Healthy Pregnancy: A To-Do List

You, lol.  🤭

(Click blue links for sources/more info on the subject)

Nobody likes to think about it, but it's true.  What you do (or don't do) in the next 9 months largely determines whether you have a healthy child or you end up stuck raising a severely disabled adult in your old age.  Things that don't harm our large adult bodies can wreak havoc on a developing fetus, and some of those things might surprise you.    

We can't do anything about our genetic predisposition to developmental disorders (autism, ADHD), mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, anxiety & depression OR our possible predisposition to physical defects like Chiari & Pierre-Robin Syndrome, but what happens in a child's first 3 years of life determines whether they'll meet their genetic IQ potential & developmental milestones and are as healthy as they can be, both physically & mentally.  This includes things like your nutrition, the infections you acquire, medications/supplements you take, stress levels & chemical exposures.  That's good news because it's largely controllable unlike genetics.       

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* Step 1:  Find a good OB for your prenatal care.  A physician, PA or NP will NOT do.  Pregnancy & childbirth are the hardest thing the human body can ever go through short of cancer, chemo and radiation so you need it as much for you as the baby.  🧡


* Always Google a medication or supplement's effects on the fetus before taking it and avoid any substance you don't absolutely need to survive.  Ask your OB about daily meds like Cymbalta & rescue meds like your heart inhaler.  (Zoloft/Paxil were deemed to cause heart defects in the fetus a few years ago and Cymbalta acts on the same neurotransmitters PLUS another one, so it's questionable).  Even Tylenol raises autism/ADHD risk--there's an ongoing class action lawsuit about that now.    

* Take steps to avoid or reduce your exposure to contagious & foodborne illness.  Get your flu shot and any other vaccines you aren't up to date on and wear masks around your kids at school when illness is going around.  Contagious illnesses in the mother raise the risk of both autoimmune disease (multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre, Lupus, etc) & schizophrenia in the offspring.  Influenza in the mother triples the fetus' schizophrenia risk in the 1st half of pregnancy and increases it sevenfold in the first trimester.  

Maker of "Purity First" vitamins, which were recalled for containing steroids.  🤬

* Avoid taking supplements and over-the-counter medicines unless they're cleared by your OB.  Supplements (including prenatal vitamins!) are not regulated by the FDA, as they're deemed to be neither food nor drug.  Every year when they sample a bunch of store and online brands randomly, they find that almost none contain what they say they do and many contain neurotoxic metals like lead & mercury, illegal drugs, research chemicals & sawdust.  Supplement manufacturers might be a team of professionals who work in clean, safe facilities or one guy who operates out of his bathtub/basement with no background in nutrition or biomedical sciences.  

* Ask your OB about special nutritional considerations since your diet is deficient in fruits/veggies.  A child's nutrition during pregnancy and in the first 3 years of life is one of the main factors that determines IQ, immune function & behavioral outcomes.  While you shouldn't grab one off the shelf at Wal-Mart or GNC, a quality prenatal vitamin is required for preventing birth defects.  Several nutrients including DHA & particularly the B vitamins are absolutely vital during all stages of pregnancy.  

 

Food poisoning during pregnancy can kill both mother & child.

* There is no safe type or amount of alcohol at any time during pregnancy.  Ditto tobacco and nicotine.  I'm sure you know this but it bears repeating.  Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a spectrum--if you drink in the 1st trimester, the facial features plus mental symptoms will be present; if you drink in the 2nd or 3rd trimesters, only the mental/neurological symptoms will present. These can include math learning disabilities, poor judgment & reasoning skills, speech delays, hyperactivity, memory impairment, low IQ & vision/hearing problems among others.   

* Chemical exposures can cause serious and lasting damage to offspring.  Many of the cosmetics we use (make-up, hair dye, perfumes, nail polish) contain dangerous levels of chemicals that have been banned in other countries and are far more harmful to a tiny developing fetus than an adult.  These readily absorb through the skin & end up in the umbilical cord, placenta & breast milk.  Phthalates found in nail polish, body washes, cosmetics & some shampoos can affect the growth, development, metabolism & other vital functions of the child.  While you don't need to be paranoid about these things, reducing your exposure to non-essential products as much as possible is an easy way to ensure a healthy pregnancy.  Toothpaste, deodorant and a good mild soap are all you really need to be "clean" during this time!  

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This might sound overwhelming but it's doable and very important.  The good news is pregnancy is only 9 months and you can use it as an excuse to relax, eat a lot (of healthy food!) and focus more on yourself & your health. 💙

The U.S. has the highest maternal death rate of any developed nation.  Advocate for yourself. ✊🏻