Pregnancy is the most nerve wracking experience for many women. We tend to worry about everything and some of us have the doctor on speed dial! It's such an unknown territory and the lack of sleep doesn't help our nerves. Most of us worry about things that are out of our control such as birth defects, prematurity or miscarriage. There are things we really need to worry about because affects our well being as well as the baby. Read on!
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We put together a list of things you should watch out for during pregnancy because these could make your baby sick. Prevention is key and you should seek professional help if you are having any these problems.
1. Food Poisoning: You accidentally ate something contaminated and you are bent over the toilet vomiting for hours. Don't wait too long! You'll know the difference between food poisoning and food intolerance. Go to the hospital right away because some bacteria like Listeria and e-Coli could cause premature and birth defects. It will also make you severely dehydrated.
2. Depression: This is a problem because it affects your entire body and its functions. You don't have the energy to eat or do anything. Your hormones are going crazy and affect the brain's chemistry. If you are feeling depressed, you have to seek help because you could be hurting your baby. Untreated depression during pregnancy results in low-birth weight, developmental issues and prematurity.
3. Infections: You have to target infections right away during pregnancy because you could infect the baby too. The first symptom of infection is fever followed by inflammation and pain. Act quickly, because the infection could cause miscarriage, pre-term birth and low-birth weight. Depending of the infection your doctor might prescribe a mild antibiotic safe for the baby.
4. Sexually Transmitted Diseases: You should keep an eye open for symptoms of gonorrhea, genital herpes and syphilis during pregnancy. You could infect your baby specially when he is born. These diseases are common in pregnant women and very few know they have it until its too late. Be careful!
5. Using Bleach: Working with toxic and strong cleaning and home improvement products during pregnancy could be dangerous. It's believed that breathing these products could generate malformations in your baby. Avoid using any kind of chemicals and choose natural alternatives for cleaning. Remember that poison enters the body through the skin so touching these cleaners is not a good idea.
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