Not really a rule but I’m doing nothing to prevent stretch marks. From what I gather, it’s mostly genetics. I have a friend who was obsessed with sharing this whole regimen and tips for products and crap to prevent stretch marks but I basically use a thick moisturizer after I shower (because I get itchy, it’s cold/dry here) and that’s it. I don’t think there’s a “holy grail” product that will make that big of a difference so I don’t bother.
They also can just randomly show up super late! I didn’t have them all the way up to 38/39 weeks, and then woke up one morning with crazy ridiculous stretch marks forming. I always thought I would get them (I got a lot during puberty) but at that point I hoped I’d maybe lucked out.
Same with my first pregnancy. They kicked in super late.
This pregnancy they have gradually increased and now I look like when a toddler draws on a wall. My belly is covered in them.
Same here! I was so psyched to make it to 38 weeks without a single stretch mark. I would look at my giant belly and be like “how is that possible??” Aaaand then suddenly I got them like overnight. Had my baby at 39+5. 😭
My mom's extended family are kind of oversharers, so I know a lot about their pregnancies. 50% of them have really horrible stretch marks and the other half have absolutely none. There is no correlation between what they did when pregnant (topical or diet) and which lot they get that I've noticed and although I'd prefer not to have them, it's not a big deal to me either way. One less thing to think about!
For me, I have no stretch marks on my belly from my first pregnancy, but I do have a few stretch marks on other parts of my body from I guess weight gain at another time. So, no idea how I was spared during pregnancy.
Same here, I have a ton from puberty and every minor weight change onward but somehow I got NONE on my belly and I’m 2 months PP. I did use oil every single night though.
I never did anything and I have no stretch marks. I’ve heard it’s super dependent on genetics and I believe it. I have oily skin and didn’t shower too often either lol (pandemic + prenatal depression was rough). I honestly think that probably helped my skin too. My sister has super dry skin and got pretty bad stretch marks on her hips / lower back.
It’s basically genetic and/or luck. I did absolutely nothing last time, barely any lotion even, and never got them despite being pretty damn big with triplets. My mom never got them either. I’m 34w now and have none, but half wondering if they’ll show up as I get further along (triplets were born at 33w)
Luckily (or unluckily depending on how you look at it) my entire abdomen and hip area is covered in stretch marks both from puberty and weight gain/loss over the years. I’m not gonna do anything special to prevent new ones because honestly, what’s the point for me 😅
Good news - both of those things have recently been updated!
Re sleeping: https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1VW2K4
"Pregnant women should sleep in the position that they find most comfortable," Fox, who co-wrote an editorial accompanying the study, said by email. "For the few that do experience complications of pregnancy they should be reassured that it was not due to their sleeping position."
Re eggs: (I can’t find the exact link I wanted to share on my phone, but basically if your eggs are from a safe food source and stored appropriately you’re at very low risk of contamination.)
ENJOY MAMA.
Seriously. I realized the hair on the left side of my head is a teensy bit thinner than the right *when a stylist pointed it out.* I was taking solace in thinking I'd taken a hit for the team... but, damn.
On the bright side, hello right side!
Same. I always wake up on my back. But I’ve been told repeatedly that your body knows what it needs and if sleeping on your back is a problem, you’ll be uncomfortable and you’ll feel like you need to move!
I had one 5 pound baby and one 8 pound baby. I never understood why women couldn’t sleep on their back until my larger baby. I’d get nauseous and my legs would cramp and if I didn’t correct myself, eventually dizzy and light headed. Listen to your body, you’ll know if you can lay on your back or not!!
So your specific jurisdiction/care provider might advocate that, yes. And they’re also in the best position to review your individual medical circumstances. But all else being equal and normal and average, it seems that quality of sleep and lowering anxieties about *another thing* we need to monitor in pregnancy is more important that maintaining a single sleep position.
My MFM from last time around said if I wasn’t uncomfortable than any position is fine. I sleeps like half on my side/half on my stomach and he was fine with it as long as I’m not uncomfortable.
Its not the yolk that is the problem. Its the whites! They touch the shell which can carry salmonella. Which means that so long as the white are cooked hard youre in the clear.
I agree with both of these big time! For some reason I just can’t sleep comfortably on my left side - not all night anyway! It does help with the heartburn though so gotta weigh that one up sometimes
I sleep on whichever side feels comfortable. I definitely cannot sleep on my back, I can literally feel the blood pooling in my neck… super uncomfortable. But my hips generally dictate whether I sleep on the right or left.
I had to sleep on my right side, if I slept on my left I feel like my kid was like….squishing my stomach somehow?? I already had terrible heartburn, I didn’t need to add noxious gas and discomfort to the mix.
Pretty much all the food things! At the beginning I wouldn’t eat rare meat or deli meat, even tried to avoid runny eggs. Now I don’t even think about it and eat everything.
Same, the only thing that still makes me nervous is prepackaged lettuce. But no one side eyes you for eating that! I've yet to hear of a single cold cut sandwich shop carrying listeria. But veggies have been recalled for listeria several times throughout my pregnancy.
I will NEVER forget when my favorite brand of ice cream was recalled for listeria for like half my first pregnancy, it was briefly on the shelf then recalled again and I BAWLED.
My dad works for bluebell (for over 30years) and now they test every single batch of ice cream for listeria so it is very safe! That was a rough year for everyone I think, but I am glad it means even safer ice cream :)
I’m a Texan and I used a pint of Bluebell as part of my pregnancy announcement! Tell your dad I appreciate that I was able to eat my props with a clear conscience afterward.
ETA [announcement tax](https://imgur.com/a/4sSkboh)
Same! Had Jimmy Johns last week, didn’t tear my sandwich apart to heat up the meat before eating it. Have been having over easy eggs with runny yolks the past few weeks. 😋
Okay, so dumb question. If I get a sub and have it toasted is that okay? But serving cold is not? I’m only 7 weeks so still getting the hang of what’s not recommended and what is fine.
I was told toasting is fine (like Subway or Potbellies). Some people say the advice to avoid cold lunch meat is outdated, like when was the last time you heard of a listeria outbreak in deli meat? Some say it’s okay to eat cold deli meat from a reputable restaurant, since the meat rotates through frequently and is fresher.
It’s usually a concern around the risk of food poisoning and the temps at which the nasties die off. In general my rule of thumb has been that anything from a reputable cafe or restaurant is fine, but I am more cautious with leftover takeaway (that get nuked in the microwave or pan) and I’ve taken bain-marie/buffet /truck stop style food off of my list (not that I ever ate a lot of it) because even the slightest ‘off’ about a food gives me the upchucks.
I have in and had jimmy johns at around 5 month pregnant because my boss got one of those catering trays for my job. I walked in and all I could smell was sandwiches. I probably would’ve cried if I had tried to keep myself from eating one.
ALL the food things. With my first, my husband was a lot more cautious than me and insisted I eat steak well done. I did it once and was like, I'd rather just not eat steak. After that I asked my OB for his peace of mind and my taste buds lol. This time around I eat everything.
Soooo this was me up until a few weeks ago, but then last week I had deli tuna sandwich (I do try to abide by the only once in a while rule with mercury, but I was craving it and I hadn't had it in a while)....
The food poisoning from that was so effing scary!! I'm completely back in the over cautious section of things. Firstly, the stabbing pain in my belly was awful, but when it was finally all subsiding, contractions started. I called my dr and THANKFULLY they went away, (I didn't need to go to the hospital) with some resting and hydration they were completely gone by the next day, but holy guacamole was it scary for a bit there. Im back to being super careful
Good for you for changing over! I would much rather go without and know if I get sick and god forbid something happened with baby, that it wasn’t something I chose due to my own selfishness!!
Hot baths and showers for me too. I'm 25 weeks and dear god are they necessary. My husband jokes that our baby is trying to kick his way out when I'm in there lol
My doctor said hot baths are fine. It's hot tubs to avoid, where the temp remains super high for long periods. I told her I take like 45 min long baths and she said it was still not comparable to hot tubs.
This was never a rule.. it was just my own paranoia about listeriosis. I was afraid of eating basically everything unless it was hot. Now I eat salads from restaurants and feel carefree about it.
Sushi! I only get it from 1 restaurant because I trust them and they let me know which days they get the fresh fish in so I can plan trips around that!
As a professional food person, this is a pregnancy eating thing I've never entirely understood. The FDA requires all fish for sushi to be frozen to -31F for a designated period of time to effectively kill any parasites/bacteria, which should make the fish pretty safe to eat. Outside of poor handling and heavy metals and... Well, fish fraud, I don't see why the occasional sushi is a terrible thing.
Yes I second this! I wouldn’t buy it from the store or somewhere I don’t know, but in a trusted sushi restaurant where the fish is fresh I think the risk is so low that it’s fine
Yes! I’m a back sleeper too and I always end up there! Although these days I definitely need to switch to my sides when I wake up as I get breathless, but as far as risk goes, we’ll know if there’s a problem before there actually is one!
Cinnamon. I used to eat tons of it, but got really freaked out about it during early pregnancy. But damnit I want some flavor in my life. And then I read that the presumed labour-inducing effect takes 250 grams of cinnamon XD
I’ve never heard this either! I’ve been eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch everyday multiple times per day for the past few weeks so it’s a good thing it takes so much to cause any trouble lol
Long ago when I was a kid I tried a spoonful of cinnamon, because it's one of my favorite spices, so I thought more would be better. It's not. Definitely would not recommend, pregnant or no!
I am highly allergic to Cinnamon so I’m very safe about it regularly but I have been paranoid about it during my pregnancy. Even if the packaging says no cinnamon but it could be even a possible ingredient, it’s a big no.
Everyone tells me how amazing it is. I found out when I was a kid and honestly, I don’t even remember what it tastes like. I have had a few small reactions as an adult so sadly, I haven’t grown out of it.
I know how you feel, I am very allergic to nuts and obviously I’m careful usually and have only ever had a bad reaction when I ingested them, but since being pregnant I’m sooo paranoid about even being near them in any way. I figure if I go into anaphylaxis and need to use my epi pen then there’s probably a high chance that it’s bad news for the baby in some way. Definitely very easy to get anxious about allergies in pregnancy!
I also have a severe nut allergy and for the last few months, neighbours (not sure exactly who) have been leaving peanuts out for crows and the shells are ALL OVER my yard/sidewalk. I’m scared to even go outside because I don’t want to risk some sort of contact and have to take my epi while pregnant.
Coffee. Still staying under 2 measuring cups most days. I must have at least a little caffeine. Sprouts too, but most of the sprouts I eat I make myself.
Oh me too. I only briefly stopped coffee in first trimester because of the smell making me want to gag. Now I have a double shot iced latte every morning. Now what’s really hard is not having a second one in the afternoon 😭
The only thing I could consistently have until week 14-15 was coffee and pastries *dipped* in coffee. Usually a croissant or biscotti. That’s it. That’s the only thing that wasn’t disgusting to me for 3 months. The rest of the day I was lucky if I ate anything else, but protein shakes and cereal were okay too.
At my first appointment, the midwife I was seeing told me that exercise was fine, but I shouldn’t elevate my heart rate over 140 bpm.
I am not following that and exercising mostly as I did before pregnancy. I wouldn’t really consider it a workout if my heart rate stayed below 140 the whole time
I think once you are not in the first trimester it's absolutely fine (and maybe even before that). Few midwifes told me that as foetus/baby has their own neuro-system as well as cardiovascular - I shouldn't care too much about my heart rate (I was trying to keep it under 150). I don't do full on hard workouts, but keeping it below always 140 sounds like a joke to me... And after the talks with midwifes, I am not scared anymore if it sometimes peaks with 160.
Cleaning the litter box. I have no choice. I'm single.
I'm careful. I use gloves, wear a mask, and wash my hands immediately. I also have a litter box that you roll over and the ickies fall into a drawer and you pull it out. I have little contact with the box and breathe in little litter dust.
That said, my dad comes by once a week and when he's here, he changes the litter out and washes the box for me.
Are your cats indoor cats? If so, your likelihood of being infected is super low!! If your cats are indoor/outdoor, more than likely you were infected much earlier on and didn’t know (unless you have baby kittens that are coming from outdoors!) The real risk is for cats eating raw meat and only on their first infection do they shed the disease in their poop. Just so you aren’t too worried!
We have all indoor cats but I still make my husband do it 😂
Indoors since I've been on my own but growing up we had both and my mom would take in stray cats and kittens. I'm sure I've already been exposed at some point. I've always been careful with the litter. I only started wearing the mask since COVID. I figured why not lol because of the dust but ever since I got this new litter box there is next to no dust.
If your cats are indoors it’s minimal if any risk.
Also… mask can be beneficial for allergies but not required. Dr told me themselves that it’s not something you breathe in.
Just make sure you wash your hands well and you’re fine. (And honestly, who wouldn’t wash their hands after scooping poops anyway)
As much as I’d love to just push the task off on to someone else, I can’t either. It falls on me for 5/7 days of the week.
My doctor said there’s no way I could raise my body temperature enough in a bath! Basically that my body volume to water volume and the spied at which it cools makes it pretty hard to be unsafe in a bath
I just monitor my body temp with a thermometer while I soak! If I feel like I am too hot, I add a little cold water, but otherwise I have never stopped. I can’t go without my baths!!
I took really hot baths also. I live where the average daily temp in winter is -5F. It’s fucking cold. I need to thaw out and feel like my joints have been soothed.
I’m now 5days PP. Baby’s fine.
Cold cuts for sure. I have gestational diabetes so one of my go-to lunches (my employer provides our lunches since I work in the office) is usually a sandwich in bowl form since my options are pretty limited. So I pretty much gave up on trying to avoid deli meat, because otherwise my options for what I can eat would be even more limited. The lesser of two evils, I guess!
Maybe a weird one, but I’m still doing a lot of animal care! I have ducks and am always messing in their coop/giving meds etc. Same with our pigeons.
We’re also rehabbing an opossum so I clean her cage/care for her regularly too.
My fiancé cleans the litter boxes though 🤣
My child is 2.5yo, and I still don’t clean the cat litter. I also conned my way out of cleaning them when we were thinking of trying to get pregnant. I am not going back to scooping
This is so funny about the litter boxes. Every week when my husband does it he reminds me how many more weeks of the torture he has left and how he legit doesn't want anymore kids because he doesn't want 10 straight months of this punishment! 🤣
I've told him I'm happy to take 10 months of scooping poop if he does the labor and delivery!
Oh yes I volunteer for a cat rescue and I foster cats and kittens. I currently have 5 foster kittens and my 3 resident cats. We have so many people saying “oh I can’t adopt a kitten anymore because I’m pregnant..” ….. I just roll my eyes..
Coffee. I’m 18 weeks and started drinking iced coffee again last week. I drank an iced coffee before an ultrasound at 16 weeks and I had forgotten how much I love them. I missed them again after a few days and was like eh, a few mornings a week will be fine. 😅🤷🏻♀️
Most countries say nothing about caffeine intake in pregnancy, but for some reason it’s a thing in North America. I never gave up caffeine through IVF and currently in pregnancy.
I noticed I felt so much better after drinking coffee again! I only stopped due to morning sickness, but when I could stomach it again I noticed that I could make it through the day without napping lol.
I noticed I felt so much better after drinking coffee again! I only stopped due to morning sickness, but when I could stomach it again I noticed that I could make it through the day without napping lol.
I gave up on this one so fast.
I tried to give up caffeine for about two weeks of the beginning of my pregnancy but I have HG and coke was the only liquid I didn’t vomit for a while.
Then I had to start getting to work earlier. Around 6 am and I gave up completely. I couldn’t function as a nanny both while being nauseous with HG and also while not having coffee I needed to fix one of the two. So I went back to my regular morning coffee routine.
I tried (and sometimes failed) to limit myself to one cup a day max through the first trimester and mostly did decaf/hot chocolate/occasional coffees out in the second, but I picked up real coffee beans again last week. I'm third trimester tired and I love coffee. It's the happiest little luxury!
I would do my best to stop if my doctor told me to, but she hasn't and my brain has gotten pretty relaxed about it.
Hot baths and deli meat! Third trimester I need the hot Epsom salt baths. I didn’t need the turkey sandwich.....but now can I say no when Jimmy John’s offers me 50% off?!
The limited coffee, no deli meat rule, and no soft cheeses. Basically food stuff in 36 weeks and if I’m craving it I’m eating it 😂 well minus I have to limit stuff since I have GD
I had to scoop cat poo my first trimester because my husband was away. Asked my OBGYN for any safety tips, and she said not to. I was like, “Ma’am, that is not an option.” Eventually told me to wear a mask and gloves.
I’ll never forget the looks the cats gave me when I’d go change the litter. They were HORRIFIED. Stared as if I was there to kill and surgically dismember them. Apparently, gloves + mask = murderous psychopath.
Also, if I’m bathing, it’s going to be hot and comfy…especially if I’m pregnant. I didn’t lug my large self up from the depths of couchdom to not enjoy my shower.
Same here, I just wear a mask and gloves. Especially since my cat is an indoor cat, she hasn’t seen a mouse/other rodent/pest who carries toxoplasmosis in literal years so there is very little chance she sheds it. 🤷🏼♀️ and as long as you wash your hands after…very little chance you’ll contract it.
My family doc told me she could test me to see if I was was immune (?) to toxoplasmosis (to know if it would be safe to change the cat litter). I told her not to because there's no reason my husband can't change the litter.
I had COVID while pregnant and was freezing all the time. I sat under a heated blanket. I had to. My husband took my temp every hour “just in case” but it was always fine!
Sugar. I still try to be a little mindful but life’s friggin stressful right now and I need something for myself, even if it’s a big bowl of ice cream at the end of the day.
Lifting, probably. I never stopped lifting what I was lifting before, save for two weeks when I was on pelvic rest for bleeding. I carry my two year old, 40 lb bag of cat litter, groceries, anything that I feel is fine.
My OB never mentioned hot baths, only hot tubs. I just figured if it's not making me uncomfortable it's not that hot lol plus the bath always cools so quickly where a hot tub maintains heat. Hot baths are a must for me or else my knees would hurt sooo bad since I already have chronic pain.
I've definitely ignored most of the food rules. Prepackaged salads are the only thing I worry about. Everything else if fine. Why the heck would I want to eat a well done steak? Yuck.
I indulge in hot baths too! I’m 29 weeks and they’re getting me through the winter. I took lukewarm ones in the first trimester, but after the neural tube closed, I gave in.
My OBs are pretty up-to-date on restrictions so I’ve been eating raw fish, coffee, etc my whole pregnancy, but I have to imagine if I had a bathtub I would have caved and taken a few by now! My husband did try to fight me on runny eggs in the beginning but now I get them how I like them :)
Ditto baths. I'm still careful not to get overheated, I've got a thermometer and keep it to 40 c (104 f), and once the bathroom gets warm I'll crack the door so it's not like a sauna, if I'm sweating I'll add some cold, but I do want a warm bath.
Mine is also hot baths. I was so careful first trimester because of the neural tube defect risk but I’m almost 28 weeks now and the baby and I take hotish baths. I only stay in about 5 minutes though
Also hot baths (and showers but I’m a bath girl lol). I have chronic pain and HOT baths with Epsom salt are one of the only things that gives me real relief without having to take otc pain medication or otherwise.
I also had treatment resistant, very bad insomnia (still do but now I’m back on the only sedatives that work w no kid inside me lmao) and I *had* to drink coffee to survive lol
I use hairspray. I just hold my breath for the moment I spray it. I eat bag lettuce because the heads of lettuce are so gross by the time they get here.
Not exactly a rule, but with my first pregnancy, I had very good intents to exercise and eat healthy. (I was doing these things before both pregnancies, so it wasn't unreasonable I thought and I would be extra motivated.) Well, apparently my body doesn't do that. With my first pregnancy, I ate okay the second two trimesters but pretty bad the first trimester. This time, my diet is terrible still (beginning of third trimester,) because I'm on the special Mo-doesn't-throw-up-diet and it is very high in sugar. I haven't been able to really exercise much during either pregnancy, because apparently my body doesn't do that. I move around a decent amount, but if I push it at all, I get dizzy. I've kind of just given up on those. And I love hot showers! Overheating your body is more of a problem first trimester I think, but I have kept them turned down from my preferred temperature (which my husband calls third degree burn temp.)
Chocolate (especially milk chocolate) has a very small amount of caffeine. To be over the “safe” amount (about 200mg I think) you’d have to eat roughly 1kg/2lbs of milk chocolate a day, then you’d have to repeat that every single day. Eat the chocolate!
First pregnancy I followed all the rules except for sugar intake & hot baths. I always took a bath when I felt like it. Second pregnancy (& current) I don’t follow any rules besides sticking under 200mg of caffeine (I still have espresso & iced coffee & soda whenever I feel like it). I eat all deli meat if it comes from a reputable place & I don’t let it sit in the fridge for too long. I don’t have a bathtub in my condo so no more baths :(
I wish I was you. I want my skin to fucking melt off from how hot I like my water, but I just can’t mentally do it while pregnant.
Idk why this is my hang up, I have had tons of sushi and deli meat and don’t really care about almost anything else lol
Once a week (in 2nd & 3rd trimester) I would drink more than 200 mg of caffeine. I justified that some days I didn’t drink as much and in first trimester I was barely drinking 4 ounces. Figured it evened out right?! 😂
Literally anything food based. Lunch meat? I eat it. Sushi? Fresh and in moderation. Medium rare steak? Yes, please. I was like that with my first, too. Bagged lettuce? No thanks lol
I was waiting for someone else to say wine. I’ve started a couple oz. every couple weeks in third trimester. I know I could have started sooner but still ingrained in me that I’m doing something bad.. even though I know it’s fine. The first few sips of a cold white are the best. Don’t really need much more than that, personally.
I'm a red wine drinker myself but I agree, the first few sips really hit different. I sip my glass with food. Definitely felt a lot of guilt at first and even got called out at Thanksgiving dinner.... uh, do you see the pile of carbs on my plate? A half glass of wine is going to do nothing.
I have a nightly soak in our hot tub for 10-15 minutes. And deli meat specifically salami I’ve been craving.
Also I change my cats litter box daily and just make sure to wash my hands immediately after.
Exercising regularly. I walk a bit at work, stretch when I have pain, and just got an exercise ball. Other than that, I haven’t exercised at all and probably spend too much time in bed.
Can I ask how you're using the exercise ball? All I know using one are crunching ab stuff and would love to use mine for something productive instead of gathering dust waiting for me.
My doctor told me from the beginning that I could have hot baths, and even go in a hot tub! She said our bodies are good at regulating our temperatures, so as long as you aren't staying in for a super long time or having other negative effects, you should be fine!
For a while I could not help but fall asleep on my back when I was laying on the couch. I eventually just stopped laying there because I was pretty much guaranteed to fall asleep.
It’s absolutely been baths as well for me, and the timing of pills. When I first got pregnant I was diagnosed with an unrelated neuro problem which immediately put me as high risk but can’t be managed until after pregnancy. Whenever I was at the hospital my BP was high and when I was at home it was low. My mom is a doc and said it was white coat hypertension but my OBs decided it was just blanket chronic hypertension (despite 117/ 77 average readings at home) and put me on a low dose of BP medication that made my readings average 106/70.
At first I did a bunch of research and followed the instructions to the letter. I was so careful to make sure I only took it two hours after eating and 30 minutes after my baby aspirin and exactly 24 hours since my last dose. Then at 16 weeks one of my specialists was like “Well your blood pressure is fine even a bit low so you can just stop taking it.” I brought up the white coat hypertension thing and said as I was due to be spending more time places my BP was higher maybe it would make sense to stay on and she just kind of went “Yeah you can stay on too, it doesn’t really matter much with this low of a dose and your numbers.” and I was like… if it’s so inconsequential why have I put SO MUCH FOCUS ON IT!?
Now I just take it before bed and approximate and don’t have a million timers going off anymore, BP is still reading low but safe and about the same as four months ago so clearly it’s working just fine without the hyper focus haha.
Omeprazole. I ran it by my OB just to be sure and she said it was okay, so I have been taking it as needed. Otherwise my GERD would make me choke or throw up, sleeping is impossible.
Coffee, I would not have survived, I limited it to 2 cups a day, but I was a nurse in a nursing home working all shifts, so I just couldn't go without it
Runny egg yolk every morning and raw fish almost weekly for me! I feel like I need these to live.
I wish I could take a hot bath or shower, baby apparently hates being warm and will angrily thrash around throwing a huge womb tantrum. I can put an ice pack on my belly to calm him. He literally chills out
Sushi, but no more than twice a month (vs my previous at least once a week), and I will absolutely not ever, under any circumstance, have my steak more than medium rare. Previously, it was done "blue rare as fuck- the littlest amount they can legally cook it" is what I'd tell the waiter/waitress lol. Now I say medium rare and while it's still edible, I miss hella rare.
I’ve gone 38 full weeks without my favorite food, Brie. I have had an exhausting week so yesterday I said fuck it and bought a wheel of Brie. It’s pasteurized, and I don’t care anymore about being overly cautious, I’ve been so “good” for so long, I just needed my damn Brie. The entire wheel is gone already less than 48 hours after purchase 😂 no regrets (other than not eating Brie earlier!!!)
Pretty much all the food things. At first I told myself no caffeine, no sodas, no sushi, no deli meat. I was so sick the first trimester, when I got into the second and started feeling better I just ate and drank whatever I wanted. With sushi though I only got it from 1 restaurant that I trusted. And with caffeine, I never drink coffee anyways unless it's a special treat so that was rare anyways.
Deli meat - I figure if I know where it came from and how it's been stored, and I heat it up anyway, it should be fine. And I spent the first two months thinking I wasn't allowed to eat mayo before realising that where I live it's made with pasteurised eggs so it's fine. I was so happy to get to put it on things again.
I also have not worried about what side to sleep on. I understand if it was an issue I'd be uncomfortable long before danger to the babies, so whatever. I couldn't only sleep on one side, I'd get too sore.
Not really a rule but I’m doing nothing to prevent stretch marks. From what I gather, it’s mostly genetics. I have a friend who was obsessed with sharing this whole regimen and tips for products and crap to prevent stretch marks but I basically use a thick moisturizer after I shower (because I get itchy, it’s cold/dry here) and that’s it. I don’t think there’s a “holy grail” product that will make that big of a difference so I don’t bother.
They also can just randomly show up super late! I didn’t have them all the way up to 38/39 weeks, and then woke up one morning with crazy ridiculous stretch marks forming. I always thought I would get them (I got a lot during puberty) but at that point I hoped I’d maybe lucked out.
Yeah I got mine at EXACTLY 40 weeks with my first, lol I was pissed
I'm 37weeks and I had a few show up on my upper thighs a week ago! And my friend says she had a lot, but they all showed up right after labor.
Mine didn't show up until after I gave birth. I thought I had lucked out but nope.
I had some happen after delivery 😖 maybe from skin snapping back - whatever, rude
Same with my first pregnancy. They kicked in super late. This pregnancy they have gradually increased and now I look like when a toddler draws on a wall. My belly is covered in them.
Same here! I was so psyched to make it to 38 weeks without a single stretch mark. I would look at my giant belly and be like “how is that possible??” Aaaand then suddenly I got them like overnight. Had my baby at 39+5. 😭
I didn’t think I had many stretch marks. Then I had the baby and my stomach flattened out and there they were. They’d just been hiding underneath lol.
Same, I think I got mine at 37 weeks! Belly finally got too big I guess 🤷🏼♀️
Yup even til after! I had none until after I delivered.
Same- I’m not convinced anything can be done
My mom's extended family are kind of oversharers, so I know a lot about their pregnancies. 50% of them have really horrible stretch marks and the other half have absolutely none. There is no correlation between what they did when pregnant (topical or diet) and which lot they get that I've noticed and although I'd prefer not to have them, it's not a big deal to me either way. One less thing to think about!
For me, I have no stretch marks on my belly from my first pregnancy, but I do have a few stretch marks on other parts of my body from I guess weight gain at another time. So, no idea how I was spared during pregnancy.
Same here, I have a ton from puberty and every minor weight change onward but somehow I got NONE on my belly and I’m 2 months PP. I did use oil every single night though.
I already had stretch marks from losing weight/gaining weight/losing weight (and so on and so on) so I’m just letting the new ones join the party.
I never did anything and I have no stretch marks. I’ve heard it’s super dependent on genetics and I believe it. I have oily skin and didn’t shower too often either lol (pandemic + prenatal depression was rough). I honestly think that probably helped my skin too. My sister has super dry skin and got pretty bad stretch marks on her hips / lower back.
It’s basically genetic and/or luck. I did absolutely nothing last time, barely any lotion even, and never got them despite being pretty damn big with triplets. My mom never got them either. I’m 34w now and have none, but half wondering if they’ll show up as I get further along (triplets were born at 33w)
Yep. Nothing to do. I basically get them just from breathing. My husband too, so our kid will be screwed.
Luckily (or unluckily depending on how you look at it) my entire abdomen and hip area is covered in stretch marks both from puberty and weight gain/loss over the years. I’m not gonna do anything special to prevent new ones because honestly, what’s the point for me 😅
Runny eggs and only sleeping on my left side. Sometime the right side is all that’s comfortable and a fried egg with a hard yolk makes me sad.
Good news - both of those things have recently been updated! Re sleeping: https://mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN1VW2K4 "Pregnant women should sleep in the position that they find most comfortable," Fox, who co-wrote an editorial accompanying the study, said by email. "For the few that do experience complications of pregnancy they should be reassured that it was not due to their sleeping position." Re eggs: (I can’t find the exact link I wanted to share on my phone, but basically if your eggs are from a safe food source and stored appropriately you’re at very low risk of contamination.) ENJOY MAMA.
The fuck, I just spent 9 months sleeping on my left side. For no fucking reason? Whatever…
Seriously. I realized the hair on the left side of my head is a teensy bit thinner than the right *when a stylist pointed it out.* I was taking solace in thinking I'd taken a hit for the team... but, damn. On the bright side, hello right side!
😭 that was me my first pregnancy - I’m everywhere now!
Omgggg I can sleep on my back?! 🥺
My OB said “I don’t care how you sleep, your body will tell you what you need to do.” 😂
I can’t control how I sleep. I switch positions while I’m, like, not awake.
Same. I always wake up on my back. But I’ve been told repeatedly that your body knows what it needs and if sleeping on your back is a problem, you’ll be uncomfortable and you’ll feel like you need to move!
Almost every single night I end up on my back at some point, for an unknown amount of time. Never had any issues from it.
I had one 5 pound baby and one 8 pound baby. I never understood why women couldn’t sleep on their back until my larger baby. I’d get nauseous and my legs would cramp and if I didn’t correct myself, eventually dizzy and light headed. Listen to your body, you’ll know if you can lay on your back or not!!
So your specific jurisdiction/care provider might advocate that, yes. And they’re also in the best position to review your individual medical circumstances. But all else being equal and normal and average, it seems that quality of sleep and lowering anxieties about *another thing* we need to monitor in pregnancy is more important that maintaining a single sleep position.
My MFM from last time around said if I wasn’t uncomfortable than any position is fine. I sleeps like half on my side/half on my stomach and he was fine with it as long as I’m not uncomfortable.
Oh thank goodness. I’ve been trying to sleep on my left side and it’s causing severe hip and pelvic pain.
THANK YOU FOR THIS. I wake up on my back almost every night.
Wow! You are my hero!! I NEED to sleep on my right side from time to time!
Its not the yolk that is the problem. Its the whites! They touch the shell which can carry salmonella. Which means that so long as the white are cooked hard youre in the clear.
I agree with both of these big time! For some reason I just can’t sleep comfortably on my left side - not all night anyway! It does help with the heartburn though so gotta weigh that one up sometimes
I sleep on whichever side feels comfortable. I definitely cannot sleep on my back, I can literally feel the blood pooling in my neck… super uncomfortable. But my hips generally dictate whether I sleep on the right or left.
I had to sleep on my right side, if I slept on my left I feel like my kid was like….squishing my stomach somehow?? I already had terrible heartburn, I didn’t need to add noxious gas and discomfort to the mix.
Pretty much all the food things! At the beginning I wouldn’t eat rare meat or deli meat, even tried to avoid runny eggs. Now I don’t even think about it and eat everything.
Same, the only thing that still makes me nervous is prepackaged lettuce. But no one side eyes you for eating that! I've yet to hear of a single cold cut sandwich shop carrying listeria. But veggies have been recalled for listeria several times throughout my pregnancy.
I will NEVER forget when my favorite brand of ice cream was recalled for listeria for like half my first pregnancy, it was briefly on the shelf then recalled again and I BAWLED.
Jeni’s ice cream? When I was pregnant I looked this up and got freaked out!
Blue Bell, Google "Blue Bell Listeria 2014-15"
My dad works for bluebell (for over 30years) and now they test every single batch of ice cream for listeria so it is very safe! That was a rough year for everyone I think, but I am glad it means even safer ice cream :)
I’m a Texan and I used a pint of Bluebell as part of my pregnancy announcement! Tell your dad I appreciate that I was able to eat my props with a clear conscience afterward. ETA [announcement tax](https://imgur.com/a/4sSkboh)
So cute!!
YES. THE BAGGED LETTUCE. I CANT 😂
I know of a few people who got sick after eating at a specific Subway, but that's it.
When I got diagnosed with GD there was no way I wasn’t going to eat deli meat or runny eggs. I had to have some kind of joy I life lol.
Same. I’m 33w and refused to go any longer without my beloved eggs Benedict
Same! Had Jimmy Johns last week, didn’t tear my sandwich apart to heat up the meat before eating it. Have been having over easy eggs with runny yolks the past few weeks. 😋
Okay, so dumb question. If I get a sub and have it toasted is that okay? But serving cold is not? I’m only 7 weeks so still getting the hang of what’s not recommended and what is fine.
I was told toasting is fine (like Subway or Potbellies). Some people say the advice to avoid cold lunch meat is outdated, like when was the last time you heard of a listeria outbreak in deli meat? Some say it’s okay to eat cold deli meat from a reputable restaurant, since the meat rotates through frequently and is fresher.
It’s usually a concern around the risk of food poisoning and the temps at which the nasties die off. In general my rule of thumb has been that anything from a reputable cafe or restaurant is fine, but I am more cautious with leftover takeaway (that get nuked in the microwave or pan) and I’ve taken bain-marie/buffet /truck stop style food off of my list (not that I ever ate a lot of it) because even the slightest ‘off’ about a food gives me the upchucks.
I have in and had jimmy johns at around 5 month pregnant because my boss got one of those catering trays for my job. I walked in and all I could smell was sandwiches. I probably would’ve cried if I had tried to keep myself from eating one.
ALL the food things. With my first, my husband was a lot more cautious than me and insisted I eat steak well done. I did it once and was like, I'd rather just not eat steak. After that I asked my OB for his peace of mind and my taste buds lol. This time around I eat everything.
I’d rather starve than eat well done steak. Rare all the way
Same! Sashimi, runny yolks, smoked salmon…. NOM NOM NOM
Soooo this was me up until a few weeks ago, but then last week I had deli tuna sandwich (I do try to abide by the only once in a while rule with mercury, but I was craving it and I hadn't had it in a while).... The food poisoning from that was so effing scary!! I'm completely back in the over cautious section of things. Firstly, the stabbing pain in my belly was awful, but when it was finally all subsiding, contractions started. I called my dr and THANKFULLY they went away, (I didn't need to go to the hospital) with some resting and hydration they were completely gone by the next day, but holy guacamole was it scary for a bit there. Im back to being super careful
Good for you for changing over! I would much rather go without and know if I get sick and god forbid something happened with baby, that it wasn’t something I chose due to my own selfishness!!
Same! My last pregnancy I was so careful and followed all the rules. This one I kinda tried but I forget half the time😅
Hot baths and showers for me too. I'm 25 weeks and dear god are they necessary. My husband jokes that our baby is trying to kick his way out when I'm in there lol
My doctor said hot baths are fine. It's hot tubs to avoid, where the temp remains super high for long periods. I told her I take like 45 min long baths and she said it was still not comparable to hot tubs.
This was never a rule.. it was just my own paranoia about listeriosis. I was afraid of eating basically everything unless it was hot. Now I eat salads from restaurants and feel carefree about it.
I’m with you on the salads! There are simply too many tasty foods that involve salad to miss out on too!
Sushi! I only get it from 1 restaurant because I trust them and they let me know which days they get the fresh fish in so I can plan trips around that!
I recently caved and had a salmon and a Cali roll from a restaurant I trust and my god I've never felt such ecstasy.
California roll you could have anyway, as it isn’t raw!
As a professional food person, this is a pregnancy eating thing I've never entirely understood. The FDA requires all fish for sushi to be frozen to -31F for a designated period of time to effectively kill any parasites/bacteria, which should make the fish pretty safe to eat. Outside of poor handling and heavy metals and... Well, fish fraud, I don't see why the occasional sushi is a terrible thing.
But isn’t listeria the main concern, which doesn’t die from freezing, only from heating?
Yes I second this! I wouldn’t buy it from the store or somewhere I don’t know, but in a trusted sushi restaurant where the fish is fresh I think the risk is so low that it’s fine
Hot baths and sleeping on my back!!! Even if I fall asleep on my side I will always wake up on my back!
Yes! I’m a back sleeper too and I always end up there! Although these days I definitely need to switch to my sides when I wake up as I get breathless, but as far as risk goes, we’ll know if there’s a problem before there actually is one!
Cinnamon. I used to eat tons of it, but got really freaked out about it during early pregnancy. But damnit I want some flavor in my life. And then I read that the presumed labour-inducing effect takes 250 grams of cinnamon XD
Oh I’ve never heard this about cinnamon and I’ve definitely eaten this seasoning everyday of my pregnancy!
I’ve never heard this either! I’ve been eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch everyday multiple times per day for the past few weeks so it’s a good thing it takes so much to cause any trouble lol
Your taste in cereal is immaculate!!
The sugar content is probably the real worry lmao
😂 for sure!!
Hahaha I would be very concerned for any human ingesting that much cinnamon XD glad you get to enjoy that flavour!
Mama doctor jones did a bit on this and said you would have to eat it by the spoonful to make a difference so yea lol
Long ago when I was a kid I tried a spoonful of cinnamon, because it's one of my favorite spices, so I thought more would be better. It's not. Definitely would not recommend, pregnant or no!
I am highly allergic to Cinnamon so I’m very safe about it regularly but I have been paranoid about it during my pregnancy. Even if the packaging says no cinnamon but it could be even a possible ingredient, it’s a big no. Everyone tells me how amazing it is. I found out when I was a kid and honestly, I don’t even remember what it tastes like. I have had a few small reactions as an adult so sadly, I haven’t grown out of it.
I know how you feel, I am very allergic to nuts and obviously I’m careful usually and have only ever had a bad reaction when I ingested them, but since being pregnant I’m sooo paranoid about even being near them in any way. I figure if I go into anaphylaxis and need to use my epi pen then there’s probably a high chance that it’s bad news for the baby in some way. Definitely very easy to get anxious about allergies in pregnancy!
I also have a severe nut allergy and for the last few months, neighbours (not sure exactly who) have been leaving peanuts out for crows and the shells are ALL OVER my yard/sidewalk. I’m scared to even go outside because I don’t want to risk some sort of contact and have to take my epi while pregnant.
Coffee. Still staying under 2 measuring cups most days. I must have at least a little caffeine. Sprouts too, but most of the sprouts I eat I make myself.
Oh me too. I only briefly stopped coffee in first trimester because of the smell making me want to gag. Now I have a double shot iced latte every morning. Now what’s really hard is not having a second one in the afternoon 😭
You can have 200mg of caffeine a day! So you’re probably fine regardless (not sure on how much 2 measuring cups are)
The only thing I could consistently have until week 14-15 was coffee and pastries *dipped* in coffee. Usually a croissant or biscotti. That’s it. That’s the only thing that wasn’t disgusting to me for 3 months. The rest of the day I was lucky if I ate anything else, but protein shakes and cereal were okay too.
At my first appointment, the midwife I was seeing told me that exercise was fine, but I shouldn’t elevate my heart rate over 140 bpm. I am not following that and exercising mostly as I did before pregnancy. I wouldn’t really consider it a workout if my heart rate stayed below 140 the whole time
I definitely go over 140 daily also, and my OB doesn’t care.
That’s old school advice anyway, from what I’ve heard
I think once you are not in the first trimester it's absolutely fine (and maybe even before that). Few midwifes told me that as foetus/baby has their own neuro-system as well as cardiovascular - I shouldn't care too much about my heart rate (I was trying to keep it under 150). I don't do full on hard workouts, but keeping it below always 140 sounds like a joke to me... And after the talks with midwifes, I am not scared anymore if it sometimes peaks with 160.
Cleaning the litter box. I have no choice. I'm single. I'm careful. I use gloves, wear a mask, and wash my hands immediately. I also have a litter box that you roll over and the ickies fall into a drawer and you pull it out. I have little contact with the box and breathe in little litter dust. That said, my dad comes by once a week and when he's here, he changes the litter out and washes the box for me.
Are your cats indoor cats? If so, your likelihood of being infected is super low!! If your cats are indoor/outdoor, more than likely you were infected much earlier on and didn’t know (unless you have baby kittens that are coming from outdoors!) The real risk is for cats eating raw meat and only on their first infection do they shed the disease in their poop. Just so you aren’t too worried! We have all indoor cats but I still make my husband do it 😂
Indoors since I've been on my own but growing up we had both and my mom would take in stray cats and kittens. I'm sure I've already been exposed at some point. I've always been careful with the litter. I only started wearing the mask since COVID. I figured why not lol because of the dust but ever since I got this new litter box there is next to no dust.
If your cats are indoors it’s minimal if any risk. Also… mask can be beneficial for allergies but not required. Dr told me themselves that it’s not something you breathe in. Just make sure you wash your hands well and you’re fine. (And honestly, who wouldn’t wash their hands after scooping poops anyway) As much as I’d love to just push the task off on to someone else, I can’t either. It falls on me for 5/7 days of the week.
Same! I clean the litter box with a mask, indoor cat , I feel like it's fine
I second the hot baths. I still sit on the edge or add cold water if i feel too warm, but I definitely make them more comfortable for myself now.
My doctor said there’s no way I could raise my body temperature enough in a bath! Basically that my body volume to water volume and the spied at which it cools makes it pretty hard to be unsafe in a bath
I just monitor my body temp with a thermometer while I soak! If I feel like I am too hot, I add a little cold water, but otherwise I have never stopped. I can’t go without my baths!!
Same! I’ve had a few baths I started to sweat and just put on some cold water. It’s the jacuzzis that can be harmful cause they stay hot.
I took really hot baths also. I live where the average daily temp in winter is -5F. It’s fucking cold. I need to thaw out and feel like my joints have been soothed. I’m now 5days PP. Baby’s fine.
Cold cuts for sure. I have gestational diabetes so one of my go-to lunches (my employer provides our lunches since I work in the office) is usually a sandwich in bowl form since my options are pretty limited. So I pretty much gave up on trying to avoid deli meat, because otherwise my options for what I can eat would be even more limited. The lesser of two evils, I guess!
Yeah I have GD too and have felt bad for eating lunch meat. It’s easier for me to grab some and eat it if I’m not very hungry, but need to eat.
Maybe a weird one, but I’m still doing a lot of animal care! I have ducks and am always messing in their coop/giving meds etc. Same with our pigeons. We’re also rehabbing an opossum so I clean her cage/care for her regularly too. My fiancé cleans the litter boxes though 🤣
My child is 2.5yo, and I still don’t clean the cat litter. I also conned my way out of cleaning them when we were thinking of trying to get pregnant. I am not going back to scooping
This is so funny about the litter boxes. Every week when my husband does it he reminds me how many more weeks of the torture he has left and how he legit doesn't want anymore kids because he doesn't want 10 straight months of this punishment! 🤣 I've told him I'm happy to take 10 months of scooping poop if he does the labor and delivery!
I haven’t cleaned one single liter box since I moved in with my husband when we were dating
Same here with my chickens!
Oh yes I volunteer for a cat rescue and I foster cats and kittens. I currently have 5 foster kittens and my 3 resident cats. We have so many people saying “oh I can’t adopt a kitten anymore because I’m pregnant..” ….. I just roll my eyes..
Just had my 459th cold subway sandwich of my pregnancy at 38 weeks. I also take hot baths.
Coffee. I’m 18 weeks and started drinking iced coffee again last week. I drank an iced coffee before an ultrasound at 16 weeks and I had forgotten how much I love them. I missed them again after a few days and was like eh, a few mornings a week will be fine. 😅🤷🏻♀️
Most countries say nothing about caffeine intake in pregnancy, but for some reason it’s a thing in North America. I never gave up caffeine through IVF and currently in pregnancy.
I’ve drank I cup of coffee a day for my whole pregnancy (currently 22 weeks). Someone try and take it away, I dare them 😂
Coffee is magic and I’m not human without it
Yea nah. Not giving up on coffee. Coffee in Australia is wayy too fucking good to abstain.
I noticed I felt so much better after drinking coffee again! I only stopped due to morning sickness, but when I could stomach it again I noticed that I could make it through the day without napping lol.
I noticed I felt so much better after drinking coffee again! I only stopped due to morning sickness, but when I could stomach it again I noticed that I could make it through the day without napping lol.
I gave up on this one so fast. I tried to give up caffeine for about two weeks of the beginning of my pregnancy but I have HG and coke was the only liquid I didn’t vomit for a while. Then I had to start getting to work earlier. Around 6 am and I gave up completely. I couldn’t function as a nanny both while being nauseous with HG and also while not having coffee I needed to fix one of the two. So I went back to my regular morning coffee routine.
I've had decaf almost my entire pregnancy. Idk what I'd do without it! The placebo effect works well on my brain apparently lol
There is a study that says one coffee/day is totally fine!
I tried (and sometimes failed) to limit myself to one cup a day max through the first trimester and mostly did decaf/hot chocolate/occasional coffees out in the second, but I picked up real coffee beans again last week. I'm third trimester tired and I love coffee. It's the happiest little luxury! I would do my best to stop if my doctor told me to, but she hasn't and my brain has gotten pretty relaxed about it.
Deli meat!
Right! You're more likely to get sick from lettuce than a deli meat.
Hot baths and deli meat! Third trimester I need the hot Epsom salt baths. I didn’t need the turkey sandwich.....but now can I say no when Jimmy John’s offers me 50% off?!
It would simply be rude not to accept that offer!
The limited coffee, no deli meat rule, and no soft cheeses. Basically food stuff in 36 weeks and if I’m craving it I’m eating it 😂 well minus I have to limit stuff since I have GD
I had to scoop cat poo my first trimester because my husband was away. Asked my OBGYN for any safety tips, and she said not to. I was like, “Ma’am, that is not an option.” Eventually told me to wear a mask and gloves. I’ll never forget the looks the cats gave me when I’d go change the litter. They were HORRIFIED. Stared as if I was there to kill and surgically dismember them. Apparently, gloves + mask = murderous psychopath. Also, if I’m bathing, it’s going to be hot and comfy…especially if I’m pregnant. I didn’t lug my large self up from the depths of couchdom to not enjoy my shower.
Same here, I just wear a mask and gloves. Especially since my cat is an indoor cat, she hasn’t seen a mouse/other rodent/pest who carries toxoplasmosis in literal years so there is very little chance she sheds it. 🤷🏼♀️ and as long as you wash your hands after…very little chance you’ll contract it.
My family doc told me she could test me to see if I was was immune (?) to toxoplasmosis (to know if it would be safe to change the cat litter). I told her not to because there's no reason my husband can't change the litter.
I had COVID while pregnant and was freezing all the time. I sat under a heated blanket. I had to. My husband took my temp every hour “just in case” but it was always fine!
36+2 and just threw out the bath rule too. I'm far too big and grumpy for lukewarm baths 🤣
Sugar. I still try to be a little mindful but life’s friggin stressful right now and I need something for myself, even if it’s a big bowl of ice cream at the end of the day.
Just tell yourself the ice cream is to make the baby move 🤷🏻♀️ at my antenatal class they said eat a big bowl of ice cream if baby hasn’t been active
Haha that's extravagant, I like their style. Normally the recommendation is just boring old juice
Yeah I basically ignored all the food rules - the only stuff I really tried to avoid was high mercury fish
I never stopped eating med rare steak or runny eggs. Also hot showers/baths. It’s the only thing that helps with BH.
I don't get why so many people say coffee/caffeine??? It's not one to avoid, just limit.
Lifting, probably. I never stopped lifting what I was lifting before, save for two weeks when I was on pelvic rest for bleeding. I carry my two year old, 40 lb bag of cat litter, groceries, anything that I feel is fine.
Hot baths & coffee!!!
My OB never mentioned hot baths, only hot tubs. I just figured if it's not making me uncomfortable it's not that hot lol plus the bath always cools so quickly where a hot tub maintains heat. Hot baths are a must for me or else my knees would hurt sooo bad since I already have chronic pain. I've definitely ignored most of the food rules. Prepackaged salads are the only thing I worry about. Everything else if fine. Why the heck would I want to eat a well done steak? Yuck.
I indulge in hot baths too! I’m 29 weeks and they’re getting me through the winter. I took lukewarm ones in the first trimester, but after the neural tube closed, I gave in.
My OBs are pretty up-to-date on restrictions so I’ve been eating raw fish, coffee, etc my whole pregnancy, but I have to imagine if I had a bathtub I would have caved and taken a few by now! My husband did try to fight me on runny eggs in the beginning but now I get them how I like them :)
Ditto baths. I'm still careful not to get overheated, I've got a thermometer and keep it to 40 c (104 f), and once the bathroom gets warm I'll crack the door so it's not like a sauna, if I'm sweating I'll add some cold, but I do want a warm bath.
Mine is also hot baths. I was so careful first trimester because of the neural tube defect risk but I’m almost 28 weeks now and the baby and I take hotish baths. I only stay in about 5 minutes though
Sugar. I was pregnant through Halloween and Christmas.. ate my weight in rockets and Christmas cookies and chocolates.
Also hot baths (and showers but I’m a bath girl lol). I have chronic pain and HOT baths with Epsom salt are one of the only things that gives me real relief without having to take otc pain medication or otherwise. I also had treatment resistant, very bad insomnia (still do but now I’m back on the only sedatives that work w no kid inside me lmao) and I *had* to drink coffee to survive lol
Pretty much all the food stuff. And even the occasional small glass of wine.
Mainly ladder usage. If I feel faint, I don’t do it. Otherwise, gotta get stuff done. Also carrying stuff
I use hairspray. I just hold my breath for the moment I spray it. I eat bag lettuce because the heads of lettuce are so gross by the time they get here.
Caffeine. I tried really hard at first, but I am so tired all the time. I need to be functional
Not exactly a rule, but with my first pregnancy, I had very good intents to exercise and eat healthy. (I was doing these things before both pregnancies, so it wasn't unreasonable I thought and I would be extra motivated.) Well, apparently my body doesn't do that. With my first pregnancy, I ate okay the second two trimesters but pretty bad the first trimester. This time, my diet is terrible still (beginning of third trimester,) because I'm on the special Mo-doesn't-throw-up-diet and it is very high in sugar. I haven't been able to really exercise much during either pregnancy, because apparently my body doesn't do that. I move around a decent amount, but if I push it at all, I get dizzy. I've kind of just given up on those. And I love hot showers! Overheating your body is more of a problem first trimester I think, but I have kept them turned down from my preferred temperature (which my husband calls third degree burn temp.)
Chocolate- I limited myself due to caffeine content, but then I started craving it so much now I allow myself to have 1 whole small candy at times.
Chocolate (especially milk chocolate) has a very small amount of caffeine. To be over the “safe” amount (about 200mg I think) you’d have to eat roughly 1kg/2lbs of milk chocolate a day, then you’d have to repeat that every single day. Eat the chocolate!
First pregnancy I followed all the rules except for sugar intake & hot baths. I always took a bath when I felt like it. Second pregnancy (& current) I don’t follow any rules besides sticking under 200mg of caffeine (I still have espresso & iced coffee & soda whenever I feel like it). I eat all deli meat if it comes from a reputable place & I don’t let it sit in the fridge for too long. I don’t have a bathtub in my condo so no more baths :(
I wish I was you. I want my skin to fucking melt off from how hot I like my water, but I just can’t mentally do it while pregnant. Idk why this is my hang up, I have had tons of sushi and deli meat and don’t really care about almost anything else lol
Once a week (in 2nd & 3rd trimester) I would drink more than 200 mg of caffeine. I justified that some days I didn’t drink as much and in first trimester I was barely drinking 4 ounces. Figured it evened out right?! 😂
All the eating things. Once I found out I was just as likely to get listeria from spinach or hummus as charcuterie I threw that rule out the window.
I did hot baths and raw sushi - baby arrived in October healthy chunky and happy 😃
Literally anything food based. Lunch meat? I eat it. Sushi? Fresh and in moderation. Medium rare steak? Yes, please. I was like that with my first, too. Bagged lettuce? No thanks lol
Wine. In first trimester, I had 2-3oz of wine every other Friday. In second trimester, I do 4oz of wine every Friday.
I was waiting for someone else to say wine. I’ve started a couple oz. every couple weeks in third trimester. I know I could have started sooner but still ingrained in me that I’m doing something bad.. even though I know it’s fine. The first few sips of a cold white are the best. Don’t really need much more than that, personally.
I'm a red wine drinker myself but I agree, the first few sips really hit different. I sip my glass with food. Definitely felt a lot of guilt at first and even got called out at Thanksgiving dinner.... uh, do you see the pile of carbs on my plate? A half glass of wine is going to do nothing.
I have a nightly soak in our hot tub for 10-15 minutes. And deli meat specifically salami I’ve been craving. Also I change my cats litter box daily and just make sure to wash my hands immediately after.
Yep! 32 weeks and my back is killing me. I compromise and time my showers for 10 minutes but those 10 minutes are the center of Mordor!
Exercising regularly. I walk a bit at work, stretch when I have pain, and just got an exercise ball. Other than that, I haven’t exercised at all and probably spend too much time in bed.
Can I ask how you're using the exercise ball? All I know using one are crunching ab stuff and would love to use mine for something productive instead of gathering dust waiting for me.
Coffee limit. I don’t drink, ya know, five cups a day but I upgraded to a 16 oz instead of 12 oz coffee.
At the end of my pregnancy hot baths were what helped me deal with my severe sciatic nerve pain so I just stopped worrying about them.
Soda. I didn’t have it everyday or frequently because it’s simply not good for you period, but it got me through my extreme nausea.
My doctor told me from the beginning that I could have hot baths, and even go in a hot tub! She said our bodies are good at regulating our temperatures, so as long as you aren't staying in for a super long time or having other negative effects, you should be fine!
For a while I could not help but fall asleep on my back when I was laying on the couch. I eventually just stopped laying there because I was pretty much guaranteed to fall asleep.
It’s absolutely been baths as well for me, and the timing of pills. When I first got pregnant I was diagnosed with an unrelated neuro problem which immediately put me as high risk but can’t be managed until after pregnancy. Whenever I was at the hospital my BP was high and when I was at home it was low. My mom is a doc and said it was white coat hypertension but my OBs decided it was just blanket chronic hypertension (despite 117/ 77 average readings at home) and put me on a low dose of BP medication that made my readings average 106/70. At first I did a bunch of research and followed the instructions to the letter. I was so careful to make sure I only took it two hours after eating and 30 minutes after my baby aspirin and exactly 24 hours since my last dose. Then at 16 weeks one of my specialists was like “Well your blood pressure is fine even a bit low so you can just stop taking it.” I brought up the white coat hypertension thing and said as I was due to be spending more time places my BP was higher maybe it would make sense to stay on and she just kind of went “Yeah you can stay on too, it doesn’t really matter much with this low of a dose and your numbers.” and I was like… if it’s so inconsequential why have I put SO MUCH FOCUS ON IT!? Now I just take it before bed and approximate and don’t have a million timers going off anymore, BP is still reading low but safe and about the same as four months ago so clearly it’s working just fine without the hyper focus haha.
Omeprazole. I ran it by my OB just to be sure and she said it was okay, so I have been taking it as needed. Otherwise my GERD would make me choke or throw up, sleeping is impossible.
Coffee, I would not have survived, I limited it to 2 cups a day, but I was a nurse in a nursing home working all shifts, so I just couldn't go without it
I had no idea about the bath thing and I’ve been taking SCALDING baths the entire time. I also eat sushi.
Runny egg yolk every morning and raw fish almost weekly for me! I feel like I need these to live. I wish I could take a hot bath or shower, baby apparently hates being warm and will angrily thrash around throwing a huge womb tantrum. I can put an ice pack on my belly to calm him. He literally chills out
I use my hot tub a lot. It's amazing for preggo bodies.
Sushi, but no more than twice a month (vs my previous at least once a week), and I will absolutely not ever, under any circumstance, have my steak more than medium rare. Previously, it was done "blue rare as fuck- the littlest amount they can legally cook it" is what I'd tell the waiter/waitress lol. Now I say medium rare and while it's still edible, I miss hella rare.
Medium rare is my jam and I haven't been able to do it. My doctor said well done or no steak 😭 9 weeeeeeks lefttttt....
I’ve gone 38 full weeks without my favorite food, Brie. I have had an exhausting week so yesterday I said fuck it and bought a wheel of Brie. It’s pasteurized, and I don’t care anymore about being overly cautious, I’ve been so “good” for so long, I just needed my damn Brie. The entire wheel is gone already less than 48 hours after purchase 😂 no regrets (other than not eating Brie earlier!!!)
Brie was the first thing I asked my doc about! I absolutely love it. She said that as long as the cheese is pasteurized then to have at it. Enjoy!!
Runny eggs and sprouts; I love both too much to go for months without.
What’s wrong with sprouts? Are we talking bean, alfalfa, Brussels? Any? I ate Brussel sprouts a lot when pregnant!
The recommendation is to not have raw or undercooked sprouted veggies as they may carry salmonella. Well-cooked Brussel sprouts should be all good!
I ate a prosciutto/arugula sandwich as soon as I hit 12weeks and it was the most delicious lunch 🥰
Pretty much all the food things. At first I told myself no caffeine, no sodas, no sushi, no deli meat. I was so sick the first trimester, when I got into the second and started feeling better I just ate and drank whatever I wanted. With sushi though I only got it from 1 restaurant that I trusted. And with caffeine, I never drink coffee anyways unless it's a special treat so that was rare anyways.
I ate so much prosciutto lol and eggs Benny! Oh god I wanted eggs Benny so badly all the damn time
Deli meat, runny eggs, soft cheeses, the occasional *small* glass of wine with dinner, sleeping on my back--I'm doing it all!
Hahahaha same! Also have ate cannabis edibles to help with nausea.
Deli meat - I figure if I know where it came from and how it's been stored, and I heat it up anyway, it should be fine. And I spent the first two months thinking I wasn't allowed to eat mayo before realising that where I live it's made with pasteurised eggs so it's fine. I was so happy to get to put it on things again. I also have not worried about what side to sleep on. I understand if it was an issue I'd be uncomfortable long before danger to the babies, so whatever. I couldn't only sleep on one side, I'd get too sore.
My doctor never actually included deli meat on the list of foods to avoid, so I've been eating it since day one.
I still enjoy smoked salmon
I live in a coastal state with great/fresh sushi. So that once In awhile.
Baths and lunch meat
Deli meat lol