Hazardous Activities to Avoid During Pregnancy
Most women can enjoy an active lifestyle throughout their pregnancy. And with today's current demands, it can seem nearly impossible to find time to rest. Though there are many activities that are still safe to engage in, there are some activities that should definitely be avoided to help keep you and your baby as healthy as possible!
Types of Exercise to Avoid
- Bicycling - Experienced riders can continue to ride safely into their second trimester, but be careful, your center of gravity is shifting and this can make bike riding dangerous. Taking a tumble is certainly something you want to avoid. If you have never biked, now isn't the best time to learn. Save it until after your baby is born, it's a great way to shed any extra weight you've gained.
- Running - Again, if this is an activity that you did not participate in prior to pregnancy, now is probably not the best time to start. If you are a runner, running will be fine in moderation, but no marathons! Listen to your body, drink plenty of water, and walk to cool down if you feel you are becoming overheated.
- Contact Sports - Participating in games of basketball, field hockey, soccer, and any other contact sport can increase the chance of injury from a fall, contact with another player, or the ball/puck.
- Skiing and snowboarding - Women who ski and snowboard during pregnancy are at risk of injury from falls. Also, your changing center of gravity will wreak havoc on your balance on the slopes.
- Horseback Riding - Even experienced riders will probably not want to take the risk of falling while they are pregnant.
- Scuba Diving - One risk of scuba diving is that bubbles can form in your blood stream as you surface. This can be not only dangerous to you (whether you are pregnant or not), but it is very dangerous for your baby.
Dehydration
While at work or play you should also be careful of dehydration, which can sneak up on you! Be sure to drink approximately 8 glasses of water a day. Dehydration is actually the number one cause of fatigue in pregnant women and it can also cause some pretty serious complications. During the first trimester, dehydration can result in less amniotic fluid for your baby to float around in. This can interfere with the proper development of limbs and cause deformities of the hands, feet, and legs. In the third trimester, dehydration can cause preterm labor.
Saunas and Hot Tubs
Though you may be thinking that a dip in the hot tub or a quick sweat in the sauna might be just the thing to help your aching back or to sweat out some toxins, the high temperatures in both saunas and hot tubs can be extremely dangerous for your developing baby. When your body temperature rises and you begin to overheat, you put your baby at risk for spinal malformation and other health problems.
Chemicals
Chemicals such as solvents and cleaning agents are harmful to the healthy development of your baby's brain. Women employed at drycleaners, nail salons, cleaning companies, and certain laboratories should avoid overexposure to solvents and cleaning products. The expression, "everything in moderation" certainly applies here. Though it is safe to clean your home once in a while with the area well ventilated, or have your nails done, it could be potentially harmful to your baby if you are exposed to these chemicals frequently.
Flying
Most airlines have steadfast rules surrounding pregnancy and travel. Though the standard seems to be about 35-36 weeks, some airlines even prohibit women who are 25 weeks from flying. You may also need to provide a doctor's certificate in order to fly. As there are variations in different airlines' regulations, it's best to investigate the airline you are interested in flying with before you purchase a ticket.
When you do fly, be sure to stretch often. Pregnant women are at risk for blood clots. Walking around the cabin and staying hydrated are great ways of preventing blood clots from forming. If you have any sort of complications with your pregnancy such as hypertension, gestational diabetes, or are at risk for premature labor, check with your healthcare provider. You may find it might be best to travel only if you absolutely have to.
Stress
Stress has a variety of sources, such as work, family, friends, bills, or anxiety about the future. Though it can sometimes be impossible to avoid, there are healthy ways to cope with stress. We can't always control what happens in our lives, but we can have some control on how we respond to these stressful life events and how we diffuse the stress.
There is new information that indicates that stress can cause our bodies to produce certain hormones that can cause preterm labor or miscarriage. When we encounter a stressful situation we can have physical, emotional, and cognitive reactions. Stress can cause our muscles to tense and increase the amount of back pain or headaches we experience, it can cause emotions ranging from anxiety to depression, and it can also cause us to have negative thoughts about ourselves or loved ones that we may not normally have.
If you encounter a stressful situation, try to find some distance from the stressor and think about all of your strengths. Think about your past successes in stressful situations that may have at one time seemed hopeless. If that is not enough, try asking for help from family or friends, which may help to dissipate some of the stress. Also, removing yourself from stressful environments at work or at home by leaving the room and counting to ten to regain your composure can really work wonders. It allows you to revisit the situation with a calmer mind. If you don't think this will work for you, take a week or two and try it out. What do you have to lose? If it works, you will have a great tool in your arsenal to deal with this sometimes crazy world we live in!
Meditation is also a great way to deal with stress. Many local community centers, community colleges, and yoga studios offer classes in meditation. You can also meditate by yourself at home. Below you will find the steps to a simple meditation technique you can work on in any quiet room or even your chair at work.
1. Find a comfortable position (sitting with back support may work well for you).
2. Make sure the room is clear of all distractions, no TV or radio playing.
3. Pick one word that you associate with calm, peaceful, or even joyous times in your life. Words like peace, happiness, the beach, or a favorite vacation spot might be a good place to get started.
4. Clear your mind and focus on the word you have chosen. Repeat it over and over in your mind if you like.
5. If you notice thoughts or worries coming into your mind, let them gently float away and return your focus back to your chosen word.
6. Forget about meditating "right" or "perfectly". If your thoughts seem to be particularly loud and prevent you from concentrating for any length of time on your chosen word, don't worry. Without judgment, continue to guide your attention back to your chosen word. It will get easier with time.
In the beginning, five minutes of this exercise may be all your need. Expand the amount of time you meditate and the frequency in which you meditate in whatever way feels best to you. If you find it difficult to concentrate on a word, you can also focus on the sound of your breath or an image in your mind.
If you are overwhelmed and feel that you have no one to turn to, you may want to consider speaking with your healthcare provider or turning to a mental health professional. After all, it is their specialty!
