some of it was MIL telling people) apart from his dad who is currently abroad and I've told a few friends as I need to be able to talk through things (now 8 weeks). Enough people at the one xmas party I'm going to are in that set of friends and if anyone else asks, oh well, sadly I'm a sh** liar so my face will give it away.

Congratulations! If you don't want people to know at Christmas just say you're on antibiotics (I said I had a water infection if anyone asked!) that's why you can't drink.

The nhs website is good for pregnancy do's and don't's.

I'd really recommend going to a pregnancy yoga class if there are any in your area (think you might need to be over 12 weeks though??). The relaxations and breathing exercises have been really helpful for me.

Aside from the health advice above, think about what support you will need after the birth and get timetables /opening times and timea/phone numbers together.
Congratulations!

Most of that I don't eat anyway :) just the cheese so no starter for me on Christmas 😂
My family/friends live a few miles away so don't really know how to tell them! I'm visiting at the weekend but don't know if it's too soon!

Good thinking RE christmas party great idea! I've only been with my current employer 4 months so don't fancy dishing the bad news too early!

I told my mum at 4 weeks and over the phone as she started talking about a lot of lifting at the gardening club we run!

Don't use the antibiotics line. It's almost like you've got a great big flashing light saying I'm pregnant stuck on your forehead!

I'd second the NHS website. There's actually not very much that you can't eat or drink during pregnancy. Get some stinky Stilton and bake your Camembert. Who eats tuna more than twice a week anyway? Take your vitamins and carry on as normal as much as you can. Plenty of exercise and sleep. I told all my family and friends pretty early as we had IVF and they all knew we were doing it.

Think im going to wait to see a midwife before telling my parents! My partners dad I feel needs to know but his mrs is a massive blabber mouth! So doubting telling him!

I've read to limit caffeine intake I only drink tea and all measurements are in coffee!

I've just switched to decaf tea - tastes no different to me! I'll have a cup of normal tea now and again so it doesn't look too obvious

I've just gone and bought a big box of decaf but don't know how to intergrate it into work

I think it's two cups of tea a day?

Caffeine limits are 200mg per day. A mug of well brewed tea has 75mg.

Agree with weasel, no one falls for the antibiotics line!

Oh and chocolate has caffeine in it too. A small bar of dark chocolate can have up to 50mg. Milk choc has less.

I'm thinking I'll drive for my works cheistmas do! So can't drink cuz I'm driving? But family I've no clue! Gunna be straight with my parents but can't trust my partners to keep quiet! We've told our best friends so we've someone to talk to as it was eating us up!

Thanks think I'm going to try my best to avoid caffeine! Luckily I love maltesters which have very little milk chocolate on!

If you follow the NHS guidelines for caffeine amounts you'll be well within the recommended limits. Their figures are generally the maximum of the range e.g. most regular cups of tea won't be anywhere near the 75mg they quote. It would have to be steeped for ages to reach that amount.

Congrats by the way! Could you ask your parents to help cover your tracks at Christmas? e.g. switch out alcoholic drinks for similar looking soft drinks? I did that one year, no one really noticed I nursed the same drink for ages (then surreptitiously tipped it down the sink). DH poured me sparkling grape juice every now and then.

I would say don't assume you will be able to carry on as normal in third trimester. I know it seems like ages away and everyone is different but am finding it hard at 32 weeks. Carrying and growing a baby is hard work!

No pate either! I read on here somewhere that at parities or get togethers with friends, just accept the alcoholic drink, just don't drink it. They won't notice!

Don't use the antibiotics line

Agree with this. The only antibiotic you really can't drink alcohol with is Metronidazole and that isn't prescribed very often. I found driving the easiest way - always had a cover story of something I needed to do in the morning so couldn't be hungover.

Agree that the NHS website will provide the information you need.

Thanks all! I'm hoping my parents will help hide from sisters and grandma as they won't want a huge argument. My eldest sister is very odd likes to be the first to do everything and my grandma very old fashioned nosexbefore marriage etc