What’s Safe and What to Avoid

Congratulations—you’re

pregnant!

You probably have lots of

questions about what’s safe and

what to avoid during your

pregnancy, especially if you’re a

first-time mom.

We’ve compiled a list of things

that are generally considered

safe during pregnancy and

others to avoid. Let’s take a look.

Eating for two doesn’t mean you

need to eat twice as many calories.

In fact, pregnant women only need

around 300 additional calories per

day during pregnancy.

The source of the calories you

consume is important—aim for a

diet rich in vegetables, fruit, whole

grains, cooked and nitrate-free

meats, dairy, and nuts.

How much weight you should gain

during your pregnancy depends

largely on your pre-pregnancy

weight. Ask your doctor how much

weight you’ll need to gain.

Fish is an excellent source of omega-3

fatty acids, but large predatory fish

are nearly always high in mercury

content and should be avoided

during pregnancy. These include:

• King mackerel

• Shark

• Swordfish

• Tilefish

• Tuna

• Uncooked fish and shellfish

Opt instead for up to 12 ounces per week

of fish/shellfish like tilapia, catfish, oysters,

and clams.

Pregnant women need more of these

nutrients:

• Folic acid - 400-800 micrograms (mcg)/day in early pregnancy and

throughout pregnancy

• Calcium - 1,000 milligrams (mg)/day; more for women 18 or younger

• Iron - 27 milligrams (mg)/day

• Vitamin A - 770 micrograms (mcg)/day; less if 18 or younger

• Vitamin B12 - 2.6 micrograms (mcg)/day

Some antibiotics, such as amoxicillin and

penicillin, are generally considered safe

during pregnancy. Ask your doctor

before taking any antibiotic while you

are pregnant.

There is no known amount of

alcohol that is safe to consume

during pregnancy—alcohol

should be avoided altogether.

Caffeine in moderation

appears to be safe during

pregnancy. Moderation means

200 milligrams or less per day—

that’s the amount of caffeine in

around 12 ounces of coffee

(depending on the strength

and brew).

Low-impact activities, such as

swimming, dancing, and low-

impact aerobics, are best for

moms-to-be. You may be

able to continue higher

intensity activities like tennis

and racquetball, but only with

approval from your doctor.

Activities like soccer and

horseback riding should be

avoided, since you could fall

or be hit in the stomach.

Sex is generally considered

safe during pregnancy, but finding comfortable positions

might require a bit of

experimenting—not

necessarily a bad thing!

Sitting for prolonged periods can slow

blood flow to the legs. Limit travel by car

to 4 or 5 hours per day maximum, and

take plenty of stretch breaks.

If traveling outside the country, consider

the following:

• Is the water and food safe where

you’re going?

• What communicable diseases could

you be exposed to, and will you need

immunizations before you go?

• Is there good medical care available

in case of an emergency?

Always wear your seat belt in the car and

while seated on a plane. The lap belt

should go UNDER your belly, and the

shoulder strap should go between your

breasts and off to the side of your belly.

Consider saving your baby’s cord blood, a rich source of stem cells that is easily

accessible and only available when your

baby is born. These stem cells are

genetically unique to your baby and your

family, and can be used to treat your baby,

the baby’s siblings, and other family

members for various diseases and illnesses.

Cord tissue and placenta tissue both contain special multipotent

stem cells, which can

differentiate into many different

types of cells and can be used to

treat a wider range of diseases

than cord blood alone.

Americord is a leader in the

advancement of umbilical cord

blood, cord tissue, and placenta

tissue banking. As a private bank,

Americord collects, processes, and

stores newborn stem cells exclusively

for each family to use in future

medical or therapeutic treatments.

Based in New York, Americord is

registered with the FDA and operates

in all 50 states. The company’s

laboratory is CLIA Certified,

accredited by the AABB, and

complies with all federal and state

guidelines and applicable licenses.

Learn more about cord blood, cord

tissues, and placental tissue banking

at americordblood.com.

1. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/pregnancy-week-by-week/expert-answers/antibiotics-and-pregnancy/faq-20058542

2. http://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-are-pregnant/staying-healthy-safe.html

3. http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2009/Weight-Gain-During-Pregnancy-Reexamining-the-Guidelines/Report%20Brief%20-%20Weight%20Gain%20During%20Pregnancy.pdf

4. http://www.mayoclinic.org/bmi-calculator/itt-20084938

5. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/FASDFactsheet/FASD.pdf

6. http://americordblood.com/cord-blood-101/cord-blood-banking-101-introduction

7. http://womenshealth.gov/smoking-how-to-quit/

8. http://womenshealth.gov/pregnancy/you-are-pregnant/prenatal-care-tests.html#babyActivity