The Big List of No-No’s
I am a total hypochondriac.
Whenever I get any symptoms, my fingers are flying over the keyboard, trying to find an e-diagnosis. Darling Husband has gotten more than one tearful phone call as I sobbed, “I have a brain tumor!”
Since there are so, so, so, so many things that you should not do when you’re pregnant, I have been going a little Google-nuts.
Most websites recommend that you follow the pregnant-and-nursing guidelines while you’re trying to conceive, and that means I’ve only got about five months to figure out this out. I thought it would be easier to list everything in one place.
Here goes:
WHAT NOT TO EAT/DRINK:
- Tilefish
- Swordfish
- King mackerel
- Shark
- Blowfish
- Raw or undercooked eggs (I fear this means cookie dough)
- Eggnog
- Caesar salad (raw egg in dressing)
- Raw fish (sushi or sashimi)
- Tuna (although some experts say one serving per week is safe)
- Crab (Sebastian)
- Cod (found in fish sticks)
- Halibut (also in fish sticks)
- Oysters
- Rare meat (I fear this means rare filet, boo)
- Hot dogs (Damn!)
- Pre-cooked diced chicken (Found in sandwich shops)
- Soft-serve ice cream (Daaaaaamn)
- Hydrogenated oils
- Coleslaw
- Pre-made grocery store salads
- No more than 10,000 IU of Vitamin A per day (there is only 6,000 in your prenatal vitamin)
- Caffeined coffee (more than 100mg)
- Caffeined pop (more than 100mg)
- Unpasteurized soft cheeses
- Unpasteurized juice
- Packaged luncheon & deli meat
- Artificial sweeteners
- Pate
- Unwashed produce
- Undercooked poultry
- Un-filtered tap water
WHAT NOT TO DO:
- Smoke cigarettes
- Do drugs
- Drink alcohol
- Microwave food in plastic containers
- Dye your hair
- Go horseback riding
- Go downhill skiing
- Do kickboxing
- Take any medication without checking with your doctor
- Sit in hot tubs
- Take hot baths
- Go near kitty litter boxes
- Clean your oven
- Inhale gas while filling up your car
- Houseclean with heavy-duty cleaning products (i.e. scotchguard, stain removers)
- Go near a room that’s been freshly-painted
- Hang around in fume-filled nail salons (especially near gel nail applications)
- Go scuba-diving
- Jump on a trampoline
Well, there you have it, preggos and pre-preggos! Stay away from those damn trampolines. I can’t imagine why that — and some of the other items on this list — are dangerous, but the hypochondriac in me isn’t arguing.
Although I will miss hot dogs …
P.S. Don’t even get me started on Diet Coke. That sob story is for another blog entry.
P.P.S. Or possibly a whole new blog, called Diary of an Addict or something.
3 Comments on “The Big List of No-No’s”
So what do you think?
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Heather's Handmade Life 
I was going through the do not eat/drink list and was thinking I didn’t consume any of these things .. until I saw coffee … waaahhhhh! That’ll be tough to kick! I was also talking to husband just last night about how he’ll have to take over kitty litter duties when I am preggo! I can’t wait for that 😉
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Talk to your doc about it. Mine's pretty strict (no lunch meat unless it's heated, no hot dogs, uncured meats, bottom feeder fish, etc.) but I asked at my 22 week appt about Diet Coke. He said it was ok in moderation and as long as it wasn't the only thing I ever drank. There is no link between aspartame and birth defects whatsoever (the studies out there are based on old or incorrect data.) This is my first so I'm definitely careful with what I consume but I can say I've had a few grocery store salads, a hot dog, some Diet Cokes (and Diet Pepsis!) have cleaned my oven, taken a few baths, dyed/highlighted my hair (in the 2nd trimester), gassed up my car, cleaned house, been to a nail salon and my baby is 100% healthy, on track, growing strong and kicking hard. Everything in moderation m'dear! 🙂
A lot of it has fact based research behind it but a lot was created to scare pregnant women…propaganda can go a long way. Having a Diet Coke once a week isn't going to hurt you or the baby if you really want it. Perspective is everything. In some other countries (Ireland, Australia, etc.) OB's say no more than a pint of beer a day is ok. Not that I'm personally drinking alcohol but still… 🙂
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Thanks for the reassurance, Kate! I have had one or two Diet Cokes so far, and felt soooo guilty, so I'm glad to hear it's not as bad as I feared. Hot dogs, too!
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