Too Much Caffeine
Some scientific studies show that consuming too much caffeine can result in miscarriage and low birth weight and at the same time the others don’t point out any relationship. The latest unanimity reached is that only excessive caffeine amounts (more than 300 milligrams a day) are dangerous with such problems. The caffeine content of different beverages differs, but you have to stay under the 300-milligram mark by limiting your daily consuming to one or two 5-ounce cups of coffee or tea or a few 12-ounce cans of soda. Chocolate also contains caffeine but in smaller amount —1 to 35 milligrams per one ounce—than coffee.
Cat Litter
Parasites that cause toxoplasmosis may live in cat feces. The symptoms (fever, weakness, and sore throat) are similar to those of flu, but the results such as miscarriage, preterm labor, or the newborn’ s serious health problems can be devastating. Even so, if you are pregnant it doesn't mean that it’s necessary to get rid of your cat. It simply means you should put your puss on litter-box duty for nine month. Wash your hands carefully after you contact your pet and after handling raw meat. Don't eat and don’t feed your cat with undercooked meat (which can give shelter to the parasite). Always wear gloves when you are working in the garden and avoid children's sandboxes. (Stray cats may use them as litter boxes.)
Certain Foods
Be careful with: uncooked, soft cheeses (such as feta, Camembert, Brie, and blue-veined varieties), unpasteurized milk and the foods made from it, raw or undercooked meat, fish, and poultry which may contain listeria bacteria. During pregnancy, listeriosis (its symptoms are fever, chills, diarrhea, and vomiting) can result in miscarriage, preterm labor, or stillbirth. Some kinds of seafood may also contain high doses of mercury, PCBs, and some other toxins. If you consume these foods during pregnancy, you put the baby at risk for developmental delays. (Your local clinic may be able to advise you the kinds of fish to avoid.) Also beware of saccharine because lab tests prove that its heavy consumption leads to cancer. It’s better to use safe sugar substitutes.
Herbal Remedies
All people know that it is dangerous to use almost all of prescription drugs during pregnancy but few of them know that the natural remedies you can pick up at health-food stores are dangerous as well. Herbal therapy can have a strong outcome for your and your baby's body. Don't take anything without consulting with your doctor first. He will most likely not let you use any of such remedies during your first trimester. During your pregnancy, stay away from goldenseal, mugwort, and pennyroyal as all of them are associated with uterine pressure (which could possibly result in miscarriage or preterm labor); asian ginseng (which interferes with metabolism); and feverfew (it is popular for migraine headaches but has unpredictable effects on pregnant women). It would also be wise to avoid herbal teas that have medicinal benefits.
Home Hazards
If you haven't been gripped by that famous pregnancy cleaning-and-nesting frenzy, the chances of this to happen soon are very high. Here are the safety tips for those 3 a.m. floor-scrubbing and nursery-decorating sessions: Read tags carefully. Work with gloves and in well-conditioned places. Avoid aerosols (they disperse more chemicals into the air than pump bottles do), oven cleaners, paint smell, solvents, and furniture strippers. Heavy exposure to chemicals in the workplace has been related to birth defects, home use of most products is more likely to make you feel feeble or nauseous.
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