Do-s and Don't-s When You Are Pregnant

Here are some of the advices for Pregnant Ladies. Some were actually instructions from my gynaecologists. If you are not sure, always consult your gynaecologist (gynae). I would normally prepare a list of questions for my gynae in every visit. A good gynae would listen and advise you patiently about what you need or want to know. I'll have another topic about 'How to Choose a Gynae' later. 

However, you have to bear in mind that gynaecologists' views and traditional Chinese's views may not always agree. In fact, they disagree a lot of times! So in those cases, it is really our decision about what to follow. Being somewhat a 'banana' myself, I followed professional advices most of the time when in conflict. Of course then, the dilemma comes when your mother or mother-in-law believes in the traditional way  :)  :)

AND... I also found out that there could also be different views between gynaes! So don't get too worried if you hear different advices from other preggy mom's gynaes. Ask your gynae about such differing views and trust your own gynae as those situations may be unique to other preggy moms. 

My gynae's advices:

• Do not eat raw food. So, avoid sashimi, raw salad and just about anything that is not thoroughly cooked.

• Do not eat Chinese Herbs especially ginseng, or any Chinese Herbs relating to 'sum' (cantonese) !! 
  Here is the dillema for a lot of Chinese moms-to-be because some moms or moms-in-law believe in 'poh' for pregnant ladies and hence, double boil lots of 'poh' soup for their preggy daughters.  I had some minor run ins with my MIL on my 1st pregnancy but she is a very good and understanding person. So, no big issue really. The reason behind this is... especially during the early stage when the embryo is trying to attach securely in the womb, heaty stuff like this can loosen the attachment and cause miscarriage. My doc explained it better but the end result is the same. In fact, he disallowed Chinese Herbs throughout the pregnancy. 

• Do not eat Bak Kut Teh - the same reason as above. And Bak Kut Teh is even worse as it has many types of Chinese herbs in it. Very heaty.

• One of my gynaes did not allow me to take Chinese Herbal drinks ('leung sui'). He claimed that these drinks can cause black patches on baby's body or face. Hmmm. But I followed anyway.

• Do not eat fruits with skin. Peel off the skin before you eat them. The worry is pesticides on the skins which can adversely affect the baby.

• Do not consume wine or anything that is alchoholic. When I was about 6 months pregnant with Rachel, I took a bowl of chicken wine. I bled that night and thank God, Rachel was safe. 

• Do not carry heavy things especially in the 1st trisemester. If you have an older child, try to get your hubby to take over first.

• No sex in the 1st Trisemester until the gynae says so (normally around 3-4 months). My gynae would tell me when it was safe. Nothing to be shy about really. 

• Do not fall. Yes, yes, I know - nobody wants to fall. Now is even more critical. Just be careful where you step on and wear non-slip low/flat-heeled shoes.

• Do not take milk supplement like Anmum unless the growth of the baby is not satisfactory. Otherwise you and the baby will only put on weight and thus, a more difficult birthing process. Anmum and such are for malnourished moms - according to my gynae. (I asked about this) One of my friends ballooned up after taking Anmum and she was in labour for 2 days.

• Try not to take bird nests??!!! According to my gynae, there is actually nothing wrong with bird nests ... IF you are SURE that they are genuine. In a lot of cases, the bird nests are not 100% genuine and the fake part has petroleum components in them that is harmful to the baby.

• Take the Folic Acid and later the multi vitamins that your gynae give you. They have all the right proportions of vitamins and supplements needed for a preggy mom. 

• Do not perm or colour your hair. The ammonia component can absorb into the blood and is harmful to the baby. I even when to the extend of checking the ingredients of my shampoo and conditioners for ammonia.

• Do not simply take medicine for flu or sickness. Not all medicine is suitable for preggy moms and may harm the baby. Always tell your GP (if you are not seeing your gynae) that you are pregnant if you are not already showing. In my case, I always go to my gynae for medication. I found out that not all GPs know what is suitable for preggy moms. They referred to their reference book when I was consulting them!!!

Other advices that I gathered along the way:

• Do not eat cool things like watermelon, pineapple, leung sui, etc. This is a Chinese belief. I followed even  though my gynae said that there is nothing wrong with fruits - even pineapple. Huh? 

• Do not jump, squat, stretch, run or do anything exertive. 

• Some say do not paint your nails and put on makeup. I didn't do the nails but I had to put on the makeup when I go to work. So far so good.

• A Chinese acupuncturist advised me not to apply Muscle Pain medication on the body - including 'Tit Ta Yau". He said it had caused miscarriage in some of his patients. Actually if you take a look at the terms of use for some  like 'Deep Heat', it actually mentions some risk for pregnant and breast feeding moms. My gynae gave me but told me to apply sparingly for my backache.

• Eat well and rest well.

• If you really really really want to go to the gym, get an instructor who KNOWS how to guide a preggy mom. 

That is about all that I can recall for now.