What Activities To Avoid During Pregnancy?

4 Habits That You Must Say ‘NO’ to While Pregnant

These nine crucial months are very important for your child’s development. And utmost care has to be taken during this phase. Here are some habits that a pregnant woman has to avoid during pregnancy at any cost.

1. Drinking Alcohol

A lot of pregnant women wonder if they can consume alcohol in small quantities. But remember; when it comes to alcohol, there are no defined guidelines on how much can be consumed. So best is to avoid it. Because alcohol consumption can lead to birth defects like mental retardation, learning disabilities and slower growth. Apart from this, excessive alcohol consumption can even lead to fetal alcohol syndrome.

2. Smoking and Drug Intake

Well it’s bad news for all those who just can’t live without their joints. Smoking is found to be responsible for premature delivery. And it is also responsible for hampering enough oxygen supply to the fetus. Apart from that maternal smoking can lead to early puberty in boys.

Moreover, smoking and drug abuse both are guilty of the lower birth weight of the child and various other complications during and after pregnancy.

3. Unhealthy Diet

There are two disadvantages of not following a proper balanced diet.

• Firstly, your fetus is deprived of the required nutrients which might impact its growth.
• It might be difficult for you to shed away all those extra kilos that you gained during pregnancy by not eating right.

[Read : Healthy Diet During Pregnancy]

4. Sauna, Hot baths, and Hot Water Bags Are Doing More Harm Than Good

A lot of women prefer sauna and hot baths to relieve themselves from stress and tiredness. In fact use of hot water bags for relieving cramps have also become very popular these days. But remember, too much heat exposure might severely impact the fetal growth. In fact in some individual cases, overheating of uterus might also lead to fetal death.

A lot of first-time moms remain extremely worried about their baby’s health and are always confused about what all physical activities she can perform. This fear has given birth to a lot of myths about “what to”, and “what-not-to” do when pregnant. That is why, below is the compilation of all the physical activities that must be avoided when expecting, to clear all the confusions.

Top 5 Physical Activities to Avoid While Pregnant

In some of the households, pregnant women are treated like a sick person and not allowed to step down from the bed. But they have to understand that being active is important during pregnancy. A pregnant woman is as fine as she was before. Just that, she might have to discontinue doing certain physical activities.

Here is a list of top 5 physical activities to avoid at all cost while pregnant:

1. Excessive Exercise

While moderate exercising is encouraged during pregnancy, but all those physical activities that increase your heart rate more than 160 bpm are advised to be avoided. As these can lead to reduced oxygen to the fetus which may lead to brain damage.

Apart from that, stay miles away from heavy weight training. Because carrying heavy weights may lead to miscarriages due to excessive pressure on the uterus.

2. 24*7 Standing Position

It is advised to sit, lie down and relax during pregnancy. Because continuously being on your feet may lead to abnormal accumulation of fluid in the legs and feet.

[Read : Standing For Long Hours In Pregnancy]

3. Perform Yoga Only After Consulting the Doctor

Some of the yoga positions require excessive stretching and twisting which might not be good for fetal health. So always ask your doctor or attend prenatal yoga classes which are specially crafted for pregnant ladies like you.

4. Amusement Parks and Adventure Rides

It is well-understood that sitting on adventure rides is a BIG NO when pregnant. As the speed, jerks, and turns and twists that these rides take are not at all good for your baby.

5. No Cycling, Skiing, Volleyball, Horse Riding, etc

These sports are termed as unsafe while pregnant for two important reasons:

• Your growing belly might not be able to sit properly on cycle as the chances of you getting off-balanced are high.
• Plus your ligaments are joints have loosened up at this time in preparation for childbirth, thus, are more vulnerable to getting injured from any fall.

Apart from ones that are explained, there are many more activities like rigorous work, aerobics, Zumba, and fast running, scuba diving etc. are advised to be avoided to ensure the mother’s and the baby’s health. A little care and precaution can do wonders. Plus it’s always better to be safe than to be sorry!

What activities did you avoid during pregnancy? Do let us know in the comments section below.

Read Also: Is It Safe To Do Sit-Ups During Pregnancy?