Pregnancy Questions Answered

If you would like to scan over the basic pregnancy what to expect and advice for the questions you may have in the first, second, and third trimesters of pregnancy: check the section I wrote for WebMD’s eMedicine . Just published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology April 2018 was a quick compilation of the currently accepted pregnancy advice. Here’s some highlights (and a bit of commentary):

1. Good diets probably substitute for prenatal vitamins. However, check with your gyno to determine if you personally have any nutritional deficiencies.

2. Probably do not need to eat any extra calories in the first trimester.

3. Artificial sweeteners have never been shown to cause birth defects.

4. You would probably have to drink over 10 cups of coffee a day to (possibly) harm your baby. There are other reasons not to consume at that level however! So keep coffee intake modest!

5. There is no real evidence that sushi is harmful in pregnancy if consumed in the US.

6. Do cook your meat, do wash your raw vegetables.

7. Avoid contact sports in pregnancy, but otherwise do exercise!

8. Hair dyes are presumed safe in pregnancy, there has never been a study to prove otherwise.