Precautions and dietary taboos in early pregnancy

You must ask your obstetrician before taking any medication, stay away from tobacco and alcohol (including second-hand and third-hand smoke), and do not do strenuous running or jumping/actions that stress the abdomen.； In terms of diet, absolutely avoid raw/semi-cooked food, and any food and drink containing alcohol. In addition, there is no need to be too tight. Most regular foods can be eaten, and the body's feelings are more reliable than the "taboo list" of the elders.

I have seen too many girls who have just found two lines and are instantly surrounded by all kinds of "experiences". They dare not even take a big step when walking. To eat an apple, they have to check whether it can be eaten by pregnant women for a long time. It is completely unnecessary. Let's break it down. The last time I went with my best friend for a prenatal check-up, when she was just 4 weeks pregnant, she had to endure a cold until her fever reached 39 degrees, which almost caused problems. Later, the obstetrician said that not all drugs should be off limits. Grade A and B safe drugs, when used under the guidance of a doctor, are much less harmful to the fetus than enduring a high fever. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can take any medicine indiscriminately. Whether it’s cold medicine, antipyretics or even internet celebrity health products, if you’re not sure, take a picture of it first and show it to your obstetrician. Following the doctor’s advice is always the first priority.

As for the idea of ​​just letting you lie flat for the first three months, it depends on the situation. If you have regular fitness habits and don’t have symptoms of threatened miscarriage such as abdominal pain or redness, it’s okay to walk slowly, do low-intensity pregnancy yoga, or even do slow-paced exercises occasionally. I have a friend who works out all year round. She is still doing light-weight upper body training when she is 10 weeks pregnant, and the prenatal check-up has given the green light. But if you are the type who can sit and never stand, don’t suddenly go climbing Huangshan Mountain or run 5 kilometers on a whim. Especially if you have bleeding or abdominal distension, just rest honestly. Don’t listen to other people’s nonsense about “exercise more and you’ll be better”. The placenta hasn’t grown in place in the first three months, so it’s better to be more stable. Those folk sayings of "you can't drive nails or hold scissors" are even more casual. If you believe it, just follow it for peace of mind. If you don't believe it, do whatever you want. There is no scientific basis to support it. The only thing you need to pay attention to is not to move too heavy things. Sudden exertion of force in the abdomen can easily cause contractions.

When it comes to diet, let me first mention two minefields that are not controversial and are recognized by the medical community as absolutely untouchable. Don’t leave anything to chance. The first is all raw and incompletely cooked food: sashimi, drunken shrimp and drunken crab, soft-boiled eggs, medium-rare steaks, and unpasteurized fresh milk and fresh cheese. These may carry listeria and salmonella. Ordinary people may get diarrhea after eating them. Infections in pregnant women can easily lead to miscarriage and fetal miscarriage. I once encountered a pregnant mother who was so greedy that she ate half a portion of raw pickled food. She had diarrhea for two days and was almost hospitalized. I really can’t do this. The second is anything that contains alcohol, whether it is liquor, beer, fermented dumplings, wine-filled chocolate, or dishes with a lot of cooking wine that has not been cooked until it evaporates. There is no safe dose threshold for the harm of alcohol to the fetus. Even a little bit may be risky. Don't use "my friend is fine after eating it" as an excuse. The probability problem is 100% on yourself.

The remaining question that is asked most frequently is "can it be eaten?" It is basically a controversial category. Different medical systems have different opinions. You can choose according to your needs. Take coffee, for example. The guidelines of Western medicine clearly state that it is okay to consume no more than 200mg of caffeine per day, which is about the amount of one medium cup of American coffee, or 2 cups of regular instant coffee, or 3 cups of regular milk tea. If you usually drink coffee every day, but suddenly quit and you get headaches and irritability, then drinking a small cup of light coffee every day is completely fine. ； If you don’t drink much, or if you drink it and you get flustered and have insomnia, then don’t touch it. Another example is the crabs, hawthorns, and longans that everyone is most concerned about. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that these are "cold and blood-activating" foods, which can easily increase the risk of miscarriage. Western medicine believes that as long as you are not allergic to these foods and do not feel uncomfortable after eating them, there will be no problem if you eat them fully cooked in small amounts. My colleague was greedy when she was just 7 weeks pregnant. I ate two steamed hairy crabs, but nothing happened. On the contrary, another pregnant mother ate unwashed strawberries and went to the hospital with acute gastroenteritis. To put it bluntly, the most important thing is that they are clean, fully cooked, and comfortable for you to eat. If you have a weak spleen and stomach and have diarrhea after eating something cold, then don’t touch these. It is better to follow your own body.

There are also many people who stock up on a bunch of health products right after they get pregnant, but it’s really unnecessary. In the first three months, the fetus is only as big as a fingernail and requires very little nutrition. Your usual dietary reserves are completely sufficient. The only thing you need to supplement is folic acid, 0.4 mg per day. You can take it from the period of pregnancy preparation to 12 weeks of pregnancy. If you are found to have a high risk of folic acid metabolism, follow the doctor's advice and take it until birth. As for other DHA, multivitamins, bird's nest and sea cucumber, if you eat a balanced diet, including meat, eggs, milk, vegetables and fruits, there is absolutely no need to take extra supplements. Taking too much will increase the burden on the liver and kidneys. ； If you have severe morning sickness and vomit after eating, you can take some multivitamins under the guidance of a doctor instead of buying a lot of internet celebrity products.

To be honest, pregnancy is a normal physiological process, not an illness. There is no need to turn yourself into a "key protected animal". Keep a few core red lines and make other things as comfortable as you want. A good mood is the best nourishment for the fetus. If you are really unsure about something, it is much more reliable to ask your obstetrician directly than to search online for a long time and listen to random advice from aunts and uncles.