What are the non-obvious do’s & don’ts?

[G1994]

Hi all…

I’m just wondering if you know of any non-obvious do’s and don’ts during pregnancy. Apart from the obvious list in NHS website.

For example, I ate a salad today made with ceaser dressing (just shop bought bottle). Then when I was scrolling through some pregnancy apps earlier, a thing came up about not eating fresh ceaser dressing due to the egg in it?! That is just something I would never even of thought of tbh. Which is scary as that’s my go to salad when eating out.

Anyway it seems to be a minefield out there with the things you can and cannot do. So what surprising information would you give a first time expecting mother that she may not already know?

Nothing surprising but the 'rules' are trying to reduce the risk of you getting sick from food poisoning 😊.

You just need to follow the NHS advice. Lion stamped eggs in the UK are fine but in some countries eggs aren’t safe.

Most restaurants will be using bottled Caesar dressing which will be pasteurised. If you're in the UK, all purchased eggs will have been laid by hens vaccinated against salmonella So don't panic 😉

Tell everyone your due date is at least two weeks later than it actually is. The last few weeks of pregnancy are not enhanced by the stream of calls and texts saying Any news? Have you had it yet? Are you in labour?

Avoid stress as best you can. Cortisol is bad for the baby.

You can eat Brie as long as it pasteurised which most standard supermarket Brie will be.

My midwife told me to avoid soft cheeses so I avoided it for my first and half my second pregnancy only to find out then it was fine 🤣

What?! You mean to say I avoided Brie for 2x 9 months for no reason 😩

I knew it was ok when cooked so did that but I do love a Brie and chutney sandwich.

Also I avoided caffeine completely the first time but had a daily tea or 2 the second time round, no issues, and also with breastfeeding (2nd baby is a better sleeper, but doubt that's related!)

Also agree, uncooked eggs are only a problem if you are overseas. The one I found out too late (but no ill effects) is that Mr Whippy ice cream should be avoided due to listeria risk in the pipes.

Don't stress too much about "rules". It's all fairly sensible self explanatory stuff. Best not overthink it. Plus if you do have a mouthful of salami, a piece of sushi, a caffeinated coffee or a small glass of champagne or whatever it is don't stress. Your baby will be fine.

Don't buy every baby gadget going just because you see some influencer (or other mum) going on about it. Baby's don't need a lot. Save your money and free up space. Plus they grow through gimmicky tat so quickly.

Do go out with your DH and have fun. See movies, go for meals, have a holiday. May as well make the most of it because everything gets harder once baby it here. Enjoy the last bit of freedom.

Ditto sleep. Get some whilst the going is good.

Learn now to ignore other people's opinions. Everyone has something to say about pregnancy and parenting. You do you.

Don't tell anyone your name choice until its a done deal.

Only if heated! The NHS foods to avoid guidance is:

• pasteurised or unpasteurised mould-ripened soft cheeses with a white coating on the outside, such as brie, camembert and chèvre (unless cooked until steaming hot)

In regards to eggs, some restaurants use farm eggs which are not always red lion stamped, so it’s best to always just check. Also be aware that things like chocolate mousse and soft meringue contain raw egg.

@Fromage that's excellent advice that I will 100% be following!! 😁

Make sure anything you read online is UK based, ideally NHS. There's all sort of advice out there, but because of food standards in the UK lots of it doesn't apply here.

I'm not sure this is the case. The reason you shouldn't eat brie isn't the pasteurisation (which is the case for most soft cheeses) but the fact that brie specifically is mold-ripened.

This isn't true
Even if its pasteurised brie should be heated before eating as brie is a moist mould ripened cheese and as its moist it can contain listeria

Conversely unpasteurised hard cheeses e.g. parmesan are fine to eat as they have a low moisture content and are less likely to harbour listeria

Don’t take normal multivitamins because they contain vitamin A which can be harmful. That’s why you need to have pregnancy vitamins instead.

Don’t use retinol (also vitamin A).

Don’t sleep on your back in the third trimester, but up until then just enjoy it while you can!

@DuploTrain just to be a pedant, the beta carotene form of vitamin A is fine, retinol is not. I had a small panic that I was eating too many carrots in my first pregnancy until my GP patiently explained the difference.

My one is don't use ibuprofen. I had no idea in my first pregnancy 😅

Stay away from cat litter.

Keep active, all the way through! I thought I was supposed to be resting during my first pregnancy which was hellup for my blood pressure and made recovering from birth much harder.

Also second pp about telling everyone your due date is later than it is.

Don't get induced.

Don't buy a lot of expensive maternity clothes unless you really want them.

Cam I ask how come?

I'm going to get lambasted for this. But try not to do loads of tests or have loads of scans (unless medically necessary, of course) Try to lead as normal a life as possible- don't give yourself extra stress.

Toxoplasmosis.

Had to just Google this 😂😂ahh ok thank you

Do - gentler upper body strength exercise and general exercise - I didn't and regret it as babies get heavy quickly

Don’t discuss baby names with anyone other than the baby’s father.