Before I became pregnant I thought I understood a few important rules of the 'Do's and Do Not's" of pregnancy. Of course we all know not to binge on alcohol, smoke, or lift anything heavy but what about the simple things? Can I color my hair? How does soda affect the baby? Are foot massages safe during my last trimester? I think I pretty much heard of every single thing to try and not try during my pregnancy. Thank goodness I didn't listen to anyone or this could have been one ugly ride. lol
(This information should not take the place of professional advice from a doctor or health professional. I am not a doctor or trained in the medical field.)
Q: Is it safe to color my hair during pregnancy?
A: I actually knew this answer from my years in Cosmetology school, so let me clarify. There are no reports of hair dye causing any reactions or change to your unborn during pregnancy. The chemicals used in hair color actually do not penetrate the skin deep enough to cause any harm (the only concern is any allergic reaction you may have with the chemicals on your skin). There are also some alternative options for those who are still concerned- such as using vegetable dyes that contain no synthetic chemicals or reducing the amount of color treatment (from an all over treatment to selective highlighting or frosting.) One more piece of advice is to make sure you seek out professional advice and assistance when using chemicals such has hair color. The chemicals used are usually strong and should be handled by a trained professional. Overall, I would say it is probably safe to continue to color your hair during pregnancy. Whew! Thank goodness!
Q: Your pregnant! You get to enjoy eating for TWO!
A: This has to be the biggest and scariest myth of all. I myself went into pregnancy thinking this was my time to get away with more bad foodie habits than I did before pregnancy. The truth is, why would you ever put anything into your body now that you wouldn't have otherwise? If you didn't drink sugary beverages, eat heavily salted foods or sweets, why start now? Your body only needs an estimated amount of 200-300 calories extra a day during the first trimester. Once you start your second trimester this only increases slightly to about 350 calories. Toward the end of your pregnancy around the third trimester where the baby will have the largest growth spurt, you can expect about a 400-500 calorie increase. (Always make sure to check with your practitioner or physician as this can vary. This also can vary with someone who was significantly under weight or is carrying more than one child during pregnancy, so please make sure to ask a professional.) But for us normal gals who think this is the time to veg out with a tub of Ben & Jerry's and handful of peanut butter/banana sandwiches, think again! Keep in mind also that a lack of control during pregnancy can lead to some serious health complications during pregnancy. I only have only gained 27lbs during my pregnancy and I am currently 37 weeks. I have heard many stories of women gaining 40, 50+ pounds during pregnancy! I certainly did not want to risk gestational diabetes, high blood pressure or put my child at risk of also taking on obese behaviors. Huge bonus to a healthy weight gain... it makes it so much easier to lose the pregnancy weight afterward! Woo hoo! So treat your body right and your baby right during pregnancy.
Q: Massages can cause women to go into labor. True or False?
A: A friend advised me during my second trimester to not get any foot massages during my last trimester as this could induce labor. During the final trimester is when most of my swelling in the ankles and feet have taken place, so the idea of avoiding a foot massage or going into labor while getting my regular pedicure made me want to dig a little deeper on this issue. The truth is that is actually safe and beneficial to receive a gentle foot massage or pedicure (which usually contains a form of massage) during pregnancy. The idea that labor could be initiated during massage stems from reflexology or pressure points known as acupressure. Reflexology is a special kind of massage, this one in particular designed to reach pressure points located in the deep arch of your foot. This can also be done through certain points in the hand. It is hard to find any scientific studies to back that this actually induces labor if used, but if you speak to a trained professional or massage therapist they will probably advise you it is used in cases where someone may be past the 40 week mark and it has shown some positive results. Sure doesn't hurt and I know I will have my massage therapist on standby if our baby wants to avoid coming on time! So foot massages during pregnancy are safe and the one time we may need them the most.
Q: Pregnant women should avoid baths, you could boil the baby!
A: You have to laugh a little at this one. I was speaking with a friend online and advising her of my natural birth plan. She asked me how I planned to handle the contractions and I simply advised that one of my techniques would be a hot bath. "OMG! You can't take bath's you will boil the baby!". Certainly this could be dangerous of the bath was extremely hot or over 100 degrees. A warm bath of around 98 degree's is safe and beneficial for several reasons. It can reduce swelling, prevent premature contractions and alleviate pain or soreness with pregnancy. Since I plan on having a water birth, this completely makes sense! The baby will be coming out in water, and of course it should match my body temperature. The risks associated with a severely hot bath is that is can can raise our temperature, reduce blood flow to the baby, increase our heart rate and place your baby under stress. When preparing your bath it should be easy to get into it, if you have to ease into it slowly it may be too hot. Just be careful getting in and out of the tub as gravity during pregnancy has altered us slightly. Feel free to also use those bath bubbles, your cervix is closed so there is no harm for the baby! A nice warm shower can also help, and certainly is recommended during the early stages of labor to help alleviate pain during contractions.
Q: Is it safe to continue to wear perfume during pregnancy?
A: I have to say I was surprised to hear this question more than once. I never considered perfume to ever be a risk during pregnancy. The truth is, perfume does not affect your pregnancy itself. Many women may experience a bout of nausea during pregnancy and perfumes can easily contribute to this when you are most sensitive. So if you find yourself becoming light headed, dizzy or nauseated due to your perfume or someone else's you may want to try something lighter. I actually only wear perfume when I am going out but daily I use a light body mist. It is carries a nice light scent without becoming over bearing and I never had any issues with perfume during my "morning sickness" stage. Of course, everyone is going to be different. Also, another issue is that our hormones are completely whacked during pregnancy. You may find yourself more sensitive physically to your current perfume. So if you find yourself becoming itchy, aggitated or it is causing any kind of rash (of course seek advice from a professional or physician) but you may want to reduce the usage or temporarily switch to something else. (I recommend an all natural perfume or even essential oils as these are usually natural and derived from plants) You should be able to go back to your favorite perfume post baby. The only additional risk I was able to find that may be of concern is that perfumes that are not natural and contain synthentic or artificial scents may also contain something called phthalates.
Here is the definition from Wikipedia: Phthalates (pronounced /ˈθæˌleɪts/, tha-layts [1]), or phthalate esters, are esters of phthalic acid and are mainly used as plasticizers (substances added to plasticsto increase their flexibility, transparency, durability, and longevity). They are used primarily to soften polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Phthalates are being phased out of many products in the United States, Canada, and European Union over health concerns.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phthalate
There is no scientific study to back the theory that this chemical could potentially be harmful to your unborn child, but if you are truly concerned, then of course an all natural perfume would be your best resource.
Q: You should sustain from alcohol during pregnancy? True or False
A: True and False! This probably is one of the most debatable issues when it comes to pregnancy. Let me first advise that no one should be at the bar tossing shots back while they are pregnant. So go ahead and put the rim salt for that margarita away and tuck the shot glasses back in the cabinet, those will still need to wait till your post baby days. What I have found is that low to moderate use of alcohol can have some benefits. This means that if you want to have one glass of red wine with dinner once or twice a week, it may actually be okay! (Now let me rephrase this, I am not a doctor-so always ask your physician first!) Studies have been shown that moderate to low consumption of alcohol has no affect on the baby. Unlike over consumption of alcohol can lead to birth defects such as low birth weight as well as mental and physical birth defects. Consider this, my fiance is Italian. It is very normal for women in Italy and France to consume one glass of wine with dinner or to just relax. So when is it too much? That is the real issue. Since no one really knows how much alcohol is too much it is always better to just advise everyone to stay away from it.
Here are some links on studies completed to link low, moderate and high use of alcohol during pregnancy. It is always up to you and your physician to decide what is best!
"A very large population-based observational study from the UK found that at the age of 5 years, the children of women who reported light (no more than 1-2 units of alcohol per week or per occasion) drinking did not show any evidence of impairment on testing for behavioral and emotional problems or cognitive..." ability.http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101015113512.htm
"The study, which found no evidence of harm from having a couple drinks a week during pregnancy, was so well done and its findings so conclusive that it ought to become the final word in the field, said Fred Bookstein, an applied statistician who studies fetal alcohol spectrum disorders at both the University of Washington, Seattle, and the University of Vienna..."
http://news.discovery.com/human/alcohol-drinking-pregnant-women.html
No comments:
Post a Comment