Precautions and dietary taboos during early pregnancy

Don’t blindly protect your fetus if there are no indications, avoid clear teratogenic sources, and don’t forcefully supplement nutrients.； In terms of diet, you only need to completely avoid alcohol, raw food, and tobacco. There is no need to overly restrict other foods. Whether you should avoid these foods depends on your personal acceptance and body reaction.

I have seen too many pregnant mothers who just tested positive for parallel bars. On the same day, they changed all their skin care products to those specially designed for pregnant women. They wore two layers of radiation-proof clothes even when they went to work. All their favorite hot pot milk teas were blackened. As a result, they broke down emotionally within a week. When they went for prenatal check-ups, they were scolded by the doctor because they were just asking for trouble. Let’s start with the question of “can it be done” that everyone is most concerned about? Let’s take radiation-proof clothing as an example. The academic community has long made it clear that the mobile phones, computers, microwave ovens, and WiFi that we are exposed to daily are all non-ionizing radiation. The dose is far from the teratogenic threshold. There is no need to wear radiation-proof clothing. Wearing it is mostly a psychological comfort. Of course, some conservative obstetricians will suggest that if your job requires long-term exposure to strong radiation sources such as CT rooms and industrial irradiation equipment, you should still take professional protection. There is no need to be nervous if you sit in the office every day.

Many people lie still and even quit work as soon as they find out they are pregnant. In fact, unless you have obvious abdominal pain and bleeding, low progesterone, or multiple miscarriages in the past, it is perfectly fine to take a normal walk, go to work, and do simple housework. Some studies even show that long-term bed rest without indications will increase the risk of blood clots and constipation in the lower limbs, which is not good for pregnant mothers. Of course, if your doctor clearly gives you medical advice on fetal protection, then you should follow the doctor's advice and get more rest. After all, everyone's physical condition is very different, so don't force yourself to do it. There is also the matter of morning sickness. Don't listen to others who say "eat more nutritious foods to nourish the baby." In the first three months, the embryo is the size of a grape and needs very little nutrition. The nutrients you usually save are enough for it. If you really vomit until you can't eat, don't force yourself to drink chicken soup and bird's nest. Of course, if you vomit to the point where you can't even drink water and lose more than 5 kilograms in weight, go to the hospital to check for urine ketones. Don't force yourself to do it. Just give the nutrient solution when it's time.

Let’s talk about the food issues that everyone is most concerned about. First, let’s list what should never be touched. This is uncontroversial in the entire academic community: First of all, alcohol, whether it is liquor, beer or fruit wine, even alcoholic beverages or cooking wine, it is best not to touch it. Alcohol is a clear teratogen. There is no so-called "safe intake", and you can avoid it if you can. Then there are all raw or undercooked foods, including sashimi, soft-boiled eggs, medium-rare steaks, undercooked hot pot meat, as well as unopened milk that has been stored for several days, and cut melons that have been left in the refrigerator overnight. They may carry listeria. If a pregnant mother is infected, it will most likely affect the fetus. Do not be careless about this. There is also smoking, whether it is self-smoking or second-hand or third-hand smoke, as far as you can hide, it will definitely increase the risk of miscarriage and teratogenesis.

The rest are more controversial, and it all depends on your own choice, such as coffee. The current WHO recommendation is that daily caffeine intake does not exceed 200 mg, which is about the amount of one medium cup of American or two cups of instant coffee. If you don’t like drinking coffee, you don’t need to drink it. If you don’t drink coffee every day and you have a headache that makes you unable to work, then drinking half a cup will be fine. My sister-in-law had a cup of decaffeinated American every day during her early pregnancy. My baby is now three years old and is very smart. Of course, if you are prone to insomnia and fast heartbeat, then don’t drink it. You are the only one who feels uncomfortable.

Oh, by the way, there are also crabs, hawthorns, iced milk tea, and hot pot that the older generation is disgusted by. In fact, Western medicine has no such taboos at all. As long as you are not allergic or have diarrhea when eating these things, eating one or two crabs, two or three hawthorns at a time, and drinking a cup of iced milk tea will not cause miscarriage at all. If you really want to have a miscarriage after one bite, then why do you need an abortion? Of course, if you have a weak spleen and stomach, and you have diarrhea after eating cold food, or you have a diaphragm and feel uncomfortable eating it, then it’s okay not to eat it. Peace of mind is more important than anything else.

Another pitfall that many people step on is blind supplementation. In the first trimester, you only need to take 0.4 mg of folic acid. Unless you are found to be deficient in other DHA, bird's nest, and multivitamins, there is no need to rush to take supplements. I once accompanied a friend to a prenatal check-up and met a pregnant mother who took three or four supplements a day when she was pregnant. As a result, abnormal liver function was detected before 12 weeks, and she stopped taking supplements and recovered. This is purely a problem caused by supplements.

In fact, there are really not so many rules and regulations in the first trimester. The most important thing is not to be anxious. Your happiness is more important than anything else. Don’t put it on yourself all day long if you encounter any taboos. If you are really unsure, asking your doctor for your next prenatal checkup is much more reliable than searching online for half a day. After all, you are the one who is pregnant with the baby, so just do whatever is comfortable for you.