Lifestyle Issues

Exercise.

Both you and your partner should start, or keep up, regular exercise when you are trying to get pregnant. If you don’t do any exercise, now is a good time to start. Regular exercise will improve your health and help reduce stress, but if you are not used to exercise, start off slowly. The more active and fit you are the easier it will be for you to cope comfortably with pregnancy.

Walking and swimming are good ways to start getting fit, and a yoga or Pilates class can help with relaxation and muscle tone. Whatever exercise you do, talk to your doctor or exercise instructor if you become pregnant, as you may need to adapt the exercise you do.

You should avoid exercise or sports where there is a risk of being hit in the abdomen, such as martial arts. You should take extra care during activities where there is a risk of falling or losing your balance, such as cycling and horse riding.

 

 

Your weight.

What you eat and how much you exercise affects your weight. Being overweight or underweight can disrupt your periods and reduce your chances of getting pregnant.

 

Vitamin D.

Women who have limited exposure to sunlight, such as women who are housebound or who usually remain covered when outdoors, may need to take a supplement of Vitamin D. Seek advice from your doctor or midwife.

Women who have limited exposure to sunlight, such as women who are housebound or who usually remain covered when outdoors, may need to take a supplement of Vitamin D. Seek advice from your doctor or midwife.

 

Travel.

Plan travel cautiously if there is a possibility you are pregnant. Avoid long haul flights and travel to areas where there is a risk of malaria. If travel is unavoidable speak to your doctor or midwife.

 

Smoking.

Try to stop smoking. If you or your partner smoke it can reduce your fertility. Stopping smoking may be the most important thing you can do for your health and the health of your baby.

Women who smoke during pregnancy have a greater risk of:

• miscarriage

• stillbirth

• giving birth too early (premature birth)

• complications during and after pregnancy and labour

• having low birth weight babies.

Babies who have low birth weight or are born prematurely are more likely to have health problems and are at higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS, or cot death).

Try not to start smoking again after you’ve had your baby. Babies whose parents smoke are more likely to suffer from coughs and chest infections, and are at higher risk of SIDS.

If you or your partner needs help, support or practical advice on giving up smoking, you can:

• go to your general practice – talk to your doctor, practice nurse or midwife

• ask your pharmacist

• contact the NHS Pregnancy Smoking helpline (0800 169 9 169) or go to the NHS website www.smokefree.nhs.uk.

Alcohol.

Many women ask how much is safe to drink during pregnancy. The safest approach is not to drink at all. If you do drink you should avoid getting drunk, and try to limit alcohol to the occasional drink and not more than one or two units once or twice a week.

Alcohol can damage sperm production, so men should cut down on drinking too.

If a woman drinks heavily and frequently in pregnancy, or regularly binge drinks (has five or more units of alcohol on any one occasion), this can harm her baby’s development and health.

Heavy drinking can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). These describe a range of symptoms that can be caused by drinking alcohol in pregnancy, including damage to the facial features, brain, heart and kidneys, and learning difficulties and behavioural problems in later life.

Many pregnancies are unplanned. You may have had a one-off binge and then later discover that you conceived at or around this time. Many women worry that this might have caused harm to the baby. It is thought that a single episode of binge drinking is unlikely to be harmful to a woman or her baby.

If you or your partner find it difficult to cut down on alcohol, you can get help and support from:

• Your general practice – talk to your doctor, nurse or midwife.

• Drinkline, the national alcohol helpline (0800 917 8282).

• www.drinkaware.co.uk, a website that can help you count your units, and offers information on drinking in pregnancy and advice on cutting down.

Work environment.

Some occupations expose you to substances or surroundings that may be harmful if you become pregnant. If you are concerned, speak to your manager or health and safety officer to find out more about any risks there might be.

You can find out more information from the Health and Safety Executive website at www.hse.gov.uk.