Do’s and don’ts during the first trimester

of pregnancy
Tips from a high-risk pregnancy physician

Written by JoLyn Seitz, MD

August 27, 2019
17 min read
1 Comments
Join the Conversation
You are pregnant. Jump for joy and be grateful for this blessing, and then sit
down and let the large, monumental responsibility of parenting sink in. This list
of do’s and don’ts in the first trimester of pregnancy will help your growing
baby thrive inside the womb.

Check this off your list: Find a Sanford doctor near you

The DO’s
DO think of food as fuel.

Think of your body as a vehicle: It is carrying your most precious cargo right
now. Would you want to fuel your car with sub-par gasoline? Of course not!
You would not want to take the chance of it breaking down.

Similarly, you do not want to fuel your body with sub-par energy sources.
Choose organic foods whenever possible and eat from local food sources if
you can. This limits your exposure to pesticides.

DO focus on folate.

Have you been taking your folic acid? If you were not already taking folic acid
supplements in advance of getting pregnant, start immediately.

You should be taking 600 micrograms of folic acid in the first trimester of
pregnancy. This helps prevent two common and serious birth defects: spina
bifida and anencephaly. In fact, the U.S. Public Health Service and Centers
for Disease Control (CDC) recommend all women aged 15 to 45 take 400
micrograms of folic acid daily – not just those who are pregnant.

Once your pregnancy is confirmed, your physician most likely will recommend
you take a prenatal vitamin. These vitamins are designed to meet the
recommendations for folic acid intake. Speaking of prenatal vitamins…

DO take your prenatal vitamins.

Not only will these vitamins supply the necessary folate, but they also will help
cover your needs for calcium, iron and zinc. Additionally, they provide the
appropriate amounts of DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA
(eicosapentaenoic acid), two types of omega-3 fats that help your baby’s brain
develop.
Not a fan of the big pills? Talk to your OB provider about an alternative vitamin
regimen.

Read more: The ABCs of vitamins in pregnancy

DO eat the rainbow.

Not literally, of course, but while you are meal-planning or find yourself in need
of a snack, try to eat foods that are colorful: dark green spinach, orange
carrots, red apples, yellow bananas, blueberries.

Not only do such brightly colored foods generally offer the most nutrients and
antioxidants, but having a varied diet will expose your baby to a range of
tastes and flavors. Your baby eats what you eat through the amniotic fluid, so
if you eat a wide variety of foods, your baby will also.

DO sleep.

Are you surprised to find yourself so tired? Don’t be! Your body is going
through tremendous changes and is developing an entirely new life-providing
system for your baby. As it grows the placenta, you will likely find yourself
beyond exhausted some days. Plus, you are going through monumental
hormonal and emotional changes.

Take naps. Frequently! If you work, you might want to schedule a little bit of
rest time into your lunch hour. Set bedtimes and stick to them! Your body will
need a solid eight to nine hours of sleep each night.

DO exercise.

Did you exercise regularly before getting pregnant? Great! Keep it up. Regular
exercise helps you combat the frequent mood and hormonal changes and
fatigue occurring in this first trimester. It also helps prevent weight gain and
battle insomnia.

Were you not so faithful about getting enough exercise prior to getting
pregnant? No worries! There are several ways you can adopt a more active
lifestyle, even during pregnancy. But before you begin any kind of new
exercise regimen, contact your OB provider who will suggest options specific
to your needs, taking into account your current state of health and what is best
for your baby.
DO get a flu shot.

Not only can pregnant women get a flu shot, they are highly encouraged to do
so! According to the CDC, the flu is more likely to cause severe illness in
pregnant women than in healthy women who are not pregnant.

Because of changes to your immune system, heart and lungs, you are more
prone to serious illness from the flu. Also, some evidence shows that
contracting the flu during pregnancy can raise the risk of complications,
including premature labor. The flu vaccine reduces that risk.

Even better, the flu vaccine can also protect the baby from contracting the flu
after birth. Since a mother’s antibodies are passed on to her child during
pregnancy, the vaccine will help protect the baby against the flu for the first
few months after birth.

DO visit the dentist.

Do you have a regular dental checkup coming up? Don’t skip it! The American
Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) says that teeth
cleaning and dental X-rays are safe for pregnant women. In fact, OB/GYNs
are now advised to do oral health assessments during an initial prenatal visit
and to encourage dental visits during pregnancy.

The ACOG reports that 40 percent of pregnant American women have some
degree of periodontal disease and that the physical changes from pregnancy
can result in changes to a woman’s gums and teeth. A dental visit can identify
any potential dental needs.

DO stay hydrated.

Hydration helps prevent preterm labor. It also helps prevent headaches, kidney
stones and dizziness. Are you already battling constipation and hemorrhoids?
Good news: staying hydrated helps fight both. If your urine is light yellow to
clear, you are getting enough hydration. If it is dark yellow, you need to
increase your water intake.

DO ask for help.

Are you already more tired than usual during your first trimester of pregnancy?
Ask your partner to help out more, maybe picking up a few extra tasks around
the house to ease your burden.
Are you going it alone in this pregnancy? Ask a friend or family member if he
or she can help. Do what you need to do in order to ensure you are getting
enough rest, not only for yourself but also for your growing baby. Having extra
help or having fewer tasks to accomplish will allow you more rest time.

The DON’TS
DON’T smoke.

Are you smoker? Now is the best time to quit! Not only for your health, but
also for the health of your baby. Talk with your provider today about ways to
quit.

According to the CDC, women who smoke during pregnancy are more at risk
of miscarriage, and babies born to women who smoked during pregnancy are
at increased risk for birth defects, such as a cleft lip or cleft palate, premature
birth, low birth weights and infant death. These babies also are at greater risk
for learning disabilities. Smoking during and after pregnancy also is one of the
risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Additionally, babies born to
women who smoked during pregnancy are more likely to become smokers
earlier in their own lives due to a physiologic nicotine addiction.

What about e-cigarettes? Are those just as dangerous for growing babies? The
CDC says that while the aerosol of e-cigarettes typically has fewer harmful
substances than cigarette smoke, e-cigarettes that contain nicotine still are
not safe during pregnancy. The nicotine alone is a health danger for pregnant
women and developing babies, and can damage a developing baby’s brain
and lungs.

DON’T drink alcohol.

There is no amount of alcohol that is safe during pregnancy, according to the

CDC. Likewise, there is no time during pregnancy when digesting alcohol
does not carry risk.

Drinking alcohol when pregnant can cause problems for the developing baby in
all stages of pregnancy, including the days and weeks before a woman knows
she is pregnant. The CDC says that drinking alcohol in the first three months
of pregnancy, specifically, can cause the baby to have abnormal facial
features and growth and central nervous system problems. Drinking alcohol
during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth and a range of behavioral
and intellectual disabilities known as Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
(FASDs).

Children with FASDs may have abnormal facial features, poor coordination,
poor memory, difficulty with attention, learning disabilities, difficulties in
school, speech and language delays, low IQs, poor reasoning and judgment
skills, sleep and sucking problems as infants, vision and hearing problems,
and problems with the heart, kidney or bones.

If a woman drinks during pregnancy, it is never too late to stop. The sooner
she stops, the better the health benefits are for herself and her baby. Are you
a pregnant woman who needs help? Talk to your provider right away; there
are resources available to help you.

DON’T eat raw meat.

Pregnant women who eat raw or undercooked meat and eggs are at risk of
contracting listeriosis and toxoplasmosis, which can lead to serious and life-
threatening illnesses. These illnesses can cause severe birth defects and
miscarriage. Cook your meat and eggs thoroughly prior to eating.

DON’T visit the sauna.

Avoid the sauna and hot tub. There is a risk of overheating, dehydration and
fainting every time you use a sauna, whirlpool, hot tub or steam room. Your
body is unable to lose heat effectively by sweating and your body’s core
temperature rises. It is very possible that a significant rise in your core
temperature could affect your baby’s development, especially in the first
trimester of pregnancy. In fact, some research suggests that your risk of
miscarriage doubles if you use one of these during the first trimester.

DON’T drink too much caffeine.

This is an especially tricky one in this first trimester of pregnancy because you
are so very tired. But caffeine can cross the placenta and affect your growing
baby’s heart rate.

What if you just can’t seem to stay away from the coffee pot? Don’t fret.
Research suggests that some caffeine is OK in the first trimester – up to about
200 milligrams a day, about two cups of coffee – but some studies suggest
that drinking too much caffeine during pregnancy might be associated with a
greater risk of miscarriage.
DON’T clean the litter box.

There’s no reason to fear or avoid your pet cat but leave the cleaning of the
litter box to your partner or a friend. There are millions of parasites in feline
waste and one – toxoplasma gondii – is especially dangerous to pregnant
women. Miscarriage or stillbirth can result, and babies who are born with this
parasite could develop serious health problems, including seizures and mental
disabilities. It also can lead to vision problems.

DON’T eat for two.

Sure, this saying has been around for decades. But ignore it! Studies show
that half of women gain too much weight during pregnancy. When that
happens, the baby is at greater risk of obesity later in life. You do generally
need additional calories in the second and third trimesters, but doctors
disagree about whether you actually need any extra calories in this first
trimester.

My recommendation? Eat until you are satisfied. Then stop.

Take care of yourself

This list of dos and don’ts in the first trimester of pregnancy might, at first
glance, seem a bit intimidating. But don’t let it scare you! Most of these can be
summed with one simple sentence: Take care of yourself. Be sure to eat
healthful foods, drink lots of water, and get enough sleep.

Before you know it, your little one will finally be here, physically in your arms.
Then, as you hold and snuggle with your healthy newborn, remember to thank
yourself for following this list of dos and don’ts in the first trimester of your
pregnancy. A healthy, happy baby makes it all worthwhile.