Can you have sex during pregnancy: the truth and myths

Pregnancy is a period of time when a woman should be especially careful. Habitual things that seemed normal to an "interesting state" can negatively affect the growth and development of the fetus. However, there are so many myths associated with taboos for pregnant women that expectant mothers are simply lost in what can and cannot be done during pregnancy. Read about it in our article.

At pathologies of pregnancy doctors sometimes recommend to limit or stop a sexual life for some period. In case of certain deviations the question is solved individually during consultation with the obstetrician-gynecologist.

Pregnancy is not a reason to stop looking after yourself. Nobody forbids future mothers to use cosmetics, do manicures / pedicures, take care of their hair. You can also dye your hair and get a haircut during pregnancy. Ammonia-free paints should be used - they are safe, so once in the mother's bloodstream, will not harm the unborn child.

But the usual morning coffee should be abandoned. It is believed that caffeine, which is taken during pregnancy, increases the likelihood of developing diabetes in the child. Therefore, drinking coffee during pregnancy is not required.

It is better to treat teeth during pregnancy in the second trimester. If you need medication after treatment or tooth extraction, you should consult an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Uncontrolled medication increases the risk of giving birth to children with low birth weight, physical disabilities, CNS disorders, which can cause developmental delays. Do not take over-the-counter medications, including aspirin, without first consulting an obstetrician-gynecologist. Even at the stage of planning a pregnancy should discuss with your doctor the feasibility of taking any medication. No pills should be taken in early pregnancy. During the first 12 weeks, the baby's organs are laid and formed, so even a "harmless" drug can adversely affect fetal development. You can take medication during late pregnancy, but only after consulting an obstetrician-gynecologist.

Sonali Shivlani, an internationally certified consultant on pregnancy, breastfeeding and infant nutrition, lists things that expectant mothers should not do for nine months:

• Drink alcohol during pregnancy. Alcohol intake by the expectant mother, even in small quantities, can cause the child to have birth defects and mental retardation. Alcohol adversely affects the fetus, resulting in the development of fetal alcohol syndrome, which causes severe abnormalities in psychophysical development, including prenatal and postnatal growth retardation.
• Smoke. Smoking causes hypoxia of the fetus, adversely affects the formation of its organs, increases the risk of birth defects. One study found that maternal smoking could cause premature puberty in boys and significantly increase the chances of drug addiction in girls.
• Use drugs. Drugs seriously harm the unborn child.
• Visit the bath and sauna. You can not take a hot bath during pregnancy. Excessive heat exposure, especially during the first trimester, increases the risk of neural tube defects in the fetus.
• Too intensely to argue. During pregnancy, moderate exercise is encouraged, but exercises in which the heart rate of the expectant mother exceeds160 beats per minute can cause fetal hypoxia. In the later stages of gymnastics there is a restriction - raising his hands up. Why is it not recommended to raise your hands in the second half of pregnancy? It is believed that a sharp raise of the hands can provoke a change in the position of the fetus. This postulate has not been scientifically proven, but it is better not to take risks.
• Stay in a standing position for a long time . This can lead to varicose veins of the lower extremities and swelling of the legs. Read more about varicose veins on our website Dobrobut.com. It is desirable for pregnant women to rest more often in a sitting or lying position.
• Be nervous. Stress has a negative impact on the health of mother and child. Studies have shown that the condition of future children depends on the emotional state of the mother. Prenatal stress can affect a child's mental development and even later life.

Although pregnancy is a physiological state of the body, it requires the expectant mother to comply with a number of restrictions necessary in order not to harm both her health and the unborn child.